1 DEBORAH THE PROPHET

People need the Lord. And prophets are an office through which God works to meet that need. The backsliding of Israel during the time of the Judges was no exception. So God laid His hand on a woman named Deborah and we will try here to identify principles that will help us in our day to serve Him and His people better. I have no problem with Deborah, the first prophet we learn from in this series, being a woman. A calling and one’s gifting from God are  more important than any gender issue. Gifts and callings come from God. If a woman is gifted and called to lead, of course, let her lead. Hannah prophesied a profound message as she gave her son, Samuel, to the Lord, Abigail stopped David from shedding blood destroying the house of Nabal, a wise woman in Abel Beth Maakah saved her city, Huldah the Prophet gave the needed message to Josiah at a crucial juncture in Judah’s history, Esther saved the Jews in her day, Mary prophesied when she heard from the angel Gabriel and Phoebe was a pastor in Paul’s day. God uses women, sometimes to lead, and in this lesson we will see how He used Deborah.

1. Israel again did evil in his sight, forsook His service and worshipped idols. This was the sin which now most weakened them. We can see the strange strength of corruption, which hurries men into sin in spite of frequent experiences of its fatal consequences. The tendency to backslide is difficult to restrain. The land had rest eighty years, which should have solidified them in their faith, but, to the contrary, it made them secure in the worship of false gods. God therefore forsook them. When that happens in your part of the world, I hope you will make yourself available to listen to, serve and speak for God as Deborah did.

2. Israel became oppressed by their enemies. When they forsook God, He forsook them; and then they became an easy prey to every spoiler. They alienated themselves from God as if He were not theirs; and then God alienated them as not His. He sold them into the hand of Jabin. This Jabin reigned in Hazor, as another of the same name, perhaps his ancestor, had done before him, whom Joshua had routed and killed, burning his city. Evidently the city was rebuilt, the power regained, the loss retrieved, and, by degrees, the king of Hazor became able to persecute Israel, who by sin had lost all their advantages against the Canaanites. These Canaanites had formerly been conquered and subdued by Israel, had earlier been sentenced to be their servants, and might even now have remained under their feet utterly incapable of giving them any problem, if only the Israelites own failings, cowardice, and unbelief, had not allowed these Canaanite enemies to become their oppressor. To be oppressed by those whom their fathers had conquered, and whom they themselves had foolishly spared, would certainly be very grievous. When you are in that kind of a situation, you may be able to help people turn to the Lord by reminding them of their own part in creating the difficulties in which they find themselves.

3. Israel returned to their God: They cried to the Lord when distress drove them to Him, and they saw no other way of relief. Those that neglect God in their prosperity will find themselves needing to seek Him when they are in trouble. Still it is good that He is there to be found.

4. Deborah’s name means “bee.” By her industrious service to God and the people of Israel we can see that she lived up to being a busy bee for the Lord. She was useful to the public, sweet to her friends and sharp to her enemies. She is said to be the wife of Lapidoth and this name means lamps. The Rabbis say she worked in making wicks for the lamps of the tabernacle; and, having humbled herself in doing that service for God, was afterwards honored by a higher calling. It is also possible that she was a woman of illuminations, or of splendors, one that was extraordinarily knowledgable and wise, and so came to be very prominent and illustrious. She was intimately acquainted with God; she was a prophetess, one that was instructed in divine knowledge by the direct inspiration of the Spirit of God, and had gifts of wisdom which she received not in any human way. She heard the words of God, and probably saw the visions of the Almighty.

She was entirely devoted to the service of Israel. She judged Israel at the time that Jabin oppressed them; and perhaps, being a woman, she was the more easily permitted by the oppressor to do it. She judged, not as a princess, by a civil authority conferred on her, but as a prophetess, and as God’s mouthpiece to them, correcting abuses and grievances, especially those which related to the worship of God.

The children of Israel came to her from all parts for judgment to decide controversies between people and receive spiritual advice. Among them would be those who before had secretly lamented the ungodliness and idolatries of their neighbors, but did not know how to restrain them. Now they could bring their complaints to Deborah, who, by the sword of the Spirit, showed them the judgment of God, corrected some and encouraged others. She also knew God’s plan for the nation as this story reveals. She dwelt, or sat under a palm-tree. She evidently lived in a small house or had her judgment-seat in the open air, under the shadow of that tree. Palm trees will thrive and grow against opposition as the winds blow. Let us assume that she earned her position by not being blown about by winds herself, however. We can readily envision the children of Israel coming to Deborah desiring for her to pray to God for them, that they might be delivered out of the hand of Jabin. 

5. She initiated the move for deliverance. Verses 6,7 say, “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. 7 I (God) 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.”’” She was not herself fit to command an army in person, being a woman, but she nominated one that was fit, Barak of Naphtali, who, it is probable, had already distinguished himself in some encounters with the forces of the oppressor, living near him. Hazor and Harosheth were inside the territory of Naphtali.

Barak may have thereby gained a reputation among his people. Some struggles, we may suppose, that brave man had made towards shaking off their yoke, but could not effect it until he had his commission and instructions from God through Deborah. He could do nothing effectively without her leadership, nor she without his hands; but both together made a complete team for deliverance from the enemy forces. The greatest and best are not self-sufficient, but need one another. They needed each other and we do well to form similar alliances.

By God’s direction, she ordered Barak to raise an army, and engage Jabin’s forces, that were under Sisera’s command. Barak, may have been considering some great attempt against the common enemy with a spark of generous fire glowing in his chest, and he would like do something toward freedom for his people and for the cities of his God. Now he had the encouraging Word of the Lord through the prophet. This is what he had needed. But even with this he needed still another encouragement. He needed a commission and Deborah gave him that too. She probably intended this as an appeal to Barak’s own heart. ‘Has not God, by a secret whisper to yourself, given you some hint of His purpose to make use of you as an instrument in His hands to save Israel? Have you not felt some impulse of this kind in your own spirit?’ If so, the spirit of prophesy in Deborah confirmed the spirit of a soldier in Barak. Take your soldiers to Mount Tabor. She even directs him what number of men to raise—10,000; and let him not fear that these will be too few, when God has said He will save Israel through them.

She orders him where to make his gathering place—at Mount Tabor, in his own neighborhood. How practical of God. God will do that for you too. He is practical. Furthermore, Deborah told him that God would draw Sisera and his army to Tabor. God later brought Sisera to Jael’s tent. Is there a lesson here about taking advantages of the opportunities God brings to us? I think so. Jesus said to begin at Jerusalem. Some make a great effort to go abroad and get a reputation for international accomplishments when they would be better off to seize the opportunities God brings to their own neighborhoods.

6. She assured him that the matter would be determined by one pitched battle, and would not be long and drawn out. In mentioning the power of the enemy, Sisera, a celebrated general, bold and experienced, his chariots, his iron chariots, and his multitude of soldiers, she urged Barak to fortify himself with a great degree of resolution, for the enemy he was to engage was a very formidable one. It is good to know the worst, that we may provide accordingly. In fixing the very place to which Sisera would bring his army, she gave him a sign, which might help to confirm his faith when it actually happened the way she said it would. He might from that detail know that certainly in the rest of what she said she spoke under divine direction and all of this would be a great encouragement to him.

She gave him an express promise of success I will (that is, God will, in whose name I speak) deliver them into your hand; so that when he saw them drawn up against him, according to Deborah’s word, he might be confident that, also according to her word, he would soon see them fallen before him. When Sisera drew his forces together, he designed the destruction of Israel; but God gathered them for their destruction. Another hurdle of Barak’s is overcome when she promises to go along with him to the field of battle. Barak insisted much upon the necessity of her presence, which would be to him better than a council of war and she consented. For Barak to want her with him could be the language of a weak faith meaning that he could not take her word for it unless he had her with him for performance. It is equally possible, however, that Barak’s request stemmed from a conviction of the necessity of God’s presence. Moses had made a similar request knowing that he needed God to be with him.

7. Deborah promised to go with him. No toil nor difficulty will discourage her from doing the utmost that becomes her to do for the service of her country. She would not send him where she would not go herself. Those who in God’s name call others to their duty should be very ready to assist them in it. Deborah was the weaker vessel, yet had the stronger faith. But though she agrees to go with Barak, if he insists upon it, she lets him know that credit for the victory will be given to a woman. The world would ascribe the victory to the hand of Deborah. He could readily foresee this himself, but additionally, God, to correct his weakness, would also complete the victory by the hand of Jael, which would also reduce his own glory as the conqueror.

But Barak values the satisfaction of his mind, and the good success of his enterprise, more than his own honor and maintains his request. He dares not fight unless he has Deborah with him, to direct him and pray for him. She therefore stood by her word with firm courage. The noble heroine arose and went with Barak. And it was good for Barak to recognize his dependance on God and the woman of God who could encourage and pray for his success. Better to have faith himself, but if he lacks faith, let him honestly acknowledge it and win rather than risk losing out entirely because of an egotistical desire for the glory of winning. When we are weak, let’s honestly acknowledge it and compensate for it.

8. Barak gathers volunteers and soon has his quota of men ready. Deborah had appointed him to raise an army of 10,000 men and soon he has that number under his command. These may have been footmen who would go up against Sisera’s horses and chariots. This would make the victory all the more clearly due to God’s involvement as we will see as the presence of God and his prophetess was abundantly sufficient to balance that disproportion. Most of these soldiers would be from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali though we learn later in Deborah’s song that others from Manasseh and Issachar also joined in.

9. When Sisera learned of Barak’s gathering soldiers on Mount Tabor, true to Deborah’s word, he led his army toward Tabor. Sisera’s confidence was chiefly in his chariots as we notice that particular information about them is noted. There were 900 chariots of iron, which, with sharp blades fastened to their axles, when they were driven into an army of footmen, could do terrible damage. Men are ingenious in inventing methods of destroying one another to gratify their lusts for power. In this case those methods were not effective against God’s soldiers. 

10. Deborah gives orders to engage the enemy. Jewish history indicates that when Barak saw Sisera’s army drawn up attempting to surround the mountain where he and his army were encamped, his heart quite failed him and he planned to leave. But Deborah encouraged him to descend on Sisera. Verse 14 says, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?”

For our purpose, to see leadership principles in this story, let us notice how the work and honor of this great action are divided between Deborah and Barak. She, as the head, gives the word, he, as the hand, does the work. In this way God had given out His gifts individually. Ordinarily the head of the woman is the man. Yet the Holy Spirit here was pleased to cross hands, and to put the head on the woman’s shoulders, choosing the weak things of the world to shame the mighty, that no flesh would glory in His presence. She had told him about this in advance. It was well for Barak that he had Deborah with him; for she made up for what was lacking in him. He needed her encouragement and this is one ministry a prophet can perform.