Strong Like Deborah!

Deborah is a unique character in the Bible. She is the only woman to be a Judge of Israel. She was a prophetess and Judge of Israel, the equivalent of king. How she came to be chosen for this position is not recorded but it is evident in her story that her leadership was honored. As Judge, she was also leader of the army of Israel.

I desire to be a strong woman of faith and a great leader like the only female judge to rule in the Bible. The first thing that becomes obvious about the story of Deborah is how much it is like the story of Christ. Over and over again in the Old Testament, we see the Israelites ending up oppressed, often as a consequence of their own actions. And over and over again, we see God send a deliverer to rescue the Israelites. God seems to enjoy sending deliverers that the people would not expect. They certainly couldn't have expected a woman to deliver them from the Canaanites. Jesus was not the Messiah that the Pharisees expected either. Yet, both deliverers got the job done.

Deborah's story is largely about success against all odds. Though everything about the times and the culture was against Deborah serving as the leader of the nation, she did. Though her army was vastly outnumbered, they won. Though her enemy tried to hide among sympathizers, one he believed to be on his side killed him anyway. Deborah didn't allow the circumstances around her to overwhelm her or interfere with her belief in God's promises to her.

I struggle with believing against all odds. I'm sure that I'm not alone. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the circumstances of our lives and get caught up in them. Circumstances can fool us, if we let them. Had Deborah believed in the circumstances and not God, Israel would have remained under the oppression of the Canaanites. Don't block the rewards God has for you with unbelief.

Deborah's courage and humility are models for us. She kept her eyes focused on God and not the circumstances around her. She gave God the glory for the victory and she thanked Him specifically for what He did for her and her country. She reminds us that we all have the potential to do great things for God if we will only listen, trust and obey.