Women of God
Deborah: “A Mother in Israel”
Before we take a look into Deborah’s life, it’s important we know a little backstory about the time in which she lived. The tribes of Israel were continually spinning through a vicious sin cycle: They’d fall away from the Lord into worshipping idols. Tensions would rise within tribes and cause division. The Lord would allow enemies to be “thorns in [their] sides” (Judges 2:3). Only then would the Israelites cry out for help, and God, because of His compassion and mercy, would appoint a judge to deliver them from the hand of the enemy.
The accurate Hebrew word for the judges God appointed is ‘shophetim’, a word holding judicial and military value (taken from http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/judges.html).
So, the judges we see in the Book of Judges are often also portrayed as military leaders or military-minded. Deborah was both a judge and a woman with a warrior spirit. She became Israel’s judge during a twenty year period when Israel was under a cruel tyrannical leader, King Jabin. Sisera, commander of King Jabin’s army, was certainly to be feared, for his army came with 900 iron chariots.
Although Deborah is only in two chapters of the Book of Judges, chapters 4-5, those chapters are jam-packed with God’s faithfulness and Deborah’s obedience to God’s Word.
The Role of Deborah
We’ve already established God appointed her as one of the judges of Israel; however, she is the only woman judge mentioned in the Book of Judges.
At the beginning of Judges 4, before Deborah is mentioned as a judge, she is mentioned as a prophetess of God. This chapter does not make it clear whether Deborah was given divine revelation from God. Being labeled a ‘prophetess’ could simply mean God’s Truth was engraved upon her heart and that she was known for being a wonderful teacher and adviser.
We also see she is a wife. While the Bible does not go into detail about her age or whether or not she had little ones to take care of, it is well surmised that fulfilling her duties as a wife and a leader made her a busy woman.
She held court “under the Palm of Deborah” (4:5). From verse 5, we can gather two things about her character:
** She was respected enough to have her court named after her.
** She was trusted enough that the Israelites “came to her to have their disputes decided” (vs. 5).
In Judges 5:7, Deborah describes herself as “a mother in Israel”. A mother is someone who nurtures, loves, protects, and disciplines her children. A mother would go to great lengths to ensure her child’s safety. She is a woman in a leadership position, but part of her story is preparing men for roles of leadership…specifically, preparing a man named Barak for battle.
Make no mistake: God can use and, in this case, does use, a “mother” to fight for Israel and fulfill His will.
Let’s take a deeper look into Deborah’s character.
A Woman of God
Deborah is obedient. In chapter 4, God gives Deborah a message to give to a soldier named Barak. She does not hesitate to send for him and tell him exactly what the Lord has said.
**Note: This is the instance in scripture where one might consider her role as a prophetess to mean that God divinely revealed a message for her to give Barak. However, it is not clear how she received this message, but she is obedient nevertheless.
Deborah speaks God’s Word exactly, rather than her own words. She tells Barak, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”
Deborah trusts the Lord; Barak does not. Barak tells Deborah he will only go if Deborah goes with him. Why would he say this? Although scripture does not directly state why Barak insisted Deborah go with him, her response in Judges 4:9 leaves the impression Barak doubted God’s Word.
** Deborah says to Barak, “Very well…I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.”
Deborah is fearless because of her trust in God. She does not mind heading into dangerous territory with 10,000 soldiers, because she knows God will always do what He promises.
Deborah is bold & unafraid to step out of her comfort zone. Agreeing to go with Barak means being the only woman amongst 10,000 men. Wouldn’t you have felt a little out of place? It’s no surprise that because Deborah depended upon God, He chose her as a judge and leader.
Deborah clings to God, and the Lord gives her a warrior spirit. If you’ve seen very many war movies, you know it is generally the lead male actor who delivers the motivational speech before the climax of battle. In Judges 4, although Barak is with Deborah at the time before battle, she is the one who loudly proclaims to Barak and his men in Judges 4:14:
“Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?”
This verse leads us back to Deborah’s role as a leader meant to prepare other leaders. This shows us her role as “a mother in Israel.”
** It is VERY important to note that Deborah’s speech does NOT put confidence in herself or these men. Why should these men bravely “Go!” into battle? Because the LORD has “gone ahead” of them. God gets ALL the credit, and she is careful to glorify Him instead of man.
The Song of Deborah
As promised, the Lord defeated Sisera and his army. Judges 5 is a song of praise after the battle was finished, titled The Song of Deborah, where she gives thanks to the Lord.
She worships her King and sings, “I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel” (Judges 5:3).
Because Deborah chose to cling to God, the Lord used her in a mighty way. Because Deborah put her trust in God, He gave her the strength and confidence to prepare men for battle and leave the comforts of her home behind. Because Deborah walked in obedience to God, she was given the opportunity to see God’s promise fulfilled and to watch God’s power deliver Israel from the enemy into a time of peace that lasted forty years.
Certainly, there is much we can learn from a woman so in love with her Father and King.