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| Deborah |
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1 Peter 3:3-4
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as jewelry and fine clothes.
4 Instead, it should be that of inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great work in God’s sight.
God raised up many incredible women in the past who put their hope in God’s will and word.
Many of them displayed great faith and courage in what they did for God.
One of them was Deborah, chosen to be ‘Judge’ over Israel.
Whenever we read about Deborah, we always think of her as a woman who stood up when men were cowardly.
Little do we realize that we are being arrogant and disrespectful towards men?
Sometimes as women we think we are being like ‘Deborah’ when we be little men of the Kingdom and refuse to be led by brothers.
We are wrong and sinful. Infact, Deborah was one of the most submissive women.
She never compromised on her convictions, but she led without violating God’s law of submission.
Today, we will study out her character and learn to be women of God, submissive and powerful.
1. Being a woman of Honour
Judges 4:4-16
4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.
5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided.
6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor.
7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'"
8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go."
9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh,
10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.
12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
13 Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men.
15 At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.
16 But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.
Deborah was a prophetess, a women of wisdom.
People trusted her and came to her to settle their disputes.
Think about this! Why would they come to her, if they had seen her being bossy, proud and judgmental or disrespectful towards men? I am sure we all have this image of her in our mind.
She was probably like ‘Indira Gandhi’ –making decisions, bossing over all the men, intelligent, smart, and sometimes rude.
But if we read further, we see Deborah being an inspirational, yet a submissive woman. She inspires Barak to lead and she decides to support.
Inspite of Barak being hesitant and insecure, she does not mock him or pull him down. She speaks the truth in love and is still willing to be ‘led’ by him.
In vs. 14, she inspires him and increases his faith and confidence by helping him to focus on God’s strength. Barak wins!
How are we when we see others’ weaknesses in church?
How are we when we see the lost messing around in the world?
Do we have a compassionate and submissive spirit towards our leaders?
Do we believe in increasing their faith?
Do we still see God’s victory and see the positive in all?
We need to be like women of honour, women who are noble and patient, wise in our action and words.
2. Being a woman of Praise
Deborah praised God and sang a song along with Barak.
Judges 5
1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 "When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves-- praise the LORD!
3 "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4 "O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.
5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths.
7 Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.
8 When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD!
10 "You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider
11 the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel. "Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates.
12 'Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, O Barak! Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam.'
13 "Then the men who were left came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came to me with the mighty.
14 Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander's staff.
15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
16 Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.
18 The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.
19 "Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they carried off no silver, no plunder.
20 From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!
22 Then thundered the horses' hoofs-- galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.
23 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.'
24 "Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
26 Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell--dead.
28 "Through the window peered Sisera's mother; behind the lattice she cried out, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?'
29 The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
30 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a girl or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck-- all this as plunder?'
31 "So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Then the land had peace forty years.
In vs. 31, we read that the land had peace for forty years.
Proverbs 31:29-31
29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Prov 31:29–31 talks about the noble women who feared God and realized their beauty in that.
We need to be like women who praise God at all times, thankful in all circumstances.
1 Peter 3:6
like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
According to 1 Peter 3:6 we should be like the women who do what is right and do not give in to fear.
At any time of the day, let us crave for righteousness and let us not stop taking responsibility for our faults.
Let’s grow in respect for each other and towards authority.
Challenge
Read Judges 5 and praise God in your Quiet time tomorrow. Encourage your family group leader in your devotional this week.
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