Deborah's Song

Deborah's Song: Judges 5

After Joshua died, the Israelites disobeyed Yahweh and incurred his anger. They became even more corrupt than their ancestors. Consequently, they were sold into the hands of Jabin, the King of Canaan, who became an enemy to them and oppressed them for twenty years with his 900 iron chariots. The Israelites cried out to Yahweh because of Jabin's oppression. In spite of their rebellion, the Lord heard their cries and raised up a judge for their deliverance.

At that time, Deborah, a prophetess from the tribe of Ephraim, taught the Laws of Yahweh to the people and provided judgments under a Palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim. She summoned Barak and said to him, “Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded saying, ‘Go and draw toward Mount Tabor and take with thee 10,000 men of the children of Naphtali and of Zebulon?’. Hath not the Lord said ‘I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon over Sisera, the Captain of Jabin’s army with his chariots and I will deliver them into thy hand?’, And Barak said, “If thou wilt go with me, then I will go, but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.” And Deborah said, “I will surely go with thee”. Thus began the events leading to the liberation of the Israelites from the wicked king of Canaan.