This is just another variation of the same stupid story. If you've been following along, you can predict what's going to happen.
- The Israelites "did evil in the sight of the LORD." (Judges 4:1)
- So "the LORD sold them" into slavery. (4:2)
- "The children of Israel cried unto the LORD." (4:3)
- God slaughtered the people that he sold the Israelites to. (4:15-16)
This story is more interesting that most, though, because one of the characters is named Barak. (Although Barack Obama's first name is not derived from this biblical character, believers sometimes like to pretend otherwise.)
After Ehud dies, a woman becomes the leader of the Israelites. Her name is Deborah and she is called a prophetess and judge. She sat under a palm tree and everyone "came up to her for judgment."
One day she summoned Barak and told him to take 10,000 soldiers and fight Sisera (the captain of king Jabin's army). Barak, who was a bit of a chicken shit, said, "If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go."
Deborah said she'd go with him and they'd defeat Jabin's army (even though he had 900 iron chariots), but that God would deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman. (Which will be covered in God's next killing.)
So Deborah and Barak go off to fight in God's holy war. Guess what happens.
The LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword ... and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left. Judges 4:15-16
But Sisera somehow got away. Don't worry, though. God will take care of him in his next killing.
Posts
5 comments:
Hmm, I thought I had commented when I covered this chapter during last year's primary season that it was funny that there was a period in Israel's history when there was a power struggle (of sorts) betwen a woman and a guy named Barak.
Something I asked in that post--but never got cleared up, so I'll ask here--is the lack of marking this passage with the "Women" icon. I think it's significant that the army of Israel was led by a woman at this time. Is the "Women" icon only for marking negative aspects of women's issues in the Bible then?
Good point, Brucker.
I tend to throw all the "good stuff" into that category even when it may also fall in another. I'm not sure that that's a good or fair way of doing things, but that's what I've done up to now.
I tend to agree, though, that having a women lead the Israelites is a good thing (even though Deborah seems just as warlike as the other judges), so I probably should make a comment of some sort. Maybe this is the first (and only?) good thing in Judges.
How can you "discomfit" a person with the edge of a sword? It's like getting poked in the ass by a scimitar...
Also, I wish you would cover some of the Catholic Biblical books; Judith is especially positive for women (or so I was taught), despite the fact that she decapitates a man while he's lying drunk in his tent.
matt311,
Yeah, that "dsicomfitting" thing is a bit odd. But other versions translate it this way, "And the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and all his army into a panic." (NRSV)
It's a tactic that God often used. He messed with peoples' minds and forced them to kill each other. (See Judges 7:22 for a more explicit example.)
To me that is about as disgusting as anything can get. A god forcing people to kill each other. But it doesn't seem to bother believers very much. In fact, they seem to like the idea.
As for the books in the Catholic Bible -- well, as an ex-catholic, I'd like to get to them. And I will, if I live long enough!
Let's hope; I'm eager to see what you make of the wonderful Book of Tobit, where a man goes blind from bird droppings in his eyes and a demon is repelled by burning fish guts...
Post a Comment