Deborah

Ehud died and the people forgot the GREAT GOD who had saved them.  They worshipped other gods and to discipline them God let them be conquered.  Eventually they remembered the God who Saves.

 

So God called Deborah to lead the people.  She sat at the palm tree and told them what God had said.  One day she called and told him God wanted him to conquer General Sisera.

 

“I will only do this if you come with me.”  he replied

 

“Very well,” she answered, “But because you did this God will give Sisera over to a woman.”

 

Barak gathered his army and they waited up on top of the mountain ready to fight the Canaanites.

 

The Canaanites had chariots made of iron.  They were strong and no one had been able to defeat them.

 

Barak was in a good position to fight them up on the hill. The chariots couldn’t drive up there.  God had different plans.  He told Barak to go down the mountain to the Canaanites.

 

As the Israelites came down the mountain, God sent a rain.  The rain caused the chariots to get stuck and the men panicked and ran.

 

The Israelites came down and defeated the Canaanites, but General Sisera had disappeared.

 

General Sisera ran to the tent of Jael and demanded she hide him.  She let him lay down and gave him some warm milk to drink.

 

While he was asleep she went in and killed him.

 

Barak came and wanted to know where General Sisera was.  Jael told him he was in her tent dead.

 

Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to God for his goodness in defeating the Canaanites.