Judges 4:11-24
11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
12 Then they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.
13 Sisera summoned all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this is the day on which the Lord has handed Sisera over to you; behold, the Lord has gone out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
15 And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.
16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left.
17 Now Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a leather bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.
20 And he said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’ ”
21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.
22 And behold, while Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he entered with her, and behold, Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple.
23 So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan on that day before the sons of Israel.
24 And the hand of the sons of Israel pressed harder and harder upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had eliminated Jabin the king of Canaan.
Prophetess Deborah (2)
The battle at the Valley of Jezreel
When Barak led his army up to Mount Tabor, Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, heard about it. Sisera gathered together his 900 iron chariots and stationed them by the Kishon River, preparing for battle. (1) The Canaanite army, relying heavily on their chariot forces, was skilled in fighting on the plains. They must have thought that Barak’s army, lacking chariots, stood no chance. (2) However, a sudden downpour caused the Kishon River to overflow. Seizing the opportunity, Barak led his troops down from Mount Tabor, followed by 10,000 soldiers. (3) Sisera and his chariot forces found themselves immobilized in the muddy terrain, forced to flee on foot. (4) Barak attacked the enemy’s chariots and camp, completely defeating them to the point that no one was left. There was a special intervention from the Lord in this battle. Sisera, the enemy commander, boasted his 900 chariots. But the Lord sent a heavy rain and handed victory to Barak.
Jael’s achievement
Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. While the Kenites were generally supportive of Israel, Heber himself took a different stance and aligned with the Canaanites. General Sisera sought refuge in Jael’s tent because Heber and Jabin had a peace treaty. Additionally, it was customary among nomadic people to provide protection to those who sought shelter in their tents. While Sisera felt secure and fell into a deep sleep inside the tent, Jael took the opportunity to kill him. There was a prompting from the God of Israel, and she did it to give glory to God. During that time, being killed by a woman was considered highly dishonorable. Thus, Israel entered a 40-year period of peace. It is said in Psalms, “Some praise their chariots and some their horses, but we will praise the name of the Lord, our God” (Ps. 20:7). Those who boast in the name of the Lord will ultimately receive great victory.
Today's prayer
O God the Lord of hosts, may I boast in Your name rather than in chariots or horses. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.