God Uses Two Women to Save Israel

Again, the country of Israel had been invaded by enemies!

Ehud had saved the Israelites from the Moabites, and then a man named Shamgar had saved them from the Philistines, but it was not long before the Israelites again had forgotten the God of their fathers. So once more God sent enemies into their country. This time the wicked king of Canaan, Jabin, was ruling them. Jabin was also a mean king. For many years he ruled the Israelites harshly and cruelly until they didn’t know where to turn.

Then, after twenty long years, they remembered the only true God, the One who had saved them in the past. As in the past, God helped them. God spoke to a woman named Deborah, a prophetess—a woman prophet—who gave the people God’s messages. Deborah often prayed to God about her people, but she also talked to her people about the God of heaven. How Deborah wished they would worship Him at all times, not just in times of trouble! God gave her a message for a man named Barak, so she called him to her.

“God wants you to gather an army together to fight the Canaanites,” she told him. “God will be with you and deliver them into your hand.”

Barak thought about this. Then he said, “If you go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, then I will not go.”

Was Barak thinking about the huge Canaanite army, and was he afraid that the small Israelite army could never conquer them? Or, did he know that he needed God’s presence to conquer the enemies, and if Deborah came with them, then surely that was a sign of God’s presence. The Bible does not tell us.

When Barak asked her to go with him, Deborah told him, “Yes, I will go with you, but because you have asked for my help, a woman will get the honor for winning the battle, not you.”

Then Deborah and Barak went to gather their army. The captain of the Canaanite army heard about the Israelite army, and he also began to gather his men together. His name was Sisera. He was very sure he was going to win the battle against these Israelites. He had many chariots and horses, and how few they had.

Something happened during the battle. The sky grew dark, thunder rolled, lightning flashed, and rain spilled from the clouds. The battle did not go as Sisera had expected because the Lord fought for Israel. Perhaps Sisera’s chariot became stuck in the mud, for we are told that he jumped from his chariot and ran off as fast as he could. He knew that since he was the captain, he would certainly be killed if he were caught. Many of his soldiers were already being killed or captured by the Israelites. Away he ran until he came to some tents. Maybe he would be safe there. These tents belonged to people called the Kenites who were at peace with the Canaanites. As Sisera came to the tents, a woman named Jael came out.

“Come into my tent,” she called to him. “Hide in here! Do not be afraid.” So Sisera ran in.

“Oh, I am so thirsty!” Sisera gasped. “Please give me some water to drink.”

Jael did even more than that. She treated him like a special person—she brought him milk to drink and butter in a dish. Sisera swallowed the food quickly, and then he told her to stand watch at the door of the tent.

“If anyone comes and asks if I am here, tell them No,” he said. Sisera was so tired that he then went to sleep.

Jael kept watch from the door of the tent, but she also kept an eye on Sisera. As soon as she saw he was asleep, she took a nail that was usually used to hold down the tent, found a hammer and nailed his head to the ground. We do not read why she did this to him, but she certainly knew that Sisera was an enemy of the people of the Lord. Soon Jael saw Barak running past the tents and looking for Sisera. “Come into my tent, and I will show you where he is,” she said. And there lay the strong, mighty captain— feared by everyone—killed by a woman.

Again, God had delivered the Israelites from cruel enemies, and He used Jael to kill their captain. Just as Deborah had said to Barak, he would not get the honor for the victory, but a woman would. How happy Deborah and Barak were. They sang their praises to God in a beautiful song you can find in Judges 5.

The children of Israel could serve their God again as they wished. They were free again. But what do you think would happen? Yes, if you know what you and I are like, you know what the children of Israel were like. They would worship God for forty years, but then they would forget Him and worship other gods again. Then their enemies would invade the land and rule over them. Would God still remember them, or would He leave them to their own hearts’ wishes?

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