A Prophet, a Poet, and Called of God to Lead a Nation
This series of Bible studies seeks to retell the stories of women who were divinely called and empowered to do great things. Many of them rose to the occasion, and a few very famously did not. Often, the tragedies and triumphs in their lives are missed, and their stories are told from perspectives other than with the honor and dignity they deserve.
After excavating their narratives from millennia of obfuscation, now meet the freshly restored, valiant, vivid (and sometimes villainous) women of the Bible.
Prophet, Poet, and Judge: Deborah
Deborah is possibly the most famous woman depicted in the Book of Judges, besides Delilah. And what sets Deborah apart from perhaps every woman in the entirety of the scriptures—both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Testament, is the astonishing position she held in Israel.
This thirty-page book includes the retelling of Deborah’s story, a fifteen-question Bible study, and link to a twenty-minute multi-media presentation of Deborah’s career as the politically successful judge and spiritually rich prophet of Israel in the early, pioneering days of the Judges.
Women Leaders in the Bible Point to Women Leaders in the Church
Judge Deborah’s story is one of the more well-known in the Hebrew scriptures, and her position as prophet and judge aligns her with a small and powerful group in scripture: Moses and Miriam, and Samuel, the last of Israel’s judges, after her. In fact, the story of Deborah and Barak have strong parallels with Moses and Joshua.
But the account written in Judges 4–5 is less about Deborah and Barack, and far more about what it means to be a biblical woman. As you go through study, compare the three women described especially in Judges 5. Only one portrays the classical and admired femininity of her day. Who is she? And what is the Lord’s commentary on the other women who do not seem to fit the archetype of femininity by ancient or even modern standards?
Would God call a woman to have civic and spiritual authority over men? Over a people, or a nation?
Prophet, priest, and judge. Deborah’s narrative is one of many in the Bible that recognizes God’s intentional call on women as well as men to teach and lead at even the national level. Her story offers a deep appreciation for God’s work and call in and through women and encourages us to take practical steps towards recognition and support of women in all levels and varieties of ministry and spiritual leadership today.
As Judge, Deborah held civic authority over all who came to her for justice, men and women, village elders and all other leadership.
As Prophet, Deborah was anointed by God to deliver the word of the Lord to the people. From God to her lips, giving her spiritual authority over every priest and Levite, women and men alike.
As Poet, Deborah recorded the history of her people in the medium in which it would be best preserved, for her Song of Victory, one of the oldest pieces of literature in the Bible, commemorates the Lord’s remarkable intervention on behalf of God’s people a full three millennia ago.
Nearly forty free Bible studies on a woman in the scriptures are available through signing up to the newsletter below. What’s included:
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