Deborah |
Jabin |
Barak |
Sisera |
Jael |
Deborah, a prophetess judged Israel at the time that
Jabin, king of Canaan ruled over Israel. She sat
under the Palm Tree of Deborah and helped the people
settle disputes between each other.
For 20 years Jabin made life miserable for the
Israelites. Sisera was the commander of his army
and he had 900 chariots of iron
Then the Israelites cried unto God for help.
Deborah told
Barak, the commander of Israel's army that
God would help him defeat Sisera and his army. God
had instructed Barak to take 10,000 men from the familes
of Naphtali and Zebulon and march toward the Mount of
Tabor.
Barak told
Deborah that he would go and fight if
Deborah
would go with him; but if she would not go, then he
would not go. Deborah told him that she would go
with him; but that he wouldn't receive honor for
the victory. Sisera would be defeated by a woman.
Then God helped Barak and his army kill every one of
Sisera's men; but
Sisera ran away on foot. He ran
to the tent of Heber the Kenite, whose family was
friendly with Jabin, the king.
Jael, Heber's wife, ran out to meet him and told him
that he would be safe inside her tent. She even
covered him up with a blanket and gave him some milk to
drink. Sisera told
Jael to not tell anyone that he
was hiding there.
Sisera fell asleep. Then
Jael took the tent nail
and a hammer and drove the nail into
Sisera's forehead
and he died.
And the people had peace for 40 years.
