Deborah, a Woman of Courage

GOLDEN TEXT: “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” —Joshua 1:9

JUDGES 4:4-8

DEBORAH is styled a prophetess. Seemingly, in her case this title signifies one through whom the Lord sent special messages; as, for example, the directives which enabled Barak and his army to defeat Sisera. Surely the Lord used her, and that because she was a willing and consecrated servant of his cause and of his people. There is a lesson here for all of the Lord’s people, which is that in order to be used by him in his service, full devotion of heart is essential.

As a rule, the Lord has used men rather than women in public positions of service, especially in the matter of teaching and directing his people. Nevertheless, the Scriptures give us examples of noble women, who, because of the circumstances involved, seem almost to have been forced into special service by the providences of God. Deborah is one of these. She saw how neglect of the divine law had borne fruit in the subjugation of her people, and that the situation was worsening. Perceiving that no man in Israel was doing anything about it, she rose to the occasion, and the Lord used her.

The fact that the Lord has not, as a rule, used women as special servants of his people is no reflection against them, nor does it indicate that they are less capable than men. Generally speaking, women are more refined by nature, which, in turn, means that they are more sensitive to the influences with which they are surrounded. Because of these finer qualities, the Lord has used them mightily in his service, but usually in ways not generally discerned by the world, and frequently not even by the Lord’s people themselves.

Consecrated women in the home, as wives, mothers, or daughters, have a sacred responsibility, and should always be careful not to use their powerful influence selfishly. A wife, for example, should not seek ambitiously the promotion of her husband to a position of prominence in the church—a position, perhaps, for which he would not be properly qualified or prepared. To do this might cause injury to him and to others.

A truly consecrated sister in the Lord will use her influence toward the promotion of peace in the church, and the encouragement of all, especially of those closest to her. She will not plant seeds of jealousy in the hearts of others on the ground that they are not being properly recognized by the brethren. Above all, they will not seek to make themselves prominent in the eyes of the Lord’s people.

Deborah seems to have been of this humble disposition. She gladly communicated to Barak essential information as to how the army of Sisera could be defeated, but preferred to keep in the background herself. It was only when he refused to carry out the instruction unless she accompanied him that she consented to go with him. Even then she warned him that he would thereby lose much of the glory which otherwise would accrue to him as a result of victory over Israel’s enemies, and the deliverance of the nation from a menace which had been plaguing the people for twenty years.

This being the period in the nation’s history when every man did according to what seemed right in his own eyes, the tribes had become virtually separate states, and there was no cohesion between them—the divinely intended bond of union, the true religion, having been relaxed. It was about this time that Deborah appeared on the scene, and the Lord saw good to use her.

She moved from her home in the northern part of Palestine to a more central place in the highlands of Ephraim. From there she sent encouraging, stimulating messages to the chief men of various tribes. She was respected. Her counsel was appreciated. Her advice was sought. In this sense she judged—admonished, guided, assisted—Israel.

It is a question with some as to whether Deborah should be classed as one of the divinely appointed judges of Israel. The record is that she was a prophetess. It is obvious that the Lord used her, although the account does not say he especially appointed her. However, the text states that she judged Israel at that time. True it is that in cases of emergency God is able to use any willing instrument. Surely if he is able to make the stones cry out in praise of the Messiah, he can use an humble, consecrated woman to accomplish his purposes.

And he did use Deborah to bring deliverance to his people. Properly enough she worked through Barak, who leaned heavily upon her guidance and the inspiration of her indomitable courage. It was just as true with these as it was with Joshua—as indicated in our Golden Text—that the Lord gave them courage, and that they had nothing to fear so long as they followed his instructions.

JUDGES 5:1-7

GOD gave victory to his people, and Sisera and his mechanized divisions, including 900 chariots, were defeated. This, in reality, was the first Armageddon battle, for it was fought at Megiddo. This battle, together with many others which were fought in this ancient valley, provided its background of historical significance which the Lord uses as a basis of many prophecies respecting the “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation,” which precedes and prepares the way for Messiah’s glorious reign of a thousand years.

Alter this signal victory, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to God “for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.” Two humble and noble thoughts are expressed in this phrase. It gives God the credit for the victory, and properly acknowledges the part Israel’s army played in the effort. It was not merely that Deborah and Barak worked with the Lord, but in addition, “the people willingly offered themselves.”

In this “song” Deborah continues to give glory to God for his miraculous guidance of his people in the past, and on this occasion. But Deborah certainly does not belittle her own part, for in the 7th verse we read, “The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.”

This might be contrasted with Moses’ song of deliverance after passing through the Red Sea. (See Exodus 15.) Here Moses gives all the glory to the Lord, and does not project himself into the picture at all. But Moses is accredited as being the “meekest man in all the earth,” and perhaps we should not expect others to keep themselves in the background as fully as he did.—Num. 12:3

Deborah was undoubtedly humble, and it is not necessarily a sign of pride that she gave recognition of the fact that the Lord had used her. One thing is certain, true humility does not need to be advertised, and seldom is. Mere professions of humility are not in good taste. It is quite possible for one to disclaim ability to render a service to which he is assigned, and express the wish that someone more qualified be put in his place; yet if a change actually were made, the professedly humble one might feel very badly indeed.

An opportunity of service presented itself to Deborah. She accepted it, and did the best she could. The Lord blessed her in it. If she did feel somewhat elated over her part in it, she could hardly be blamed. There are many opportunities of service among the Lord’s people today. May each one of us perform faithfully whatever part the Lord’s providences indicate as being ours. And let us do it courageously, and without ostentation.

QUESTIONS

In what sense was Deborah a prophetess? Why has the Lord not used more women in public positions of responsibility?

What valuable service can women in the church now render?

What prophetic significance is attached to the valley in which Barak and his army defeated Israel’s enemies?

How is true humility manifested?

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