And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
Barak refused to march against Sisera unless Deborah went with him into battle beside Israel's commander. Deborah was a prophetess and judge whom Israel sought for counsel and instruction, and through her came God's command to Barak to gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun to deliver Israel after twenty years of oppression by Jabin of Canaan. He accepted her message as the word of God but was timid and distrustful because he knew Israel's weakness and the enemy's strength, so he made her presence with its influence and counsel his condition for undertaking the war instead of trusting God's word through her. Because of that lack of faith the honor of the expedition would not be his, for Sisera would be betrayed into the hands of a woman, fulfilled when the Lord delivered him into the hands of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. Yet the God of battle fought for Israel so that neither numbers, skill nor nine hundred iron chariots could withstand them, and the victory could be ascribed to God alone. The account stands as proof of the honor God gives women by using them in public capacity to His glory, with Deborah guiding and delivering Israel as a prophetess directing even war.
Barak's Request and Victory
Barak made his going to battle conditional on Deborah going with him, agreeing to go only if she accompanied him and refusing to go without her. He demanded her presence with him in the fight, placing her in public leadership alongside Israel's military commander. Deborah was a prophetess and judge whom Israel sought for judgment, counsel and instruction, and Barak's request highlights her important role and authority. Her counsel, influence and presence were important to Israel, and she took an active, public part in guiding and delivering Israel and in directing Israel in war.
The call came through Deborah as God's command to Barak, the one designated by the Lord himself and chosen to deliver Israel, to gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun against Jabin king of Canaan and Sisera. This was after twenty years of oppression under King Jabin, in a time of oppression and religious backsliding. The Hebrews were scattered, disheartened and unarmed, and the small force from Zebulun and Naphtali faced a much stronger and skillful enemy and Sisera's much stronger army. Barak rallied the spears of Naphtali and assembled ten thousand men on Mount Tabor under Deborah's direction, as leaders rallying Israel's tribes for battle at Tabor against Jabin's forces. Sisera gathered his forces near the waters of Megiddo, and the plain between them was the scene of the victory. Then Barak descended from Mount Tabor to fight Sisera in the plain of Jezreel, where God delivered the Canaanite forces into defeat, by which victory the Israelites first gained possession of that plain.
Israel held a strong position in the mountains awaiting opportunity, though poorly prepared, while facing an immense well-equipped force with nine hundred iron chariots. Those dreaded iron chariots were fitted with scythe-like knives on the axles to cut down ranks like wheat. Encouraged by Deborah's assurance that the very day had come for signal victory, Barak led his army down into the open plain and boldly charged the enemy. The God of battle fought for Israel so that neither skill, numbers nor equipment could withstand them. The hosts of Sisera were panic-stricken and fled, vast numbers were slain, and the strength of the invading army was utterly destroyed. The Israelites acted with courage and promptness, but God alone discomfited the enemy and the victory could be ascribed to Him alone, showing how mightily God can work for His people.
Leaders took the lead and the people offered themselves willingly, and leaders' example can encourage willing service. The triumph over the Canaanites and oppressors was followed by a song of joy, celebrated in the song of Deborah and Barak. Jael had a notable part in the deliverance. The triumph of Barak of Naphtali over the Canaanites is associated with the rise of Israel's earliest poetry among the Galilean hills. In Hebrew Barak's name means lightning and Deborah's name means bee, and their acting together in the narrative is real history of historical characters. Their association is not a theft from pagan mythology about a bee totem and lightning as the sting-fly of heaven, and their story shows the Bible is the most trustworthy book of ancient history.
Faith, Loss, and Prophecy
Barak accepted Deborah's message as the word of God, yet he was timid and distrustful and made her accompanying him with her influence and counsel the condition for undertaking the war, because he knew the scattered, disheartened and unarmed condition of the Hebrews and the strength and skill of their enemies and had little confidence in Israel and feared they would not obey his call. Though designated by the Lord himself as the one chosen to deliver Israel and commanded through Deborah to gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun against King Jabin, and though assured that God would go with him and subdue the enemy, he refused to go to battle alone. His faith was extraordinary, but it might have been stronger, for he would not go in pursuit of the enemy without the assistance of a woman, and the verse means according to your faith be it unto you. He relied on her presence for protection instead of trusting God's word through her, in contrast to humble, obedient faith willing to accept God's direction through the prophetess. Those who held the other teaching held that his insistence on her presence to face Sisera's forces reflected his confidence in the Lord's appointment of her.
Because of that lack of faith the coming expedition would not be for his honor, for the Lord would sell Sisera and betray him into the hands of a woman. That word was fulfilled when the Lord delivered Sisera into the hands of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, so that a woman received the honor he might otherwise have gained under God and he was excelled by a woman. The overthrow of Sisera by Israel under Deborah and Barak despite his nine hundred iron chariots shows that Israel could overcome such enemies when they had faith. Barak's ten thousand soldiers are held up as courageous, and since leaders took the lead and the people offered themselves willingly and the victory was followed by a song of joy, their example and the leaders' example in encouraging willing service challenge God's people to be faithful in the work given them and not remain idle or refuse to help. The battle of Deborah and Barak at Megiddo serves as an object lesson connected with the final gathering of nations at Armageddon under the sixth plague.
Women's Public Service Today
Deborah as prophetess and judge took an active, public part in guiding and delivering Israel, directing Israel in war when Barak refused to go into battle unless she went with him alongside Israel's military commander. She thus accompanied him against the Canaanites and acted as a deliverer in Israel's time of trouble and as leader of the hosts of God in war. The account is an example of the honor God gives women and proves that God has used women in public capacity to His glory in all ages, placing her as a beacon-light in every avenue of life.
Bearing testimony for Christ, helping in His work, and proclaiming His truth in womanly, Christian ways is lawful for women. The restrictions on women do not forbid their participation in worship, for 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 does not forbid it but only corrects women who were out of place, assuming authority to teach and rule in a disorderly, unwomanly and unscriptural way. Deborah the prophetess helping Barak is an example of a woman serving publicly and helping in God's work, and women may bear testimony for God without usurping authority, and should do so with modesty.
Deborah led with firmness, decision, determination, and individual accountability to God. That kind of leadership is not needed today on the field of worldly strife but in the home, where the greatest battle of the universe is being waged against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. In the closing struggle between the forces of good and evil, mothers are to have Deborah's character to lead, if necessary, in warfare against the hosts of evil in the home.
Barak refused to march against Sisera unless Deborah went with him into battle beside Israel's commander. Deborah was a prophetess and judge whom Israel sought for counsel and instruction, and through her came God's command to Barak to gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun to deliver Israel after twenty years of oppression by Jabin of Canaan. He accepted her message as the word of God but was timid and distrustful because he knew Israel's weakness and the enemy's strength, so he made her presence with its influence and counsel his condition for undertaking the war instead of trusting God's word through her. Because of that lack of faith the honor of the expedition would not be his, for Sisera would be betrayed into the hands of a woman, fulfilled when the Lord delivered him into the hands of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. Yet the God of battle fought for Israel so that neither numbers, skill nor nine hundred iron chariots could withstand them, and the victory could be ascribed to God alone. The account stands as proof of the honor God gives women by using them in public capacity to His glory, with Deborah guiding and delivering Israel as a prophetess directing even war.
Barak's Request and Victory
Barak made his going to battle conditional on Deborah going with him, agreeing to go only if she accompanied him and refusing to go without her. He demanded her presence with him in the fight, placing her in public leadership alongside Israel's military commander. Deborah was a prophetess and judge whom Israel sought for judgment, counsel and instruction, and Barak's request highlights her important role and authority. Her counsel, influence and presence were important to Israel, and she took an active, public part in guiding and delivering Israel and in directing Israel in war.
The call came through Deborah as God's command to Barak, the one designated by the Lord himself and chosen to deliver Israel, to gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun against Jabin king of Canaan and Sisera. This was after twenty years of oppression under King Jabin, in a time of oppression and religious backsliding. The Hebrews were scattered, disheartened and unarmed, and the small force from Zebulun and Naphtali faced a much stronger and skillful enemy and Sisera's much stronger army. Barak rallied the spears of Naphtali and assembled ten thousand men on Mount Tabor under Deborah's direction, as leaders rallying Israel's tribes for battle at Tabor against Jabin's forces. Sisera gathered his forces near the waters of Megiddo, and the plain between them was the scene of the victory. Then Barak descended from Mount Tabor to fight Sisera in the plain of Jezreel, where God delivered the Canaanite forces into defeat, by which victory the Israelites first gained possession of that plain.
Israel held a strong position in the mountains awaiting opportunity, though poorly prepared, while facing an immense well-equipped force with nine hundred iron chariots. Those dreaded iron chariots were fitted with scythe-like knives on the axles to cut down ranks like wheat. Encouraged by Deborah's assurance that the very day had come for signal victory, Barak led his army down into the open plain and boldly charged the enemy. The God of battle fought for Israel so that neither skill, numbers nor equipment could withstand them. The hosts of Sisera were panic-stricken and fled, vast numbers were slain, and the strength of the invading army was utterly destroyed. The Israelites acted with courage and promptness, but God alone discomfited the enemy and the victory could be ascribed to Him alone, showing how mightily God can work for His people.
Leaders took the lead and the people offered themselves willingly, and leaders' example can encourage willing service. The triumph over the Canaanites and oppressors was followed by a song of joy, celebrated in the song of Deborah and Barak. Jael had a notable part in the deliverance. The triumph of Barak of Naphtali over the Canaanites is associated with the rise of Israel's earliest poetry among the Galilean hills. In Hebrew Barak's name means lightning and Deborah's name means bee, and their acting together in the narrative is real history of historical characters. Their association is not a theft from pagan mythology about a bee totem and lightning as the sting-fly of heaven, and their story shows the Bible is the most trustworthy book of ancient history.
Faith, Loss, and Prophecy
Barak accepted Deborah's message as the word of God, yet he was timid and distrustful and made her accompanying him with her influence and counsel the condition for undertaking the war, because he knew the scattered, disheartened and unarmed condition of the Hebrews and the strength and skill of their enemies and had little confidence in Israel and feared they would not obey his call. Though designated by the Lord himself as the one chosen to deliver Israel and commanded through Deborah to gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun against King Jabin, and though assured that God would go with him and subdue the enemy, he refused to go to battle alone. His faith was extraordinary, but it might have been stronger, for he would not go in pursuit of the enemy without the assistance of a woman, and the verse means according to your faith be it unto you. He relied on her presence for protection instead of trusting God's word through her, in contrast to humble, obedient faith willing to accept God's direction through the prophetess. Those who held the other teaching held that his insistence on her presence to face Sisera's forces reflected his confidence in the Lord's appointment of her.
Because of that lack of faith the coming expedition would not be for his honor, for the Lord would sell Sisera and betray him into the hands of a woman. That word was fulfilled when the Lord delivered Sisera into the hands of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, so that a woman received the honor he might otherwise have gained under God and he was excelled by a woman. The overthrow of Sisera by Israel under Deborah and Barak despite his nine hundred iron chariots shows that Israel could overcome such enemies when they had faith. Barak's ten thousand soldiers are held up as courageous, and since leaders took the lead and the people offered themselves willingly and the victory was followed by a song of joy, their example and the leaders' example in encouraging willing service challenge God's people to be faithful in the work given them and not remain idle or refuse to help. The battle of Deborah and Barak at Megiddo serves as an object lesson connected with the final gathering of nations at Armageddon under the sixth plague.
Women's Public Service Today
Deborah as prophetess and judge took an active, public part in guiding and delivering Israel, directing Israel in war when Barak refused to go into battle unless she went with him alongside Israel's military commander. She thus accompanied him against the Canaanites and acted as a deliverer in Israel's time of trouble and as leader of the hosts of God in war. The account is an example of the honor God gives women and proves that God has used women in public capacity to His glory in all ages, placing her as a beacon-light in every avenue of life.
Bearing testimony for Christ, helping in His work, and proclaiming His truth in womanly, Christian ways is lawful for women. The restrictions on women do not forbid their participation in worship, for 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 does not forbid it but only corrects women who were out of place, assuming authority to teach and rule in a disorderly, unwomanly and unscriptural way. Deborah the prophetess helping Barak is an example of a woman serving publicly and helping in God's work, and women may bear testimony for God without usurping authority, and should do so with modesty.
Deborah led with firmness, decision, determination, and individual accountability to God. That kind of leadership is not needed today on the field of worldly strife but in the home, where the greatest battle of the universe is being waged against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. In the closing struggle between the forces of good and evil, mothers are to have Deborah's character to lead, if necessary, in warfare against the hosts of evil in the home.