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BIBLE ARCHAEOLOGY: WAR - Weapons, tactics BIBLE MURDERS - Jael kills Sisera
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| BIBLE PEOPLE - THEIR STORIES |
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DEBORAH |
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DEBORAH LISTENS TO GOD Deborah was a ‘prophetess’ - not someone who foretold the future but who ‘heard’ a message from God in some way and passed it on to the people around her. Deborah also acted as an oracle when, sitting under a sacred tree in the hill country of Ephraim, she gave judgment on particular matters. People came to her when they needed a dispute settled, or when they needed advice about their future actions. She listened, considered the problem, then gave her advice.
Deborah spoke out about deteriorating state of the
country around Ephraim. Law and order had broken down, and it was no
longer safe to travel on the highways. The Israelite settlers in the
hill-country harassed the Canaanite 'old-timers', raiding their farms and
villages down on the plains. The Canaanites in Ephraim were led by King Jabin of Hazor. He wanted to get rid of the problem altogether by simply wiping out the hill tribesmen. In this emergency, the Israelites turned to Deborah. She in turn summoned a military leader called Barak, and gave him orders. He should go to Mount Tabor with as many fighting men as he could muster, and draw King Jabin into battle. Barak was reluctant to obey her orders, perhaps thinking of the nine hundred iron-wheeled chariots and the well-disciplined army that Barak's general Sisera commanded. The Israelites had nothing like Sisera's fire power, since they lacked the technology and know-how to develop comparable weapons. Barak had a much smaller army, comparatively untrained, and with inferior weapons. It was unlikely he could succeed against such odds. Like any good general, he did not wish to sacrifice his men unless there was a chance of winning.
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Sisera, on the other hand, assembled a terrifying force. He had 900 iron-wheeled chariots, and they could do fearsome damage. Their weight and velocity as they charged into an opposing army could plough a dreadful furrow through the ranks of soldiers. | ||||
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Deborah, however, was able to inspire him. She knew the Israelite's forte was guerilla warfare, and she counting on the weather to help her - she had waited until the time of year when there were heavy rainfalls. Her army, led by Barak, assembled at Mount Tabor. They were a brave but motley force. THE BATTLE AT MOUNT TABOR Sisera, on the other hand, assembled a terrifying force. He had 900 iron-trimmed chariots at his disposal, and they could do fearsome damage. Their weight and velocity as they charged into an opposing army could plough a dreadful furrow through the ranks of soldiers. The Canaanites ought to have won the battle easily. They did not. There was a tremendous downpour and the 900 chariots, meant for quick maneuvering on firm ground, became bogged in the mud. The flash flood swelled the nearby Wadi Kishon and turned the battleground into deep mud, giving the Israelite foot soldiers the advantage over the Canaanite chariots. Unhampered by heavy armor, they were more mobile than the Canaanites, who were easy prey for the Israelite swords and lances. In the aftermath of the battle, Sisera was
slaughtered by a Kenite tribeswoman called Jael. There is a pathetic
description of Sisera's mother standing at the window of her house,
watching the road for the son who will never return. |
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| BIBLE
REFERENCE Judges 4:1-24, 5:1-30 (Judges 4 is a narrative; Judges 5 is a more ancient form of the story, a victory song |
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| PEOPLE
IN THE STORY Deborah, a leader and prophetess who led the Israelites against King Jabin of Hazor Barak, the general of the Israelite army Jabin, king of Hazor and leader of the Canaanites Sisera, leader of King Jabin's Canaanite army
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QUOTES 'Up! For this is the day that the Lord has given Sisera into our hand.' (Judges 4:14) '...at her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell dead.' (Judges 5:26-27) 'So perish all your enemies.' (5:31)
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INTERESTING SITES - stories, pictures, reconstructions Deborah, Jael and Sisera's
mother - three powerful women Hazor, the city of King Jabin,
Deborah's mortal enemy The Army, Battles and Weapons
in ancient Israel Barak, one of the Top Ten
Bible warriors - the mud-stained soldier The tent where Jael
first hid then murdered the enemy general Sisera The murder
of Sisera - don't trust a woman bearing curds _______________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITIES AND FOCUS QUESTIONS
Warfare in ancient times
In
depth study of one person's story In
your presentation (approximately 10 minutes), answer the following questions: 1.
What are the main events of the person's life? 2. What were their main qualities? What made them stand out from the crowd? 3.
What obstacles did they face? 4.
How did they use their abilities to do God’s work? 5. Which part of their story appeals to you most? Why? You must include three short quotations from the Bible texts to illustrate the points you are making.
Drawing a cartoon
Discussion
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