The faithful Barak, whose name means "One who is blessed by God," the son of Abinoam, was an Israelite military leader, who devastated the Canaanite army of King Jabin, commanded by Captain Sisera. Deborah, the first and only female Judge and Prophetess of Israel, the wife of Lapidoth, influenced Barak to become her general, and to confront the Canaanites with 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulan. The Prophetess assured him a victory if he followed her instructions from God. Barak agreed, but only if she accompanied him in battle, which she consented. The conflict took place at the River Kishon, where the God fearing Barak, through a Divine intervention, eradicated the well trained Canaanite army of 900 chariots of iron. Captain Sisera, after witnessing a fierce unexpected rising of water from the Kishon, that swept away his charioteers, leaped from his chariot and fled on foot. He took refuge in the tent of Jael a Kenite and wife of Heber (Kenites were Negro-Ethiopians through Jethro, who was Moses' father-in-law; Ex. 2:21; 3:1; Num. 12:1; Judg. 1:16), who welcomed him with food, drink and cover. Sisera, while in her company was slain in his sleep with a nail, driven threw his temples to the ground by Jael (Judg. 5:24-27).*
General Barak’s well planned stratagem over the Canaanite’s war-machine was a Divine providence of God.** Following Israel’s victory, Deborah concerted their deliverance with Barak, whose name is synonymous with triumph. The Hebrews embraced the charismatic leader as a "People’s Champion," and later made him a judge and "Commander in Chief" over Israel for forty years. The prudent king (Hammelech, Negus or Nagid) selected the nation’s most able advisors, which enabled the nation to prosper spiritually and economically throughout his reign. The Israelites cheerfully believed, that with their new president, happy days were present again (Judg. 4:1-24; 5:1-31; Heb. 11:1, 32).
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ISRAEL'S ICON FOR
HOPE
The name Barak (Barack), with the assistance of Deborah and Jael, has maintained its integrity throughout the ages. The name has become a universal Icon, symbolizing strength, courage, championship, leadership, participatory-democracy, optimism, faith, perfection, ambition, ingenuity, poise, royalty, loyalty, love of country, family bond, excellence, heroic deeds, self-sacrifice, spiritual vitality, hope and rebirth.
Israel of the 20th Century produced another illustrious leader named Ehud Barak. In 2008, a Black man was elected president of the United States, named Barak Obama, whose Kenyan half-brother was a child of a Kenyan mother named Jael. see more...
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*The name Jael (Yael) in Hebrew means Nubian, the same as black face or Ethiopian. The Kenite-Ethiopian Jael is the only woman in the Bible, other than Mary the mother of Jesus, to be called “Most blessed of women” (Judg. 5:24; Luke 1:42); an expression that illustrates God’s high regard for women of color. According to Jewish tradition Jael was a convert to Judaism.
**During the battle a sudden rain-storm flooded the area (Judg. 5:4-5), causing confusion in the routing of Sisera’s chariots. Josephus says, the storm was severe, including hail as well as rain. The wind blew into the faces of the Canaanites, while hitting the Israelites on the back (Ant. bk 5, ch. 5). Obviously it was a storm out of season, because Sisera, who had put his pride and confidence in chariots, knew better then to use chariots in rainy weather, or areas where chariots could bog down in mud.
The name Barak is spelled Barack, Barrack, Baruch, Baraka, Mubarak, etc. In the "Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance," Barak means praise, kneel, bless, lightning, liberal, pool, benediction, thank, congratulate, prosperity, salute, etc. (1288-1301). In ancient Hebrew Barak means Thunder, and in the Middle East, there exist a black herbal seed called, “Habbatul Barakah,” meaning "the seed of blessing." The black seed of blessing is widely used for all types of healing purposes. The Prophet Muhammed once commented that: "The black seed of blessing" has healing for all illnesses except death” (Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 7, Book 71, # 592); The herbal black seed also grew in Africa, and was discovered in the tomb of Tutankamen. In Isaiah. 28:25-27, "the black seed of blessing" is called "cummin," the same as Kam.†
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