Once upon a time, in a distant land, there was the people of Israel. The people there had big problems, because an evil king named Jabin and his evil captain Sisera tormented them. The king had many soldiers and strong chariots with large wheels made of iron. People were very afraid and didn’t know what to do.
But in Israel there lived a very special woman, her name was Deborah. Deborah was a judge, and that means that she helped the people of Israel when they didn’t know what to do. She listened to them and showed them what was right. And the most important thing was: Deborah trusted God very firmly.
One day God said to Deborah: “Take Barak, a brave man, and go fight against the evil captain Sisera. I will help you!” Deborah called Barak and said to him, “God promised us that we would win against Sisera. You shall go into battle with ten times a thousand men.”
Barak was afraid and said, “I’ll only go if you come with me, Deborah!” Then Deborah said, “Well, I’ll come with you. But because you trust in me and not in God alone, a woman will defeat Sisera.” Barak agreed, and together they called many men together to fight.
When Sisera heard that the people of Israel were coming, he took his many soldiers and chariots and went into battle. But God was with Israel. There was a big storm, it was raining heavily, and the wheels of Sisera’s car sank into the mud. Sisera’s soldiers could not fight well and became very confused.
Barak and his men defeated the soldiers of Sisera. The evil captain ran away. He found shelter in a tent with a woman named Jael. She gave him something to drink, and when Sisera fell asleep tired, Jael finished him off, just as Deborah had predicted.
Deborah and Barak rejoiced and sang songs to God because He had helped them. The people of Israel felt safe and lived in peace for many years because God had taken care of them.
Message of history
God can help us through difficult situations if we trust in Him. And sometimes he uses courageous women and men to do so.
Bible passage
The story of Deborah – The Courageous Judge can be found in Judges chapters 4 and 5. Here are the relevant passages from the Schlachter 2000 translation:
Judges 4:1-10:
“When Ehud died, the children of Israel did again what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Then the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and the commander of his army was Sisera; he lived in Haroshet-Haggoyim. And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for he had 900 iron chariots, and for 20 years he oppressed the children of Israel with violence. At that time, Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidot, was judging Israel. She was sitting under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hills of Ephraim, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. She sent and sent for Barak son of Abinoam of Kedesh-Naftali, and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and go to Mount Tabor, and take with you 10,000 men from the children of Naphtali and from the children of Zebulun, and I will send Sizera the commander of Jabin, with his chariot and his multitude, to you in the river Kishhon, and give him into your hand?’ But Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go! She said, “Truly I will go with you.” But glory will not be yours in the way you go; but into the hand of a woman the Lord will sell Sisera! So Deborah set out and went with Barak to Kedesh. Then Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and 10,000 men followed him, and Deborah went with him.”
Judges 4:14-16:
“And Deborah said to Barak, Arise! For this is the day on which the Lord gave Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you? And Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and the 10,000 men followed him. And the Lord confused Sisera, together with all his chariots, and all the army by the sharpness of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera got down from the chariot and fled on foot. Barak, however, chased the chariot and the army as far as Haroshet-Haggoyim, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a single one was left.”
Judges 5:1-3:
“Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang this song at that time: Because leaders led in Israel, because the people showed themselves willingly, praise the Lord. Listen, you kings; listen up, princes! I will sing to the Lord, I will sing praises to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
Chapter 5 continues with the Song of Deborah, which praises and celebrates God’s victory and deeds in the deliverance of Israel. The song celebrates the victory and the participation of various tribes in the liberation from the hands of Sisera.
