March 15 Daily Devotional

Judges 4–5

Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. And again the Lord left them to suffer for their sins. A Canaanite king in the north, whose name was Jabin, sent his army down under the command of a man named Sisera. Many of his soldiers rode in iron chariots drawn by horses. The rule of king Jabin was very cruel. Especially the tribes in the northern part of the land felt the cruel strength of the oppressor. They cried to God for help.

At that time Israel was ruled by a woman. Her name was Deborah. She sat under a palm tree north of Jerusalem, between the cities of Ramah and Bethel, and gave advice to all the people that came from various parts of the country to see her. God spoke to Deborah and told her what to do. She sent at once for Barak, a brave man in the land of Naphtali. She told him that God wanted him to take ten thousand soldiers and go up north to fight against Sisera. God promised to give him the victory over Sisera.

But Barak was timid and said to Deborah, “If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.” Deborah was ready to go with Barak, but she said, “The journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” So Barak got together the ten thousand men and went up the Kishon river. Deborah went with him. The little army encamped on mount Tabor east of the great plain: called ‘the Plain of Esdraelon,’ also called ‘the Plain of Jezreel’ and ‘the Plain of Megiddo’.

From their camp at mount Tabor, Deborah and Barak could see the great hosts of the Canaanites with their tents, their horses and chariots. But Deborah was not afraid. She said to Barak, “Up, for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee?” Barak and his men obeyed and rushed down the mountain side toward Sisera’s army. It seems the Canaanites were taken suddenly. The Lord sent a great fear into the hearts of the enemy. Sisera and his men were defeated. Many were killed. Sisera himself left his iron chariot and ran away as fast as he could. At the border of the plain he came to the tent of a man named Heber. Jael, Heber’s wife, invited Sisera to come in. He expected to be safe. As he was very thirsty and asked for a drink of water, Jael gave him a bottle of milk. He lay down to rest and fell asleep. Then Jael stepped into the tent and killed the sleeping man. It was a cruel deed, but Jael wanted to help the Israelites. Deborah and Barak praised the Lord for the great victory. They rejoiced and sang, “So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord, But let them that love him be as the sun, When he goeth forth in his might.”