Deborah: A Tale of Failed Leadership

 

I originally wrote this post as a sermonette, in fact, it was the very first sermonette I ever gave. A decent amount of time has passed since then, and the issues that spawned the original have become even more prevalent, that is, men and women abandoning the roles God has given them in favor of easier roles that don't work well together. There is nothing easy about the roles God has ordained for men and women, and there has been a concerted effort since the beginning of time to destroy them because by destroying them you can destroy the family and society at large which is the full aim of feminism. 

Among Christian circles, the story of Deborah has more or less become the poster child of that effort as if one story invalidates everything else the Bible has to say about the topic of men and women. Sadly, the story of Deborah is actually very much the opposite of what these factions claim, and it is a terrible disservice to the incredible Christian woman she actually was when they make her into their champion of feminism. 

As we get into the story, it becomes very evident that there is far more to the story than what you might have originally thought, and far more lessons than what this post draws out. The main issue addressed in this post is the effort to make this amazing example of what a Christian woman should be into a feminist icon. That effort is, for lack of a better word, deplorable. 

Now we find the story of Deborah In the middle of the book of Judges, and it seems to be a curious anomaly. The story begins in Judges chapter four, a story of a female Judge who sat under a palm tree named after her. A woman who took control of an army and led them to victory; and a modern, liberated, independent woman. Or was she? Is there more to this story, one that seems to be something of an anomaly, written in a book that teaches that men are supposed to be the leaders? A book that teaches that to have a woman rule is a curse? She is a woman led by God. Why would she go against everything God had ordained to take control? 

It seems to be a great mystery, but what we actually find is far different. This story is one of the best examples in the entire bible of what a Christian woman’s role is supposed to be in relation to men and leadership in the church and family. 

Before we dive into the story, we need some background on the book of Judges. The book of Judges is all about Israel falling away from God and doing whatever is right in their own eyes. It's a book about a diseased Israel, an Israel that has rejected their creator in favor of whatever seems good to them, and they are being punished by God for it. Israel was very sick spiritually with worshiping false gods, ritual prostitution, child sacrifice, and sexual immorality, so God sent oppressors to turn them back to Him.

Israel falls away, they are oppressed by a foreign army, they cry out to God, He sends a deliverer, they are delivered, they have peace as long as the judge lives, then when he dies, they fall away. This cycle of sin, deliverance, and peace is known as the Judges cycle. The time of lawlessness and rejection of what God had ordained is where the story of Deborah is set. Men and women have abandoned what they are supposed to be doing once again, and Israel is under an oppressor. Now that we have a bit of background as to the circumstances of the times, let’s get into the story. 

Judges 4:1 (AFV) And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD when Ehud was dead.

Judges 4:2 (AFV) And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. The captain of his host was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the nations.

Judges 4:3 (AFV) And the children of Israel cried to the LORD, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron. And he mightily oppressed the children of Israel twenty years.

Judges 4:4 (AFV) And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel at that time.

Judges 4:5 (AFV) And she lived under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Once again the children of Israel are doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord. They were sold as a tribute to Jabin, king of Cannan, and they were oppressed for twenty years by his mighty military power which included horses and chariots, something the Israelites did not have by God’s command (Deuteronomy 17:16). The children of Israel cry out to the Lord and one of our main characters comes on the scene. 

Deborah comes on the scene. She is a prophetess, and she judges Israel. Okay, that seems to be a leadership position, no doubt. How does it describe her though? It describes her as a prophetess and a wife. That is her description and how she was known! She was a judge as well, which means here pretty much what it means today. She was deciding cases, handing down court decisions, and giving out wise advice, most likely to the younger women of that day and age. We see a very similar circumstance with Miriam the sister of Moses. She, too, was called a prophetess, but her leadership was to the women of the camp, and she was more or less the liaison to the fairer sex. As we see with Miriam and even later in this very story, a prophetess was more or less a poetess or an inspired singer, something that is important to keep in mind.

Judges 4:6 (AFV) And she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, 'Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

Judges 4:7 (AFV) And I will draw Sisera to you, the captain of Jabin's army, at the river Kishon, together with his chariots and his multitude. And I will deliver him into your hands.' "

We find Deborah is dwelling near Ramah, which is interesting in its relation to verse six. In verse six she sends to Kedesh for a man to lead the army. Why is this so interesting? Kedesh Is at the opposite end of the country from Deborah. Why would she send so far away from herself for a man to lead the army? 

This is quite likely a statement on the quality of leadership and the quality of men to be found in Israel at this time. The fact that Barak was the best one to be found and he was really far away tells us that there wasn’t anyone better closer by. Continuing in verses six and seven, Deborah delivers God’s message to gather an army to go out to war against the Canaanites. She assures him of a certain victory if he obeys God. Her wording also indicates that this is not the first time God has told Barak to do this, in fact, Barak already knew what he was supposed to be doing, but he wasn't doing it! God had already told him what to do, but he had not done it and Deborah is essentially saying, “What gives?”

As we'll see, it is because he is afraid and he needed a woman to hold his hand while he led the army. 

Judges 4:8 (AFV) And Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go."

Judges 4:9 (AFV) And she said, "I will surely go with you. But the journey that you take shall not be for your honor, for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Deborah pushes him to take action, yet what is his response? In verse eight, he tells her he will only go if she comes with him. This hesitation, fear, and lack of willingness to do what he is commanded by God is a pretty good indication of his character. In verse nine she says she will go, yet she still doesn’t say, “Oh you wimpy man. Fine! I’ll just do it myself!” and then takes control of the army. She simply tells him the ultimate victory will be by the hand of a woman, but he would be the one to lead the army. The news that she delivered was a tremendous shame to Barak and should have been enough to get him to do what he was supposed to, but as we will see, he still did not take charge the way he was commanded by God.

Judges 4:14 (AFV) And Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor and ten thousand men after him.

In verse fourteen, she once again has to spur him to action and once again passes up an opportunity to take control of the army. This is extremely important, because as a woman in obedience to God, she would have violated the law by serving in the army, let alone taking command of it. It simply was not her place to lead the army. Instead of taking control, she fills her role as a Christian woman and pushes him to fill the role God gave to him. She no more led the army than any other prophet led the army.

In direct response to Deborah's encouragement and obedience to God, Barak finally takes action and marches down to engage the enemy and leads it with great courage and faith, which we know because he is included in the list of the faithful in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. In the ensuing battle, Sisera flees. Sisera flees to the tent of a friend of his king, and the wife of the friend greets him. She takes him in, tricks him, and stakes him to the ground. Sisera was killed by a stay-at-home wife, just like Deborah prophesied. The final victory and glory were by the hand of a woman to the shame of Barak. 

So what are the points we can draw from this story? Where is the profile of a Christian woman’s role in the church and family? 

The first point is, Deborah was identified as a wife first. She seems to have been an older woman and had godly wisdom. People went to her for advice, and to decide conflicts between people, most likely women. Something else we can draw out is, don’t mess with a stay-at-home wife, especially if she has access to a hammer and stakes.

The second point is that men were not fulfilling their God-given role of leading. When male leadership fails, when men fail in their God-given role, the women will follow, and that leads to the total downfall of society. Women feel that if men aren't leading then they must take charge. This absolutely bypasses the vital role of encouraging and support that God has given them and makes the situation far worse. However, as an excellent example, Deborah doesn’t take control, she supports and encourages and it is compared to what she did as a mother. 

Judges 5:7 (AFV) The leaders ceased in Israel, they ceased until I, Deborah, arose; until I arose, a mother in Israel.

The best man available (not saying much at this time apparently) is chosen to lead instead, even though she must send all the way to Kedesh for him. Deborah was chosen by God to deliver a message, not to lead. The lesson we men can draw from this is to make sure we fulfill our role of leading. We are supposed to be leaders in the church and in our families, and when we fail it hurts far more than just ourselves. God willing, there is a strong godly woman to support and encourage us just as Deborah did for Barak. All men will be put in a leadership role at some point in our lives, so we need to get it figured out! How to be a good leader is an entirely different topic, and not one we have room to cover here, but it is extremely important. 

The third point is one of the most important in the story. Deborah exemplified the role of a Christian woman. How? She never said, “You underqualified man, I could do a much better job than you.” She never kicked him out of the way and said, “Fine. I’ll do it myself.” 

Judges 5:12 (AFV) Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, awake, sing a song. Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, son of Abinoam.

She never seized control. Instead, she fulfilled her role. What was her role? To push Barak to take control, lead the army, do what God told him to do, and to be a man!  She pushed him to be better, to lead, and supported him when his confidence wavered. She encouraged him, albeit with a sharp kick in the rear, which is sometimes necessary as long as it is with love.

Sadly, we don’t hear about Deborah after this again, but we see an echo of her in Proverbs 31, the virtuous woman chapter. Deborah was a woman of faith, but not an independent woman. She was a wife and a woman first, and a judge second. She encouraged and pushed Barak to do what God had told him to do, just as every wife and Christian woman is supposed to encourage and push men to be faithful to God.

Looking at this example, what is the role of a Christian woman? Is it lesser than that of a Christian man? Did Deborah fulfill this role? 

The role is to complement that of the man, to support him and encourage him, even if it requires a swift kick in the butt, and she is ultimately successful. It is in no way lesser than that of the man’s, and Barak could not have succeeded without Deborah. Deborah filled the role she was supposed to very well. Even amidst failed leadership, she did not waver from her God-given task. Her obedience was not based on Barak doing what he was supposed to, but what she was supposed to do. Maybe there is another lesson in that, for another time. A continuation of the lesson of the Christian woman can be found here.               

To end with, I would like to share the song of Deborah and Barak for your enjoyment. It's a beautiful song, and worth the read.

Judges 5:1 (AFV) Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,

Judges 5:2 (AFV) "Praise the LORD for the avenging of Israel when the people willingly offered themselves.

Judges 5:3 (AFV) Hear, O kings. Give ear, O princes. I, even I, will sing to the LORD, I will sing to the LORD God of Israel.

Judges 5:4 (AFV) LORD, when You went out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

Judges 5:5 (AFV) The mountains quaked from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

Judges 5:6 (AFV) In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were empty, and the travelers walked through crooked ways.

Judges 5:7 (AFV) The leaders ceased in Israel, they ceased until I, Deborah, arose; until I arose, a mother in Israel.

Judges 5:8 (AFV) They chose new gods; then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

Judges 5:9 (AFV) My heart is toward the lawgivers of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD.

Judges 5:10 (AFV) Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit in judgment and walk by the way.

Judges 5:11 (AFV) Louder than the voice of archers at the watering places, there shall they tell again the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of His leaders in Israel. Then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.

Judges 5:12 (AFV) Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, awake, sing a song. Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, son of Abinoam.

Judges 5:13 (AFV) Then He made me tread on the remnant of the nobles among the people. The LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.

Judges 5:14 (AFV) Out of Ephraim there was a root of them against Amalek, following you, Benjamin, with your peoples. Out of Machir came down commanders, and out of Zebulun came they who handle the pen of the writer.

Judges 5:15 (AFV) And the rulers of Issachar were with Deborah, even Issachar, and also Barak. He was sent on foot into the valley. There were great searchings of heart for the divisions of Reuben.

Judges 5:16 (AFV) Why did you stay among the sheepfolds to hear the bleating of the flocks? For in the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

Judges 5:17 (AFV) Gilead stayed beyond Jordan. And why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the seashore and remained in his havens.

Judges 5:18 (AFV) Zebulun and Naphtali were a people who put their lives in danger of death in the high places of the field.

Judges 5:19 (AFV) Kings came and fought. Then the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no gain of silver.

Judges 5:20 (AFV) They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

Judges 5:21 (AFV) The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength.

Judges 5:22 (AFV) Then did the hooves of horses beat from the galloping, the galloping of their mighty ones.

Judges 5:23 (AFV) 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD; 'Curse the people of it bitterly because they did not come to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.'

Judges 5:24 (AFV) Blessed among women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be. She shall be blessed above women in the tent.

Judges 5:25 (AFV) He asked for water, and she gave him milk. She brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

Judges 5:26 (AFV) She put her hand to the peg and her right hand to the workman's hammer. She hammered Sisera; she smashed his head; she pierced and struck through his temple.

Judges 5:27 (AFV) He bowed between her feet, he fell, he lay down. Between her feet he bowed; he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

Judges 5:28 (AFV) The mother of Sisera looked out a window and cried through the lattice, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariot wait?'

Judges 5:29 (AFV) Her wise ladies answered her, Yea, she returned an answer to herself,

Judges 5:30 (AFV) 'Do they not find and divide the spoil? A woman, two women for every man, for Sisera a prize of dyed garments, a prize of embroidered dyed garments for the necks of those that take the spoil.'

Judges 5:31 (AFV) So let all Your enemies perish, O LORD. But let them that love Him be like the sun going forth in its glory." And the land had rest forty years.