Barak and Deborah

Judges 4:8-10. Deborah, the 4th Judge of Israel, asked Barak, the son of Abinoam, to help her by going out and defating Sisera, the commander of King Jabin’s army. King Jabin of Canaan who reigned from Hazor was an enemy of Israel.

Deborah asked Barak to lead ten thousand fighting men from two tribes of Israel – Naphtali, and Zebulun. Because Barak hesitated, Deborah warned him that Sisera would die by a woman’s hand, not his. Throughout this book there is an important pattern that God gives victory through what appears to be human weakness: Ehud left-handed, the woman Jael, Gideon’s small army, Samson in his blindness, etc. Compare II Corinthians 12:9-10.

Then the land of Israel had peace for forty years. Yet again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of God, which leads us to what happened in the life of Gideon.

Background Reading:

Barak and Deborah

8 “If you’ll go with me, I’ll go,” Barak replied. “But if you won’t go with me, then I’m not going.”

9 She responded, “I will surely go with you, but the road that you’re about to take will not lead to honor for you. The LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak toward Kedesh. 10 Barak called out the army of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali to march on Kedesh, and 10,000 men went out to war with him, along with Deborah.
Judges 4:8-10


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