WEEK SIX:
DEBORAH AS LEADER – Judges 4:1-24
Deborah was the wife of Lapipidoth. She was a judge and a prophetess in Israel at that point. She always sat under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill of Ephraim. She sits there to listen to cases between or among the children of Israel and administers justice to them.
DEBORAH LEAD THE PEOPLE TO VICTORY
At this time, Israel was under a the cruel leadership of Jabin, king of Canaan, whoreinged in Hazor. The king had nine hundred chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel for twenty years. By the words of the Lord, Deborah sent and summoned Barak, the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking ten thousand from the tribe of Naph′tali and the tribe of Zeb′ulun. And I will draw out Sis′era, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.” Barak retorted and said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” Deborah surprisingly agreed and told him that she would surely go with him. She said however that, “….nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sis′era into the hand of a woman.” Then Deb′orah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak summoned Zeb′ulun and Naph′tali to Kedesh. Ten thousand men went up at his heels and Deb′orah went up with him.
When Sisera heard that Barak had mustered an army and had gone to Mount Tabor, he called out all his chariots of iron to meet himfrom Harosheth-ha-goiim to river Kishon. Then Deborah charged him to advance his troops because the Lord has gone ahead of them to give them victory. Barak marched on on with the ten thousand men after him and the Lord routed Sisera and all his army and their chariots. Sisera alighted from his chariots and ran away on foot while none of his men remained alive.
Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, the Kenite. Jael ran to him and invited him into her tent because there was peace between Jabin and the house of Heber. She covered him with a rug and when he asked for water because he was thirsty. Jael opened a skin of milk and gave him to drink. He charged Jael not to let anyone know that he was there and then he fell asleep. However Jael took a tent peg with a hammer and quietly went to where he was lying. Discovering he was deep in sleep due to his tiredness, she drove the peg into his temple and he died instantly.
Jael went out and saw Barak. She invited him to coma and see the dead Sisera with the tent peg in his temple. That was how the people of Israel became stronger and stronger until they destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan.
QUALITIES OF DEBORAH
1. She was a resourceful person, being a wife, a judge and a prophetess
2. She was a courageous woman
3. She was a leader by example
4. She loved and obeyed God
5. She cared for the people and was concerned about their well being
Unprecedented 