“Barak said to her, ‘If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.’ And she said, ‘I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.’”
Judges 4:8-9 (ESV)

The story of Barak is one which if rushed through, will result in a quick, harsh judgement: Barak had issues leading, and God gave his glory to Deborah, a substitute for his blessing.

But is that what this story actually says?

Here we are, in the time of the judges of Israel, and Deborah is well respected. Judges chapter 4, where we find ourselves today, quickly introduces her as a faithful, well-respected, honored prophetess amongst the people. And then, God gives her a word to speak. So she goes to Barak, a military commander amongst the people, and commissions him to heed the word God is giving through her and to face the army of Canaan.

“She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, ‘Has to the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, “Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and troops, and I will give him into your hand?’”
Judges 4:6-7 (ESV)

Barak’s response is swift: he will go if Deborah goes, but if not, he’s not going. Before we go any further, why would he say such a thing?

This is a key text that can be ripped out of context as a battle of the genders, but what we actually see here is a well respected woman, following and serving God, and a man being careful only to go out with the hand of God through the advice of His prophetess. When we evaluate this culturally, this would have been considered very normal, as those outside the faith with spiritual “insight” (seers) were often brought into battle to help guide the attack.

Yet what Deborah actually says is,

“And she said, ‘I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.”
Judges 4:9 (ESV)

What is Deborah really getting at? Understanding what Barak said, and whether he was in the right or wrong, is essential to expanding our understanding of texts like this. It is because of Hebrews 11:32, the classic “heroes of the faith” text, that we can know Barak wasn’t saying something shameful or in need of swift correction, for he is honored for the faith he exhibited in his walk with God.

Neither is Deborah the woman whom, by her simple involvement, is going to steal the honor of a man’s leadership. No, reading this text in context is essential, as reading on in Judges chapter 4 reveals this woman Deborah references:

Due to Barak’s obedience to the command of God via Deborah, Sisera is on the run, ready to lay low and escape judgement at the hands of the army of Barak. He finds the house of an ally and instructs the wife, a woman named Jael, to cover up his presence, and next thing you know, this most unlikely of heroes takes her opportunity and kills him, amidst his wearied slumber, by driving a tent peg through his temple. This is a bloody, passionate picture, of a woman so moved that she drives this tent peg with a hammer until it goes through his head, down, and into the ground. And in the words of Scripture, “So he died.” (verse 21)

Jael courageously goes to meet Barak and reveals the corpse of the dead man, Sisera, with the tent peg still in his temple.

So what do we do with text like this? We read it carefully, in context, and contrast it with other Scriptures in the Word that reference the same scenario or people (just like Hebrews 11:32, which uplifts Barak for being a man of faith). It is through this lens we actually can see the beautiful way God “subdued” the king of Canaan not just before Barak, but the entire people of Israel by raising up the least likely candidate to be a warrior. Deborah’s response to Barak, then, can be seen for what it is: a revelation that this isn’t going to be a moment of glory for Barak. His obedience and desire for her counsel (and through her, God’s word for the situation) goes to show his desire for the Lord above any power or honor he could gain in battle.

It is a beautiful thing to find the lessons of the faith hidden throughout our Bibles, and I pray today, this hero of our faith referenced in the great faith hall of fame reminds us of a great lesson: the battle and the victory is the Lord’s and His alone. And in that, it’s worth giving Him our all and walking only by His leading.