Judges 4:5 “Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time.”
At that time. At such a time as this. God’s timing is perfect. Israel was once again at that time. The time where again they had turned their back on God. So the Lord turned them over to a Canaanite king. His commander-in-chief was Sisera, and he was ruthless. The Israelites were controlled by him for 20 years. It was at that time a woman, named Deborah, who heard and spoke for the Lord, was called. Deborah was a judge, chosen by God to rescue the people from their enemies and establish justice. The people respected her and she was the perfect person for such a time as this. She was a good mediator, advisor, and a planner. She had the gift of discernment. It was because of this gift they would seek her out for her ability to judge fairly.
When she was told by God to instruct Barak to take on Sisera and his 900 iron chariots, she took charge. In this part of the story we see Barak afraid to face the enemy alone. Deborah shared with Barak that God promised them victory. Even God’s promise of victory did not help calm Barak’s fear. His faith was not as strong as Deborah’s. He told Deborah, “I will go if you will go with me.” Deborah didn’t blink an eyelash. She put on her big girl panties and took charge leading 10,000 warriors to fight alongside her at the Kishon River. There they annihilated all of Sisera’s army; only Sisera escaped. He soon would meet his fate by another courageous woman, Jael. It was because of Deborah’s obedience, there was peace for Israel for 40 years.
What was it in Deborah’s character that gave her the courage to fight Sisera? She had a remarkable relationship with God. He told her they would have victory and she never doubted His Word. She did not let her fear hold her back. She knew 900 iron chariots were nothing compared to the power of her God. She did what she could do rather than worry about what she couldn’t. She knew what needed to be done and did all that she could to defeat the enemy.
We now find ourselves at such a time as this -- a nation turned from God facing so many challenges. So how do we press on and fight our 900 iron chariots? We are in a battle with the enemy. He wants to keep us chained by a ruthless Sisera. He wants us stuck in fear and despair. God is calling on us to be Deborahs. Lean into God’s Word and speak to Him about all your fears and listen to Him. He tells us the battle is His. We can do what we can do and not use our energy worrying on what we can’t do. He has told us the victory is ours. As Deborahs we will still have to fight the battle . But we fight it holding on to our faith and the promise that He will give us the victory
Lord, we are in need of Deborahs at such a time as this. May each woman stand up for her faith in You. May we be discerning in our day to day interactions and most importantly, cling to Your Word daily.
– Michele
