Deborah and Jael, and the Pickle in the Middle

Judges 4-5

In Judges 4 and 5, we dive into Deborah’s story. Deborah has quite the story of victory and even has a song penned after her.

HAYLEY’S BIBLE BENDER:

While not a Bible bender, I love that Susan included Tim Keller’s summary of the story of Deborah and Jael. His summary is this:

“The whole Judges cycle is framed around the actions of women: Deborah leads Israel under Sisera’s oppression, seen most horribly in how he treats Israel’s women: and Jael, another woman, is the means by which his reign of rape and terror is ended. After making the lives of many women hellish nightmares, it is two women who bring him down. There is great irony that the man who used women as objects is killed by a womanly object.”

Tent work was women’s work. Killing Sisera was indeed a woman’s work.

The war against evil was not a spectator sport to Jael, and nor should it be for us today.

• We must be involved, but no tent pegs, please.
• We must hear and obey the commands in His Word, as it says in Ephesians 6.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Before today, did you know Deborah or Jael’s story of victory? Are you actively hearing and obeying the commands of God?

What was your Bible bender from Judges 4? Did you learn anything new?

VERSES MENTIONED:

• 1 Samuel 9:6-7
• Romans 1: 21-23
• Exodus 15
• Revelation 15
• Ephesians 6:10-12

The author of this article is Hayley Mowatt, producer of Bible Book Club.