Was Deborah’s Leadership a Blight on Israel’s History?

Growing up in very conservative Christian circles, it was common for me to hear (or read in books, as was even more often the case!) that Deborah’s leadership in the book of Judges was a blight on Israel’s history. I heard many people say in a prominent Christian ministry at the time that for a country to be under the leadership of a woman was for that country to be under a curse from God (they got this from a faulty interpretation of Isaiah 3:12, if you’re curious). Supposedly the only reason God would ever raise up a woman to lead or allow a woman to be put in such a position in the civil sphere would be as a last-ditch effort when there were no good men around or else a slap in the face wake-up call to the men who were supposed to be leading instead. 

And then I read the Bible for myself.

As I’ve shared about before, Deborah’s story was one I ignored with all my might during that season of my life years ago. I simply could not reconcile the seemingly beautiful story of Deborah with what I believed about female leadership being a curse. So, I did what we all do when a portion of the Bible simply will not fit into our little box of man-made doctrine: I ignored it. Didn’t read it, glossed right over it, because it was too much to handle.

I’m not willing to do that anymore and, praise God, I haven’t been for almost two years now. 

That has resulted in my mind being changed in many areas and led to my writing articles that have made some people very angry. But it has also led to my finding such a freedom and joy in the Lord I never had before as I now more fully understand His heart for women. And it has led to my receiving some pretty amazing messages from women who have said that they and their husbands together read all of my articles on the topic of Biblical womanhood and have had their marriages and lives changed for the better as a result. For that reason, I’ll keep going. Even when quaking in my boots at the posting of a controversial article is a common occurrence in my life these days.

With that being said, let’s get back to Deborah’s story! When I was finally willing to let go of my preconceived ideas regarding female leadership in the civil sphere and began to allow the Bible to speak for itself without the aid of my faulty hermeneutics, I discovered an absolutely beautiful picture in Judges 4-5. 

In the midst of a dark and depressing time in Israel’s history when the Israelites were under harsh oppression as a result of their sin, God rose up a woman to lead and rescue His people. And not only that but He also brought a man onto the scene to partner with Deborah and thereby beautifully illustrate for us the design God has always had in mind for men and women: one of mutual support, partnership, and a working together (Genesis 1:26-28) to advance the Kingdom of God as fellow aids and encouragers (not as sex objects, seducers, traps, abusers, dominators, or genders that are just so drastically different that they can’t even relate to one another anymore, as are all common stereotypes these days!).

How we Know Deborah’s Leadership was a Blessing and not a Curse

God Chose Her.

Granted, there were times when God allowed an incredibly wicked leader to be raised up to rule over His people, but this is not one of those instances. We see throughout Judges 4 and 5 that Deborah was a woman who feared God and glorified Him with her life. She was His prophet and the judge of His people, and He raised her up to be so.

Some who do not like the idea of a female leader jump in to quickly say that God just raised Deborah up because there were no good men around to get the job done. This is a sad attempt at discrediting the leadership of Deborah for at least two reasons: 

1. The same people who make such claims are also oftentimes Calvinists who believe in God’s absolute sovereignty and control. Their reformed belief system would inevitably lead to their believing (as we all should!) that God could have raised up a man to lead His people if He had wanted to – after all, He had done just that multiple times before! It’s no small feat for God to produce and raise up a great man to lead His people when there seems to be a shortage of good men. But He didn’t choose to do that this time. He chose a woman.

2) It is Biblically inaccurate to say that there was a shortage of good men and that that was the reason God had to resort to using a woman. First of all, the text never says there was a shortage of godly men. Second of all, Barak was right there and apparently was a good enough man with a strong enough faith to be included by God into the great “Hall of Faith” found in Hebrews 11. No, it isn’t that there was a lack of good men. It was that God wanted a woman to lead this time – and that wreaks havoc with the common narrative that female rulers are a curse from God!

She (and Jael, another woman!) Rescued Israel from the Hands of a Tyrant.

It amazes me that I ever thought I could make a case for the myth that Deborah’s leadership was a curse on the nation of Israel when a simple, even cursory, reading of the passage clearly proves otherwise. 

Consider what has been going on when God raises up Deborah as prophetess and judge:

“When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.” ~Judges 4:1-3

Consider the resulting outcome of Deborah’s leadership:

“And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, ‘Come, I will show you the man whom you seek.’ And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple. So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel.And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.” ~Judges 4:22-24

I’m pretty sure that sounds like a great blessing, not a curse. And I’m pretty sure the Israelites of the time would have wholeheartedly agreed.

Deborah Praised God for the Blessing of Good Rulers (And Included Herself in That Description!)

Following the incredible story of victory and deliverance in Judges 4 comes the song of celebration and praise issued forth from the lips of Deborah and Barak in Judges 5. Consider these excerpts:

“When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless the Lord!” ~Judges 5:2

“In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted, and the travelers walked along the byways. Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.” ~Judges 5:6-7

The song ends with these words:

“‘Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! but let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength.’ So the land had rest for forty years.” ~Judges 5:31

The land had rest for forty years. That sure sounds like a great blessing to me! Imagine the relief the Israelites must have felt after having been under the harsh oppression of King Jabin for twenty years! No, the people of Israel didn’t view Deborah and her leadership as a curse or a blight on their nation’s history. Far from it! They viewed her and her compatriots, Jael and Barak, as a great blessing from God. And so should we.