Woman’s Part in National Life

Judges 4:1-9, 13-16

GOLDEN TEXT: “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”—Esther 4:14

TODAY’S lesson continues with the experiences of Israel during the period of the Judges, and in this instance Deborah, a woman, was serving as judge. Although the Lord has been pleased in most cases to use men in connection with his work—especially in places of great responsibility—nevertheless the Scriptures tell us of noble women who have been used of Him in very exceptional ways. Esther, to whom our Golden Text refers, was one of God’s noble women, whose devotion to Him and His people qualified her to render outstanding service.

Deborah perceived how neglect of the divine law had borne unpleasant fruit in the subjugation of her people. The situation was daily becoming more serious. She saw that the people needed a guide to point them in the right way—back to God. The Canaanites whom they had not conquered had conquered them. This conquest had, of course, been permitted of God to teach His people a further lesson in the advantage of obedience to Him. It had its inception through the Israelites’ neglect of the Lord’s instructions to live separately from all other people.

Instead of obeying the Lord’s instruction they began to inter-marry with the Canaanites. The Canaanitish wives began to entice their Israelitish husbands and their children to worship the heathen gods. The law of God was not zealously taught among the people, hence many, even of those who had not intermarried with the heathen, had nearly lost their knowledge and appreciation of the true God.

In this dark hour of Israel’s oppression, the princes of the tribes seemed to lack patriotism as well as faith in God. Each tribe was a separate estate, with apparently little cohesion between them. The blessed bond of faith in and devotion to the true God which should have bound them together in a common interest had lost its strength because they had departed from Him who had separated them from other nations to be His own peculiar people.

It was about this time that the Lord, seeking a channel through which to be gracious to His stiff-necked people, found that channel in a woman—Deborah. She realized the situation more keenly than did others; probably because she was more deeply consecrated to the Lord. In order to be in a position to be of greater service to God’s people she removed her home in the southern part of Canaan to a central place in the highlands of Ephraim. From there she sent encouraging and stimulating messages to the chief men of the various tribes. She was respected by them. Her counsel was appreciated. Her advice was sought. In this sense she judged—admonished, guided, assisted—Israel.

Jabin, at this time, was the king of Canaan and the general of his army was Sisera. For that day it was rather a formidable army, being well armed, a part of its armor being nine hundred iron chariots. Apparently Jabin was a military dictator and kept the Israelites in bondage by sheer force of arms. But under the Lord’s direction, Deborah instructed Barak, a military man of Israel, in a strategy which resulted in the complete defeat of Sisera and his army and hence led to the liberation of God’s people.

Barak made Mt. Tabor his army base. General Sisera, disdaining the poorly armed Israelites, advanced with his army along the River Kishon, toward Mt. Tabor. Then the word of the Lord through Deborah directed Barak to the attack. The slaughter was a great one. Sisera’s army was completely defeated and routed and Sisera himself fled from the scene and later was killed by Jael.

The scene of this mighty battle was in the Plains of Esdraelon, the location of the Megiddo of the Old Testament. It was, in fact, the first of the great battles between Israel and Israel’s enemies to be fought in this valley. It was then, the first typical battle of Armageddon. From this standpoint it is interesting to note the divine strategy by which Israel’s enemies were defeated. It was partly the torrential rains flooding the river to overflowing that defeated Sisera’s army. His iron chariots bogged down in the mud and were thus rendered useless.

This interference of God on behalf of His people is styled the fighting of the stars of heaven. (Judges 5:20) Similarly, in the great Armageddon struggle which marks the end of this age, it is not human might that prevails, yet the disconcerted hosts will ultimately effect the complete disruption of the present order of things; for, finally, “every man’s hand shall be against his brother and against his neighbor.” (Ezek. 38:21; Zech. 8:10; 14:13) It is the cloudbursts of truth and the rising waters of knowledge which are bringing to pass this great human catastrophe, and the Lord will overrule it for the blessing of all mankind in His own due time.

It was not unjust on God’s part to destroy Sisera and his army. Like the remainder of mankind, they will come forth in the resurrection when conditions are ripe for the dispensing of Kingdom blessings. If they accept the provisions of divine love and obey the laws of the Kingdom then in force, they will have the opportunity of living everlastingly in a world order that is free from war and strife.

QUESTIONS:

Why did God use a woman as a judge to deliver Israel?

How did the Lord defeat Sisera and His army?

What typical lesson does this hold for us who are living now?

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