Judges 4:1 After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. 2 So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. 3 Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.
Judges 5:1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: 2 “Israel’s leaders took charge, and the people gladly followed. Praise the Lord! 3 “Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you mighty rulers! For I will sing to the Lord. I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.
4 “Lord, when you set out from Seir and marched across the fields of Edom, the earth trembled, and the cloudy skies poured down rain. 5 The mountains quaked in the presence of the Lord, the God of Mount Sinai—in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel. 6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the days of Jael, people avoided the main roads, and travelers stayed on winding pathways. 7 There were few people left in the villages of Israel—until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel. 8 When Israel chose new gods, war erupted at the city gates. Yet not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand warriors in Israel!
Before Moses died, God spoke through him repeatedly, warning the Israelites that if they failed to follow Him and worship Him, their enemies would overtake them. Well, the Israelites didn’t listen, choosing new gods, so King Jabin of Hazor sent his commander Sisera to control them. The astounding thing is the amount of wealth lodged in these small chieftaincies, for Sisera had 900 iron chariots, probably with nearly 2,000 horses to pull those chariots. And Sisera dominated the Israelites for twenty years.
9 My heart is with the commanders of Israel, with those who volunteered for war. Praise the Lord! 10 “Consider this, you who ride on fine donkeys, you who sit on fancy saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road. 11 Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount the righteous victories of the Lord and the victories of his villagers in Israel.
Then the people of the Lord marched down to the city gates. 12 “Wake up, Deborah, wake up!
Wake up, wake up, and sing a song! Arise, Barak! Lead your captives away, son of Abinoam!
Deborah was a judge and prophetess whom God used to call Barak to lead rebellion against Sisera. But Barak was afraid and demanded that Deborah should accompany him to the battle. Deborah agreed but stated that due to Barak’s temerity, credit for victory would go to a woman.
13 “Down from Tabor marched the few against the nobles. The people of the Lord marched down against mighty warriors. 14 They came down from Ephraim—a land that once belonged to the Amalekites; they followed you, Benjamin, with your troops. From Makir the commanders marched down; from Zebulun came those who carry a commander’s staff. 15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak. They followed Barak, rushing into the valley.
But in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision. 16 Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds—to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks? Yes, in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision. 17 Gilead remained east of the Jordan. And why did Dan stay home? Asher sat unmoved at the seashore, remaining in his harbors. 18 But Zebulun risked his life, as did Naphtali, on the heights of the battlefield.
One thing about the Old Testament, God doesn’t hesitate to call out names of heroes and cowards! Even though Deborah and Barak sent out urgent messages throughout Israel, begging for help, some tribes responded while others shilly-shallied, making excuses. Soldiers came from the tribes of Zebulon, Naphtali, Ephraim, and Issachar. And these men RUSHED to the battle, despite the horrible odds against them. Today, if you are facing battles and yet rushing toward them, realize that God sees, God remembers, and God will honor you for your faithfulness and courage!
19 “The kings of Canaan came and fought, at Taanach near Megiddo’s springs, but they carried off no silver treasures. 20 The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera. 21 The Kishon River swept them away—that ancient torrent, the Kishon. March on with courage, my soul! 22 Then the horses’ hooves hammered the ground, the galloping, galloping of Sisera’s mighty steeds. 23 ‘Let the people of Meroz be cursed,’ said the angel of the Lord. ‘Let them be utterly cursed, because they did not come to help the Lord—to help the Lord against the mighty warriors.’
Not only did a relatively small Israelite army put the kings of Canaan to flight, but the stars fought from heaven, and the Kishon River swept them away. Perhaps atmospheric conditions were perfect for monsoon-type rains. Although the Kishon River drains the Valley of Jezreel and much of Mount Carmel, it is also possible that heavy rainfall in the Gilboa mountains at the river’s source might have triggered a perfectly-timed flash flood, catching the Canaanite armies as they tried to cross the river and washing them away. Such floods carry boulders, trees, and other debris along with the water, crushing and drowning those in the path of the flood.
The citizens of Meroz, a town near the Kishon River, could have helped the Israelites and likely had treaties with them; however, the town conveniently forgot any agreements when threatened by the Canaanite armies. There is no sign of Meroz today, and even its ancient location is uncertain.
24 “Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents. 25 Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk.
In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him yogurt. 26 Then with her left hand she reached for a tent peg, and with her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera with the hammer, crushing his head. With a shattering blow, she pierced his temples. 27 He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet. And where he sank, there he died…
31 “Lord, may all your enemies die like Sisera! But may those who love you rise like the sun in all its power!” Then there was peace in the land for forty years.
So far, God had raised up a small army, sending rain and flash floods to assist them. Now God used a quiet lady living in a tent to destroy Sisera the Canaanite commander. Sisera was fleeing in panic when he found the tents of Heber, Jael’s husband, and begged for help. Jael gave him yoghurt and water and a place to sleep; however, once Sisera was asleep, Jael drove a tent peg through his skull, nailing him to the floor and killing him instantly. Deborah’s prophecy was fulfilled: a woman had gained victory for the Israelites. Why did Jael violate custom to kill Sisera? I once speculated in another commentary that Sisera or his men might have raped Jael or some of her family. Certainly, swaggering army officers would view migrant women living in tents as fair game.
There’s no doubt that Deborah and Barak and their small army had to engage the Canaanites. But look at all the ways God used to help them gain victory. And when Jael drove that tent peg through Sisera’s skull, it was the final crowning blow. Not only was Sisera dead, but he had died at the hands of a lowly woman, and not even an Israelite at that, but someone far lower on the social scale because of her ten-dwelling status.
When we wait for God to deliver us, we must always remember that God can arrange situations to achieve His desired results. In this story, God controls the weather, the courage of a small army, and the emotions of a courageous lady to destroy Sisera and the Canaanite army. It’s likely that those 900 chariots of iron and the horses drawing them were swept away by flash flooding of the River Kishon. We don’t need to be choosy about how God delivers us; we simply need to praise Him and go forward.
Today, look at your situation. Are there elements built in on which you have not already acted? You might be waiting for some dramatic deliverance; meanwhile, God is handing someone you don’t even know a hammer and a tent peg. Waiting on the Lord is an active thing, not a passive one.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that You are a God of infinite possibility and You can use any person, any situation, to achieve Your purposes. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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