Read:
After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.
Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment.
~Judges 4:1-5 (NLT)
Consider:
The story of Deborah starts within a familiar cycle for the nation of Israel. Ever since God rescued them from slavery in Egypt, the people continued in a cycle of rebellion, discipline, cry for help, repentance and back to rebellion. When we are introduced to Deborah, we find the Israelites oppressed and crying to God once again for rescue.
After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthless oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help. ~Judges 4:1-3
In the midst of this oppression, God raised up Deborah as both a prophet and judge for the people. To understand Deborah’s story, we must first understand what it meant to be a prophet and a judge in the land of Israel.
The word for prophet comes from a root word in Hebrew that means, “to bubble forth, as from a fountain,” or “to utter”. Simply put, a prophet proclaimed to the people the message God spoke to him or her. This means that God spoke directly to Deborah and she relayed God’s message to the people of Israel.
Not only was Deborah a prophet, she was also a judge for Israel. A judge in Israel was a ruler or a military leader as well as someone who presided over legal hearings. So Deborah was a ruler and also provided wise counsel for her fellow Israelites as we see in verses 4 and 5.
Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment.
I have talked with many people who get excited about the story of Deborah simply because she is a woman in a leadership role in the Bible. They often consider Deborah an anomaly in God’s story because of her gender. But there are many instances where God uses women to do his will in the Bible and Deborah was not the only women prophetess or judge. In fact, later in Deborah’s story God uses another woman to defeat the enemy’s commander, Sisera.
But I caution you to not get caught up in the fact that God uses a woman in this story. Because while Deborah is a part of the story, she is not the main character in the story. And while we will find later in the story that Deborah helps Israel’s military leader, Barak, lead the Israelites in a victorious battle, neither Deborah nor Barak bring victory to God’s people~God provides the victory!
The same is true in our lives. God may call us to speak His words of truth to others. He may ask us to step out in faith in an area he longs to provide victory. We may step into the battle, but God always provides the victory! It does not matter whether we are a man or a woman, God is calling us to obedience.
Deborah is a great example of an obedient woman who submits and allows God to use her as He deems best. And when God uses her to provide a great victory to her people, she responds with a song of praise, giving God the glory! Deborah’s story reminds us that God uses those who are willing to be used by Him.
What is God calling you to do? God provides some of the greatest victories when we willingly submit and fully obey!
Breathe:
Breathe in His love…exhale all your struggles…
Whatever God is calling you to, let go of your fear and step out in faith so God can provide His victory!
Pray:
Heavenly Father, I just want to praise You for the victories You provide. Not only those we read of in the Bible, but the victories we have seen in our own lives. Help us be bold for You! Help us step out in faith to whatever You are calling us. Give us the courage to be obedient to Your will so we will have the opportunity to join You in Your victories. And in everything, let us always give You the glory that only You deserve!
Today’s post was written by Michele Barnes.
Michele is married to the love of her life, Jeff. She has 3 grown children and 1 very sweet new grandson! Most days you can find Michele laughing with good friends, working with numbers, writing, or working with women. In the evenings, she enjoys spending time in a few creative outlets like creative lettering, drawing, and pottery. She loves snuggling with her dog, Tebow, and reading. But her most recent passion is snuggling with her sweet, new grandson and gazing at his precious face and bright smile! You can find her most weekends worshiping at our Real Life Clermont campus.
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To learn more about the book of Judges, watch this video.