Deborah

Men and women are equal in Christ. God can use men as judges, but He can also use women. However, equality does not mean sameness; men and women have different roles in God’s plan. God’s arrangement is for men to take the lead, and for women to be good helpers. When the men of Israel were unwilling to obey God, He raised up a judge from among the sisters to bring salvation.

The name Deborah means “bee.” She was the second female prophet after Miriam and the only female judge. Deborah lived in the territory of the southern tribe of Benjamin, which was not oppressed by the Canaanites in the north. God did not raise up a male judge from the oppressed northern tribes but instead raised up a female judge from the south.

During Deborah’s time, the Canaanites had enslaved the Israelites for 20 years. Through this suffering, God brought them back from their stubborn rebellion. When they repented and understood that their suffering was due to their abandonment of God’s law, they pleaded with Deborah, hoping she would pray to God for mercy and not stand by idly. So, God provided salvation by choosing a general for them: Barak (Josephus’s Antiquities of the Jews, Book 5, Chapter 5). Deborah sent for Barak from Kedesh in Naphtali and told 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 4:6–7).

“Kedesh in Naphtali” was located near Hazor and was likely one of the places most severely oppressed by the Canaanite king. Yet, Barak, though deeply affected by the Canaanites’ oppression, lacked the courage to rise up and fight. He said to Deborah, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” From a human perspective, Barak’s hesitation is understandable, as the disparity in strength between the two sides was overwhelming. God knows our limitations. His calling is always accompanied by the provision of grace and power. Deborah’s response was, “I will certainly go with you.”

According to Josephus’s Antiquities of the Jews, a storm suddenly arose during the close-quarters combat between the Israelite army and the army of Sisera. The storm, which brought heavy rain and hail, blinded the Canaanites and rendered their bows and slings useless, and the cold wind prevented them from using their swords. The storm, however, did not inconvenience the Israelites, as the wind was at their backs. The Israelites were emboldened, knowing that God was helping them. They charged into the enemy, killing countless soldiers. The remaining enemies either fell from their panicked horses or were injured by their own chariots. In the end, the Israelites won a great victory. When Sisera saw the defeat, he fled and was killed by a foreign woman named Jael. Barak then killed King Jabin in Hazor. After this campaign, the land had peace for 40 years.

[Image: A distant view of Mount Tabor from the Jezreel Valley. Tradition holds that Mount Tabor is the location of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Today, there is a memorial church on its summit.）(Authorized for use by Bible Comprehensive Interpretation)]