What do we learn from the story of Barak?

 

We are also introduced to Siseras mother in Judges 5:28f. She is seen looking out the window waiting for her son to return. She assumes his delay is because he has defeated the enemy and is raping a woman or two. The irony is that he is being killed by a courageous woman.

  • Barak enjoys success, but he does not display the courage of his predecessors. He demanded military support from a woman (Deborah).
  • We see that Deborah's words are fulfilled. A woman receives the honor from killing Sisera.
  • We see that the warrior ideal established in chapter 3 is carried on by a woman. Jael is courageous, takes decisive action, and her exploits remind us of the crafty Ehud, the lone assassin who used deception to slay a foreign oppressor behind closed doors (Judges 3:12-30).
  • Like Shamgar, she uses an unconventional weapon. He used an ox goad. She used a tent peg.
  • Like Shamgar, she is a foreigner.

By the end of this story, we see that Israel has taken a step backward in terms of male leadership. Fortunately, two women rose to the occasion to compensate for the men's weakness. This account shows that women can have roles of leadership over men.