“I Will Certainly Go With You”

IT WAS a dark time in Israel. The people had rebelled against Jehovah. Just as he had warned, Jehovah allowed their enemies to dominate them. Canaanite King Jabin was in power. His general was a brutish man named Sisera. He led a huge army that included 900 chariots armed with iron weaponry.

For 20 years, Sisera’s army wreaked havoc on the land. It seems that when they attacked a town or a city, they made a practice of taking the young women captive and raping them. As a result of this grim reign of terror, roads were deserted and the villages empty. Few Israelite men had weapons or defenses of any kind.

At that time, a brave woman named Deborah served as Jehovah’s prophetess. She also judged difficult cases that the people brought before her. Jehovah used her to raise up a judge and savior for his people, a man named Barak. Deborah sent for him so that she could give him Jehovah’s instructions. Imagine Barak’s surprise when she gave him Jehovah’s direction to muster an army of 10,000 men and take them to Mount Tabor. Jehovah would give him a victory over Sisera and his army!

Was Barak a proud man, stung by receiving his marching orders through a woman? On the contrary, he said that he would go on this mission only if Deborah accompanied him. This was no lack of faith on his part. The apostle Paul later listed Barak among men and women of great faith. (Heb. 11:1, 2, 32) Barak was expressing his faith by asking Deborah to go with him and his men. He knew that Jehovah was using her, and he wanted as much of Jehovah’s guidance as possible. Deborah bravely agreed to go, saying: “I will certainly go with you.” She also informed Barak that although he would win the battle, no man, not even Barak himself, would kill Sisera. God would assign that task to a woman.

Barak went to work. He sent out word and mobilized an army of 10,000 brave men, arming them as best he could. He gathered this force atop Mount Tabor. That impressive mountain, like an upended bowl, rises some 562 meters (1,844 ft), overlooking the sweeping plain of Jezreel. From there, Deborah, Barak, and his men could see in the distance as Sisera and his army of chariots advanced.

What would Barak do? If he were to think like a war strategist, he might have chosen to wait until Sisera brought his chariots to the hillsides of Tabor. On sloping ground, the chariots would be slower, and Barak’s men might have a better chance. Barak knew, though, that the battle was not his but Jehovah’s. So he listened to Deborah. Through her, Jehovah told Barak to rise up and attack! Down the hillsides the men charged​—right out onto the level ground of the open plain—​to face those daunting chariots!

From a military point of view, they did not have a chance. But Jehovah saw their courage, and he rewarded them for it. He threw the Canaanite army into confusion. Rain fell in torrents. Soon the valley of Jezreel was like a great marsh, and those fearsome chariots got bogged down in the mud. Now Sisera’s soldiers had to fight the Israelite warriors face-to-face, hand-to-hand, without the advantage of striking downward at them from their chariots. Not one of Sisera’s soldiers remained alive. What about Sisera himself?

Sisera managed to flee on foot, struggling across the marshy plain and onto higher ground. He might have thought he was escaping, as he heartlessly left his men to die. But Barak set out in pursuit. Meanwhile, Jehovah was watching. He had something in mind for Sisera.

Read the Bible account:

• Judges 4:1-16, 23, 24; 5:1-23

For discussion:

In what ways did Barak and Deborah show courage?

Dig Deeper

1. 1. What was life like in Israel under Sisera’s domination? (w15 8/1 13 ¶1)

   Your answer

2. 2. Why is Deborah not usually counted among the 12 judges who served in Israel before Samuel became a prophet? (w86 6/1 31 ¶6-8)

   Your answer

1. 4. What did Deborah and Barak mean when they sang that “the stars fought” against Sisera? (Judg. 5:20; w05 1/15 25 ¶5)

   Your answer

Reflect on the Lessons

• When might a brother imitate the way Barak humbly accepted the help of a faithful woman? B

  Your answer

  

• Why did Deborah need courage to accompany Barak? When do we need similar courage?

  Your answer

• In what other ways might you imitate the courage of Barak and Deborah?

  Your answer

Meditate on the Bigger Picture

• What does this account teach me about Jehovah?

  Your answer

• How does the account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?

  Your answer

• What would I like to ask Barak and Deborah in the resurrection?

  Your answer

Learn More

See how this account reassures us that our efforts matter to Jehovah.

“May Your Volunteer Spirit Bring Praise to Jehovah!” (w17.04 28-32)

What do Barak and Deborah teach us about trust, modesty, and obedience?

“Through Faith, Barak Routed a Mighty Army” (w03 11/15 28-31)