Judges 4:23-24

This victory broke the back of Canaanite domination at this period in Israel’s history. The Israelites continued to put pressure on the Canaanites until they finally destroyed Jabin and his kingdom. This may have taken several years. [Note: For a very helpful exposition of this chapter with emphasis on its chiastic literary structure, see John H. Stek, "The Bee and the Mountain Goat: A Literary Reading of Judges 4," in A Tribute to Gleason Archer, pp. 53-86.] The Canaanites never oppressed Israel again militarily, as far as Scripture records, but their religion continued to ensnare God’s people (cf. the Moabites’ and Midianites’ two strategies in Numbers).

"If up to now the author of the book of Judges tended to tell of saviors that were raised up, from this war on it is clear that the human heroes are only a background for highlighting the divine salvation." [Note: Yairah Amit, "Judges 4 : Its Contents and Form," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 39 (October 1987):99.]

This is certainly the most important lesson this chapter teaches. However, this story also warns us about putting conditions on our obedience to God. If we do this, God may use someone else, and we will not achieve all we could for His glory. God honored Barak, but he has forever remained in Deborah’s shadow. He defeated the Canaanites, but he failed to defeat their leader.

God uses women in key roles in His work. There are at least 22 individuals or groups of women in Judges , , 10 of these have speaking parts. They are Achsah (Judges 1:11-15); Deborah (chs. 4-5); Jael (Judges 4:17-23; Judges 5:4-27); the mother of Sisera (Judges 5:28); her "wisest princesses" (Judges 5:29-30); Gideon’s concubine, the mother of Abimelech (Judges 8:31; Judges 9:1-3); "a certain woman" (Judges 9:53) who kills Abimelech; Jephthah’s mother (Judges 11:1); Gilead’s wife (Judges 11:2-3); Jephthah’s daughter (Judges 11:34-40); the companions of Jephthah’s daughter (Judges 11:37-38); "the daughters of Israel" (Judges 11:40); Samson’s mother, the wife of Manoah (Judges 13:2-25); Samson’s "wife" from Timnah (Judges 14:1 to Judges 15:8); the prostitute whom Samson visited in Gaza (Judges 16:1-3); Delilah (Judges 16:4-22); the women of the Philistines (Judges 16:27); Micah’s mother (Judges 17:1-6); the Levite’s concubine (Judges 19:1-30); the virgin daughter of the Levite’s host at Gibeah (Judges 19:24); the 400 young virgins of Jabesh-gilead (Judges 21:12); and the young women of Shiloh (Judges 21:21). Remember also the women who ministered to Jesus, Priscilla, Phoebe, and Dorcas, as well as others.

Women could prophesy in the meetings of the early church (1 Corinthians 11:5). Just because He has excluded women from the authoritative leadership of churches as elders (1 Timothy 2:12) does not mean they can do nothing. This limitation has led some to conclude that there are more divine restrictions on the ministry of women in the New Testament than there were in the Old. However the opposite is true. Women could not be priests under the Mosaic Covenant, but they are priests under the New Covenant (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6). God has excluded men from some ministries too, such as being mothers. This is one of the greatest and most influential ministries any human being can have. "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." [Note: William Ross Wallace, John o’ London’s Treasure Trove. Cited in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, p. 557.] Normally God chose to use men as prophets both in Old Testament times and in the early church. However in both periods He occasionally selected women for this ministry. If it were not for the ministry of women, God’s work throughout history would have suffered greatly. Think of Amy Carmichael, Fanny Crosby, Wetherill Johnson, Elisabeth Elliot, Isobel Kuhn, and countless others, who have advanced and blessed the church.

This chapter also teaches us that God will use unusual people with unusual equipment if they desire to do His will (cf. Ehud and Shamgar). Jael used what she had at hand to serve Him. Through a "Bee" and a "Mountain Goat," two women of faith and courage, God restored peace to the land of milk and honey. [Note: Stek, pp. 75, 78.]