Judges 4 & 5
This is the jest of that passage...
Deborah was a prophetess & judge over Israel. She sat under a palm tree and judged the children of Israel.
God had allowed King Jabin of Canaan to buy the Israelites and rule over them. Jabin had Sisera, the captain over his army, place soldiers at the gates of the city with swords & spears to make life difficult for the Jews. He also did not allow them to trade or grow crops. This went on for 20 years.
God tells Deborah to call Barak and have him gather 10,000 men and go to Tabor so that God can help him to defeat Sisera. Barak is somewhat of a chicken and tells Deborah that he will only go if she goes with him. Deborah agrees to go but tells him that God says that because he is scared and doesn't trust him, then God will deliver Sisera by a woman's hand.
It says in 4:15 that God discomfited Sisera and when the battle begins he runs away on foot. He flees to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. At the time, Heber & Jabin were friends so Sisera thought he would be safe at Heber's tent. Jael is kind to Sisera and offers him a place to rest and a blanket. When he asks for a drink of water she steps it up and gives him milk. He tells her to guard the door and tell anyone who comes by to say no one is there. Once he is asleep, she goes to him softly and takes a tent stake and drives it through his temple and into the ground, killing him. She sees Barak coming and goes to him and tells him where to find Sisera. So, God delivered Sisera into the hands of the Israelites through the courage of 2 women!
I want to look at some things we can learn from this story.
I. Draw Your Strength From the Lord - James 4:8
-Deborah must have been a godly woman or God would not have given her the authority or wisdom of be a prophetess & judge over Israel
--be someone God can trust
--pray & search the scriptures for knowledge about how to live your life & to know God better
This will give you strength in times of trouble and your daily walk!
II. A Woman's Strength Should be in Spirit - Prov. 11:16
- While exercise is important to be healthy, it's more important to have a spiritual strength
-women should not try to be masculine and be stronger than men physically - Prov. 20:29
--for the sake of a man's ego men need to feel that they are strong
--men want to feel they are needed for their physical strength & abilities
--men (even strong men) need our emotional strength & encouragement - it's one of the main reasons we were created - to help & encourage them
III. Learn When to be Weak & When to be Strong - Col. 3:18
- there are times, especially when our husbands aren't present, that we must be strong & make decisions & take care of ourselves, the kids & the home
-but when our husband is present they need us to need them
-many women in today's society say they don't need a man & these women often go through one relationship after another
--usually because they try to take charge & do everything including all decisions on their own with no input from the man
--most men find this a turn off - they don't feel needed - they feel they are unnecessary
--God created a desire in men to feel needed by us (really all people want to feel needed and relevant in the world!)
**Deborah went with Barak & gave her moral support but it was Barak who led the army!!
IV. When a Woman is Strong in Spirit, She Creates in Her Husband a Need for Her Presence - Prov. 31:10-12
***Deborah did this with Barak & he wasn't her husband, he was the leader of an army!
-when a woman uses her strength in a proper way & at proper times, like encouraging her husband when he's down or worried, or helping him with whatever he needs, he learns to lean on & trust her
--Barak had become so dependent on Deborah's wisdom that he felt he needed her with him at the battle
-when a woman uses her strength in improper ways & times, her husband seeks to be independent of her
ex:
-challenging his authority in front of the kids
-second guessing his decisions in front of others
-second guessing his decisions on a regular basis
-demanding things be her way
---all of these tear down his emotional well being & causes him to feel incompetent, hurt, angry and WILL cause him to want to be away from her
**Prov. 14:1
V. A Strong Woman Asserts Her Strength Without Sacrificing Her Femininity - Prov. 9:13
-Jael did a brave & strong thing when she killed Sisera
--she did it completely using her feminine resources - being sweet, kind & hospitable
-a woman doesn't have to become like a man to do great things for the Lord
--we don't have to dress, walk, or talk like men, especially men who cuss, drink & act mean and hateful
-it is always appalling to me when I hear women in public cussing and shoving men around - WHAT'S FEMININE ABOUT THAT?!
Let's be strong women of spirit for the Lord and for our husband and be an example to our daughters. How you show your strengths and refrain from them will be how our daughters show or refrain from theirs! - Titus 2:3-5
Extra devotional thought provoker:
Strong Woman VS A Woman of Strength
A strong woman works out everyday to keep her body in shape, but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.
A strong woman is not afraid of anything, but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of fear.
A strong woman will not let anyone get the best of her, but a woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone.
A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face, but a woman of strength wears grace.
A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey, but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.
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