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by Kevin Pauley
Deborah, a woman who was a prophet and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. It was her custom to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her for judgment. - Judges 4:4-5 HCSB
By all accounts, Deborah was well named. Her name means “honeybee” in Hebrew and like that popular insect, she provided nourishment while also carrying a sting!
In a day (between 1209,1169 BC) when most women stayed at home and took care of the children, Deborah became the nation’s premier judge. Her wisdom was such that when she would sit under a palm tree, people would come to her to find wisdom and the will of God. Being a judge in that culture gave her the same stature as a king! This is born out by the fact that she was able to command the nation’s armies to go forth to battle.
What an admirable woman! She was intelligent, trustworthy and filled with the wise judgment that only comes from long practice with both the Scriptures and people.
She was an able arbiter. She had gained a reputation to be able to see through the muddied waters of interpersonal relationships and guide people with discernment which meant she was also a talented peacemaker.
She was able to delegate. She knew that she was no general and so when the need arose, she called Barak and got him to do what he was good at.
She was authoritative. She called and Barak came running. She was able to look a warrior in the eye and tell him the facts of life. She was able to sound the call and the entire nation rose up in arms.
She was righteous. Her intimacy with the Lord, her humility and her great passion for Hashem’s cause rings throughout her psalm of praise in Judges 5.
She was brilliant. Her decision to stage the battle on Mount Tabor had several phenomenal tactical advantages. By choosing Mount Tabor as the battle site, she took away any advantage Sisera’s chariot’s gave him. Mount Tabor was also on the border of Zebulun, Issachar and Naphtali which meant all her troops would be fresh while the enemy troops would arrive tired from a long forced march and then have to fight uphill. If she won the battle she would gain strategic control of the junction of Galilee’s north-south route with the east-west highway of the Jezreel Valley.
More importantly Deborah had great faith. She did not allow her circumstances to dictate her faith in God. She did not need outside reinforcement like Barak did.
We need more Deborahs: people with intelligence and character who will allow their moral compass to judge the world righteously and lead it by faith to true freedom. In a world that decries judgment, more Deborahs with holy and humble judgment are desperately needed.
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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