“When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. 3 And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; 7 and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand’?” 8 And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!” Judges 4:1-8 NKJV
Father God,
Judge number 4 is Deborah, who delivered the message as a prophet, and then had to deliver the deed herself. Otherwise Barak would be the main name here. But I cannot condemn him because he is honest and he is obedient even if he needed the support of a woman of God. I can never feel condemnation for someone who asks for support in doing Your will.
When a gripping narration Judges 4 and 5 are. So Barak did indeed defeat Sisera’s men in battle Even though he asked for the moral support of Deborah. Then totally unrelated, a woman called Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite killed Sisera with a tent peg! Kenites were nomadic neighbours, possibly descended from Jethro, Moses father-in-law. A trinity brough the victory.
Your Word Lord God, the Bible, tells us we should listen to prophecy but test everything (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). And it helps when the Holy Spirit confirms to us what we are hearing. We need trustworthy Deborah’s in our life when we need a prompt to hear or prayer. Let us be careful in speaking into someone else’s life though. And may we not be afraid to ask for help and share the glory.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Sunday 15th March 2026
The tune is a bit dour. Is that the expression? But the hymn is heartfelt.
Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
Before our Father’s throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.
We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.
When we are sunder part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again.
Lyrics: John Fawcett