Deborah The Woman in Leadership honours God Judges 4&5
Deborah is an inspiration to Christians around the world as we seek to serve God in our generation. . . .Her undaunted faith in God and her patriotic zeal aroused the people of her nation to action, says,
E. LEELAVATHI MANASSEH
A few months ago in a family prayer meeting ten year old Jonathan responded to the question "Why is a leader a leader?" "A leader is a leader because he/she makes others to follow". How true it is that a leader must be able to inspire others to follow. As Christian leaders we ought to inspire people to follow Christ. Deborah is an inspiration to Christians around the world as we seek to serve God in our generation. She is the epitome of loving God with all our heart, with all our mind and with all our strength. Her undaunted faith in God and her patriotic zeal for her nation were needed to arouse the people of her generation to action. She was a woman who honoured God and honoured people. On the other hand she was a woman who had found favour with God and people! The Lord endowed her with the necessary attributes to carry her through to a glorious victory for His people. Remember the last sentence of her story Then the land had peace forty years' (Judges 5:31).
Bible scholars tell us that Deborah lived between the years 1209 and 1169 B.C. The entire record of her story is short, being contained in only two chapters - four and five, of the book of Judges. Deborah honoured God and people in various ways. However, let us look at four aspects:
She was a woman of faith: God called her to be a prophetess and Judge of Israel during the third apostasy (Israel falling away from God). She honoured God by responding to the call of God. As a judge, she was also the leader of the army of Israel. Her story reveals that we can delight in the fact that God has respect for women in leadership and honours those who honour Him. Deborah's life inspires us to seek to know God. As a leader, she was a great woman of faith. Remember all the advantages were on the side of the enemy, but Deborah believed that God would be with His people. Though everything about the times and the culture was against Deborah, she obeyed God in serving as the leader of the nation. When women, who have been called by God to their special role- prominent or unknown, seek to know God, He makes us into women who earn the love and respect of people.
In the midst of opposition Deborah obeyed God in serving as a leader of the nation.
She was a woman of action: She showed her faith by what she did. Remember she was a righteous judge and had the welfare of her people at heart. Once it was understood that war was inevitable, she worked alongside Barak and together they devised a plan of action against the enemy. As a rophetess she revealed the will of God to Barak. She assured him that God would deliver Sisera and all his multitude of chariots and men into the hands of Barak. Barak affirms her spiritual attributes and influence with the people " If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I will not go" (Judges 4:8). Without any hesitation Deborah declared " I will surely go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honour will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman" (Judges 4:9). Sometimes, we fail to be risk-takers for God and thus many well-laid plans are not accomplished.
She received support from her family: Deborah was the wife of an obscure man, Lapidoth, and lived under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim. Her marriage gives us the picture the way God intended it to be. Lapidoth must have recognized the calling of God on her life. He must have been an understanding husband, who affirmed the ability of his wife. He must have been supportive of her right through. Perhaps they delighted in building up each other. They knew how to allow each other to develop into the individual role to which God calls us. Whether God gives us the gift of marriage or the gift of singleness it is our bounden duty to seek the support of the family.
She gives God the glory: Deborah sings to the Lord with thanks and praise for delivering the Israelites from the Canaanites. She thanks God specifically for what He has done for the nation. She recounts the miracles He has performed. What's important in this is that she is making an effort to recognize God's work and thank Him for it. She gave God the glory for the victory. How often do we even remember to say 'thank you' let alone enumerate the things that God has done for us and thank Him for each one of them? As a leader, she is a model of gratitude for us.
Conclusion: Deborah was a risk-taker for God in her generation. She fulfilled God's purpose in and through her life, by honouring God and people. Isn't this astonishing for her times? When God asks us to do things that seem impossible, how willing are we to go ahead and do them? Deborah challenges us that with God all things are possible.
Her life reminds us that no person is useless or not good enough to serve God. We all have the potential to do great things for God if we will only listen, trust and obey Him. Remember God can work through us to achieve incredible tasks, even against terrible odds! Let us dare to be risk-takers for God in our generation, thus inspiring people to follow Christ!
Find out what God would have you do,
And do that little well;
For what is great and what is small,
'Tis only He can tell!
-(Author Unknown)
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