A Prophetess, a Judge, and a Wife
(Reproduced from my sermon on Women’s History Month)
— Chingboi Guite Phaipi

A woman leading a whole people group
I have been in discussions about how time has changed that we now have women leaders in the church, in society, and in politics. But, let’s ask ourselves again: Is our generation so advanced and cultured to be the first to let our women be leaders? The truth is that in biblical times there already were women prophetesses, priests, and leaders of the people of God. If  we say that the Bible restricts women to be leaders of a people group or of the people of God, perhaps we haven’t read the whole Bible. Deborah was one such woman leader.

Judges 4:4 tells us about Deborah: “At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel.” Did you hear that? Deborah—a woman, a prophetess and a wife, was the judge (that is, leader) of Israel! Yes, she was the leader (“judge”) of the whole people of Israel, not just of the women group or the wives’ association, or of the children’s, but of the whole Israel people. (And let me remind you that Israel was a patriarchal society). Deborah was a woman, yet she was also the leader of Israel!

Who says that God cannot choose you, a woman, to be the leader of a people group or of the people of God? Who says that you cannot be a wife and a leader? Who says that you cannot be a mom, be a professional and a leader of the people of God? Well, of course the point is not that you are a woman so you cannot or can be a leader; or that if you are a woman so, just like Deborah you are entitled to multiple offices (although it is generally true that women are great at multitasking). The point is that you are called for those offices. That you are in the place/s where God places you, where God calls you. Deborah, a woman, a wife, was called to be a prophetess and a judge, and she did very well in those callings, as we can see in the story. What are you called for? Have you ever imagined that God could call you and me to be like Deborah? Or rather, you never thought of that as a possibility?

Israel under oppression
Now, if we look at the background story in Judges 4 we see that the Israelites had been under the cruel oppression of the Canaanite army commander Sisera for twenty years (vv. 1–3). Twenty long years. When days are good, a year passes quickly, but in times of hardships, a day can feel even like a year. So, twenty years of being cruelly oppressed would have felt very very long. Poor Israelites. They suffered too long without a savior.

The flip side of this, however, is that it took twenty long years for the Israelites to realize their situation. Twenty long years until they realized that they could cry out to their Lord and be delivered. Verse 1 says that the Lord had given them into the hands of this Canaanite oppressor because they displeased the Lord. Perhaps the Israelites got so used to their current situation that they had thought they were living a “normal” life. Finally, after twenty years of suffering, they realized their pathetic situation and cried out to the Lord.

How long does it take us, personally or as a tribe, spiritually or socially, to realize that we are not in the right place, that it is time to cry out for deliverance? Have we become so comfortable with our current (evil) lifestyles? How much longer until we realize that we are not living the life God has given us, a life of freedom and fullness? Who can save us from that? Who would God use to lead us to a better life? Can it be a woman?
 
Deliverance through Deborah
As the Israelites cried out, the Lord answered. How? Through Deborah! The Lord told
Deborah to command Barak to gather ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun and go to fight Sisera and that God will give him into his hands (Judges 4:6-7).
But this was Barak’s response: “If you (Deborah) go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I will not go.” (Judges 4:8). What?? Was Barak scared? What kind of a man, asking
a woman to come with him to a battle? Didn’t he have faith in the word of the Lord? It is very easy to condemn Barak as a coward and not being a man. Yet, I think Barak has every
reason to be scared. After twenty years under Sisera’s cruel oppression, he would have clearly known their strength. In addition, the Israelites at that point did not have a king, and
they had never fought in wars. They were simply organized tribes, so a thousand men would be no match against Sisera’s nine hundred iron chariots (Judges 4:2).

Whatever Barak’s reaction was, this verse also tells us a lot about Deborah. Deborah must have been a great leader for her subjects to wish for her accompaniment to a battle. Deborah was no warrior; she probably could not fight, but apparently her presence was a source of courage and confidence to fight the battle. What a leader she must have been!

Now, Deborah’s response is outstanding. She did rebuke Barak, saying that because of how he tried to handle this, God would put Sisera into the hands of a woman (Judges 4:8) [which actually did come true when Sisera fall into the hands of Jael, wife of Heber (Judges 4:17– 22)]. But Deborah did not just rebuke Barak, she also accompanied him, so that the battle could be won. I think Deborah knew that this was not about her, nor about Barak but about the people of God. She cared for the people, and became part of the battle for their freedom. Actually, Deborah could have either rejected Barak’s request saying that it was none of her business to go to the battlefield, or else she could have overreacted saying that she would lead the men herself if Barak would not. That is, she could either stay out of it or take everything into her own hands. Instead, Deborah walked with Barak and did just her part, her calling,  and she remained an encourager to Barak even at the battlefield (Judges 4:19).

How often have we, women, failed our men—brothers, uncles, sons, friends—when they need our presence, accompaniment, or encouragement, in their battles of personal lives, families, church and society? Or, how often have we told them, “Well, if you will not do this, you are not even a man. Let me handle it!” and take everything into our hands? As Deborah accompanied Barak to the battlefield, wouldn’t it be better we walk alongside our men, who could also get scared at times as they battle in life?

All God’s work, all for God’s glory
While Deborah and Barak fought the battle to overthrow the enemy Sisera, neither of them tried to take the honor. The honor went back to God (Judges 4:23); they both glorified God (Judges 5). At the end of the day, it is the Lord’s work and we ought to give back to God all the glory.

Like Deborah, we are women called to be wives, moms, or singles, and also to be prophetesses and leaders of our society, people and church. Yes, friends, I sincerely God can surely call us to be like Deborah. Have we been thinking that God cannot call us for great responsibilities simply because we are women? Wouldn’t God want us to keep our hearts open so we can hear when/in case God calls us? And if He does call us, we better “hear” it.

Like Deborah, may we accompany our men, our boys, and work together—not alone, nor not being part of it—as we try to win back our families and our society to the Lord.