DAY 14: GOD CHOSE DEBORAH

 THE RHEMA WORD FOR TODAY

(A DAILY DEVOTIONAL WITH PREACHER SAM)

 

TOPIC: GOD CHOSE DEBORAH

DATE: 14 SEPTEMBER, 2020

BIBLE READING: JUDGES 4

MEDITATION/MEMORY VERSE: JUDGES 4:4 (NIV)

Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.

 

Deborah, a prophetess and the only female judge in Israel at a time. Some people believe that there were no available man at that time, and so she was the only choice left. Well I doubt that. Form her son, she sang, “The leaders [princes] of Issachar were with Deborah…” (Judg. 5:15). So there were available men, then why did God have to raise a woman as a judge in Israel?

Also, we couldn’t have validated the fact that God can and still raises women leaders in our churches and the world at larger, if Deborah was the only female recorded as prophetess and a leader. Because the Bible says; ‘…in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.’ (2 Cor. 13:1).

A judge is a leader and a decider who passes out judgment, as though he/she was a king (or queen). But a leader is one who simply shows a way and example for other to follow. So a leader is not necessarily a judge, but all judges are leaders.

Another typical example of a female judge that passed out judgment was Queen Jezebel. She was like a decider, even when her husband, the king was very much alive. But Deborah seems to be the only female judge that God raised in Israel. But note; all judges are leaders, and God is still raising female leaders. To validate this, let’s cite out some more examples in scriptures.

 

Exodus 15:20 CEV

Miriam the sister of Aaron was a prophet. So she took her tambourine and led the other women to play their tambourines and to dance.

2 Kings 22:14 NLT

So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe.

 

These two women whom we have cited out were leaders. Miriam led other Israelite women to play their tambourines and to dance. That means, she showed the way and an example for the women to follow as a leader. Hilkiah the priest and some others came to Huldah for consultation. That means, they came to her for advice and direction. And observe, these two women whom we have cited out were not only leaders, but prophetesses like Anna in Luke 2:36 and Phillip’s daughters in Acts 21:8-9. So a prophet can function as a leader.

Early this year, we answered the question ‘should a woman speak in church?’ And we cited 1 Corinthians 11:5 which encourages women to prophesy. And we struck a balance in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, that the whole chapter is themed on ‘orderly assembly of the congregation.’ Meaning some women in the church in Corinth were disregarding spiritual authority and so we might envision Apostle Paul saying, “If a woman wants to pray and prophesy in the church, let her do so while showing the proper respect for the church authority; otherwise, let her remain silent.” Let’s not forget that Apostle Paul recognised women in the church who occupied leadership positions of deacon (Rom. 16:11) and apostle (Rom. 16:7). So in summary, there are still women leaders whom God is raising in our contemporary world, but there must be orderliness and submission. Just like our verse for meditation made it clear that Deborah as the wife of Lappidoth- proving her submission to her husband.

Now, to answer the question, ‘why?’ That’s because she is submissive and obedient. From our Bible reading, we see and understand how she delivered God’s word in obedience and also with courage and faith.

When Israel were in darkness, God woke up a woman to bring revival again in Israel (Judg. 5:12). Barak was only chosen to lead God’s army to war, but he recognised the grace in Deborah; not that he was faithless because he was enlisted in the Hall of Faith (Heb. 11:32). Her words in Judges 49 was a prophecy which was fulfilled when Jael took the life of Sisera (Judg. 4:21-22).

In these last days, God is raising not only sons, but also daughters for the end-time revival (Joel 2:28).

 

DECLARATION: O LORD! MAKE ME USUABLE AND A CARRIER OF YOUR REVIVAL FIRE.

 

FURTHER STUDY: JUDGES 5