Deborah - Plan A?

A trip down the hall of fame of incredible women in the Bible, you don't have to go too far before seeing Deborah's name. Deborah was a prophet and judge in Israel and curated a time of both success in war and 40 years of peace. The judges era was a bit of an unsettled, cyclical time for the Israelites, who seemed to bounce from one end of the spectrum of being close to God, to apostacy at the other, experiencing hardship and begging for forgiveness. Deborah had her work cut out as one of the eleven judges of those times. Judges makes for interesting reading - if you are looking for drama, then look no further than this text.

There seems to be no question in the book of the relevancy of her rule - she was likely to have been a local tribal leader and she spoke with authority in her decision making as Judge and in her discussions with Barak, the General in the army of Israel. As a prophet, it was considered that she spoke with wisdom and as a direct line from God. The people of Israel came to her and there is no indication that they did so with hesitancy because of her sex. She acknowledged her role as a 'Mother' in Israel and this inspired the people of Israel to rise up with bravery (5:7). In the pursuit of what it means to be woman, to be mother, this verse offers another rich thread to the tapestry.

It is likely that, in accordance with the traditions of her time, she was married. Most Bible translations suggest this was to Lappidoth though there is some question over whether Lappidoth is a person or a place. It could be either Deborah... 'wife of' or 'woman of' Lappidoth according to Hebrew translation which has the same word for 'woman' and 'wife'. In either case Lappidoth makes no further appearance and the story moves on. If you read on to chapter 4 you will also see that she was something of a poet and songwriter. 

When Deborah heard from God about the next battle to be fought, she wasted no time in moving to action. She was decisive and succinct in her commands. She spoke with authority, with the confidence of a woman under the authority of God. It is in her interaction with Barak that I have read some of the most interesting themes about her leadership in this era and yet it seems to me to be a line of reasoning that disrespects all of God's chosen leaders. 

Deborah instructed Barak on the battle plan and he replies with hesitancy. He won't go alone, he wants her to come too (4:8). To be fair to Barak, he is coming off the back of 20 years of cruel oppression at the hands of Sisera, the ruthless commander of the ruling King of Canaan's army. This king had an impressive army and as a people, the Israelites had been sold under  this stronghold of a reign. They felt far from God and confidence was low. No wonder Barak, on hearing the word of God, was keen to keep this prophet close.

Some commentators have a hard time believing that Deborah was God's first choice in this story. If only Barak had been the man he should have been then there would have been no reason for a woman to rise to the challenge. Deborah had in fact been a prophet, leader and Judge for a long time prior to the events of this story This line of reasoning gives neither God, Deborah nor Barak the credit deserved. God is deliberate in all of his courses of action and is no stranger to using the unexpected to serve His purpose, which is to demonstrate His glory on earth. Deborah stated that the honour in battle would ultimately go to a woman but of course the real victor here is God, who yet again shows the people of the day that there are no barriers and no limits to his capacity or ability to move and work.

Jonah is perhaps a case in point. He was a bitter and unwilling candidate for the task ahead. God could have chosen any other person and certainly one who might have been delighted to have been selected by God for such an incredible task. Instead he chose a person who showed us yet again that a persons stature and capacity is no match for the plans of the Almighty. God chose Deborah as Judge, mother and leader of his beloved, if recalcitrant children. He chose Barak as a demonstration of the collaboration necessary between those in authority to be successful in leading the people. 

Barak did not shy away in horror on hearing Deborah's judgement on his reluctance to go alone. He appears to take it in good faith. He is also clearly a man accustomed to obedience from those under his command and the 10,000 strong army mobilised willingly under his orders. This is not the vision of the weak leader we are sometimes directed to, a man who lost his authority to a woman because he would not step up. Far from it. He was an army general emboldened by hearing the word of God, spoken through a prophet and judge.

Jael, the tent maker, wife of Heber the Kenite must have her mention here because of course hers was the honour of the final battle blow. In a curiously gory scene, she literally drove the point home that her allegiance was not to Sisera but to the God of the Israelites. Jael was an unexpected ally to the Israelites but clearly had the courage of her convictions to do what was necessary to finish the battle and fulfil Deborah's prophesy. On seeing Sisera's dead body, Barak went on to win the war under God's hand. Again there was no mention of shame, only victory, because God works all things together for good.

In Judges 5, Deborah and Barak joyfully sing together of God's incredible victory outworked through the willingness of the people to obey Him. The chapter is concluded with peace. Deborah helped to restore hope and peace in a troubled time in Israel's history. She could see past the seemingly insurmountable mountain of 900 formidable chariots to the victory that God had planned for them. Her purpose, as a prophet was to communicate Gods vision and purpose to the people. God had no hesitance in using Deborah. Her leadership was characterised by collaboration, a steadfast hold on God's promises and vision. A woman in this instance was not a distortion of God's plan for the roles of men and women. Far from it. She was His 'plan A'.

This story is not meant to be held up as a singular beacon of hope for all women in leadership, but as a continuation and outworking of a plan for humanity. Characterised, as Deborah, by collaboration .