18 The Faith of Barak

The following study is based on Hebrews 11:32, “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:”

We will be studying about the character Barak today. You’ve probably heard of his name, but many are not familiar with his story. His story comes shortly before the story of Gideon. So why is it listed out this way? Not sure. But we’re just following the order that is given in Hebrews 11.

If we keep reading in Hebrews 11, this is what it says about these men.

  • Hebrews 11:33-34
    33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
  • That description of out of weakness was made strong, probably fits the description of Barak the most. He was a man that seemed to be timid and insecure by nature, but nevertheless, he believed God’s promise and went forward in obedience by faith and was used mightily by God for the good of his people.

Let’s start with the background of the times that Barak lived in.

  • Judges 4:1-3
    1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead. 2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
  • It was a difficult time. The children of Israel were being oppressed by the surrounding nations. But this was a repeated pattern that we see through the book of Judges!
    • People go into sin.
    • So God lets them go into captivity – other nations come and conquer them.
    • The Israelites cry to God and God hears.
    • God sends a judge.
    • The judge fights for them and delivers them.
    • The judge dies.
    • Then people go into sin again.

Here’s an example in the book of Judges:

  • Judges 2:8
    And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

    • The judge dies.
  • Judges 2:11
    And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:

    • The Israelites turn to wickedness and sin.
  • Judges 2:14
    And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

    • God sells them into captivity.
  • Judges 2:18-19
    And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

    • They cry to God and God raises a judge to deliver them.
  • Judges 2:19
    And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

    • When the judge dies, they turn back to sin and other gods.

Here’s another pattern in the book of Judges:

  • Judges 3:7
    And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

    • So the children of Israel do evil again.
  • Judges 3:8
    Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

    • God sells them to other nations.
  • Judges 3:9-10
    9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the Lord delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

    • Children of Israel cry out to God and He raises a judge for them to deliver them.
  • Judges 3:11-12
    11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.

    • The judge dies and the children of Israel go back to sin and wickeness.

Now leading up to the time of Barak, what is happening again?

  • Judges 4:1
    And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.
  • A judge has just died and the children of Israel are back to their old wicked ways again. God, of course, withdraws His protecting care over them and a powerful nation comes and conquers them again.
  • For 20 years Jabin king of Canaan is reigning. And his captain Sisera would be instrumental in this oppression. He had 900 chariots in his army! That’s like having 900 tanks in our days!
  • How bad were those days? Judges 5 is the praise that is given after they win the battle by Barak. Look at what it says.
  • Judges 5:6-7
    6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. 7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel…
  • People didn’t go anywhere by the highway, they went through the small roads. Everyone was afraid! Life sounded like it was on hold! People were afraid. And on top of that, the people were just defenceless.
  • Judges 5:8
    They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
  • Not even a shield or spear among the 40,000 in Israel.

That’s the background of the days of Barak. Let’s continue the story.

  • Judges 4:4-5
    4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
  • The story of Barak is really tied up with the story of Deborah. She was a prophetess and judge of Israel. It would be through her that God would communicate to Barak, and not directly to Barak himself. Why? We will see in a second.

Judges 4:6-7
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

  • Notice here that even though it is Deborah speaking, she clearly is giving a message straight from God! “Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded…” she says. The instruction to Barak was to recruit 10,000 men from his tribe of Naphtali and from the children of Zebulun. And it’s interesting how the Bible puts it. God would bring the army of Sisera right to where he would be – the river Kishon.
  • Barak, in spite of his own sense of his human limitations, could have had faith in God’s call. It was a prophetess that was telling him this right? He should have had the confidence in the command. And he was promised victory by God Himself!

We don’t know Barak’s background. Was he trained to fight? Did he have any military experience? We don’t know. Most likely not since there was not even a spear of shield among 40,000 people. In fact, what is his response to that command from the prophet?

  • Judges 4:8
    And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
  • What does his response sound like to you? Is it a good response? Is it positive? Or is it negative?
  • It could have been positive. It could be his way of saying, please come with me! Maybe he wanted to make sure that the one that gave the command would be with him. He wanted assurance!
  • But it really was a more negative response. He sounds like he is giving an ultimatum. OK, if you go with me, I’ll go. But if you don’t go with me, I’m not going! He was ready to disobey the word of God simply because Deborah may not go with him. So he was relying on Deborah’s presence to help him to fulfil God’s call to him.

And so she responds in the next verse.

  • Judges 4:9
    And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
  • It is from her reply that we know that Barak’s initial response was a lack of faith. She said that he would not get the honour of killing Sisera the captain. It would go to a woman instead.

What was Barak’s faith like?

  • His faith was weak. He was unsure of himself and as a result he was unsure of the call of God. He didn’t totally obey, but he did leave room for him to disobey the call. “If you don’t go with me, I’m not going!” he told Deborah. But eventually he would go. His faith was placed in Deborah, the prophetess. So he was emboldened by the presence of Deborah and in the end, they were a team – each doing the part that they were suited to.
  • Judges 5:12
    Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
  • Deborah’s part was to stir the people awake!
  • Barak’s part was to free the people from captivity and oppression.
  • So Barak went by faith in God’s promise. It’s not that he had no faith, but he had little faith. But it’s amazing that God can still work through someone like that isn’t it? He is placed on the same level as Gideon whom we studied last week, and king David and even Samuel the prophet!

But now we read the first hint of God’s divine providence for Barak in what seems to be a strange pause in the story.

  • Judges 4:11
    Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
  • We may wonder why this strange detail is told to us; but it ends up being an event that is critical to the promise that God gave Barak through Deborah. Let’s lock this seemingly-unimportant detail away in our minds for the moment; and then read on of what God was doing in bringing Sisera to the river.

Judges 4:12-13
12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. 13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

  • So Sisera hears about Barak’s army and he ends up going to meet him at the place where God said Barak would defeat him.
  • Judges 4:14
    And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
  • So Deborah and Barak would go up to meet Sisera to fight with him.

Isn’t it interesting that Barak had 10,000 men, but for Gideon it was still too many?

  • Once again we don’t know the number that Sisera had in his army, but at least he had 900 chariots! Maybe Barak’s faith was too small for God to work a bigger miracle like what he did for Gideon. We don’t know.
  • Look at what is described about this battle though.
  • Judges 5:20-21
    20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. 21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
  • God rendered the chariots useless. They were swept away by the water, or the chariots got stuck in the mud!
  • Judges 4:15-16
    15 And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. 16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.
  • God gave them a complete victory!

But there’s one more part to this story.

  • Judges 4:17-18
    17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
  • Sisera would flee away from the battle to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite.
  • Do you remember that detail back in verse 11? Let’s read it again.
  • Judges 4:11
    Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
  • You see, Heber the Kenite had moved away from his own family. And they had set up their family in the plain of Zaanaim, which is next to Kedesh where apparently this battle would take place.
  • And because there was peace between Jabin the king and the household of Heber, Sisera felt safe to take up Jael’s invitation to go into their tent. He didn’t think anything about it.

But what would happen?

  • Judges 4:19-22
    19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. 21 Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
  • Jael would be the one that would kill Sisera and finally put a nail in the coffin of the army that Barak was fighting against.

When Deborah told Barak in verse 9 that the Lord would sell Sisera into the hand of a woman, we all thought it would probably be Deborah. But it came about from a humble Gentile housewife! A person we would not consider a Christian today.

  • I don’t think Barak was really that angry that he was not the one to kill Sisera himself. But it certainly was a big slap in the face. He would not have the honour of ending this war in a sense. That honour would go to a heathen woman.
  • What does that mean to us today?
    • There are many people out there, not in the church, that have more faith than those in the church today. All those that Jesus said had great faith in His day, none of them were Jews. One was a Canaanite woman. Another was a Roman Centurion. Non Christians!
    • It’s true that many outside of the church are reflecting the character of God today. We don’t know anyone’s state about their salvation so it does not mean that we should combine with them and work with them. But God works His will through people even of different religions today as well.
  • Does it mean that there is no benefit to being a Christian today? Absolutely not! God has given us His word to be a tremendous blessing to each of us. He wanted to work through Barak totally 100%! But because of his lack of faith, that honour went to someone else.

So the passage closes with this clear affirmation:

  • Judges 4:23-24
    23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. 24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
  • Barak may not have had the last blow on Sisera, but certainly it was through him that the Lord wrought a great deliverance for the children of Israel that day. It was through his faith, in spite of his fears and weaknesses, that the Lord did a mighty wonder for the whole nation.

God still wants to work through each of us today. He has great plans for us. And according to each of our faith, He wishes to work. Large or small, let us learn to walk out in faith in trusting God today. May God grant each of us the faith and courage to trust Him and to follow in His steps today.

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