Judges 4 Barak and Deborah

[seekeroftruth]

Judges 3:31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.​

Judges 4:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.​

Not so fast there bucko.... first I have to finish Judges 3.... what's an oxgoad? An oxgoad is a long stick with a pointed end used to guide or herd the ox while it was pulling the carts or the plow or whatever. The animal didn't like being poked so it would move away from the stick, making it a good tool for such a large animal. The verse says that this Judge Shamgar killed 600 men with a pointed stick.....

Now on to Deborah. Deborah was a prophetess. There was only one prophetess before Deborah. That was Miriam, the sister of Moses and Joshua. She's the one that watched as Moses was plucked from the Nile.... Now we're going to meet Deborah.

This is from the blueletterbible.org site.

Even more consider it unexpected for God to raise up a woman to be a judge - a shaphat, a heroic leader for Israel. Deborah was a woman greatly used by God and she was also a woman who respected the people God put in authority over her - notably, Barak.​

Deborah does not immediately believe that God called her alone to deliver Israel. She realized that God would do much of the work through Barak.

Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded? The use of this phrase suggests that Deborah is confirming something that the LORD already spoke to Barak. God often brings confirmation when He speaks to us, especially if what we believe He wants us to do will affect other people.​

This is from the easy English site.

The name Deborah means ‘bee’ (an insect that makes honey). She was a leader who could do a lot. She was not an important judge, because not all the tribes followed her. Barak means ‘lightning’.[/B]​

I love verse 9. Deborah checked with Barak to make sure he was ok with not getting the credit. Barak was ok with Deborah getting all the credit. He was ok having a woman leading the way with him in spite of the fact that women were not prized as human equals as they are now in America. In Israel at the time this took place... women were helpers.... they did chores and had babies... they were generally only second class. They weren't even citizens because unless something special was done.... women couldn't own land and when their husband died their male in-law decided what would become of them. Deborah was an exception.... and by extension.... so was Barak.

Barak knew that God saw that Deborah was an exception.

 

[seekeroftruth]

I feel bad about putting Judge Shamgar in the way I did. It's almost like an afterthought.....

Killing 600 people with a sharp stick used to prod an ox is quite a feat. I'm not sure I have the kind of faith it would take to even step one foot forward knowing that my path would lead me to this kind of battle.

These people were operating on blind faith. God was no longer visibly around all the time, as He was during Exodus.

Israelites were not obeying God anymore. God have given them rules and laws. God had instructed them.... but the Israelites had grown lazy in the Promised Land....

So for this guy to step up.... with only a sharp stick in the face of 600 soldiers of an opposing army of men.... well.... I think it deserves a little more than a verse or two and a commentary that sounds like an after thought.