"Women at Work" Judges 4: 4-10, 17-23

Another week of Judges.  Another week with the story beginning with the Israelites again doing evil in God's sight and being defeated because of it.  This time the adversary is King Jabin, whose army commander is Sisera.  Sisera is from Harosheth Haggoyim and has nine hundred chariots at his disposal.

Some interesting tidbits:

1.  Chariots were not generally used to break through the enemy's line, but to pursue and slaughter the enemy as they fled. Chariots were grisly, killing machines, and the Israelites did not have any of them.

2.  Deborah is a judge and prophetess.  When it seems like Barak is the one who will deliver Israel, do not forget that Deborah sends for him and commands him.  Barak will not go to engage the enemy unless Deborah goes with him.

3.  Barak has the word from God through Deborah, but he still does not readily go and do what God calls him to do.

4. We have a judge -- Deborah; a not-quite-willing to be hero/savior - Barak; surprising heroine who usurps the roles of Deborah and Barak.

Where does the sermon go from here?  We have the recurring themes:  Israel's sinfulness again; a surprising choice for judge; a second assassination by surprise; what else?

Maybe some focus on Barak not being willing to take the lead, even though the judge had given the okay?

I preached a sermon at FPC, Troy once on Deborah and Barak and spoke highly of their working together.  Not sure I want to revisit that.

We will not read the song of Deborah contained in Chapter 5, but it has the fascinating image of Sisera's mother watching out the window for her son to return from battle.  It is an odd juxtaposition of a mother anxiously waiting for her son to return home and her seeming  acceptance (maybe pride) that he is running late because he has plundered the enemy and raped the captured women.

what theme jumps out to you?