Deborah

The Bible is rich with examples of godly, faithful women. Women like Sarah, Miriam, Rebekah, and Esther lived lives full of faith in God and courage in times of adversity. These women and others like them were often married to a great man or related to one. A rare exception to this tradition is Deborah, a woman whose reputation was earned through her own faith, courage, and judgment.

In preparation for our study, please read Judges chapter 4.

Disobedience and Life on the Run

To understand the challenges that Deborah faced, it’s important to delve a bit into what was going on in Ehud had died, and Israel had once again allowed the idol worship of its neighbors, the Canaanites, to creep into their lives. Not only had the Israelites adopted worship of Baal, but they had also intermarried with their Canaan neighbors, a practice forbidden by the law. Because of their disobedience, the Lord delivered Israel into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan . The commander of the king’s army was named Sisera. Israel during her lifetime. The judge

In Judges 4:3, the Bible tells us that the children of Israel had cried out to the Lord for help because Sisera had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

The reference to “nine hundred iron chariots” most likely meant that Jabin had headed a coalition of Canaanite forces to try and restore their rule over Israel . In Judges chapter 5, we learn that the Israelites could not travel the main roads (Judges 5:6) because of enemy troops and marauders. In addition, the people couldn’t live in open villages (Judges 5:7), so they fled to walled cities or hid in the countryside. And if all of that weren’t bad enough, they had no weapons to even defend themselves (Judges 5:8).

Enter Deborah, Israel’s Supermom

Do you ever feel like you have way too much on your plate? Deborah was one of the few people in the Bible—and the only woman—who not only judged the entire nation of Israel but also served as a prophet. She was the fifth judge of Israel , and the Bible tells us she held court under the Palm of Deborah in the hill country of Ephraim.

In her role of judge, Deborah had three overarching responsibilities:

1. Try difficult cases for the people of Israel . (Exodus 18: 25-26)

2. Attempt to keep the nation from idolatry. (Judges 2:17 )

3. Lead the people in war against their enemies. (Judges 3:10 -11; Judges 3:31 , etc.)

Piece of cake, right?! The Bible tells us that the Israelites came to Deborah to have their disputes decided (v. 5). As a prophetess, Deborah’s judging would no doubt have been enabled by the Holy Spirit. Her ability to see situations as they really were (which we see more clearly later in the chapter), undoubtedly helped her to judge her people fairly. Also note that the people came to her—she did not go to them; this is an indication that she was known for her sound-mindedness and sense of justice.

In addition to all of this, Deborah was a wife to Lappidoth and may have been a mother, although this verse (Judges 5:7) may have been referring to her acting as a mother to Israel .

A Call to Arms

Being able to successfully juggle her various roles would have made Deborah a role model for any woman. But we see her true mettle after she sends for Barak and tells him that the Lord has commanded him to take 10,000 men to Mt. Tabor to defeat Sisera and his troops at the Kishon River .

His surprising answer is recorded in Judges 4:8.

Why on earth did Barak need Deborah to go with him? Surely it wasn’t for her battle skills. It has been suggested that Barak may have feared that without Deborah, no one would follow him into battle. After all, he had twenty years of defeat under his belt. Another explanation may be that he wanted Deborah with him so that he could obtain divine guidance during the battle. Whatever the reason for his reluctance, Deborah rebuked his timidity. (Judges 4:9)

Ouch. I can only imagine how much that statement had to hurt a man whose name means “thunderbolt” and who was one of Israel ’s military leaders. Barak’s need to have Deborah at his side betrays his lack of faith in what God could do through him. After all, God told Barak where to go, how many men to take, and that He would hand Sisera over to Barak. Even so, Barak could not see the big picture of God’s plan.

Deborah, on the other hand, DID see God’s plan and trusted Him to bring to pass what He said He would do. Praise God! His plan was then, and is always, perfect.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Israel ’s victory over the Canaanite army was swift and decisive. The Bible tells us that the Lord routed Sisera’s army (v. 15), and from Deborah’s song in Judges 5:19-22 we learn that He did it by sending a violent rainstorm that flooded the Kishon River and mired those 900 iron chariots and horses in the mud. All Barak’s army had to do was steal the Canaanites’ weapons (remember, they had very few!) and “mop up” to destroy every last one of the Canaanites.

Sisera got away, but not for long. Just as Deborah had prophesied, he was delivered into the hands of Jael, another very courageous woman. But that’s a Bible study for another day!

Putting a Bow on It

Without Deborah, Barak would not have gone against the Canaanite army. And if he had not, Israel would not have experienced the forty years of peace that came after their enemies were vanquished.

Barak and Sisera were similar in that they put their trust in what they could see. For Sisera, he saw his vast army, his 900 iron chariots, and all the weapons he needed to wipe out the Israelite resistance for good. Barak saw twenty years of defeat against an enemy who was better organized and better equipped. He saw the Israelite army without horses, chariots, weapons or shields.

Who is your Sisera? Are you up against a situation that looks absolutely unbeatable? Are the odds clearly stacked against you? Take heart, dear Sister! God is on your side, and if God be for us, who can be against us?!

Lord God, I pray that you would make us all like Deborah in our faith. While we may not aspire to be military sidekicks, help us to see like Deborah saw, looking through the eyes of faith and not just through our physical eyes. Help us not to quake at circumstances in our lives but to trust that this will be yet another opportunity for you to show your love and care for us as your children. Help us to always remember that you will do exactly what you said you would do. And as Deborah prayed in Judges 5:31, “…May they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.” Amen.

~ Jennifer Feit