The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 136
SECT. CXXXVI.
WE return now to the Hiſtory of the Judges. When Ebud was dead, the Children of Iſrael did evil again in the ſight of the Lord. Ʋnder none of the Judges did they enjoy ſo long a peace as in the days of Ehud, as we may ſee Ch. 3.30. viz. 80 years. And now we ſhall ſhew how ill they requited the Lord for ſo great a Mercy. As ſtanding waters are wont to putrifie, ſo they were corrupted by their long Peace, and by degrees fell off from God unto Idolatry, as they formerly had done. Upon this God gave them up into the hands of Jabin King of Canaan, (that is, of thoſe Canaanites that dwelt in the Northern parts) Succeſſor to that Jabin ſlain by Joſhua, whoſe chief City Hazor he burnt, Joſh. 11.1, 10, 11, 12. yet this Son or Succeſſor of his (it ſeems) re-inforcing himſelf, recovered from the Iſraelites that part of Land and Territory that lay about Hazor, and repairing the City, reigned there as his Predeceſſors had done. And now at laſt, not contented with his own Kingdom, he made War againſt the Iſraelites in general, and brought them into Subjection to him, and cruelly oppreſſed them, in Revenge (no doubt) of what Joſhua had formerly done againſt that Kingdom and City. The Text ſays, He mightily oppreſſed them, verſ. 3. which Expreſſion is no where uſed concerning any other Bondage the Children of Iſrael were under; and he oppreſſed them a long while, viz. twenty years, Third Oppreſſion under Jabin twenty years.and this Oppreſſion muſt needs be the more grievous to them, becauſe they were brought under the Canaanites, that accurſed Nation whom God promiſed to caſt out before them, and would have done it had not they, by their grievous Sins, prevented their own Mercies. And obſervable it is, that whereas their firſt Bondage under Cuſhan-riſhathaim, King of Meſopotamia, continued but ſeven years, the next under Eglon continued eighteen years, and this under Jabin continued twenty years. Thus we ſee when lighter Corrections did no good, the next were ſorer, and of longer continuance; and becauſe they abuſed God's Mercy, and readineſs to withdraw his Hand when they cried unto him, therefore he continued the next Judgments longer upon them. But to go on. The Captain of Jabin's Hoſt was Siſera, who dwelt in Haroſheth of the Gentiles [in the lot of Naphtali] whither many of the Canaanites, in the tim… of Iſraels prevailing, fled as unto a place of Strength, and there fortified themſelves. Jabin had a great Army, and 900 Chariots of Iron, and continuing to Oppreſs Iſrael very ſorely, they cried unto the Lord, and humbled themſelves, Deborah the Third Judge.and He was at length pleaſed to hear their Cry, and ſend them a Deliverer. It ſeems at this time*Namely, whilſt Jabin oppreſſed them, ſo that thoſe 20 years, or within … thoſe 40 y…ars of D…brorah, verſ. 31. Populum judicabat, ſine Principatu tamen. Jus populo dixit, liteſ que compoſuit, ſed abſ que juriſdictione, ſive poteſtate judiciariâ. Quia Prophetiſſa & mulier prudens erat, ſponte populus ad eam controverſias ſuas detulit. Judices ordinarios [ut probabile eſt] Tyrannus Sabin è medio ſuſtulerat. Deborah a Propheteſs judged Iſrael, not Governing chiefly and properly as a Judge (whoſe Office was to hear and determine Cauſes, and in thoſe times eſpecially to make War againſt their Enemies,) but as a Propheteſs, counſelling and directing the people that came to her in hard and difficult Caſes, and revealing to them the Will of God by the Spirit of Propheſie, which God had given her. 'Tis like the Tyrant Jabin would not have ſuffered any man to have been Judge or Governour among them, but as for Deborah a Woman, poſſibly he took no notice of her. Deborah (as it ſeems) uſed to give forth her Directions and Counſel ſitting under a Palm-Tree that was between Rama and Bethel in Mount Ephraim. Deborah now, by the ſpecial Direction from God, ſends for Barak Son of Abinoam, who dwelt at Kedeſh-Naphtali, and imparts to him what God had revealed to her either by the ſecret Inſpiration of his Spirit, or perhaps by the Miniſtry of an Angel. †That ſome Angel did appear to her either before or after the battel ſought with Siſera, may appear from Ch. 5.26.She tells him, God had commanded him to go and draw together to Mount Tabor an Army of the Iſraelites, and to take ten thouſand of the Children of Naphtali, and of the Children of Zebulun (becauſe they were neareſt at hand) and thoſe of Naphtali were likely to be forwarder in this Work, becauſe Barak was of that Tribe, and they alſo were moſt oppreſſed by Jabin and Siſera, Hazor and Haroſheth being both in their Tribe. She tells him, When he had gathered this Army together, the Lord would incline the heart of Siſera, Jabin's General, to come with his Multitudes and Iron-Chariots to fight him at the River Kiſhon that runs near to Mount Tabor, and would deliver him into his hands. Barak (it ſeems) believed what Deborah told him, viz. that Siſera ſhould be vanquiſhed by him, and therefore his Faith is commended, Heb. 11.32, 33. but yet his Faith was aſſaulted with ſome doubts and fears; for he tells her, If ſhe would go with him, He would go, elſe not. 'Tis like he was deſirous to have her at hand (being a Propheteſs) to give them Counſel and Adviſe upon every Emergency; ſhe readily yields to go with him, but withall ſhews him, that becauſe of his fear the Lord would deprive him of a great part of that glory he ſhould otherwiſe have had; And becauſe he would not undertake this Enterprize without the preſence and encouragement of a Woman, therefore a Woman ſhould carry away a part of the Honour of the Victory, to wit, Jael the Wife of Heber, into whoſe hands Siſera ſhould fall, and by whom he ſhould be ſlain. Deborah therefore accompanying Barak, he went to Kadeſh in Naphtali the place of his Birth, and here gathering together an Army, moſtly conſiſting of the Tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, (though ſome of the other Tribes did voluntarily joyn with them, as appears Ch. 5.) he marched with ten thouſand men following him towards Mount Tabor, whither he was commanded to go. Near unto this City of Kedeſh-Heber, the Kenite had his Tent, (r)The Kenites lived in Tents, and not in Houſes.who (for ſome Reaſons not here mention'd) had ſevered himſelf from the reſt of the Kenites, who were ſeated among the Children of Judah, ſee Ch. 1.16. and now lived in the Tribe of Naphtali. Siſera hearing that Barak had got together an Army about Tabor, He gathers together ſpeedily all the Forces he could make, which were very many, and with them and his 900 Chariots he marches to Kiſhon to encounter him. Deboral hearing of his approach, encourages Barak to go out and fight him, telling him, That the Lord was gone out before him as General of his Army to fight for him, and would certainly give him Victory over Siſera. So Barak marched down from the hill with ten thouſand men following of him. They joyning battel, Siſera was totally diſcomfited, inſomuch that he himſelf lighting out of his Chariot, he was forced to run away on foot. His whole Army was routed, ſlaughtered or ſcattered, not a man left in the Field to make reſiſtance.
Thoſe that fled, fled towards Haroſheth, whom Barak vigorouſly purſued, but Siſera himſelf fled to Hebers Tent the Kenite, who though joyning with God's people in the profeſſion and practiſe of the true Religion, yet paying poſſibly to Jabin ſome kind of Tribute, he had taken him under his Protection, and the rather becauſe he lived only as a Sojourner among the Iſraelites, and laid no Claim to the Land, and lived a Peaceable and Paſtoral kind of life, and ſo was not like to riſe up in Rebellion again. Jael the wife of Heber meeting Siſera, deſired him to turn into her Tent, and bids him fear *V. 20. Timere quidem probibet, nil tamen ſpondet.nothing. He accordingly does ſo, and ſhe gave him Water to drink, and Milk and Butter to eat, and covered him with a Mantle, that he might repoſe himſelf, being very weary. He deſires her to ſtand in her Tent door, and if any came to enquire after him, ſhe ſhould not acknowledge he was there. Jael ſeeing he was fallen aſleep, (by a ſpecial and extraordinary Inſtinct of the Spirit of God) took a long Nail (ſuch as they us'd to faſten their Tents with) and drove it on a ſudden into his Temples, and ſo faſtned his head to the ground.
Barak purſuing Siſera, Jael went out to meet him, and told him. She would ſhew him the man whom he ſought after; Barak coming into the Tent, found Siſera dead, and the Nail driven through his Temples. So God ſubdued Jabin that day, and his Hoſt before the Children of Iſrael; And the Iſraelites prevailed ſo far againſt him, that they brought him and his people to an utter and final deſtruction. But however the Lord made uſe of Barak and his Army as Inſtruments in obtaining this great Victory, yet He himſelf was the Principal Agent in it, partly by taking away the Courage of the Enemy, and poſſeſſing them with fear, and partly by fighting againſt the Canaanites from Heaven, and ſending into their very faces an impetuous ſtorm of Hail, unto which Deborah alludeth, [Ch. 5.20.]
Judg. Ch. 4. whole Chapter.