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Biblical Woman

Deborah A Strong Leader

Deborah, a strong leader in the old testament of the bible, was a prophet and judge to Israel. Deborah is known for her honesty, courage, and compassionate zeal for justice. She provided an example of leadership that wasn’t normally seen in society during her time.
Deborah
“Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.” Judges 4:1-3

Israel does evil in the eyes of the Lord and Deborah brings the Answer

Chapter 4 of Judges opens with the story backdrop explaining that the Israelites once again are found guilty of doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. Thus, they were sold into slavery to King Jabin of Canaan. For 20 years the Israelites for cruelly oppressed and so they cried to the Lord for help.
During this time Deborah, a prophetess, presided as a judge over Israel to settle matters between the Israelites. (vs 4)
She calls Barak from Naphtali to the “court” to give him a word from the Lord:
“She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’” Judges 4:6

Deborah Pulls No Stops Concerning Consequences

This is where things begin to get interesting. Barak declares that he will only obey this command if Deborah goes with him into battle. We can only speculate as to what his true motivation here is. It could be that he figured success was guaranteed with her presence among them, or perhaps God would protect them more if she were there, but regardless of what his reasoning is Deborah gives this reply in verse 9:
“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.”
And just like that Barak has been removed as the true victor and hero of this battle. But he will still play a vital role in answering Israel’s prayer.

Barak and Deborah head out into battle and the Lord does as He says.

Deborah goes with Barak and God gives them the victory by confusing the other army and handing them into the hands of Barak and his men.

The woman Jael kills the commander of the other army, Sisera, by tricking him to hide in her tent under the pretense of protection. She then drives a tent peg through his temple while he slept.

Just as the Lord said through Deborah, Barak is not given the honor of killing Sisera.

Deborah Sings

After the army of the enemy is defeated and Jael has killed their leader, Deborah and Barak sing their song of praise and victory, and judgment.

The song is too long to post here but I encourage you to read it here.

Deborah Tells it Like It Is

I think an important characteristic to learn from Deborah is honesty.

Deborah tells it like it is in her song and she calls out those tribes that did not come forward to help Israel in their time of need. She asks over and over, “Why?”

It’s absolutely okay, to tell the truth about a situation.

Deborah boldly speaks to Israel and her leaders about where they have fallen short. God uses her to speak to them about the evil they have done in the eyes of the Lord.

We can learn from Deborah that it’s okay to rock the boat sometimes. It’s okay to call out sin and wrong heart motives.

God wants to use you boldly, don’t hold back!

To me, Deborah is a perfect example of a woman who doesn’t hold back. She speaks the truth and calls out sin without hesitation. Her zeal for justice and truth guide her as well as her obedience to the Lord.

If God is asking you to do something, don’t allow fear to hold you back. If God wants to speak truth through you, then there will be a grace and favor upon you to deliver the message as He intends.

Her fear of God overruled fear of man

Deborah doesn’t seem to even care what other people think. All she is concerned about is delivering the Word of the Lord.

If only we could be that bold! Too often we allow what others may think to stop us from speaking the Word of God. From Deborah’s example, we can see that her confidence was in God alone.

Let us follow suit.

I hope today that you are inspired to be bold and honest like Deborah and to have a compassionate zeal for His Justice.

About FVWoman

Nicci Anna Kilcoyne is a seasoned, professional blogger, author and freelance writer for hire. Whether you are a Christian brand looking to collaborate or in need of writing services, Nicci has the knowledge and skill to produce quality, creative and efficient work that will make you shine.

A dedicated wife and homeschool mom, you can collaborate with Nicci on her Christian blog by visiting https://www.fvwoman.com/work-with-me/. She works with brands that encourage Christian women in their faith and lives, Christian marriage, homeschooling, and home keeping.

If you are in need of specific writing services, you can contact Nicci via her business website, www.inkabilitywriting.com. She offers a wide range of services including inbound and content marketing strategy, lead and content generation, copywriting, blog posts and packages, and more. Reach out today and let her help you take your business to the next level with quality content that gets results.


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