Barak's call came from God Himself, but because he hesitated, refusing to obey the command given to him by the Most High, Deborah, the prophetess of Lapidoth, sent for him to explain why he was not fighting against the army commanded by Sisera. This army represented the fearsome king of Canaan, who dominated the entire region and afflicted the nation of Israel in a cruel and destructive manner (Judges 4:1-9). Barak conditioned his obedience to the Lord on Deborah's presence with him in battle (v. 8).

At that moment, Barak represented a danger to the Canaanites, even though he did not have a well-equipped army. On the other hand, Sisera would use all his military strength (v. 3), because he did not want to even think that God's people could achieve even a small victory, lest the spirits of the Israelites be lifted up, and he would have a harder time continuing to destroy them. This is how the devil acts when we begin to seek the Man of War: He makes every possible attempt to destroy us.

Authorities often use people who watch over others to pass on valuable information and impressions. In everyday life, we always find people who do the same thing for free. At that time, this must have happened, since, although cultures change, human beings continue to show signs that they are like their ancestors, acting similarly.

Barack may have been one of those who always complained about Canaanite oppression of Israel, and certainly those who wanted to please Jabin told him about those who did not conform to his tyranny. It had been 20 years since God's people had been submissive to the king of Canaan (Judges 4:3). Truly, the Canaanites were like thorns in the backs of the Israelites (Judges 2:3), because they did not act as God had ordered, occupying the whole land and uprooting the peoples who lived there (Deuteronomy 7:16); instead, they let them live there.

The news that Barak had gone up Mount Tabor caused the Canaanite commander to despair and use all his war apparatus: 900 iron chariots and thousands of soldiers preparing for war (Judges 4:12,13). This spirit of annihilation has always been here on Earth, in people who preached and still preach the destruction of the Israelites, saying that they should be wiped off the map. Darkness, however, will never prevail against light (John 1:5).

No Canaanite soldier fled from Sisera's call. They all went into battle to give the descendants of Abraham, God's friend, the end they desired. They just didn't suspect that the Lord would intervene, fighting on behalf of those who serve Him. For Sisera, in a few hours the entire rebellious group of Israel would no longer exist. He possessed the weapons that all mortals feared and believed he would win that battle and others!

Poor wicked people! They did not imagine that nothing human could ever defeat the Lord, Creator of all things. As for the powers of Hell, they are nothing before divine glory. Why fight against the Truth and fail to help the people who will always be victorious? The defeat of Canaan was already written in Heaven.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares