of Moab? Yes, but you must remember that whenever we read of enemies coming against the Israelites, and oppressing them, and conquering them, we read something else too, that "Israel had done evil in the sight of the Lord;" that was why they were delivered into the power of their enemies. But God was so merciful, that whenever his ungrateful people repented, and confessed their sin, and prayed for pardon, he was always ready to save them, and to send them a deliverer. And so it was now, when Midian oppressed them. 66 When the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer-Ehud, the son of Gera, a Benjamite."

(Judg. iii. 15.) By this man the king of Moab was killed.

It would take too much time for me to tell you the whole story of the deliverance of Israel from Eglon, the king of Moab, by Ehud. I wish rather to give you a general history of these enemies of Israel, and of the manner in which they were conquered; and you must read the particular account of each of them in the Bible for yourselves.

The next people who oppressed the Israelites, were the Canaanites, and Jabin, their king, and Sisera, Jabin's captain. Israel had again done evil, and so again God permitted trouble to come upon them. But when they repented, God was still ready to have mercy, and to

pardon, and deliver them.

The

Israelites were at this time, as you may guess from the name of the book, governed by Judges. These judges were raised up, and appointed by God to direct and teach his people, after the death of Joshua. Many of them were very brave men, and men of faith too, who ruled and conquered, trusting in the power and help of God.

In the time of king Jabin, a woman was judging Israel. Her name was Deborah; she dwelt in Mount Ephraim, between Ramoth and Bethel, and the children of Israel came to her for judgment. And now, they sent to her to ask her help against king Jabin, and his wicked captain, Sisera. Deborah was not afraid to go herself,

and fight against these enemies, for she had great faith in God, and she knew she was acting under his direction. But then she could not go alone. Who went with her? She called Barak, a brave man out of Naphtali, to head the army of Israel, and with him went a large number of soldiers from that tribe, and also from Asher and Zebulon. You remember, I hope, what Moses said of Zebulon; "Rejoice Zebulon in thy going out." Here was one proof of his bravery in war. So this army set out against Jabin, and Deborah said to Barak, "Up, for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand. Is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thou

sand men after him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak." (Judg. iv. 14, 15.)

It pleased God to deliver his people from Sisera in a very remarkable way. It was a woman who first led them on to fight against him, and it was a woman who put an end to the fight, by slaying him. This last woman was Jael; she pretended to be a friend to Sisera, and when he was running, weary with fighting, from Barak and the Israelitish soldiers, she asked him to come into her tent, and rest himself, and she promised to conceal him. But while he was asleep, she "took a nail of the tent, and a hammer in her hand, and