And the princes in Issachar were with Deborah; And Issachar, like Barak; They were sent into the valley at his feet. In the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart!
Deborah's song names the tribes one by one. Here it sets two of them side by side. Issachar's leaders go down into the valley with Barak. Reuben stays home, with nothing to show but searchings of heart. The question is simple: when God's people were in danger, who moved?
The verse says two things about Issachar. Its princes were with Deborah. Then the tribe "rushed at his heels" into the valley — older translations read "at his feet." One writer finds two places in those lines: privilege, and subjection.
The princes were brought into Deborah's company, so they stood in the place of greatest privilege. The prophetess had the mind of God, and she was the one who passed it on to Israel. In this respect, they were like Barak. But while they shared Barak's place of communion, they were also subject to him. He sent them into the valley of Megiddo under his command.
The same writer moves from Barak's feet to the Lord's.
Yet, while this high privilege is ours, we must never forget that Jesus is our Lord, and our place is "at His feet." Like Mary of Bethany, we are to stay at His feet: to learn His word, to bring Him our sorrows and problems for an answer, and to worship and adore. In the conflict we are to be "strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might."
The ESV reads "clans of Reuben"; older translations read "divisions." One writer finds the split inside the tribe itself.
Issachar took their stand with Deborah and Barak (v. 15), and willingly went with them into battle. But internal disunity troubled Reuben, and he never reached a decided conclusion. There were divisions and great resolves of heart, but these seem like New Year's resolutions that fail completely. How many people seem to have real concern, yet never take a decided stand for the Lord!
Reuben was Jacob's oldest son. One commentator traces this failure back to the man himself.
First of these is Reuben, the first-born and natural leader. But his instability had cost him the leadership, which passed to Ephraim. His character stays with him still, as, sadly, many of us know, and the same wavering and selfishness mark him still.
One writer imagines how the talk in Reuben's tents may have sounded.
You could imagine the elders of the tribe of Reuben saying, "Oh, we must do something about this. We must go over to help our brothers. Remember, we made a promise to Moses that we would help in a case like this. Yes, we will need to gather our army together, get the spears ready, get the swords ready" — but they did not move an inch! There was great resolve of heart to do something, but that was as far as it got. They never did a thing to help Barak and Deborah in this fight against the enemy.
One writer points back to an old choice.
You remember that Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh chose the land east of the Jordan as their portion, on the wilderness side. Their reason for doing so was, "your servants have cattle." Here we have the bleating of the sheep still holding them down. There may be divided motives, a stirring of heart to join the noble company of faithful ones. There may be great resolves of heart and great searchings of heart, but there is no real decision. They stay with the sheepfolds, just as Dan stays with his ships and Asher with his trade by the sea.
Another writer weighs Reuben's heart-searching against what Zebulun and Naphtali spent that day.
That was what Reuben gave. His brothers were giving their heart's blood in the agony of that struggle, and Reuben was giving his heart-searchings. Zebulun and Naphtali were risking their lives on the high places of the field, locked in a death grip with a brave enemy. Reuben was among the sheepfolds, searching his heart about what he ought to do — sitting on the fence. I expect he had almost made up his mind by the time the battle was over. Well, it is a convenient way. And he has left many descendants.
One writer counts what the delay cost.
Reuben missed a golden opportunity. Others were enduring the trials of the conflict and reaping the spoils of victory, while "In the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart." No doubt there were laments and self-judgment afterwards, which were right after such a failure. But these could never make up for the missed opportunity.
- Privilege — Issachar's princes stood with Deborah, who had the mind of God. Nearness to God's word comes first.
- Place — Issachar followed Barak into the valley, under his command. Our place is at the Lord's feet, to learn, to bring Him our troubles, and to worship.
- Divided — Reuben's split was inside the tribe. The concern was real; the decision never came.
- Detained — cattle chosen long before kept Reuben among the sheepfolds on the day of battle.
- Too late — heart-searchings are not heart's blood. Regret afterwards, however right, cannot buy back the lost opportunity.
Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the bleating of the flocks? In the divisions of Reuben there were great deliberations of heart!
Deborah's song names the tribes of Israel one by one. When it reaches Reuben, praise turns into a question: the other tribes fought, and Reuben stayed home with the sheep.
One writer traces the failure back to a choice made long before Deborah's day.
You remember that Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh chose as their portion the land east of Jordan, on the wilderness or earth side. Their reason for doing so was, "your servants have cattle." Here we have the bleating of the sheep still holding them down. There may be divided motives, a stirring of heart to join the noble company of the faithful. There may be great resolves of heart and great searchings of heart, but there is no true decision. They remain with the sheepfolds, as Dan stays in his ships, and Asher with his commerce by the sea.
The word behind "sheepfolds" is unusual. One writer gives its likely sense.
Most now, with the Revised Version, say "sheep-folds," or better "hurdles" — pens or stalls for cattle. The word comes from a verb meaning "to place," and its dual form carries the idea of two things set opposite one another. The reference seems to be to Genesis 49:14 and Judges 5:16, where a word only slightly different in form is used (mishpethaim). Most agree it means "hurdles" or "sheep-folds."
The writers on this page quote an older translation: "the bleating of the flocks" where the ESV has "the whistling for the flocks," and "the divisions of Reuben" where the ESV has "the clans of Reuben."
Reuben was not short of feeling. The rebuke is about timing.
Despite his great resolves of heart, Deborah has to say to Reuben, "Why did you stay among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleating of the sheep?" There is a time to be among the sheep — not to get caught up in their bleating, but to feed them and shepherd them, as the Lord commanded Peter. But in the time of conflict we are to wear "the whole armor of God," and to take our share "in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3). Reuben missed a golden opportunity. No doubt there were laments and self-judgment, which were proper after their failure, but these could never make up for the missed opportunity.
This tribe had a habit of stopping short. Beside what the others gave, Reuben's heart-searching looks like a substitute for devotion.
The tribe carries the disease of wavering permanently. When they came to the Jordan they stopped short, and though they promised — and surely meant — to cross over and fight Israel's battles, they never did. They were the first to be carried away captive. His brothers were in the agony of a life-and-death struggle, giving their heart's blood. Reuben was giving his heart-searchings. Zebulun and Naphtali were risking their lives on the high places of the field, locked in a death grip with a strong enemy. Meanwhile Reuben was among the sheepfolds, searching his heart about what he ought to do — sitting on the fence, as the saying goes. I expect he had nearly made up his mind about the time the battle was over. Well, it is a convenient way. And he has left many descendants.
Another writer names what kept Reuben back, then turns the question on us.
But look — Reuben hesitates at the border to think it over. Why this indecision? "Why did you stay among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleating of the flocks?" The trumpet calling the people together had no voice for Reuben's heart. He was so prosperous that he preferred to stay and enjoy the wealth he had gained, resting among the sheepfolds. Fellow Christians today, is that our position? Have we been content with "great searchings of heart"? Are we lacking in decision in testimony for Christ?
Holding back has its own cost.
Reuben thought it was far better to watch his sheep than risk losing them while away on the Lord's business. How is it with us? Are we seeking money or souls? Which is it? When we love "to hear the bleating of the flocks" — that is, when our own interests, our business, our families and our worldly success command us — we spoil our joy and do not often "utter a song." Reuben had a chance to be devoted, and missed it.
- Choice. Reuben settled east of the Jordan because of cattle. In Deborah's day "the bleating of the sheep" was still holding the tribe down.
- Comfort. Prosperity, not ignorance, kept Reuben back: the trumpet that gathered Israel "had no voice for Reuben's heart."
- Considering. Reuben truly wrestled with the choice — "great resolves of heart" — but resolves that never became action left him out of the battle.
- Cost. While others gave their heart's blood, Reuben gave his heart-searchings. Later self-judgment was proper, but it "could never make up for the missed opportunity."
- Call. The question is turned on us: when our own interests give the orders, we spoil our joy and seldom have a song.