Meredith Flynn
There is one part of Judges 4-5 that sets the tone for the entire account of Deborah, the only female judge of Israel chronicled in the Bible. Ironically, this snippet doesn’t include Deborah herself, although she does foreshadow wicked Sisera’s death at the hands of a woman. What she doesn’t say is that the woman, named Jael, will drive a tent stake into Sisera’s temple, killing him and ultimately delivering Israel from his oppression.
Deborah didn’t do the driving, but Sisera’s violent end isn’t surprising when set against the no-frills, hard-charging tone of her whole story. She was a hero to Sunday-school me, sitting in rapt attention as my teacher told the story of this strong woman in Israel’s leadership canon. Now, though, I recognize Deborah is not a friend you meet for coffee. She speaks sharply and pulls no punches.
Listen as she summons Barak with a less-than-gentle call to action: Hasn’t the Lord commanded you to go to battle with Sisera? When Barak says he’ll go if she does, she agrees, but warns him he won’t get any of the glory. The Israelites go to battle and are victorious, and Sisera meets his gory death. Does Deborah relax her tone a little after the battle? Judges 5 indicates she does not, as she and Barak sing a song that praises the Lord and calls out the tribes of Israel that didn’t participate.
This is a woman who is not messing around. And as such, she doesn’t fit into the gentle, accommodating leadership model with which I am most comfortable.
We all have known strong leaders who are not warm and fuzzy. They can seem harsh or brash. And certainly, leadership can be abused. Just like every other gift we are tempted to twist it for our own purposes. Say what you will about Deborah, but she didn’t do that. She consistently leaned on God for her next move and how she counseled others. And she gave him glory for the victory.
Hear her plainspoken proclamation from Judges 5:1. “When the leaders lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, blessed be the Lord.” Cause and effect, says Deborah. When people do what they’re supposed to do, the Lord is blessed.
The next time I’m tempted to wince at someone’s leadership style, I’ll think of Deborah, and ask God to make me more receptive to the unflinching judges he puts in my path.
Meredith Flynn is a writer living in Springfield. She and her family are active members of Delta Church.