Judg 4:14-15 | KingComments | STEP | Now that the battle is approaching, it is again Deborah who inspires Barak. Through her fellowship with God she knows His will. With this knowledge she encourages, incites to fight and points to the final victory. Whoever fights for God, in faith in Him, can count on ‘gain’. Just as in she here directs Barak’s faith to the LORD. The guarantee for victory is not Barak’s army, the ten thousand men who follow him. She points out that the LORD Himself goes out before him; Barak needs only to follow. We see how Deborah doesn’t openly mix herself into the battle. That fits her place as a woman. We also see how, through her firm confidence, her faith in the LORD, she lays the foundation for defeating the enemy. This is how great the influence of a God-fearing woman is. Let no one say that a woman is silenced if she abides by the limits that the Word of God places on her public action. Then Barak proceeds to actually act. The LORD shows that He is on the side of Barak and sows confusion among the army of Sisera. God always does this. If we believe, this faith can count on God making our cause His. Again, as with Ehud, the enemy is defeated by “the edge of the sword”. God gives us no other weapon in the battle against the enemy than His Word, of which the sword is a picture ( ).

‏ Judges 4:14-15

The Enemy Defeated

Now that the battle is approaching, it is again Deborah who inspires Barak. Through her fellowship with God she knows His will. With this knowledge she encourages, incites to fight and points to the final victory. Whoever fights for God, in faith in Him, can count on ‘gain’. Just as in Jdg 4:6-7 she here directs Barak’s faith to the LORD. The guarantee for victory is not Barak’s army, the ten thousand men who follow him. She points out that the LORD Himself goes out before him; Barak needs only to follow.

We see how Deborah doesn’t openly mix herself into the battle. That fits her place as a woman. We also see how, through her firm confidence, her faith in the LORD, she lays the foundation for defeating the enemy. This is how great the influence of a God-fearing woman is. Let no one say that a woman is silenced if she abides by the limits that the Word of God places on her public action.

Then Barak proceeds to actually act. The LORD shows that He is on the side of Barak and sows confusion among the army of Sisera. God always does this. If we believe, this faith can count on God making our cause His. Again, as with Ehud, the enemy is defeated by “the edge of the sword”. God gives us no other weapon in the battle against the enemy than His Word, of which the sword is a picture (Eph 6:17).