Today our Saturday Spotlight is
DEBORAH: Busy as a Bee
Judges 4 & 5
“Bee”—that’s what the name “Deborah” means. And was Deborah ever busy!
First, as a wife to Lappidoth, an honorable man, who recognized—and evidently encouraged—his wife’s many talents.
In addition to efficiently running the household (she was a “Proverbs 31 Woman” before Proverbs was written!), she was well-known as the only woman that God ever appointed as Judge over all the tribes of Israel.
She held court under “The Palm Tree of Deborah” (Have you ever had a tree named after you?) between Ramath and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim. [Jud. 4:5]
There the people of Israel came to her for judgment. By God’s design she had a keen knowledge of “the Law” (of Moses) and the wisdom to settle each dispute brought to her. This may be the reason for the title “a mother in Israel” [Jud. 5:7], since there is no mention of her having children.
A wise woman! A faithful wife! An honest judge!
Once again, Israel turned away from God to follow idols and God allowed them to be persecuted by Jabin, king of Canaan, for 20 years. Heeding the people’s cry for deliverance, God communicated His plan to Deborah, who, following instructions, summoned General Barak (a warrior from a northern tribe) to gather troops to fight Jabin and his army, led by Sisera and famous (or infamous!) for its 900 iron chariots.
Imagine her surprise at Barak’s response: “I’ll only go to war if you go with me,” said the reluctant General.
“I will go,” answered Deborah—the faithful encourager. “Does not Yahweh, the God of Israel, promise to give Sisera into your hand?”
For “giving forth God’s word”, Deborah is called a “prophetess”, adding to her job description. Busy propping up the faint of heart!
After the battle, another of Deborah’s talents surfaced—she wrote a ballad extoling Israel’s victory. [Judges, Chap 5] She recounted how the LORD/Yahweh, Israel’s covenant God who had created the world, called some of its natural resources into the fight—earthquakes and rain. . .lots of rain, which turned the River Kishon into a torrent of muddy water, rendering the enemy’s 900 iron chariots utterly useless!
Deborah—busy as a bee, faithfully serving her God, her family, and her nation.
-Granny Jo
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