WISE WOMEN. Judges 4 Joshua had defeated Jabin, king of Hazor, many years before Israel was “sold” to this Jabin. Likely, Jabin was a title rather than a personal name. The Israelites had either forgotten or ignored the fact that sin, in the eyes of the Lord, is extremely serious. It goes against everything that God is and does. Twenty years of subjugation and oppression because they chose to go their own way had brought slavery upon them. People may take a long time to realize how bound by sin they are until the passing years lead them to wonder, “Is this all there is to life?”
We may not realize that those we think are okay to spend time with actually aren't. Life in the kingdom of God is not compatible with life in the world. The Lord allowed the children of Israel to endure servitude from those they had not dealt with in God's way before. Overlooked sin may rise up to bite us later. When God's people "do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord," it shows how serious sin is. This isn't a small matter to God, even though it might be common among people around us. Enemies from within often seem like harmless friends at first, and we can get used to them and they to us.
It may be because we've become soft on sin ourselves and think the problem is gone that we're suddenly surprised by the attack. At first, it might just be a kind of distancing of people from us, and when contact resumes, it's based on us doing what they want rather than them wanting what we want. Twenty years of tolerating sin ourselves can make us realize this is a hopeless situation. Having tolerated sin for years does not mean we escape the consequences of sin.
Finally, when we realize our failures, we will be ready to turn to God for His help with this problem. We need God's control, strength, and guidance. Such moments can be very beneficial for us, even though the recovery process may seem difficult. God often chooses a very special person, man or woman, to lead and guide us by the Holy Spirit back onto the paths of righteousness He has chosen. These individuals need to have exceptional wisdom and integrity. They must have insight from God to understand His will and the courage to carry it out.
Deborah (eloquent) was the person chosen by God for that time. She was an exceptional judge. She was from the tribe of Ephraim and lived between Ramah (the high place) and Bethel (the house of God). By the time twenty years had passed, the Israelites were willing to seek her help regarding oppression from local enemies. Jabin appears to be a title for a ruler, similar to "Pharoah" in Egypt, "Abimelech" of the Philistines, or "Herod" in the New Testament. In Joshua 11, Jabin (meaning understanding, wise), the king of Hazor, is slain. Contrast this with "Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God;" "Christ Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness...." (1 Cor. 1:24, 30). Then compare this to the "wisdom of the world," "wisdom that knew not God," "wisdom after the flesh," and "man's wisdom." The wisdom of God renders all these foolish.
Jabin, king of Canaan, symbolizes Satan. He was defeated and killed in the past (Heb. 2:14,15). Satan was defeated at the cross. However, he still lives, opposes God's people, and is subdued by them (1 Pet. 5:8). Satan continually opposes, accuses, slanders, and challenges God's people. He will be completely destroyed in the future (Rev. 12:7-12; 20:7-10). The servitude of Israel wasn't his fault; it was theirs. They failed to learn from past lessons. They intentionally did evil again and turned away from God to pagan idols. As a result, they were "sold" into bondage. In that state, they were unarmed (5:8) and, humanly speaking, helpless.
Deborah is described as the best of all the judges. She was a prophetess whom the people sought for her wise decisions on issues that arose during the difficult times of slavery. Perhaps her compassion, empathy, and God-given wisdom are why she was called “A mother in Israel,” as mentioned in the song in Chapter 5. Deborah’s role as both a prophetess and a judge was significant for women in ancient times. She was respected because her wisdom was well known, she was a responsible leader, she used her influence wisely, and she could unify God’s people.
God shows no favoritism when it comes to personal worth. Leaders must understand the spiritual state of those they lead. They need genuine concern for the people, not for a title or personal success. Deborah was willing to be used by God in His service even when others weren’t. People’s prejudices can interfere with respect and obedience toward those called to lead God’s people. Deborah was God's answer to their need. As a prophetess, she received revelations from God. There were other women who also did this: Miriam (Ex.15:20), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-20), Anna (Lu.2:36), and the four daughters of Philip (Acts 21:8,9). Deborah’s husband was Lapidoth, which means 'flaming torch of earth.' Deborah was a judge who was very aware of her responsibility.
She recognized a need (5:6,7) and was realistic about how to meet it. She set a goal; she recruited Barak's help (4:6a) (lightning; from heaven). She inspired his help (4:6b-9) when she confronted him with God's command, strengthened him with God's promise, and encouraged him with her presence. She understood that acting without a plan wouldn't succeed and that she needed to develop a strategy (4:6-7). Almost anyone can see a need, but it takes more to create a plan to address it. Her faith (v.14) wasn't in her leadership skills or in how many people could be rallied against the opposition. Despite the planning and rallying, victory was certain (vs.10-24) because it was God's plan.
There was no hesitation when the Lord God of Israel commanded her to take action to deliver Israel. She summoned Barak, who was likely a young man not proven in battle but willing to follow spiritual leadership. He was aware of his own limitations, lack of experience, and possibly even lack of faith. He needed confidence he did not have, but he recognized that the power and wisdom of God were already evident and proven in Deborah.
Deborah served as the instructor for Barak in planning a strategy for the upcoming battle when he came to the “Palm of Deborah.” As a learner, Barak showed her full respect as someone speaking for the Lord, and he wanted her nearby to receive instructions from Him through her. Whether she rebuked Barak or simply told him the facts is unclear. Likely, she was just sharing what was true, because at that time, Israel was being judged by a woman. Either the men were unwilling or unable to take on the responsibility of being the judge. Barak had not yet matured spiritually, but he was willing to obey the Lord and was considered a man of faith according to Hebrews chapter eleven.
As far as Barak was concerned, he might have been strong and agile, but he knew his limitations. He understood that he needed the help of someone who truly knew God. He had 10,000 men with him, but he required one particular woman who knew God and communicated with Him. Numbers do not guarantee victories. God can use whomever He chooses, and He desires people who are willing to act for Him to the best of their ability, using what they have. Iron chariots cannot withstand the power of God unleashed through willing servants.
There were three stages that led to the conclusion of the battle and the end of twenty years of servitude. The military situation was that Israel was outnumbered (10,000), entirely out-supplied by 900 iron chariots, and had no spears or shields. They were out-positioned because they were foot soldiers on a flat plain facing chariots, like infantry alone opposing a huge tank force. The second stage was God's intervention (v.15; 5:21). The brook Kishon turned into a torrent, causing the chariots and horses to become mired and bogged down so the enemy could not escape the army of the Lord. The third stage was the death of Sisera (v.17-24).
Although all of Sisera's men were completely and permanently defeated at Mount Tabor, their leader, Sisera, escaped from the victorious army. In one family, the husband, Heber, chose to remain neutral and was probably sympathetic to the army of 900 "iron chariots." Heber had moved from southern Israel to the far north and had established favorable dealings with Jabin. Sisera likely believed he would be safe there, especially in a woman's tent, because that was not a common practice.
His wife, Jael, sided with Israel. True neutrality in spiritual matters is almost impossible. Sisera fled to the tent of someone who was not an Israelite, where a discerning woman (Jael) defeated the enemy's leader with a hammer and nail.