Study Desk

But when the judges died, the Israelites again sinned and worshiped other gods. They became worse than their ancestors. The Israelites were very stubborn and refused to change their evil ways.

Then Barak said to Deborah, "I will go if you will go with me, but if you won't go with me, I won't go."

"Of course I will go with you," Deborah answered, "but you will not get credit for the victory. The Lord will let a woman defeat Sisera." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.

As Barak approached, the Lord confused Sisera and his army and chariots. The Lord defeated them with the sword, but Sisera left his chariot and ran away on foot.

But Sisera himself ran away to the tent where Jael lived. She was the wife of Heber, one of the Kenite family groups. Heber's family was at peace with Jabin king of Hazor.

But Jael, the wife of Heber, took a tent peg and a hammer and quietly went to Sisera. Since he was very tired, he was in a deep sleep. She hammered the tent peg through the side of Sisera's head and into the ground. And so Sisera died.

But the people of Zebulun risked their lives, as did the people of Naphtali on the battlefield.

"The kings came, and they fought. At that time the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo. But they took away no silver or possessions of Israel.

Sisera asked for water, but Jael gave him milk. In a bowl fit for a ruler, she brought him cream.

"Let all your enemies die this way, Lord ! But let all the people who love you be as strong as the rising sun!" Then there was peace in the land for forty years.

Then I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God. Live in the land of the Amorites, but do not worship their gods.' But you did not obey me."

Then Gideon said, "Sir, if the Lord is with us, why are we having so much trouble? Where are the miracles our ancestors told us he did when the Lord brought them out of Egypt? But now he has left us and has handed us over to the Midianites."

But Gideon answered, "Lord, how can I save Israel? My family group is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family."

But the Lord said to Gideon, "Calm down! Don't be afraid! You will not die!"

So Gideon got ten of his servants and did what the Lord had told him to do. But Gideon was afraid that his family and the men of the city might see him, so he did it at night, not in the daytime.

But Joash said to the angry crowd around him, "Are you going to take Baal's side? Are you going to defend him? Anyone who takes Baal's side will be killed by morning! If Baal is a god, let him fight for himself. It's his altar that has been pulled down."

But the Spirit of the Lord entered Gideon, and he blew a trumpet to call the Abiezrites to follow him.

I will put some wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the wool but all of the ground is dry, then I will know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said."

That night God did that very thing. Just the wool was dry, but the ground around it was wet with dew.

So now, announce to the people, ‘Anyone who is afraid may leave Mount Gilead and go back home.'" So twenty-two thousand men returned home, but ten thousand remained.