These two seemingly insignificant objects were major tools in the defeat of Israel’s Enemy in entirely different ways .

Israel throughout history had lots of ups and downs.

They were people of God and when they sought him, he did many wonderful things for them.

But when they turned away, they reaped the consequences of their actions.

God allowed this so they see where they had gone wrong.

Time and again, God delivered them.

REF :Judges Chpts 4 and 5

 Israel had been overtaken and oppressed by  King Jabin of Canann.

The captain of Jabin’s army, Sisera had 900 chariots with spikes coming out from the wheels which were deadly against both men and horses.

Fear had so gripped the people,that no-one risked the highways because  Sisera’s chariots paraded in power.

People took the back tracks.

 No-one “hung around” the market places. It was a major “lockdown”

People were in misery.

 Even at the wells, where they got their water, people were afraid of Archers.

This situation lasted for 20 years.

 The Leaders of the country no longer sat in the gates of the city ruling and making decisions as was their normal custom.

 In the midst of all this on Mount Ephraim, a woman,(Deborah) sat under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel.

THE PALM TREE

This tree was called the “Palm of Deborah.”                                          

 In all the turmoil, the soldiers of Sisera  obviously didn’t take any notice of a woman sitting under a tree or notice the people who gathered around her.

She was a Counsellor to these people, a source of hope and encouragement. She was the Judge and Prophet to those in need. For fear of Sisera’s army, the men whose duty was to judge and make decisions no longer sat in the gate .                                      

Remember,Deborah could have easily stayed indoors in fear and trembling.

Instead she chose to be an encouragement to her people.

It is interesting to look atwhere the palm tree was situated

Under a Palm .

Palm trees generally bend with the wind but do not break.

The word Palm has many meanings: peace, plenty , fruitfulness, grace , elegance,  majesty and Military triumph.

 The Palm tree was located between Ramah and Bethel on Mt Ephraim :

“Mount Ephraim” Double fruitfulness

Bethel means “House of God”

Ramah: “High Place”

So we have a woman who sat under an unbending palm, who despite the storms of the time stayed immovable.

The place where she sat, represented all the positive things Deborah believed.

In a high place of victory, right near the House of God : A place of double fruitfulness.

A positive place in a negative situation.

She was a hope and a comfort to her people.

She described the dreadful situation which was taking place at the time, and then she stated, “I arose a Mother in Israel”. REF

This is a humble description; she put herself no greater than any other woman in Israel.

She saw the need and rose up, as a mother and became a Counsellor, Judge, Prophetess and Deliverer to an oppressed people.

She was a wise woman filled with Godly wisdom.

Day by day she ministered to the people’s needs despite the turmoil which was happening around her

She believed that God would deliver her people from their terrible oppression.

It was in this place  of close relationship with God she felt God leading to call Barak

She sent for Barak the Commander of the Israeli army, the defeated leader who was out in the desert called by some the “Sacred Desert of Wandering.

It seems this man had been challenged by God, but was fearful to act, not believing that God would deliver them from their oppression. He was just “wandering.” around the desert.

She challenged him, “Hasn’t God already told you?” “Go and take 10,000 men with you and move toward Mt Tabor and God will move Sisera to you.”

 She gave specific directions. She knew the way to go about it because of her close relationship with God which she had developed under the palm

Barak said he would not go without her.

She agreed to go but told him he would not get the “Credit” of victory.

 She said the credit will go to a woman.

God caused Sisera’s army to move to the Mountain and Deborah gave Barak the command to go.

“Up Barak, today is the day of Victory. God has gone out before you”.

It happened just as Deborah said.

God turned the wheels against them

God caused the horses and chariots to get bogged.

Ironically these 900 iron chariots with whose spikes like swords which had caused so much fear and death were now stuck in mud and the spiked wheels irretrievable.

The wheels once a weapon against the Israelites now turned .They became became instruments of destruction to the oppressors . God used the very wheels that caused fear to become the enemies downfall.

The horses damaged their hooves as they tried vainly to pull the chariots out

The Sisera’s army tried to escape but were being slaughtered by the Israelites whose horses were obviously still fit and dry.

However the Captain Sisera escaped on foot or did He?

THE NAIL

Sisera was almost to the border when a Bedouin woman, a tent dweller, saw him stumbling along exhausted. Her husband, Heber was a Kenite, on good terms with the enemy

She invited him into her tent. There was no need to be afraid, he may have thought, these people were not involved in the war,so he accepted her invitation  .She treated him well serving him fresh milk and butter .He then laid down.

What could she do?

She seemingly had few talents, looking after her goats and keeping the tent in order

There were no weapons around, just a hammer and a tent peg.

 No doubt from a child, she had learned to nail the tent pegs with great precision.

She no doubt knew the terrible occupation which had taken place the past 20 years and although it may not have affected her, she had sympathy for the oppressed people.

This simple talent with a tent nail learned in the secluded place, was to bring great victory for the land of Israel and bring an end to the 20 years of enemy occupation .

She used what was at hand, she nailed the enemy down in the confines of her tent.

Jael is often pictured as the intercessor who battles in the secret place unknown,but bringing great glory to God .

So we see the years of Deborah seeking God under the Palm Tree  and the years of a tent dweller whose talent was the driving of a tent nail, served to bring great deliverance to the land of Israel .

How God defeated the enemy,

 He used a harmless looking lady under a Palm Tree.

He turned the enemy’s greatest weapon (the 900 iron chariots) against them, by causing torrents of water to flood the River Kishon destroy the chariots and lame the horses.

 He caused an insignificant woman to cause an unsuspecting captain to turn into her humble tent.

He used the talents of a tent dweller to nail the enemy down.

Truly God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

We can all be used by God in our sphere if we do not wander in the desert like Barak when God has called us to action.