Deborah the Female Judge
“Deborah, a woman who was a prophetess and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.”
“She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you: ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor, and take with you 10,000 men from the Naphtalites and Zebulunites?”
“Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.”
The 4th judge: Deborah. Her military commander: Barak. The woman who gets the credit: Jael.
Deborah was judging Israel under a palm tree between Raman and Bethel. A prophetic word came to her involving Barak. So she summoned him and gave him specific instructions from God. To which he responded, “If you go with me I will go.” Deborah did go but at a cost to Barak, he would not get the victory against the commander of the Canaanite army, but a woman named Jael would get the victory by driving a tent peg through Sisera’s head while he was sleeping. Before this, there was peace between her husband and the king of Canaan, but she may have felt that it was time her husband trade in his alliance with the king of Canaan and side with Israel.
What is our takeaway? First, let us not discount the value of the women in our lives. Deborah and Jael played major roles in this battle and in past and future events. Often women have more discernment about people and situations while guys have more of a “get it done and work out the details later” kinda attitude. Deborah was the one who had the prophetic word from God and Jael was the one who saw a need to move away from the alliance with the king. But let us not discount Barak. He still summons his army from two tribes of Israel to make Sisera fall out of his chariot and flee to Jael’s tent hoping for peace between her and him. Will we do what God has told us to do even if it is from the mouth of our wives or godly women in our lives? Women are weaker vessels but they are equally important to God as men are!
“Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”
I remember Jimmy Evans comparing the roles of a husband and wife to the roles of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The wife fulfills the roles of the Holy Spirit in her relationship. While the husband fulfills the roles of Jesus in his relationship. With the woman’s discernment as being the major point. Just as the Holy Spirit judges between the man of peace and the man with no peace the wife will decern between friends to keep around and acquaintances to get out of their lives.
Here are two good reads on this topic
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