Judges 10

Judges 10:1

The Judgment on Eglon

Eglon is alone, in an environment that is completely adapted to his wishes. He sits there at ease, to satisfy all his desires. Here we see a striking picture of the selfishness of the flesh that wants everything for itself. There is only one answer to such an attitude and that is the message from God that Ehud speaks. This is how the judgment on Eglon is carried out (Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:13-15). The flesh can only be killed in the presence of God.

That Eglon arises from his seat seems to indicate a certain respect for the Word of God, but it is only an outward form. There is nothing in his heart that is really open to this Word. Such people have always been there and they are still there. However, that does not change the judgment that the Word pronounces on them. How they are by nature is obvious when the Word is applied in its full sharpness. That’s how it goes with Eglon. The sword goes into his belly and “the refuse”, that is his girth, comes out. The corruption that is in him comes out through the sword.

The corruption of the flesh is revealed by God’s Word. Don’t we get frightened of ourselves when suddenly disgusting thoughts come up in us? That is the only thing the flesh can produce. The flesh of an unbeliever and the flesh of a believer are exactly the same. The Word makes it public and passes judgment on it.

After Ehud applied it to himself (Judges 3:16; 19), he now applies it to the enemy of God’s people. He does so radically, deeply. He does not deal with his enemy in a sugary and superficial way. Nor is he content with a partial or temporary victory, but he wants a complete victory. He leaves the sword in the belly, he doesn’t pull it out. He also closes the room in which he killed Eglon.

As for him, he has done everything to completely eliminate this enemy of God’s people so that he cannot reappear. The application is clear. If we have judged a certain effect of the flesh in ourselves or in others by the Word that has caused it to disappear, then we must not allow it to reappear.

Judges 10:2

The Judgment on Eglon

Eglon is alone, in an environment that is completely adapted to his wishes. He sits there at ease, to satisfy all his desires. Here we see a striking picture of the selfishness of the flesh that wants everything for itself. There is only one answer to such an attitude and that is the message from God that Ehud speaks. This is how the judgment on Eglon is carried out (Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:13-15). The flesh can only be killed in the presence of God.

That Eglon arises from his seat seems to indicate a certain respect for the Word of God, but it is only an outward form. There is nothing in his heart that is really open to this Word. Such people have always been there and they are still there. However, that does not change the judgment that the Word pronounces on them. How they are by nature is obvious when the Word is applied in its full sharpness. That’s how it goes with Eglon. The sword goes into his belly and “the refuse”, that is his girth, comes out. The corruption that is in him comes out through the sword.

The corruption of the flesh is revealed by God’s Word. Don’t we get frightened of ourselves when suddenly disgusting thoughts come up in us? That is the only thing the flesh can produce. The flesh of an unbeliever and the flesh of a believer are exactly the same. The Word makes it public and passes judgment on it.

After Ehud applied it to himself (Judges 3:16; 19), he now applies it to the enemy of God’s people. He does so radically, deeply. He does not deal with his enemy in a sugary and superficial way. Nor is he content with a partial or temporary victory, but he wants a complete victory. He leaves the sword in the belly, he doesn’t pull it out. He also closes the room in which he killed Eglon.

As for him, he has done everything to completely eliminate this enemy of God’s people so that he cannot reappear. The application is clear. If we have judged a certain effect of the flesh in ourselves or in others by the Word that has caused it to disappear, then we must not allow it to reappear.

Judges 10:3

The Judgment on Eglon

Eglon is alone, in an environment that is completely adapted to his wishes. He sits there at ease, to satisfy all his desires. Here we see a striking picture of the selfishness of the flesh that wants everything for itself. There is only one answer to such an attitude and that is the message from God that Ehud speaks. This is how the judgment on Eglon is carried out (Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:13-15). The flesh can only be killed in the presence of God.

That Eglon arises from his seat seems to indicate a certain respect for the Word of God, but it is only an outward form. There is nothing in his heart that is really open to this Word. Such people have always been there and they are still there. However, that does not change the judgment that the Word pronounces on them. How they are by nature is obvious when the Word is applied in its full sharpness. That’s how it goes with Eglon. The sword goes into his belly and “the refuse”, that is his girth, comes out. The corruption that is in him comes out through the sword.

The corruption of the flesh is revealed by God’s Word. Don’t we get frightened of ourselves when suddenly disgusting thoughts come up in us? That is the only thing the flesh can produce. The flesh of an unbeliever and the flesh of a believer are exactly the same. The Word makes it public and passes judgment on it.

After Ehud applied it to himself (Judges 3:16; 19), he now applies it to the enemy of God’s people. He does so radically, deeply. He does not deal with his enemy in a sugary and superficial way. Nor is he content with a partial or temporary victory, but he wants a complete victory. He leaves the sword in the belly, he doesn’t pull it out. He also closes the room in which he killed Eglon.

As for him, he has done everything to completely eliminate this enemy of God’s people so that he cannot reappear. The application is clear. If we have judged a certain effect of the flesh in ourselves or in others by the Word that has caused it to disappear, then we must not allow it to reappear.

Judges 10:4

The Servants of Eglon

The fact that the king of Moab is eliminated does not mean that the people of Moab are deprived of their strength. Eglon has servants and warriors (Judges 3:29). The servants have a good explanation for the locked door. They think he went to the toilet. If you eat a lot, you often have to get rid of your excrement.

At some point it takes too long to them. They suspect that something has happened. They get a key and discover that their lord is dead. We don’t read how they react. The actions and deliberations of the servants fit perfectly with the behavior of their lord. They belong to him and possess his spirit. The flesh has many expressions, but all these different expressions breathe the same spirit. It is always about satisfying the flesh.

Judges 10:5

The Servants of Eglon

The fact that the king of Moab is eliminated does not mean that the people of Moab are deprived of their strength. Eglon has servants and warriors (Judges 3:29). The servants have a good explanation for the locked door. They think he went to the toilet. If you eat a lot, you often have to get rid of your excrement.

At some point it takes too long to them. They suspect that something has happened. They get a key and discover that their lord is dead. We don’t read how they react. The actions and deliberations of the servants fit perfectly with the behavior of their lord. They belong to him and possess his spirit. The flesh has many expressions, but all these different expressions breathe the same spirit. It is always about satisfying the flesh.

Judges 10:6

The Victory of the People

After Ehud has won his victory, he calls on others to share his victory. He does not rest until the whole people have part in it. This is the true spirit of brotherly love. He is committed to others. He does not withdraw from the battle when he has done his part, but leads the army to finish the work.

How important it is to give others a good example. This is particularly true for an elder or overseer of whom we can see a picture in the judge. If the flesh has been radically dealt with by God’s Word, an elder or overseer can say “follow me”, and then show the believers the way to victory.

Any connection between Ehud and the enemy is broken. In our lives too, the world and the flesh must be dealt with openly and decisively. Only then will we have a lasting victory. The only crossing in the Jordan is occupied. The Israelites crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land. They could only cross the river at the place where the ark paved the way for the people. For us, the ark in the Jordan speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ through which we have gained a place in the heavenly places. This strategic point must be kept by the believers at all costs.

Eglon is very fat and so are many in his army. They are like him, for they are in his service and are fighting for the same cause. But they too must be killed. All the remains of the world and the flesh, the ten thousand “robust and valiant men”, die on the banks of the Jordan, the place that speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ. Moab is humiliated, not destroyed. The flesh remains an enemy as long as we live, but we must keep it in death.

The victory of Ehud has given the land eighty years of rest. As long as the sword, that is the Word of God, is active, there is rest. Although the period of rest is twice as long as the previous period of rest, this period also comes to an end, as we will see in the next chapter.

Judges 10:7

The Victory of the People

After Ehud has won his victory, he calls on others to share his victory. He does not rest until the whole people have part in it. This is the true spirit of brotherly love. He is committed to others. He does not withdraw from the battle when he has done his part, but leads the army to finish the work.

How important it is to give others a good example. This is particularly true for an elder or overseer of whom we can see a picture in the judge. If the flesh has been radically dealt with by God’s Word, an elder or overseer can say “follow me”, and then show the believers the way to victory.

Any connection between Ehud and the enemy is broken. In our lives too, the world and the flesh must be dealt with openly and decisively. Only then will we have a lasting victory. The only crossing in the Jordan is occupied. The Israelites crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land. They could only cross the river at the place where the ark paved the way for the people. For us, the ark in the Jordan speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ through which we have gained a place in the heavenly places. This strategic point must be kept by the believers at all costs.

Eglon is very fat and so are many in his army. They are like him, for they are in his service and are fighting for the same cause. But they too must be killed. All the remains of the world and the flesh, the ten thousand “robust and valiant men”, die on the banks of the Jordan, the place that speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ. Moab is humiliated, not destroyed. The flesh remains an enemy as long as we live, but we must keep it in death.

The victory of Ehud has given the land eighty years of rest. As long as the sword, that is the Word of God, is active, there is rest. Although the period of rest is twice as long as the previous period of rest, this period also comes to an end, as we will see in the next chapter.

Judges 10:8

The Victory of the People

After Ehud has won his victory, he calls on others to share his victory. He does not rest until the whole people have part in it. This is the true spirit of brotherly love. He is committed to others. He does not withdraw from the battle when he has done his part, but leads the army to finish the work.

How important it is to give others a good example. This is particularly true for an elder or overseer of whom we can see a picture in the judge. If the flesh has been radically dealt with by God’s Word, an elder or overseer can say “follow me”, and then show the believers the way to victory.

Any connection between Ehud and the enemy is broken. In our lives too, the world and the flesh must be dealt with openly and decisively. Only then will we have a lasting victory. The only crossing in the Jordan is occupied. The Israelites crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land. They could only cross the river at the place where the ark paved the way for the people. For us, the ark in the Jordan speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ through which we have gained a place in the heavenly places. This strategic point must be kept by the believers at all costs.

Eglon is very fat and so are many in his army. They are like him, for they are in his service and are fighting for the same cause. But they too must be killed. All the remains of the world and the flesh, the ten thousand “robust and valiant men”, die on the banks of the Jordan, the place that speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ. Moab is humiliated, not destroyed. The flesh remains an enemy as long as we live, but we must keep it in death.

The victory of Ehud has given the land eighty years of rest. As long as the sword, that is the Word of God, is active, there is rest. Although the period of rest is twice as long as the previous period of rest, this period also comes to an end, as we will see in the next chapter.

Judges 10:9

The Victory of the People

After Ehud has won his victory, he calls on others to share his victory. He does not rest until the whole people have part in it. This is the true spirit of brotherly love. He is committed to others. He does not withdraw from the battle when he has done his part, but leads the army to finish the work.

How important it is to give others a good example. This is particularly true for an elder or overseer of whom we can see a picture in the judge. If the flesh has been radically dealt with by God’s Word, an elder or overseer can say “follow me”, and then show the believers the way to victory.

Any connection between Ehud and the enemy is broken. In our lives too, the world and the flesh must be dealt with openly and decisively. Only then will we have a lasting victory. The only crossing in the Jordan is occupied. The Israelites crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land. They could only cross the river at the place where the ark paved the way for the people. For us, the ark in the Jordan speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ through which we have gained a place in the heavenly places. This strategic point must be kept by the believers at all costs.

Eglon is very fat and so are many in his army. They are like him, for they are in his service and are fighting for the same cause. But they too must be killed. All the remains of the world and the flesh, the ten thousand “robust and valiant men”, die on the banks of the Jordan, the place that speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ. Moab is humiliated, not destroyed. The flesh remains an enemy as long as we live, but we must keep it in death.

The victory of Ehud has given the land eighty years of rest. As long as the sword, that is the Word of God, is active, there is rest. Although the period of rest is twice as long as the previous period of rest, this period also comes to an end, as we will see in the next chapter.

Judges 10:10

The Victory of the People

After Ehud has won his victory, he calls on others to share his victory. He does not rest until the whole people have part in it. This is the true spirit of brotherly love. He is committed to others. He does not withdraw from the battle when he has done his part, but leads the army to finish the work.

How important it is to give others a good example. This is particularly true for an elder or overseer of whom we can see a picture in the judge. If the flesh has been radically dealt with by God’s Word, an elder or overseer can say “follow me”, and then show the believers the way to victory.

Any connection between Ehud and the enemy is broken. In our lives too, the world and the flesh must be dealt with openly and decisively. Only then will we have a lasting victory. The only crossing in the Jordan is occupied. The Israelites crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land. They could only cross the river at the place where the ark paved the way for the people. For us, the ark in the Jordan speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ through which we have gained a place in the heavenly places. This strategic point must be kept by the believers at all costs.

Eglon is very fat and so are many in his army. They are like him, for they are in his service and are fighting for the same cause. But they too must be killed. All the remains of the world and the flesh, the ten thousand “robust and valiant men”, die on the banks of the Jordan, the place that speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ. Moab is humiliated, not destroyed. The flesh remains an enemy as long as we live, but we must keep it in death.

The victory of Ehud has given the land eighty years of rest. As long as the sword, that is the Word of God, is active, there is rest. Although the period of rest is twice as long as the previous period of rest, this period also comes to an end, as we will see in the next chapter.

Judges 10:11

Shamgar

Only one verse is dedicated to a victory over the Philistines by a certain Shamgar. His name means ‘foreigner’ or ‘resident’. The name is not Jewish. This seems to indicate that Shamgar comes from the nations. He is the son of Anath, which means ‘answer’. His weapon, “an oxgoad”, also speaks of the Word, but then as the world looks at it. For the world, the Word is without any visible value.

Shamgar is apparently a farmer, a simple person, someone who may not even be able to pronounce words well (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29). Possibly he is uneducated (Acts 4:13). He has, to put it in today’s language, no knowledge of the source text and he has not had a high level of education.

The Philistine people are an enemy in the land. They populate a small strip of land on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. They claim the land for themselves and even seal it by attaching their name to it. In the word ‘Palestine’ the name ‘Philistines’ can be heard.

But Shamgar is taught by God. In this way he knows the distinction between a member of God’s people and an enemy of it, even though that enemy also speaks the same language as God’s people. He knows ‘his Bible’ and knows how to use it. Shamgar’s oxgoad never fails when he uses it for his oxen. He can trust its operation. He keeps his oxen on the path he wants them to take. From experience we know that we can trust in God’s Word. It never let us down.

The enemy cannot stand up to such a testimony. Like the unbeliever who mockingly said to a preacher that he could not believe that the Lord Jesus had changed water into wine. That preacher invited him to his house. There he would show him an even greater miracle: how beer had turned into household goods. He used to be a drunkard, but God’s Word had healed him. Then he started spending his money in another way.

We can learn a number of things from this one verse and make applications:

1. Only in Judges 4 we do read that Ehud, the previous judge, died (Judges 4:1). It seems that Shamgar was a contemporary of Ehud. After Ehud’s victory, not after his death, Shamgar followed the same path of faith. He is a fellow deliverer. In this way we can achieve victories together, each on our territory, for the benefit of all the people.

2. As said, his name means ‘stranger’. The awareness that our own home is heaven and that only there is rest there for the Christian, makes us fit to overcome the enemy.

3. Anath, which means ‘answer’, evokes the thought that Shamgar’s performance is an answer to Israel’s ‘calling’.

4. This enemy is in the land, unlike Moab, the previous enemy, who comes from outside the land. Philistine means ‘wanderer’. This resembles ‘stranger’. The difference is that a wanderer does not have his own place of residence, while a stranger does.

5. The number six hundred also has something to tell us. Besides names, numbers in the Bible also have their meaning. The number six speaks of man created on the sixth day. Examples we have with the image of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:1) and the number of the beast (Revelation 13:18). Six lacks one to be seven; the latter represents completeness. Shamgar’s victory is not a total victory.

6. The oxgoad is used to keep the oxen in the right track. It is a stick with sharp points. If an ox deviates, it is corrected with that stick. This is a beautiful picture of what God’s Word does in our lives. We often learn to apply the Word in our lives because others tell us something from it. “The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of [these] collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd” (Ecclesiastes 12:11). Such words let the pilgrim walk in the right direction instead of “to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14).

7. “He also saved Israel.” We can emphasize the word ‘also’. It indicates that he, like his predecessors Othniël and Ehud, has redeemed Israel from a precarious position. This has given them back their freedom.

Othniel is a soldier, Ehud a diplomat and Shamgar an oxherd. God has been able to use them all because they have made themselves available to Him out of love for His people.

Judges 10:13

Introduction

In this chapter God uses two women for the deliverance of His people. They are Deborah and Jael. He thereby shows that His power is accomplished in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9a). Women represent weakness (1 Peter 3:7). This fact also indicates that at that moment there is no suitable man in Israel who can be used by God. If God has to use women for such services, it is to the shame of man.

At the same time, this history is a great encouragement for all women who fear God and want to be used by Him. They are taught here how God wants to use them as a blessing for His people.

After the Death of Ehud

Again the truth is proved of what is said in Judges 2 (Judges 2:19). The man who led the deliverance of the people has died. The good influence he had on the people has thus disappeared. If good leaders are lacking, the people become rudderless and give in to all kinds of evil. The eighty years of rest (Judges 3:30) did not make the situation better, but worse. For the fourth time we read the expression that the Israelites “did evil in the sight of the LORD”.

Judges 10:14

Jabin and Sisera

The enemy now used by God is in the north of Israel. For twenty years, from 1257-1237 BC, the people were oppressed by this enemy. About 130 years earlier Joshua had to deal with the same enemy (Joshua 11:10-11). Apparently this enemy was then completely destroyed. Here he appears to be alive again. An old enemy revives.

Therein lies an important lesson. Satan knows exactly how to revive old errors and evil, and he also knows how to use them to bring the people of God back into slavery. This is also true in our lives. We are dealing with a defeated enemy, but he is still alive and trying to subdue the people of God. He will only be definitively eliminated in the future. That’s how it will be with the devil.

In the names mentioned in this verse, we can find out more about this enemy. The meaning of the names is always about his character, his way of working. The enemy can take many forms. Each time he adapts to the situation. Fortunately, God always has an adequate answer to all these methods. Jabin means ‘insight’, ‘intellect’, ‘wisdom’. It is a wisdom that is contrary to God’s, a wisdom that is not from above, but that is “earthly, natural, demonic” (James 3:15). It is the wisdom of the world which is made foolishness by God (1 Corinthians 1:20).

It seems that the name Jabin is a kind of title that indicates a position, like ‘pharaoh’ in Egypt and ‘Herod’ in Israel and ‘Abimelech’ with the Philistines. It is not the same man as in Joshua 11, but another person with the same name. Hazor means ‘enclosed’, ‘enclosed area’. Sisera means ‘battle-order’.

In connection with the names, we can see this enemy as the wisdom of the world, the human intellect, which rules in its own closed area and which rejects and excludes what is of God. As soon as the reason of the human intellect is given free rein in the things of God, God is shut out of the equation. Usefulness reasoning assert itself while there is no longer asking what God says about a particular matter in the Bible. An example of this we have in the meeting together of believers, to which different people give different interpretations. Many things have been arranged there by people who are not to be found in Scripture.

Whoever does ask for God’s standards will find ‘Sisera’ opposite him. They are people who act in ‘order of battle’ to silence the ‘obstructers’. This is a recognizable situation in large parts of professing Christianity. We can read in 2 Corinthians 10 how Paul, that is to say the Holy Spirit, deals with enemies like “Jabin” and “Sisera”, an example which can be imitated by us (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Judges 10:15

Crying to the LORD

After twenty years of oppression, the people recognize the need they find themselves in. The enemy has ruled with an iron hand (chariots). In Judges 1 we already talked about those iron chariots (Judges 1:19). We have seen that, if there had been faith, these chariots would not have been a problem. Now it must take twenty years before they cry to the LORD to be delivered from the enemy, from the ‘enclosure’. Fortunately, this moment comes. God already has His instrument ready.

Judges 10:16

Deborah, the Prophetess

Deborah is a prophetess. Her name means ‘activity’ or ‘bee’. Another meaning stems from the connection that exists between the names Debir and Deborah. Both names have the meaning ‘the word’ in them. For the application of the name Deborah, I use this meaning. The fact that she is a prophetess fits in with this. A prophet or prophetess is someone who communicates God’s thoughts, someone who speaks “utterances of God” (1 Peter 4:11).

The Bible has a number of prophetesses: Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Hulda (2 Kings 22:14), Anna (Luke 2:36) and the daughters of Philip (Acts 21:8-9). These examples are just as many exhortations for women to let God use them.

There are only two limitations that God imposes on the service of women: 1. “A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet” (1 Timothy 2:11-12). 2. “The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says” (1 Corinthians 14:34).

The first text states that she may not teach and may not exercise authority over a man. She does not possess the gift of a teacher and is not allowed to exercise authority. The second text speaks about her attitude in the church. There she must be quiet, which means that she cannot raise her voice in order to lead the church to do anything or to say anything to the church.

We will see that the attitude and the service of Deborah, as they appear in this chapter, are a helpful illustration of the teaching about the service and the attitude of the woman in the New Testament.

She is married to Lappidoth. His name means ‘burning torches’. That reminds to Acts 2, where the Holy Spirit is poured out. There we read about “tongues as of fire” (Acts 2:3).

Thus we see in the couple Deborah and Lappidoth the beautiful combination of the Word of God that is applied in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Judges 10:17

Deborah, the Judge

Deborah’s living and working environment are described in detail. She lives under a palm tree bearing her name. Thus she is, as it were, identified with the tree. The palm tree is a tree that was very widespread in ancient Israel and was appreciated for its size, providing shade, and for its fruits, the dates (cf. Joel 1:12). The palm tree can grow very old and bears fruit right up to the end. It has a slender, straight trunk and lush crown (cf. Song of Solomon 7:7). This symbolizes growth, fertility, and victory. The righteous is compared with such a palm tree when it is said of him that he bears fruit in the house of the LORD until old age (Psalms 92:12-14).

The thought of the LORD’s house is also expressed in the place where Deborah lives. She lives between Rama and Bethel. Rama means ‘exaltation’ or ‘height’ and Bethel means ‘house of God’. The combination of the palm tree and the names of the places tell us that Deborah is a righteous person, who bears fruit and lives at the height of God’s thoughts. She is also associated with the house of God on earth. This enables her to judge the situation in which Israel is. These conditions also apply to us to be used by God for the good of His people.

Deborah is a woman of faith who doesn’t leave the place given to her by God as a woman. She does not travel through the land, but the Israelites come up to her. This shows that she exercises her task and gift in the area God has given her.

With other prophetesses we see the same thing. Josiah sends messengers to the prophetess Hulda to hear through her God’s will (2 Chronicles 34:21-28). The prophetess Anna is someone who “never left the temple” (Luke 2:37). In Acts 21 we read about the four daughters of Philip who were prophetesses (Acts 21:8-9). Yet God sends the prophet Agabus from Judaea to come there to bring a message to Paul and He does not use the daughters of Philip because that message must be communicated in a public meeting (Acts 21:10-12).

When we think about the gifts and the task of the woman, it is important to ask ourselves what God says about them in His Word. In today’s world, women are increasingly encouraged to assert themselves and take the same place as men. She is not his inferior, is she? She doesn’t have to let herself be shoved away, does she?

The background to these questions is the contemptuous treatment that the man has often given the woman. This treatment must be condemned. Yet all the abuse that has led to such an attitude does not take away anything from what God says about the position in which He has placed both the man and the woman. This abuse is not eliminated by women’s emancipation efforts or the efforts of all kinds of feminist movements. This abuse only disappears when both the man and the woman start to abide by what the Bible tells each of them about their behavior. This not only gives good relationships, but it also becomes a source of blessing. Deborah keeps to it and every woman who does so is blessed. In so doing, she brings blessing to all the people of God.

Judges 10:18

The Command of the LORD to Barak

In accordance with what we have just seen, Deborah lets Barak come to her; she is not going to him. When she must speak to him a word from the LORD, the God of Israel, she does so in the place where she dwells. She lets herself be led by the Spirit of God and acts with His insight. This action of God through Deborah is not His usual action and is to the shame of man.

Barak means ‘shining’. “God is light” (1 John 1:5). Whoever shines the light of God will defeat the enemy. Barak must be summoned and encouraged to do so. He apparently forgot the meaning of his name, perhaps because of the long domination by the enemy.

The name of his father, Abinoam, means ‘father of sweetness’. Barak seems to have grown up in a family where a lot of love and kindness are found. This is how God wants to raise His children. In such an atmosphere, people are formed He can use.

The region he comes from is Kedesh in Naphtali. Kedes means ‘sanctuary’ and Naphtali means ‘wrestler’ or ‘warrior’. This indicates that Barak knows the sanctuary and knows what it is to fight. He resembles Epaphras, of whom we read that he always combats earnestly for the Colossians in the prayers (Colossians 4:12, Darby Translation). When we pray, we enter God’s sanctuary. Prayer is not an easy job, it is an exhausting activity. Barak developed in such an environment.

It seems that everything is present to become a deliverer, but that he lacks spiritual courage. How wonderful it is to see how Deborah brings him to activity – a previously mentioned meaning of her name. She made him part of her conviction that God will hand over the enemy to him. She has received this message from Him.

Barak has to go to Mount Tabor, that means ‘mountain of the purpose’. Is this not a great encouragement? We have to go to the mountain, so up, where we can see how God thinks and does, what He has purposed. If we keep looking at the situation around us, we might just complain. But if we engage in the purpose of God, what is in His heart, we will be encouraged. God’s plans and counsels cannot be affected by any enemy. Let us focus on this in particular, then we will see what strength this gives us to fight.

Being aware of God’s purpose and thoughts is the best basis for the battle to overcome. How good it is to encourage each other with this. Deborah says, as it were, to Barak what Paul says to Archippus: “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it” (Colossians 4:17). In this way sisters can encourage brothers. There is a great lack of such sisters.