This post begins a short series on women leaders in Scripture. Anyone raised up under certain denominations will have been told that "God doesn't do things like He used to" concerning women in leadership, the title of "disciple" or "apostle", or the performance of miracles. But, in the same breath, they will be quick to paraphrase the Scripture, and say "God is the same yesterday, today, and forever." So, which is it?
For me personally, I would rather believe the examples given to us in Scripture~the same Scripture that teaches, counsels, and reproves us~than a man-made doctrine in which the male members feel their manhood is threatened by women in leadership. Let's take a look at Deborah, and see why God chose her.
The first thing we see about Deborah is her name. It is a common, every day name in our present time. But what does it mean? In previous Scripture, we read how God changed Abram to Abraham, and Sarai to Sarah, when He was about to make a major change in their lives. So how was Deborah's name important, given her God-given position?
The name Deborah means "bee" and comes from the Hebrew word dabar. This word means a sense of orderly motion, and in reference to the bee, means from its systematic instincts. Dabar comes from a primitive root word that means to arrange, and figuratively, means to speak, to answer, to appoint, to name, to declare, to pronounce, to rehearse, to be a spokesman, to talk, to teach, to tell, to utter and to say. So, from her name alone, we can see why God would have chosen her, based on the character presence of her name.
Second, Deborah was both a prophetess and a judge. As a prophetess, she heard from God, and relayed messages to the people. As a judge, she settled their disputes, and led the nation as a whole. The people didn't have to see two different people in order hear messages from God.
Third, she judged from under a *palm tree. Why a palm tree? In Scripture, they are associated with an oasis in the desert (Jericho was know as the "City of Palms"), and compared to the righteous who flourish. (Ps. 92:12) Palm trees symbolize "uprightness" and their images were carved in to walls of the temple. The branches were (are) used during the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, to adorn the temporary shelters in memorial to when the children of Israel were in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. Also, every part of the palm tree was used in Hebrew culture~from food (dates), to the wood, to the branches, which means that, symbolically, they sustained life.
Deborah, both prophetess and judge, was not afraid of Israel's enemies, even though the male leader of Israel's army was. (see Judges 4:8) She stood on God's promise, regardless of what threat the enemy posed. After Barak gave her the ultimatum~that he would not go to war unless she accompanied him~tells us two things: how much confidence was put into her leadership from the military leader, and that, when he failed to believe God's promise of victory, she was ready, willing and able to stand in the gap. And she made sure he knew that his lack of faith was a flaw in his character, and told him that the glory he would have received for winning the victory would now be given to a woman.
I wonder how many men are in leadership positions throughout God's army, but won't go against the enemy because of fear, so that a woman has to step in and do the work he has been called to do? Hmmm. Just a thought.
*(I will be beginning a series on the significance of various trees in Scripture in The Theophilus Account, another one of the 6 blogs I write, in the very near future, so I will not go into the full aspect of it here.)
