The Story of Deborah

After Ehud (I will be praised) died, Israel (He will rule) did evil in the eyes of the Lord. –Judges 4:1

After praise for God (Ehud) died, man (Israel) no longer let God reign in his heart.

The Lord sold the Israelites into the hands of Jabin (intelligence), a king of Canaan (I will be humbled) who reigned in Razor (fenced yard). –Judges 4:2

God turned man (Israel) over to his own depraved mind (Jabin) so that his heart (Hazor) would be humbled (Canaan).

The commander of Jabin’s army was Sisera. He lived in Harasheth Haggoyim (mechanical workmen; craftsmen). –Judges 4:2

Man –through his own intelligence (Jabin)– chose to have his actions (Harasheth Haggoyim) controlled by his fallen nature (Sisera).

Israel cried out to God for help after being cruelly oppressed by Sisera and his 900 iron chariots for 20 years. –Judges 4:3

A humbled man cries out after realizing his troubles can only be solved by God.

Deborah (orderly motion) was the wife of Lappidoth (a shining lamp) and a prophetess. As a leader in Israel, she held court to settle disputes under a palm in Ephraim (twice fruitful) which was between Ramah (seat of idolatry) and Bethel (the Lord’s house). –Judges 4:4-5

The Holy Spirit (Deborah) is one with God (Lappidoth –the source of light for man) and is also the One Who proclaims Jesus. The Spirit leads man to settle his debt for sins. Once man has received his new birth, the Holy Spirit intercedes between man with his indwelling sin (Ramah) and God in heaven (Bethel).

Deborah sent for Barak (flashing sword), the son of Abinoam (the father of pleasantness). He was from Kede (cleanse) in Napthalli (my wrestling). –Judges 4:6

The Spirit calls to Jesus (Barak). He is the sword of truth. He is the Son who is pleasing to His Father. He is the Holy One who cleanses men from all unrighteousness. He is the One who struggled in the greatest of all temptations so that He can help us in all of our struggles.

She told Barak to take 10,000 men of Napthalli (my wrestling) and Zebulun (where I reside) and lead the way to Mt. Tabor (fragile). –Judges 4:6

The Holy Spirit told Jesus to take on the struggles of this human life (Zubulun) and show others how to live as fragile men (Mt. Tabor).

God was going to lure Sisera and his men along with the 900 iron chariots to the Kishon (entangling) river and give him into Barak’s hands. –Judges 4:7

God has given man’s old nature –and all of its works– over to sin to be dealt with by the Sword of Truth.

Barak would only go if Deborah would go with him. Because of this, he would not receive glory and Sisera would be handed over to a woman. –Judges 4:8

Jesus’ (Barak’s) work in men must be accompanied by the Holy Spirit (Deborah). The gospel message must be received and accepted by man’s spirit (the woman: Jael).

Barak –with Deborah– went to Kadesh (cleanse) where he summoned and led the 10,000 men. –Judges 4:9-10

Jesus (through His death) along with the Holy Spirit perform a never ending process of cleansing and making righteous (Kedesh) all who come to Him for salvation.

Heber (words that cause change) the Kenite (the seed of life) left the other Kenites –descendants of Hobab (cherished) who was the brother-in-law of Moses. He pitched his tent near the great tree in Zaaninnam (migrate or move) near Kedesh. –Judges 4:11

Jesus –the life-giving (Kenite) Word of God (Heber)– left heaven. He was cherished (Hobab) by His Father. He fulfilled the law Moses gave to Israel. In His human body (tent), He moved about (Zaaninnam) with people while heading toward the cleansing (Kede) cross (great tree).

Sisera was told that Barak had gone up to Mt Tabor. He gathered his men and chariots from Harasheth Haggoyim to the Kishon river. –Judges 4:12-13

The old nature (Sisera) battles within the man by rationalizing that his works (Harasheth Haggoyim) are good enough and his sins (Kishon) are not bad enough to need Jesus (Barak).

Deborah told Barak “Go! God has delivered Sisera into your hands and has gone ahead of you.” Barak and his 10,000 men followed the Lord who had already routed Sisera, his men, and his chariots with the sword. –Judges 4:14

The old nature (Sisera) has no chance against the Holy Spirit (Deborah) and Jesus (Barak) because the sacrifice has already been made on the cross.

Sisera abandoned his chariot and ran away on foot. –Judges 4:15

The old nature has been stripped of his self-righteousness.

Barak pursued the army and chariots as far as Harasheth Haggoyim. He killed them all by the sword. –Judges 4:16

Jesus (Barak) was the last sacrificial offering (Harasheth Haggoyim) as required by the law. He did away with them all.

Sisera fled to the tent of Jael (mountain goat) who was the wife of Heber. There were friendly relations between Jabin the king of Razor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. –Judges 4:17

Man’s old nature (Sisera) appeals to his old familiar friend: man’s spirit (Jael). But that spirit is married to the Word of God (Heber). The mind (Jabin) –the ruler of the heart (Hazor)– is on friendly relations with the gospel message.

Jael went out to meet Sisera. She invited him in and gave him milk to drink and put a covering over him. Sisera asked Jael to say that she had not seen him. –Judges 4:18-20

Man’s spirit (Jael) confronts his old nature (Sisera). But these two cannot coexist in the same body.

When Sisera fell asleep, Jael killed him by driving a tent peg through his head and into the ground using a hammer. –Judges 4:21

For the spirit (Jael) to be alive to God, the old nature (Sisera) has to die –and not a slow lingering death. We have to be crucified with Jesus in order to live.

When Barak arrived, Jael showed him Sisera laying dead with the tent peg through his temple. –Judges 4:22

Jesus (Barak) now stands in heaven as a witness that we (with our old nature being dead) have no more penalty to pay.

That day God subdued Jabin the Canaanite king in front of the Israelites. –Judges 4:23

His Spirit continues to testify to us –renewing (subduing) our humbled (Canaanite) minds (Jabin)– that we have eternal life with Him.

The Israelites grew in strength and eventually killed Jabin. –Judges 4:24

On a daily basis, we put to death the deeds of the flesh. They are the responses to doubts about the fact that we have been reconciled to God through the death of His Son. He took on our sins so that we could become the righteousness of God.