DEBORAH'S GOVERNANCE (49 OF 52)
Scripture: Judges 4:1-7
This content is part of a series.
Deborah's Governance (49 of 52)
Series: Lectionary, Year A
Christopher B. Harbin
Judges 4:1-7
Sometimes we can't see what is right in front of us. We become blind to the things we see daily, such that we can too easily overlook them without seeing what should be obvious. We lose the glasses we are wearing on our heads. We can't find the phone we are holding and talking on. We desperately search for the keys in our hands. We don't see people sitting in front of us because we don't expect them to be there. We don't see the latest announcement in the bulletin, because it was not there in last week's edition and we don't expect to find it in today's. Sometimes it takes a new set of eyes to see what is right before us, simply because we gloss over what we believe we already know.
In today's passage, we find Deborah governing Israel. She is first introduced as a female prophet. It is the very same word in Hebrew used of Moses, Elijah, and Elisha with the simple addition of a feminine ending. Deborah is a prophet, standing outside the priestly tradition, yet understood as Yahweh's mouthpiece calling Israel to account. We then read that she was ruling or governing Israel in such a manner that the nation was actively seeking her out, turning to her for guidance and deliverance at Yahweh's hand. Furthermore, we find that not only did the nation seek and recognize her as governing according to the will and purposes of Yahweh, Yahweh was pleased to work through Deborah as the focal point of Divine revelation and redemptive action on Israel's behalf.
There are any number of issues here that should stop us in our tracks. We do not expect women to be Yahweh's prophets in Ancient Israel. We do not expect women to seek or be granted positions of leadership or authority. We expect Ancient Israel to reject women from such positions, not seek out their counsel as Yahweh's spokespersons. While we should be shocked by the reality presented in this text, we should perhaps b ...
Series: Lectionary, Year A
Christopher B. Harbin
Judges 4:1-7
Sometimes we can't see what is right in front of us. We become blind to the things we see daily, such that we can too easily overlook them without seeing what should be obvious. We lose the glasses we are wearing on our heads. We can't find the phone we are holding and talking on. We desperately search for the keys in our hands. We don't see people sitting in front of us because we don't expect them to be there. We don't see the latest announcement in the bulletin, because it was not there in last week's edition and we don't expect to find it in today's. Sometimes it takes a new set of eyes to see what is right before us, simply because we gloss over what we believe we already know.
In today's passage, we find Deborah governing Israel. She is first introduced as a female prophet. It is the very same word in Hebrew used of Moses, Elijah, and Elisha with the simple addition of a feminine ending. Deborah is a prophet, standing outside the priestly tradition, yet understood as Yahweh's mouthpiece calling Israel to account. We then read that she was ruling or governing Israel in such a manner that the nation was actively seeking her out, turning to her for guidance and deliverance at Yahweh's hand. Furthermore, we find that not only did the nation seek and recognize her as governing according to the will and purposes of Yahweh, Yahweh was pleased to work through Deborah as the focal point of Divine revelation and redemptive action on Israel's behalf.
There are any number of issues here that should stop us in our tracks. We do not expect women to be Yahweh's prophets in Ancient Israel. We do not expect women to seek or be granted positions of leadership or authority. We expect Ancient Israel to reject women from such positions, not seek out their counsel as Yahweh's spokespersons. While we should be shocked by the reality presented in this text, we should perhaps b ...
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