Deborah’s Song of Praise

Led by Barak, Israel has defeated Sisera and has begun the gradual process of bringing down Jabin, king of the Canaanites. After 20 years of harsh oppression (Judg. 4:3), Israel is free again. In the joy of the moment, Deborah the prophetess pens a song of praise to God for the incredible victory that He has given His people, and she and Barak sing it before the Israelites. Like other Biblical figures at high points in redemptive history (Ex. 15; Deut. 32; Isa. 38), she turns to verse to express her praise.

God is to be praised, Deborah begins, “ ‘When leaders lead … [and] the people willingly offer themselves.’ ” God called forth Deborah and Barak to be His instruments of deliverance, and He caused them to respond to Him and caused the people to respond to them. Godly leaders are a gift of God to His people in all times, including our own, when few seem willing to take on the burdens of leadership. But servant-like obedience to and support for leaders also stem from a work of God in the human heart. When He is pleased to raise up good leaders and willing followers, He does a wonderful thing for His church. Essentially, that is exactly what He has done in this time of deliverance. The results speak for themselves—a great army has been overthrown—and kings and princes everywhere should take note, Deborah says, lest they contend with Israel and its powerful God.

Deborah speaks of God marching into battle in language very similar to that used by Moses (Deut. 33:2). So overwhelming was His attack, she sings, that the earth trembled and the heavens gushed water. She thus proclaims that Israel’s success was due not to its own might or skill but to the power of its great ally. In fact, apart from God’s aid, the Israelites had no hope, for they were utterly downtrodden—they could not use the roads for fear of the enemy, village life had ceased, and they had no weapons to resist the Canaanites. God had brought them under oppression because “ ‘they chose new gods.’ ”

Deliverance came when God raised up Deborah, Barak, and other leaders, “ ‘who offered themselves willingly with the people.’ ” God and these leaders deserve praise, she says, especially from those who benefited from the deliverance—wealthy people, judges, travelers. They should “ ‘recount the righteous acts of the LORD.’ ”