Question 1

Why were the Israelites oppressed by Jabin and Sisera for twenty years?

Accepted Answer

The passage says the people of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. God had already rescued them before, but in their time of peace they drifted back into sin and idolatry. As a result, God handed them over to Jabin, king of Canaan, and his commander Sisera, who had nine hundred iron chariots and oppressed them for twenty years. This long season of hardship shows both the seriousness of turning from God and how people often only cry out to Him when trouble becomes heavy.

Question 2

Who was Deborah and what was her role in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Deborah is called a prophetess and a judge. She sat under a palm tree in the hill country, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes settled. In this passage she speaks God’s command to Barak, telling him to gather ten thousand men and go to mount Tabor. God uses her to give clear direction, to encourage Barak when he is hesitant, and to announce that God will defeat Sisera. She shows how God can use a woman in a public and spiritual role to guide His people.

Question 3

Why did Barak insist that Deborah go with him into battle?

Accepted Answer

When Deborah told Barak God’s command, he answered that he would only go if she went with him. This shows both faith and weakness. He believed God spoke through her and wanted the sign of God’s presence that her company gave. At the same time, his condition showed a lack of simple, bold trust in God’s word alone. Deborah agreed to go, but told him the honor of the final victory would go to a woman. So Barak still obeyed, but his hesitation meant the story would highlight someone else as the one who finished Sisera.

Question 4

What is the meaning of the nine hundred chariots of iron in this story?

Accepted Answer

The nine hundred chariots of iron show how strong Sisera’s army was from a human point of view. Iron chariots were powerful weapons in that time and made his forces seem impossible to defeat, especially for a people who had been oppressed for twenty years. The fear the Israelites felt is tied to this detail. Yet when Deborah tells Barak to rise, she reminds him that the Lord has gone out before him. God throws Sisera’s army into confusion, and the chariots cannot save them. This highlights that God’s power is greater than any human strength.

Question 5

Who was Jael, and why did she kill Sisera in her tent?

Accepted Answer

Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite, who lived near Kedesh. Her household had peace with Jabin, so Sisera felt safe running to her tent when he fled the battle. She welcomed him in and gave him milk to drink, then waited until he fell into a deep sleep. Then she took a tent peg and hammer and drove the peg through his temples, killing him. The passage shows this as the way God fulfilled Deborah’s word that Sisera would fall by a woman’s hand. God used Jael, an unexpected person, to finish the defeat of Israel’s enemy.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about the cycle of sin and deliverance?

Accepted Answer

The story shows a pattern that appears often in Israel’s history. The people enjoy peace, then fall into evil practices and forget God. God allows an enemy to rule over them, and the suffering becomes heavy. Then they cry out to the Lord, and He raises up a leader or leaders to rescue them. Here, after twenty years of harsh rule under Jabin and Sisera, God uses Deborah, Barak, and Jael to bring freedom. It reminds readers how easy it is to drift in times of ease and how kindly God still hears when people turn back to Him.

Question 7

What does this passage show about God’s use of women like Deborah and Jael?

Accepted Answer

Deborah is a prophetess and judge, and Jael is a tent-dwelling woman from a family linked to Israel but at peace with Jabin. God uses Deborah to speak His word, give counsel, and lead. God uses Jael to carry out the final blow against Sisera. The story does not focus on arguing about roles but simply shows that God can work through women in strong and public ways, as well as through hidden, surprising actions. The honor of victory is shared, and the promise that a woman would get the glory is fulfilled in a way no one expected.

Question 8

How did God win the battle against Sisera for Israel?

Accepted Answer

Deborah tells Barak to go, because that is the day the Lord has handed Sisera over and gone out before him. Barak comes down from mount Tabor with ten thousand men, and the text says the Lord threw Sisera, his chariots, and all his army into confusion with the sword before Barak. The result is that not one man of Sisera’s army is left on the field. Sisera himself runs away on foot but is later killed by Jael. So the victory is not explained by better weapons or numbers but by God’s direct action in the battle.

Question 9

How can a modern reader apply the message of this passage?

Accepted Answer

This passage invites readers to see how easy it is to forget God when life is calm and how often we only seek Him when we are pressed. It points to the need for steady faith and obedience, not only when we are desperate. Deborah’s courage and Barak’s eventual obedience encourage trusting God’s word even when enemies seem strong. Jael’s role reminds us that God can work through people who seem ordinary or unlikely. For someone today, this can mean turning back to God in trouble and also staying close to Him in times of peace.

Judges 4:1

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.

Deborah and Barak

Jael Kills Sisera

Deborah and Barak

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Judges 4:1

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.

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Deborah and Barak

Jael Kills Sisera

Deborah and Barak

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