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  Deborah   (Conclusion)  

Judges 4:11- 15:

"Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the other Kenites, that is, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had encamped as far away as Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh." The Kenites may have been smiths and craftsmen. Their livelihoods would have depended upon peaceful trade with various clans and tribes. Whatever the reason, however, Heber chose not to live with the Israelites.

"When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the troops who were with him, from Harosheth-ha-goiim to the Wadi Kishon. Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you.’ So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand warriors following him." The battle began on the flood plain of Kishon. Sisera brought nine hundred chariots, though chariots were not the best choice for use on a flood plain.

As the story continues, Deborah disappears. It was not Deborah or Barak or Jael who saved Israel, but God.

Israel rejoiced at the victory. Then comes something almost unique in the Bibe: a section written by and accredited to a woman. Deborah and Barak write Judges 5:1-31. (Some believe the entire book of Judges to be the work of a woman, while possible authors of Hebrews include Priscilla and Aquilla.) Many scholars consider this to be one of the oldest remaining works of Hebrew prose, and one of the oldest sections of the Bible. Excepts include:

Judges 5:1-2:

"Then Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: When locks are long in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly, bless the Lord!" Interestingly, while both Deborah and Barak are accredited with the song, the verb in verse one is feminine and singular.

Judges5:6-7:

"In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, caravans ceased and travelers kept to the byways. The peasantry prospered in Israel, they grew fat on plunder, because you arose, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel."

Judges 5:12-13:

"Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam. Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the Lord marched down for him against the mighty."

Part of this inspiring song includes a caution the church would do well to heed. Verses 16-18 tells us not all of chiefs would follow Deborah. They stayed home. In a phrase we often associate with the church, verse 16 asks, "Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds?" How many times do we tarry in the sheepfolds, instead of going out to battle because our leader isn't what we think they should be?

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