BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

Today’s reading opens on a familiar scene. The chariots of an enemy army bear down on Israel, pinning them in a corner. Last time, Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites in Egypt. This time, King Jabin and his general Sisera oppress the Israelites in their own (promised) land. In order to rescue the people, God raises up a new Moses—the prophet Deborah.

Deborah summons an Israelite leader named Barak and tells him to rally Israel’s army for a showdown. The enemy vastly outnumbers Barak’s force, and he has exactly zero chariots against the enemy’s 900 chariots. This would be like taking on an entire battalion of tanks on foot, without even a pickup truck!

Still, Barak trusts Deborah’s instructions and charges into battle. As in the exodus, Yahweh intervenes with a dramatic rescue using chaotic waters.

Barak stands in stark contrast to Sisera in this story. One man respects a woman’s judgment so highly that he’s willing to rush into battle despite abysmal odds. The other abandons his troops and considers a woman no threat when he stumbles into her tent. Bad call. Jael lulls Sisera to sleep with a drink of milk, then ends his life. Yahweh brings victory in unexpected ways and through unexpected people!

Reflection Questions

• Compare the victory song in Judges 5 to the victory song in Exodus 15. What common themes, phrases, and images do you notice?
• What parallels do you notice between the stories of Tamar (Gen. 38), the Hebrew midwives (Exod. 1), Rahab (Josh. 2), and Jael (Judg. 4-5)? How does Scripture characterize these women and the actions they take?