Bibledoorajar for Deborah, Barak and Jael as the battle for freedom comes to an end.

     Barak and his valiant men storm down the mountain into the "array." Setting out, they had no assurance that the military odds had changed, but they did have Deborah's charge: "This is the day you will be delivered; the LORD has GONE OUT before you." Having no idea of how God would provide made courage and faith paramount. There is no truer picture of how faith acts. Sometimes people refer to "blind faith" because, even though they believe, they see nothing in their circumstances of how God can provide. But the important thing is that they, like Barak and his men, act. When all is said and done, people are usually surprised by how God provided. I certainly know I have been. Well, in our story, God had two surprises and I am sure they "knocked the socks off" Barak. One surprise was that He had the power to manipulate the weather and the other surprise was the lady pictured by contemporary artist Herb Mandel. The lady is Jael ("mountain goat") and years before, her husband, Heber ("compassion") had moved his family to the Canaanite area. He did business with Jabin, the ruler, and was well known to the people of the region. But Heber was also related to Jethro ("preeminence") who was the father of Zipporah who just happened to be married to Moses. Middle Eastern shepherds often put a mountain goat in their herds to help protect the gentle sheep. How like our God, The Preeminent One, to have compassionately placed a goat in with the Israelites! So there Jael sat in her husband's tent not too far from where the battle was raging.
     God caused a heavy rain to fall. There was lightning clashing in the skies in addition to the clashing of Barak's ("lightning") weapons. The rain caused a flash flood to occur and the Kishon River overflowed its' banks. Sisera's chariots of iron got mired in the mud and could not move. His troops were thrown into panic. Isn't it a bit ironic that Bael, the main Canaanite god, was touted as the god of the weather? I wonder where he was when the big battle raged? Did he not realize the the "array" was in "disarray" and needed their god's help badly? Could he not change the weather for them? Sisera's confidence was shaken; he abandoned his army and fled on foot. As he fled, he saw that he was near the tent of Heber and Jael with whom he was very familiar. What good fortune! He arrived exhausted and Jael met him outside. She reassured Sisera and asked him to come inside the tent. Feeling safe in the presence of an "ally," Sisera asked Jael to watch for his enemies from her doorway. Sisera was thirsty and tired and Jael warmed him some milk and put him to bed. Sisera did not realize that his enemy, the Israelites, were practically "kinfolks" to Jael and Heber. Being exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep. Jael decided what she would do. She took a mallet and a tent nail and slipped into where Sisera lay sleeping. She hammered the tent nail through his head all the way into the ground. Sisera fell DEAD AT THE FEET OF A WOMAN! Deborah's word had come true; a woman would take the glory for killing the enemy. Jael had refused to be seduced by the enemy and she had refused to be afraid. This "offstage" character and the role she played was known only to God. We never know who He may have waiting in the wings and when He has put them there.
     Finally, Barak, who had given chase, arrived at Heber's tent. Jael met him outside and said she would show him the man for whom he searched. There in Jael's tent Barak saw the fulfillment of Deborah's prophecy with his own eyes. The watchman of the Israelites had succeeded. She had told others the truth of God and she had taken action because she knew the God of truth. But it was her God that subdued Jabin that day. Further, the text says that He enabled the Israelites to grow STRONGER AND STRONGER against Jabin, the enemy, until he was utterly destroyed. In Christ, God is still enabling us to overcome enemies of ungodly influences and behavior. Don't forget to praise Him! Next week, we will look at how Deborah and Barak did just that.

bibledoorajar Deborah con't

     Last week we were speaking of the vicious cycles of faith and downfall that plagued the Israelites during the time of the judges. So rampant were the downfalls that the national life of Israel was drastically changed. It took on more and more of the characteristics of the evil Canaanites to the North. God had wanted this territory conquered by the Israelites early on; it was to be a part of the tribe of Napthali's heritage. But, the people failed to conquer. Their failure would prove to be to their peril. One might say that the people who lived to the North lived in darkness. The gods they worshiped were Baal, the god of nature, and Anat, the goddess of fertility. Israel was attracted to the prosperity of their neighbors' farms and villages. Soon, they were also attracted to the gods to whom the Canaanites credited with their success. The Israelites started to abandon God and chase after the gods of the neighbors. And, to make matters worse, they began to take up some Canaanite behaviors. Some of the Israeli hill folk chased after their neighbors possessions by plundering their farms and villages. Evil on both sides abounded and it became troublesome to just be in the streets (sound familiar?).
     The Canannite ruler of the city states was a man named Jabin which means "intelligent". He decided it was time to deal with the marauding Israelites. He had a formidable general named Sisera whose name means "array". At least part of his "array" included 900 chariots of iron. Jabin ruled from a fortified city called Hazor which means "enclosed". The Israelites were sorely afraid of Jabin's military strength and because of their improprieties they were too weary for faith and hope. But God had leaders in mind that could help. The leaders were Deborah, the lady who had been sitting for years under her fruitful palm dispensing help and justice, and, Barak ("lightning"), an Israeli general. Remember Deborah's giftings? She was an oracle, judge and a prophetess. Perhaps in the past, her roles of oracle and judge had been more in view, but now God intended the role of prophetess to come to the fore. It would be Deborah who would help the nation correct their tragic interpretation of life with the enemy. Events would be put into perspective by this "mother in Israel". The spiritually blind, too weak for faith, would see more clearly. The only way they could truly be assured of prosperity and reward would be to follow God's commandments and successfully deal with their enemies.
     So the time was set for battle. On stage would be Deborah, Barak, and Jabin's general, Sisera. Off stage the presence of Lapidoth ("lamps") "warring" against Jabin ("intelligent") would be felt. This situation reminds me that none of us today have seen God or Satan, our wily enemy. But we know the battle rages on. Praise God for sending the great Leader who dispels the darkness and brings light and peace. His grace and truth is a much greater gift than the law given by Moses thereby making victory ours for the taking by God's decree.
     At just the right time, Deborah arose a mother in Israel and sent for Barak. Barak, interestingly enough, was from the tribe of Napthali. When Moses had blessed this tribe he had said, "O Napthali,  SATISFIED WITH FAVOR AND FULL OF THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD". Barak had found favor and had achieved to the rank of general. Deborah tells him he is to move out with his men to the North in the direction of darkness. He is to go against the evil ruler Jabin who sat in Hazor behind fortified walls. Remember, Hazor was a city that God had wanted to be the possesion of his tribe but Napthali had failed to conquer. Barak knew that Jabin's army had grown even bigger and he knew that he had zero chariots to Sisera's 900 iron ones. Success looked bleak and Barak paused to think. Next week we will look at Barak's decision. Would he be valiant or continue to tolerate darkness?