Let’s Put a Pin in That

​I find that many of the letters I write for the newsletter talk about the parts of the Bible I’m less likely to preach on. Some stories are too strange, too complicated, or a bit too violent for a Sunday morning sermon. But they’re still worth telling, because they show us how wide and surprising God’s work can be.
Today’s story is about Deborah (Judges 4-5). Deborah was one of Israel’s Judges, those early leaders who guided the tribes before there were kings. She stands out for several reasons. First, the obvious: she was a woman—and the only woman to serve as Judge. Second, she was a prophet, again the only one to hold that title until Samuel. And third, she was already leading before the crisis began.
The book of Judges usually follows a pattern: the people turn from God, enemies invade, the people cry out, God raises up a Judge, and peace is restored. Then the cycle repeats. But Deborah breaks the pattern. When we meet her in Judges 4, she’s already leading, already discerning God’s will from beneath her palm tree between Ramah and Bethel.
When the Canaanite commander Sisera begins oppressing Israel, Deborah calls for Barak, a commander from the tribe Naphtali, and tells him that God will deliver Sisera into his hands. Barak’s response is a mix of courage and hesitation: “If you go with me, I’ll go; but if you don’t, I won’t.” Deborah agrees, but warns him that the victory will not be his alone—“the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.”
At first we assume she means herself, but that’s not the case. After Barak’s forces defeat Sisera’s army, the commander flees and finds refuge in the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Jael welcomes him in, offers him milk, covers him with a blanket, and promises to stand guard. Exhausted, Sisera falls asleep. Then, quietly, Jael picks up a hammer and drives a tent peg through his temple.
It’s a shocking moment—the sort of verse most children’s Sunday school teachers skip—but it’s also the turning point. The enemy is defeated not by Israel’s might but by the courage of an unexpected ally. God’s deliverance comes through someone far outside the center of power.
And so, Jael quite literally “puts a pin in it.” But beyond the violence, the image carries a deeper truth: faith often takes the form of final decisions. The pin marks an ending—a closure to fear, oppression, or complacency. Sometimes faith means taking a stand, and sometimes it means quietly holding your ground until the right moment comes.
Still, the story’s heart belongs to Deborah. She is the one who listens first, who leads without fear, who gives space for others to step into God’s call. When the victory is won, she and Barak sing together—a song of celebration and challenge. It praises the tribes that showed up and names the ones that stayed home. “The people willingly offered themselves—praise the Lord!” Deborah sings. But she also asks, “Why did you stay among the sheep pens to hear the whistling for the flocks?”
Her words are as pointed as Jael’s tent peg. Faith isn’t just believing, it’s showing up, even when the outcome isn’t certain.
I like to imagine Deborah back under her palm tree afterward, listening again. People must have seen her differently now—still wise, still steady, but bearing the experience of the battle that changes how all perceive her. Through her, God shows that leadership isn’t about status or strength; it’s about availability. She was ready before the battle began because she had already offered herself to God’s purpose.
Most of us won’t face invading armies or hammer tent pegs into the ground, but we do face choices that test our faith—moments when we’re called to listen, to act, or simply to stay faithful where we stand.
Maybe “let’s put a pin in that” can mean something more than setting an idea aside for later. Maybe it’s a way of saying, let’s hold this story steady; let’s mark this truth and remember it. Let’s put a pin in the reminder that God works through those who listen, those who show up, and those who trust that even small acts of courage can change the story.
Because in the end, Deborah, Barak, and Jael each played their part in God’s redemption—and that same invitation still stands for us today.

*Image: 'Jael kills Sisera' by Jacopo Amigoni, 1739-1752

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