Barak

So, in the last post I wrote about Jephthah, and talked a little bit about why he was mentioned in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11:32. Today, I want to examine the other name that is talked about even less, Barak. 

His Life’s story is told for us in Judges 4-5. 

Israel had been under siege by a man names Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots. (Think modern day Hummer or some other super awesome military vehicle.) 

Because Sisera had these chariots, he had been cruel to the people for Israel for 20 years.  

Deborah, who was a judge at this time, was in a meeting and was hearing cases of matters that were important to the people. Apparently, Sisera’s less than stellar treatment of Isreal came to her attention, because she sent for Barak and told him to take 10,000 men and go to a specific location, and she would lure Sisera and his iron chariots in place and Barak would jump all over them. 

The next two verses are interesting: Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go.” 9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh,…” (Judges 4:8-9, NIV)

Why did he say this? 

Well, Deborah was the Lord’s appointed person for that time, and as such, the Lord would have been with Deborah, and Barak wanted to be sure that the victory would have been had, so he asked Debrah to come… but there would be a condition placed on her coming; the victory would go to a woman. 

Barak was ok with this… because we are told that they met up at the right spot and then this happened:

“Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men.

15 At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.

16 But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.

17 Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite.

18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid." So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him.

19 "I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.

20 "Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.'"

21 But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.

22 Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "Come," she said, "I will show you the man you're looking for." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple-- dead.

23 On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites.

 24 And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him.(NIV)

Israel stood virtually no chance against the Iron chariots of Sisera, but thanks to God, he caused a giant thunderstorm

to come and be the downfall of this army that was so vexing to His people. 

It seems Deborah was correct, for when Barak went to find Sisera, he had already been killed; by a woman (Jael)/

So why, then, is Barak among the names listed in Hebrews 11:32? Well, I think it’s because he had faith— faith his leaders; who trusted in God.  Because they trusted in God, and because Barak trusted his leaders, he had faith that God would win the battle. 

The take-away: have faith in God, He will lead you into— and out of— the battle.