Judges 4:11 – Divine providence

In Judges 1:16 we read about the Kenites. It says, “The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the city of palms with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people.” Now in Judges 4:11 we find a parenthetical statement that says that Heber who separated himself from the Kenites in the southern part of Judah to the north. We are told he pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

Why did this “appendix” appear here now? This is to prepare us for the introduction of Jael, the wife of Heber. She would soon be the instrument God would use to kill Sisera, the commander of Jabin. What she did would relief the Israelites from the oppression brought about that oppressor. Here we are led to think about divine providence. God had moved a family and separated them from their people and be relocated somewhere so that they could be at the disposal of God. We shall learn of her exploit in the later verses of Judges 4.   

This little parenthetical verse points us to this: God is in control. In His providence, anyone and everyone, anything and everything is at God’s disposal to fulfil His plan. He used a Gentile named Shamgar. He also used a woman named Deborah to guide Barak. And He would soon use, Jael, the wife of Heber to kill Sisera. God truly arranges circumstances, people and events. And in His providence, nothing happens by coincidence. When we are in His hand, nothing happens incidentally to us. He knows our name. He guides us with His eyes upon us. As Psalm 139 so poignantly tells us: He knows our thoughts from afar. Yes, and before a word is on our lips, He already knows it all. What a wonderful God we serve. Let us be thankful to God for His unfailing faithfulness!