In the land of Israel, not very far from Shiloh, a brave woman lived whose name was Deborah. Although many of the Israelites had turned away from God again to worship idols, this brave woman loved the true God and worshiped him.
Because Deborah was faithful to God, sometimes God spoke to her, and told her about things that would happen by and by. And Deborah told the people the words that God spoke to her. Then when the very things happened that Deborah told about, the people began to look with great respect upon this good Woman. They called her a prophetess. And they came to visit her from every part of the land. Often they found her sitting under the shade of a palm-tree, which stood near her country home, and there they talked to her about their troubles and asked her what they should do. And Deborah became the fourth judge of Israel.
At this time the Israelites were in trouble again. They were being ruled by a hard-hearted king, named Jabin, who lived in the north part of their country. Perhaps Jabin was the son of one of the Canaanite kings whom their fathers had not driven out of the land. Now because they were bowing down to idols God was allowing this wicked king to rule over them.
King Jabin had a large army, and many of his soldiers rode in iron chariots drawn by horses. From these chariots they shot arrows and threw spears at their enemies. And the Israelites feared the iron chariots more than they feared a host of men. The leader, or captain, of Jabin’s army was named Sisera. He, like the King, was very cruel. For twenty years the Israelites suffered under the rule of King Jabin. Especially did the tribes in the north part of the land feel his cruel strength. Finally they began to cry aloud to God for help.
Then God spoke to Deborah and told her what to do. She sent at once for Barak, a brave man who lived in the north country near the city of the wicked King Jabin. When he came, she told him about God’s words.
Although Barak was brave, yet he felt a shiver of fear when he heard Deborah’s message; for he remembered the iron chariots of King Jabin’s army. He knew, too, that the other men of Israel were not so brave as he. What should he do? Finally he thought of a plan, so he said to Deborah, “If you will go with me to the battle against Jabin’s army, I will go; but if you will not go with me, then I will not go.” Barak knew the soldiers of Israel believed Deborah was a true prophetess of God, and he. knew they would act bravely if she would go with them. He believed that he, too, would feel stronger if Deborah were near by to encourage his faith in God.
Deborah was ready to go with Barak; but before they started she said, “God will give the honor of this victory to a woman, and not to you.” Barak may have thought that Deborah spoke of herself; but in that he was mistaken. When they reached the north country, Barak called ten thousand soldiers from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun and went with them to Mount Tabor, the place God had chosen for their camp. Deborah went with them.
Soon Sisera heard that the Israelites were making ready to fight, so he gathered his soldiers together and started out in haste toward Mount Tabor. As he went he may have thought, “How can those weak Israelites dare to come out to battle against me and my soldiers?”
From the camp at Mount Tabor, Deborah and Barak could see the little river of Kishon winding like a silver ribbon in the valley far below them. Presently they saw a swarm of people gathering along the river’s bank. This was Sisera’s army. And they saw the hundreds of iron chariots, which the men of Israel feared so greatly. But Deborah cried out to the soldiers in the camp, “This is the day when the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hands. Already the Lord has gone out to battle; now go down at once!”
Barak and his soldiers obeyed quickly, and rushed down the mountain-side toward Sisera’s army. And God sent a great fear into the hearts of the enemies, and they began to run away. Then God caused a flood of water to sweep down the little river and overflow its banks.
Many of Sisera’s men were drowned in the flood, and all the others were killed. Sisera himself left his iron chariot and ran away as fast as he could go. What a coward he had become!
Now one of the Kenite people, named Heber, had moved his tents away from his kinsmen to a lonely place near the border of this valley where the battle was fought. And Jael, Heber’s wife, saw Sisera coming in great haste toward her tent. The people who live inj tents do not allow strange men to enter the tents of their women, and no doubt Sisera knew this custom. He thought his enemies would not expect him to hide in Jael’s tent, so he ran there to be safe. And when Jael asked him to come inside, he believed she was friendly toward his people. He called for a drink of water because he was very thirsty, and Jael gave him a bottle of milk. That was even better than water. Then, because he was very tired he lay down to rest, and Jael covered him with a large rug. Soon he fell asleep.
“Now,” thought Jael, “this is my chance!” So she stepped softly into the tent and killed the sleeping man. What a cruel deed! But Jael knew how wickedly Sisera had behaved and she wanted to help the Israelites out of their trouble. When she knew Sisera was dead she ran out, and she saw Barak passing by. He was following after Sisera and trying to catch him and kill him. She called Barak and said, “Come with me and I will show you the man you seek.” And she brought him into the tent where Sisera lay dead.
So it was Jael, a woman, instead of Barak, the soldier, who killed Sisera and ended some of Israel’s greatest troubles. After Sisera’s death King Jabin was not strong enough to rule over the Israelites, and they enjoyed freedom again. Deborah wrote a song about this victory, and she and Barak sang it together as they thanked God for helping them. You may find the words of that song in the fifth chapter of Judges.