“The Judges: Deborah”

Scripture: Judges 4-5

In all these years, I have never preached on the book of Judges – I don’t know why, I just haven’t. But today seems to be the day. It’s a fascinating book, containing stories of both faith and faithlessness – basically it’s the story of Israel. The Judges were individuals who were called by God to provide leadership for Israel during those times of failure in faith, and they provided that service for the several hundred years between Joshua and the institution of the Kings.
For the next month, we will be looking at 4 of these Judges – their responsibilities, their strengths, their weaknesses, their faith, their failures and their victories. But first, some thoughts on the book itself and the history of leadership in those days.

First, there was Moses who led the people, grudgingly, out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. He was a leader who, unlike other national leaders, was chosen by Godly decision and not by secular criteria. This was something new for the people, and they didn’t always have a lot of confidence in God’s choice.

Joshua succeeded Moses, and he, too, was chosen by God to lead Israel in the conquest and reclaiming of the land. But it seems that he was generally accepted a little more graciously by the people, but still ...

Upon Joshua’s death, Israel was leaderless for a time, and the people slid into a progressively greater faithlessness. The Lord stepped back from them, and as oppression began to come against the people time and time again, various Judges would also be selected by God to represent him with the people and to lead them out of those times of trial and struggle in faith. Unfortunately, the cycle would be repeated over and over again, and each time, the people would fall further away from their God.

From the New Interpreter’s Bible (Commentary on Judges – “Introduction”) – “The book’s title “Judges” may bring to mind images of wise people who arbitrate legal cases in courts. .. However, the term ‘judge’ in Hebrew can also mean ‘rule’ or ‘ruler’, and it is this meaning of the term that applies to the major characters in this book. They are primarily warrior rulers who lead Israel in fighting oppressive enemies. The judges were also involved in maintaining Israel’s religious life and institutions with varying degrees of success.”

In Judges 2:16-19, we see several aspects of the position that is important to understand – 1) it is the Lord who raises up each Judge and they are not necessarily the people’s choice (v. 16,18), 2) their succession is not continuous – there would be times when leadership of any sort seems to be totally lacking (v.19), 3) their job is to lead the people during times of oppression and trial and faithlessness (v.18), and 4) when the judge died, the people always reverted to their “evil practices and stubborn ways” (v. 19)

The position of Judge generally served as a combination of pastor, mediator, lawyer and military leader, and whatever other responsibilities they may have had, scripture seems to indicate that there was always one or two specific things that they were raised up to do for the Lord and for the people.

And so, with this as our background, we look at one of the Judges in each of the 4 weeks in August, to consider their faith, their actions, and the degree of effectiveness that they exhibited, as well as the lessons that each of us must learn from their lives.

Deborah will be the first to be considered.

Read Judges 4:1-7

Deborah was raised up as the fourth Judge to serve Israel and was one of the last of the faithful and victorious judges. It was a time of faithlessness on the part of the people, and the Lord was allowing the Canaanites to bring great pressure against them. It seems that as much as we would like to think that Joshua had totally subdued the foreign powers in the land, it wasn’t exactly a “done deal”!
As for her responsibilities, Deborah was a prophetess who made decisions regarding the social, relational, legal and faith disputes that arose among the nation’s people. She had as much authority and respect as any judge who ever served, and now, even though she doesn’t appear to have any direct military authority, she is being called to give God’s orders to the leader of the armed forces, and she presents the commander with the Lord’s order of battle.

In this passage, Deborah, regardless of what many folks believe, had authority and influence over both the citizens of Israel and their military forces. And there is no indication that she was ineffective or opposed in her advice and decision making. If anything, Deborah was a true and respected leader of all of Israel. And that held true in her relations with the army.

Read Judges 4:8-16

Barak, the commanding general of the army of Israel, is hesitant to go into battle unless Deborah goes with him. But neither scripture nor the commentaries give us a solid reason for his reluctance, so I will offer my own opinion on the matter. I believe that Barak understood that Deborah had such a strong faith, that God would not only speak through her, but would also work though her. Barak was no fool, and he wanted every advantage when he went into battle against Sisera. And in demanding that Deborah go out to the field with the army, he relinquished much of the honor that would normally come to him in victory.

And the battle unfolds just as Deborah said it would, and the victory was total and complete. But who actually gained the victory? Deborah? Barak? Neither! Verse 15 tells us that it was the Lord God of Israel who routed the enemy. And Deborah and Barak would sing the Lord’s praises for all to hear.

Read Judges 5:1-3

Note that while God is certainly able to defeat any enemy of his people, the song says “when the people willingly offer themselves – praise the Lord!” The song, which I hope you will read in its entirety, first praises the Lord, and then the courage of the various people who were actively involved in the defeat of the Canaanite army. And not only are those who joined the Lord in this battle mentioned, but those who had held back are also named.
It speaks of the events that lead up to this great conflict – primarily the faithless attitudes of Israel. And how the Judge was called to bring relief to the nation, but not immediately. They would have to wait until God gave the prophetess his word.

So what are the lessons that the story of Deborah can bring to the church of today? There are several.

First, when the Lord tells you to do something, do it right away and in as complete a fashion as possible. In Joshua 3:9-10, God tells Israel to drive out all of the foreign nations that currently occupy the Land, but apparently, they didn’t address all of the Canaanites. They regrouped and grew stronger, and in doing so, Deborah and Barak would have to face the Canaanite army all over again.
When God tells us to do something or to go somewhere, we are to do it. Not to decide when and where we will stop, not to decide when enough is enough, not to limit our involvement out of a sense of fear or reluctance or personal wisdom, not to question the "correctness" of God’s call, but to simply do as the Lord has said.

Second, when we are unsure of our own ability to follow God’s plan, don’t hesitate to look to a brother or sister in faith for help. Barak never hesitated to ask Deborah to go with him – he saw the Judge as one who was intimate with the word and heart of God, and knew her as a faithful follower of the great Jehovah. He was even willing to give up some of his glory and honor to ensure that God’s Will would be done in a complete and thorough way.
We are called to work together, too. Each of us has different gifts and graces, and as the Body of Christ, we are to follow the Lord’s call as that body. And when our faith seems to be a little shaky, don’t just moan and groan and complain that you can’t “do it”! Seek the help of another in faith, and approach the task together. Remember that Deborah didn’t wield a sword, but in faith, she did wield the Word of the Lord, and together with the solders, victory was assured.

Third, share the glory and honor with everyone who contributed, regardless of the extent of their involvement – first give the Lord God his due, and then give to each of the participants. In the Lord, there is no gain in trying to keep the glory for our self – it is his to keep or to give, and he gives to his faithful. So why should we try to keep any of it for ourselves? Give it to others! God knows what we have done, and on that Judgment Day, he will remember it all – and completely!

The message for the church of today is this – faithful service in the name of the Lord God Almighty is always rewarded in one way or another, and always in God’s time. Deborah was a woman strong in faith and presence. She lead Israel in Godly ways and as a prophet, encouraged them to look to the Lord for his truth in their own lives. It wasn’t that Deborah was so smart or gifted or powerful on her own – she knew the truth, that her strength and wisdom rested solely in her faith and trust of God.

And so must we.