Wednesday, December 8, 2021

The Judges. Day 17, Deborah's Song, Part Five

Deborah concludes her song today by devoting several verses to Jael, the heroine of Chapter 4.

"Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women." (Judges 5:24) Heber, unlike most of the Kenite people, had made a treaty with an enemy of Israel. He was in league with Jabin, the heathen Canaanite king who had subjected the Israelites and forced them to pay tribute. Heber's wife Jael, however, had not betrayed Israel or Israel's God. Because she served the Lord and because her heart was with Israel, the Lord gave her a large part to play in Israel's victory in Chapter 4. In gratitude for what this woman did, Deborah says something like, "Bless Jael for her goodness toward us! May the Lord bless her for her works!"

Now Deborah describes how Jael lulled Jabin's army commander, Sisera, into a sense of safety and contentment. When he fled the battle and arrived at Heber's campsite, Jael invited him to use her tent as a hiding place. He complained of thirst and instead of just giving him water she served him warm milk in the finest bowl she owned. He interpreted this as being treated as an honored guest, not suspecting that once his full tummy and the comfort of lying under a blanket caused him to drift off to sleep, Jael would strike a killing blow. "He asked for water, she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she gave him curdled milk." (Judges 5:25) 

Deborah speaks of how Sisera met his end. Death did not find him on the battlefield at the hands of an army soldier; that at least would have been an honorable death in the eyes of his king and his people. Death found him instead in the tent of a Kenite housewife who gained the upper hand over him because he unwisely let his guard down and fell asleep when he should have been alert. "Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell---dead." (Judges 5:26-27) Deborah repeats the refrain of verse 27, emphasizing the experienced warrior's humiliating demise at the hands of a woman. He was slain by a woman because he never suspected that the Lord had placed a mighty soldier in the household of Heber who had turned his back on Israel and on God. This is where the enemy often makes his mistake: forgetting that the Lord has His faithful ones scattered all over the earth. 

Just as Deborah prophesied in Chapter 4, Sisera fell into the hands of a woman, not into the hands of Barak or any of his troops. This is why more verses of Deborah's song are devoted to Jael than to Barak or to the soldiers of Israel.

Every time I read the following verses regarding Sisera's mother I think of my late mother. I recall her remarking, as she raised her eyes from the pages of the Bible she was studying on our couch, that she felt very sorry for Sisera's mother. His mother stands at the window of her house looking for a son who will never come home. "Through the window peered Sisera's mother; behind the lattice she cried out, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?'" (Judges 5:28) My mother interpreted the words of Sisera's mother from her own viewpoint: the viewpoint of a woman who was a good and godly mother who loved her children and whose heart would have shattered into a million pieces if any of them had never made it home safely. My mother identified with Sisera's mother and felt deep pity for her, although as we study this next section I am not sure whether I feel quite as sorry for her as my mother did.

Sisera's mother comforts herself (and her ladies-in-waiting comfort her too) by saying it's taking so long for him to return because there is so much spoil to be had. Although there's no reason to doubt this woman loves her son and is concerned for his safety, her focus on the spoils of war tells us a lot about her character and about the manner in which she raised her son. Sisera was raised in a household and in a culture where human trafficking was normal. He was raised where prejudice toward foreigners and the oppression of foreigners was not only okay but admirable. "The wisest of her ladies answered her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself, 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a woman or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck---all this as plunder?'" (Judges 5:29-30) Sisera's mother is used to living in high style due to his occupation in life. She probably encourages his exploits so she can continue living in style. She's proud of the killing and plundering he does. She sees nothing wrong with him and his men forcing females to come home with them against their will. This woman's son is dead, and we can pity her for that, but at the same time we must keep in mind that she raised him in a heathen culture and taught him immoral values. She bears some of the blame for how he turned out. 

Deborah's song concludes by imploring the Lord to bring all Israel's enemies down to the dust in shame, just as He did with Sisera. "So may all Your enemies perish, Lord! But may all who love You be like the sun when it rises in its strength." (Judges 5:31a) The enemy of Israel is the enemy of the Lord. Anyone who opposes those who belong to the Lord is opposing the Lord Himself; therefore Deborah speaks of the enemies of Israel as "Your enemies" when she asks the Lord to defeat those with evil intentions against Israel. In contrast, she asks His blessing on those who love and obey Him.

"Then the land had peace forty years." (Judges 5:31b) Deborah has been a good judge because she loves the Lord and is committed to serving Him. Under her leadership the people fought and won a great battle. Under her leadership four decades of peace were attained. 

The Lord can do great things with a person who loves Him and desires to serve Him. In Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 we found Him assigning major roles to two faith-filled women in a time in history when women were rarely considered for leadership positions in most cultures. But the Lord, as we've said before, is an equal opportunity employer. Anyone who wants to work for Him is welcome. He sees potential where the world doesn't always see it. He sees potential where people don't see it in themselves. Join us tomorrow when we'll find the Lord calling a man a "mighty warrior" as that man threshes wheat while hiding in a winepress so the enemy doesn't steal his food. That man isn't feeling or behaving much like a mighty warrior when the Lord calls him, but the Lord sees who he can be with His help. No matter what you and I may think about ourselves, the Lord sees our potential. He sees who we can be with His help. The men and women of the Bible were ordinary human beings just like us but they were willing to devote themselves to the Lord and obey Him. As a result, they did and experienced extraordinary things.









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