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“Women of the Bible: Deborah”
If you like a story about a strong leader; if you like a story about the good guys defeating the bad guys; if you like a story about someone driving a peg through someone’s head; then, you will like the story of Deborah, a great prophet, judge, and leader.
Today, we are continuing our series called “The Women of the Bible,” and we are going to learn about Deborah, and we’ll learn about a bonus woman as well.
Deborah’s story is set in the context of the period of the judges of Israel, which was after the time of Moses and Joshua, and before the time of the kings of Israel.
It was during the time of the judges that the people of Israel often turned away from the Lord and did their own thing. The Bible says, “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”
So, when the people of Israel sinned against God, God would bring judgment, then the people would repent, then God would deliver them. He often accomplished this work through leaders called “judges.”
So, today, we’re going to learn about the only female judge: Deborah.
Join me in prayer as we begin to learn about this fascinating biblical hero.
(prayer)
We’re going to learn today that Deborah was a leader.
There has been some confusion in the church world about whether or not God created women to be leaders.
Let me just clear that up for you: women can be leaders, and God created and called some women to be leaders.
Now, we clearly know from Scripture that women are not to fulfill certain roles; just as men are not to fulfill certain roles. Women are not to be husbands, fathers, or pastors, in particular; but they can be leaders.
Just a couple of examples of women who led in the Bible are Esther and Deborah; both about whom we will learn in this sermon series.
So, men, women, and children alike: let’s learn about Deborah, the judge and leader.
First, . . .
I. Deborah was a respected leader.
Deborah was known by the people of Israel and she was respected first and foremost as a prophetess.
Listen to Judges 4:1-5.
1 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud had died. 2 So the Lord sold them to King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the Nations. 3 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, because Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them twenty years.
4 Deborah, a prophetess and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to settle disputes
We learn that Deborah had her own palm tree (that’s pretty cool). She would sit under that tree, and people would come to her to hear from the Lord regarding disputes they had with one another.
Really, Deborah is fulfilling two roles: that of a prophet, and that of a judge.
Some of the judges that we learn about were military heroes, but this was not initially the case with Deborah. Deborah was fulfilling the role that was more in line with the men who were set up by Moses to help take care of the people of Israel because the work had become too burdensome for him to do by himself. This original function of judges was very similar to the New Testament function of a deacon.
However, we’re going to see that Deborah went far beyond that.
So, the people respected Deborah; they came to her to hear from the Lord and to hear her wisdom regarding disputes.
We also see that she was respected by those in power.
Look at verses 6-8:
6 She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, the God of Israel, com
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By First Baptist Church Bartow
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If you like a story about a strong leader; if you like a story about the good guys defeating the bad guys; if you like a story about someone driving a peg through someone’s head; then, you will like the story of Deborah, a great prophet, judge, and leader.
Today, we are continuing our series called “The Women of the Bible,” and we are going to learn about Deborah, and we’ll learn about a bonus woman as well.
Deborah’s story is set in the context of the period of the judges of Israel, which was after the time of Moses and Joshua, and before the time of the kings of Israel.
It was during the time of the judges that the people of Israel often turned away from the Lord and did their own thing. The Bible says, “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”
So, when the people of Israel sinned against God, God would bring judgment, then the people would repent, then God would deliver them. He often accomplished this work through leaders called “judges.”
So, today, we’re going to learn about the only female judge: Deborah.
Join me in prayer as we begin to learn about this fascinating biblical hero.
(prayer)
We’re going to learn today that Deborah was a leader.
There has been some confusion in the church world about whether or not God created women to be leaders.
Let me just clear that up for you: women can be leaders, and God created and called some women to be leaders.
Now, we clearly know from Scripture that women are not to fulfill certain roles; just as men are not to fulfill certain roles. Women are not to be husbands, fathers, or pastors, in particular; but they can be leaders.
Just a couple of examples of women who led in the Bible are Esther and Deborah; both about whom we will learn in this sermon series.
So, men, women, and children alike: let’s learn about Deborah, the judge and leader.
First, . . .
I. Deborah was a respected leader.
Deborah was known by the people of Israel and she was respected first and foremost as a prophetess.
Listen to Judges 4:1-5.
1 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud had died. 2 So the Lord sold them to King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the Nations. 3 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, because Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them twenty years.
4 Deborah, a prophetess and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to settle disputes
We learn that Deborah had her own palm tree (that’s pretty cool). She would sit under that tree, and people would come to her to hear from the Lord regarding disputes they had with one another.
Really, Deborah is fulfilling two roles: that of a prophet, and that of a judge.
Some of the judges that we learn about were military heroes, but this was not initially the case with Deborah. Deborah was fulfilling the role that was more in line with the men who were set up by Moses to help take care of the people of Israel because the work had become too burdensome for him to do by himself. This original function of judges was very similar to the New Testament function of a deacon.
However, we’re going to see that Deborah went far beyond that.
So, the people respected Deborah; they came to her to hear from the Lord and to hear her wisdom regarding disputes.
We also see that she was respected by those in power.
Look at verses 6-8:
6 She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, the God of Israel, com