Judges 4-5

Judges 4-5

The cycle continued in Judges 4 as Israel found themselves in captivity under Canaan once again. God set His plan into motion when they cried out for help and gave them Deborah and Barak. We must be cautious in this passage and not put all of the praise on what Deborah and Barak were able to accomplish. Yes, God was able to use them in mighty ways, and it was under their leadership that God once again gave the Israelites victory, but it was not all because of them. Like the other judges, Deborah and Barak were God’s instruments. They humbled themselves before Him and allowed Him to use them. So like all the great leaders of Israel, they were able to lead Israel in victory and maintain peace in the land, this time for 40 years.


What is interesting about this story is that it was not a military victory like some of the previous judges. Whereas Ehud went into the king’s house himself and killed the king of his enemy, Barak only scared the Canaanites. They recognized Israel’s strength and fled, never to return in violence again during Deborah and Barak’s reign. But even more than that, their fleeting caused problems within their group. It appears as if the leader’s wife, Jael, recognized their sin. Then again, this may have been fear after seeing what Israel was capable of. The text is not clear as to why they turned in on each other, but Jael ended up murdering her husband after they had fled from the Israelites. She then went out and met with Barak assuring him that their leader was dead and even showed him. Instead of a great military victory on Israel’s part, their enemies turned on one another and were defeated in that manner, still giving Israel the victory.

Now I said earlier that we should be careful to give Deborah and Barak the praise. This is true for any spiritual leader. If someone is truly following God and devoted to Him, they will not want the praise. This is something that we should all consider. When you accomplish something great for God do you expect people to notice and let you know how great you were or do you step away from the situation careful to give God the glory? If people do notice, do you become prideful or do you redirect their attention to God? This is something I try to think of anytime God allows me to join Him at work. It is amazing enough that God would allow us to join in with Him. Therefore, we must be careful about who we praise. Deborah and Barak had the right attitude in their situation, and Judges 5 shows what they did in response.

In their song they shift their main focus on God. They praise Him for His deliverance and protection and warn the nations that do not fear God. It is clear that the main focus in this chapter is on what God had done for Israel during their battles against Canaan. They also tell of what they had done, but it is not done in a prideful manner. They do mention that they led Israel in this victory, but it is clear that they are doing it under the Lord’s leadership, and they do not focus on themselves. They also praise the tribes that came out to help in the battle, as well as asking why the rest of the tribes did not come out to support their brothers. Finally there is a section devoted to Jael, praising her for actions, which seems to point to a possible change of heart on her part. At the very least, she was willing to help Israel in the battle. So Deborah and Barak serve as great examples for us, examples of humility. They do recognize that they were successful in battle, but they share that recognition with the tribes and with Jael. But most importantly, they make sure that all the praise is directed toward God. The opening verses and closing verses, as well as many verses in between, point to God.

Matt