The First Wonder Woman
This is a paper I wrote for my Old Testament course I attend. I thought it might be interesting to some people who are curious to see what students in seminary work on.
GLORY GOES TO THE WILLING: A READING OF THE PROPHET DEBORAH
When God recruited Moses to free the Israelites from bondage, Moses hesitated and then struck a bargain with God where Aaron would speak on his brother’s behalf (Ex 4:10-17). Later in the book, the characteristic of this interaction repeats itself when the Israelites, the nation who would be a light to the rest of the world, struck a deal with Moses where he would speak to them on God’s behalf (Ex 20:19). In both cases, the parties whom God recruited showed hesitation and insecurities in their own skills, and both showed a lack of understanding of God’s empowerment. Therefore, it can be argued that both Moses and the Israelites missed out on a deeper relationship with Yahweh than had they agreed with Him from the start. The book of Exodus, however, is not the only place where this unwillingness takes place in the Scripture, rather all throughout the Old Testament the same type of interaction occurs. The people’s fear and unwillingness of hearing Yahweh directly, sets up the necessity for the office of the prophet who will continue to speak God’s Word to Israel. The narrative of the prophetess Deborah in the book of Judges becomes a microcosm of the unfortunate tale of Israel’s reluctance in participating with God’s saving history. Deborah’s narrative, however, shows that Yahweh will use whoever is willing to carry out the completion of His plan with some surprising results. This essay will provide an overview of the book of Judges to provide an outline for the significance of Deborah, offer an analysis of Deborah’s narrative in Judges 4:4-24, then reflect on the passage’s relevance for Pentecostals, and finally, provide an outline for teaching the importance of this passage.
The book of Judges sits in a group of texts traditionally called the “Former Prophets,” which are made up of Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings. In the Protestant tradition, these books are included among the “historical” division of the Old Testament, which conflicts with the Hebrew canon calling them “prophets.”[1] This misunderstanding can be remedied by identifying the fact that Hebrew authors were not concerned with a definition of history as it relates to the modern reader, but instead by defining it as history from a prophetic point of view.[2] Judges, in particular, did not set out to write a continuous account of Israel’s development, rather the writer was concerned with the pattern of Yahweh’s judgment and grace towards his people during that period.[3] With that focus comes the need for a “high degree of theological interpretation.”[4] This theological interpretation can be mostly seen through the Former prophets classification as Deuteronomistic History (although some argue that this classification reduces the Torah to a tetrateuch).[5] This classification was developed by Old Testament scholar Martin Noth, who suggested the key of understanding the Former Prophets is through Deuteronomy 4:44 – 30:20, which Noth links to Hilkiah’s discovery in 2 Kings 22.[6] What this means is that Judges, as well as the other Former Prophets, are said to be written well after the events contained in the book, and most would place the final composition sometime between the ministry of Jeremiah and the reign of Josiah.[7] This begs the question, can we only truly understand the events until after take place? Scholarly consensus would argue, yes.
Across the churches of the world, congregants learn that the book of Judges displays Israel’s sin cycle, or more accurately, spiral of sin. Yet, this spiral of sin has both a beginning and end, all of which is seen throughout a structure of three major sections; the prologue (1.1-3.6), the stories of the judges (3.7-16.31), and the epilogue (17.1-21.25).[8] It is important to note that the structure is not agreed upon by all Old Testament scholarship. For example, some scholars such as Jay G. Williams and Barry G. Webb have place the beginning of the second section at 2:6, directly after the death of Joshua most likely to place more emphasis on start of Israel’s decline.[9] At 3:7, however, the reader is introduced to the story of the first Judge with subsequent stories that follow and end at 16:31. For the purpose of this essay, as implied above, verse 3:7 will mark the beginning of the second major section being that it is the story of one particular judge that is of importance.
The book of Judges is somewhat peculiar in that most scholars suggest it has two introductions, however, the Deuteronomistic authors may have intended it to be that way for a reason. The first subsection of the prologue (vv. 1.1 – 2.5) speaks on the account of the warfare that was waged to seize the land of Canaan.[10] The first half of chapter 1 tells of Israel’s success in driving out the Canaanites due to their faithfulness towards the covenant God made with them. Sometime after the tribe of Judah had been chosen to lead Israel in battle, Israel began to fail in driving out the inhabitants of the land and started to live amongst the Canaanites (1.19 – 1:36). This signaled a direct disobedience to the covenant God made with them and the “Angel of Yahweh,” addresses their lack of duty in the beginning of chapter 2. The section, which holds one of the three speeches from Yahweh in the book of Judges,[11] initiates the cycle of Israel’s sin and redemption, which is a central struggle for almost the entirety of the book. While Israel did not need a Judge now, it was Yahweh’s direct speech, which caused the tribes of Israel become faithful again to Him. At least, until the death of Joshua and his generation that is.
The second subsection of the introduction (vv. 2.6 – 3.6) tells of the reaction of Israel towards the speech and the death of Joshua as mentioned above, but introduces the willful disobedience of the Israelites that causes the tribes to descend into chaos. It also acts as a window into what would take place in the subsequent events of the book of why the Israelites behaved the way they did (2.11 – 13), the result of their behavior (2:14 – 15), and then how God delivered them (v. 16). The next section chronicles how this cycle would repeat itself and how no matter many times God would rescue Israel, each generation would devolve worse in morals and worship than the previous generation (vv. 17-23). Finally, 3:1-6 tells of the nations which God leaves in the land to test Israel. The whole introduction though sets up a theological rationale for the reader to understand the cycle of Judges. One possible reason for this cycle might have to do with Israel’s lack of educating the next generation in the ways of the Torah. Walter Brueggemann notes, especially in Israel’s case, “every community that wants to last beyond a single generation must concern itself with education.”[12] On the other hand, Dr. Lee Roy Martin says that the root problem is that Israel does not hear and obey the word of God and therefore their unwillingness causes them to suffer (emphasis mine).[13]
The next and largest portion of the book of Judges contains the tales of each individual Judge along with the events leading up to and following their ministry. This section then is a narrative of the playing out of Israel’s cycle of sin and redemption. The stories themselves act as subsections, all of which are too numerous for the space here, most of which have special significance in the decline of the relationship between Yahweh and Israel. The narrative of the Judges also predominately displays a biblical literary function of warfare called, “Yahweh war.”[14] In most cases it is Yahweh who initiates this war, especially by raising up the Judges, and then there can also be times of consulting Him and getting answers, such as the case with Gideon. Another additional feature of Yahweh war is that those doing the fighting do not have to be well trained, nor numerous because the battle was in Yahweh’s hands.[15] Despite Yahweh’s hand in war, the arc of this section reveals that Judges ultimately mirror the collapse of Israel, especially with Samson, who could not even control his passions let alone Israel’s.[16] The key theme of Israel’s ill function relationship is on full display.
Like the beginning of Judges, which can be considered to have two subsections, the epilogue has two subsections of its own, but it also acts as the climax of the book. The first section chronicles the account of Israel establishing a place of idolatrous worship (17.1 – 18.31) and the second tells of an event that triggers a civil war 19.1 – 21.25). Throughout the epilogue, the phrase, “in those days there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes,” appears four times. The statement suggests that without a leader Israel has no sense or wrong from right and therefore seems to be making a case for the coming monarchy. Through the whole book, fourteen leaders are named, but by the end of the book, just like the beginning, no leader presides over Israel.[17] If only Israel would have been willing to let God rule them.
This section of the essay will begin in earnest the coverage of Judges 4:4-24, which covers
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the narrative of the Judge and prophet Deborah. In the preceding passage, the reader finds that Israel has slumped back into sin after the death of the Judge Ehud, and then suffered under the Canaanite king, Jabin, for twenty years (4.1-3). This passage then, mainly featuring a prose narrative,[18] seems to be broken down into, at most, four sections. The first section, vv.4-9, introduces Deborah and tells of the interaction between her and Barak, the man whom she tells God wants to fight Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s military. The second section, vv. 10-16, tells of the gathering of the Naphtali and Zebulun tribes and the battle with Sisera’s army that follows. The third section, vv. 17-21, is the climax of the story and details the fleeing of Sisera from Barak in battle, the interaction between Jael and Sisera and then the death of Sisera at the hands of Jael. Lastly, the fourth section takes up the last two verse of the chapter and speaks of the defeat of Jabin by the Israelites with the help of Yahweh.
Yahweh
Though this passage is short, there are significant themes embedded within it. One of the more obvious themes is concerned with the activity of God within the events. Just as there are four sections of the passage, there are four places within the text that directly concern Yahweh. The first comes in v. 4.6-7 where Deborah has summoned Barak and communicates what God has commanded him to do. The second follows closely in v.9 when Deborah tells Barak the God has given the glory of killing Sisera to a woman. The third instance of this theme comes in the sequence of battle in vv.14-15 where Deborah commands Barak to engage in battle because God has gone out before him and then the narrator comments that the victory was God’s doing. Finally, the fourth time the theme occurs is in v.23 where the author credits God for Israel’s defeat of Jabin. It is more than possible this theme is indicative of the “Yahweh war,” spoken about above, being that it carries hallmark traits of the feature. Specifically, God is the one who issue’s a directive to battle through the mouth of Deborah (v.6). Secondly, there is an assurance offered to those battling that God has given their enemy over to them, vv. 14-15, a promise that usually signified the battle had already been won,[19] no matter the superior technology of the enemy.[20] The last hallmark then is the fact that the author doesn’t mention the skill level of Israel’s fighters, which is akin to other instances in Old Testament Scripture where “Yahweh war” is engaged. All the fighter’s need to do to qualify for warfare is observe the ritual requirements.[21] This theme gives way to the larger theme of the Former Prophets that Israel’s history is wrapped up in the action of Yahweh.
Social Order Disruption
This theme is not explicitly described in the biblical text like the above is, but is implicit upon close observation of the passage. The very idea of Deborah having such a role seems to be counter of that of the patriarchal culture during the time as many Old Testament scholars will tell the reader. In fact, Susan Niditch argues that Deborah can be considered a “social bandit” because of the unusualness of her role.[22] Yet, God had saw it fit to make her a prophet and leader of high standing, which is something highlighted by the fact that Israelites went to here for judgement (4:5). It is argued that Deborah not only Judged, but also settled matters of dispute, which again shows a her in an unusual position for her society where men were given more prominence.[23] Indeed, even though some see Barak’s request she accompany him to battle as something which lost him the chance to kill Sisera, others suggest that Barak was following protocol in that he knew the battle would fare better having one of God’s favorite on hand.[24] The only reason why she does not take part in the actual battle is most likely because of her double role as a prophet.[25] Barak downplays his own role while at the same time increases Deborah’s prestige as a “woman warrior.”[26] Jael too, while a little more dubious in character, also gets in on the disruption caused by Barak being downplayed in that she is the one to strike the killing blow to Sisera (v. 21). The fact that this event came to pass confirms Deborah’s title of a true prophet.
Willingness and Unwillingness
This last theme, like the previous, needs close observation to be drawn out, but has consequences not only for the characters of chapter 4, but for the whole of Judges as well. The willingness of the characters in this passage seem to determine what events come to pass for who. The characters are God, Israel, Deborah, Barak, Sisera, Jael, and to a lesser extent, Jabin. The reader finds in Judges 4:4 that Deborah is Judging in Israel. This indicates, as the beginning of chapter four states, that Israel must have done something to bring oppression upon themselves. Throughout the book of Judges, it states that the Israelites have done evil in the sight of the Lord and that they have worshiped other gods. This indicates Israel was unwilling to fulfill their covenant with God and therefore suffered. God, however, is willing to keep us his end of the covenant despite Israel’s unfaithfulness and raises up a judge in Deborah, who willingly and faithfully fulfills her duties. Even though the Barak’s hesitation is hotly debated, it could be considered a signal of unwillingness. What happens then is that God finds someone who is willing to accomplish His goals, and that turns out to be Jael. The victory God gives the Israelites installs in them a willingness to renew their fulfillment of the covenant as the end of Deborah’s song in chapter five shows Israel had a period of rest. The issue remains though that the next generations once again became unwilling to do God’s work, a problem that repeats and grows worse as time goes one.
In his book, The Unheard Voice of God, Old Testament scholar Lee Roy Martin examines Judges and specifically concentrates on the divine speeches of Yahweh to the corporate body of Israel. Inspired by his Pentecostal faith, his observation is that Israel’s undoing is caused by their neglect of listening to the Word of God.[27] The reader can see such an observation in v. 5 identifying Deborah as a judge, a role that only comes about when Israel cries out for redemption. The rest of the chapter’s narrative, however, reveals what happens when Israel listens to God. When Israel listens to God they have the courage to face their enemies in battle (v. 14). When Israel listens to God, they witness God shattering their enemies before them (v. 15). When Israel listens to God, they defeat their enemies (v. 23, 24). The end of chapter five also tells us that because they listened to God and defeated Jabin, they had forty years of peace. So, while Israel had been guilty of not listening to God’s word before the prophet of Deborah, and were guilty of it after her, Deborah’s narrative show’s that Israel is able to experience the faithfulness of God when they do listen to Him. If this is the case for the characters in Judges 4, then it true for God’s believers today as well.
Deborah’s time as a Judge has presented problems within the church at large. The problem
is one of who exactly is fit for leadership among God’s people. A good portion of the church draws their requirements for leadership from the New Testament writings of Paul. Passages like 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2:9-15 have become the gold standard in arguing why women can’t hold high office in the church. Yet when examining these passages by including other disciplines such as sociology, archaeology, anthropology, along with lexicographical work, the results have opened the biblical world and its text in surprising ways. For example, 1 Corinthians 14 is not forbidding a woman to prophesy, but rather creating a new tradition of how women can prophesy in the church so that the church could have a unique identity.[29] When considering 1 Timothy 2, the church that Timothy pastored in was in Ephesus. This is important because Ephesus contained the largest temple devoted to the goddess, Diana and the cult of Diana had a strong foothold on the Ephesians. We know this because Acts 19 tells of a riot in Ephesus where the rioters yell, “Great is Artemis [Diana] of the Ephesians (Acts 19.28)!” The cult of Diana was presided over by female priests who initiated followers into the cult through sexual intercourse.[30] With that said, it could be argued that Paul’s fear was that these priestesses would infiltrate the church and spread false doctrine. It however, does not necessarily mean that Paul forbids any woman in any church period, or could not hold a high position of leadership, and as the reader sees in Romans16, Paul thanks God for many woman who seem to have substantial roles. Considering this, it means women like Deborah and Huldah cannot be brushed off as some historical quirk, but that they are the evidence that God uses whoever is willing to work with Him, and that He alone determines a person’s role in His story.
The Pentecostal tradition began in the power of the Spirit and whose congregants wished to see the church operate in the same way the early church did. As such, Pentecostals have developed a hermeneutic of the Word and Spirit, meaning they hold a high view of Scripture, but also believe in taking part in the activity of the Holy Spirit.[31] To practice faith only on the confines of Scripture, would only cause rationalism, yet to only practice faith based on charism only breeds subjectivism.[32] The activity of the Holy Spirit often includes endowing believers in Christ charismatic gifts such as tongues, healing and yes, even prophecy. The reader sees in the narrative of Deborah that prophecy functions in a way that liberates the people of God, but also progresses them into a deeper faithfulness towards God. The gift of prophecy in the Pentecostal church then, is not to be taken lightly, or even to bragged about. Rather, as Paul states, prophecy can lay bare the secrets of the unbelievers’ hearts causing them to cry out that “God is really among you (1 Cor 14.24-25)!” In a word, Pentecostals can help liberate a person, and themselves, from their secrets and cause them to come face to face with God. Prophecy, in conjunction with the Word of God, is the gift of helping unbelievers and themselves with the reality of God’s faithfulness to the promise that all those who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom 10:13), just as it was with Deborah, and therefore Pentecostal should continue to seek it in earnest.
The theological theme of willingness and unwillingness identified above was not just relevant for the ancient Israelites, but for God’s people today too. The beginning of the passage, as well as the rest of the book, warns what can happen if we are unwilling to hear the voice of God. People fall into apostasy and come under oppression. The oppression people face today because of failing to hear God and obey does not result in foreign occupation, yet it can instead resemble things like addiction, violence, and so on. On the other hand, just as the characters in Deborah’s narrative experience the faithfulness of God because they were willing to listen and obey, Pentecostals, and all Christians can experience the same faithfulness of God fulfilling his promises. Deborah’s narrative shows that God’s salvation history is participatory, allowing humanity to take part. The life, death, and resurrection of Christ then, gives us more of an opportunity to participate with God in that through Christ we share in his inheritance, but also through giving us His Spirit so that we may spread the Good News to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Failure to be willing to listen to God and failure to be willing to obey God then, only results in an impotent church.
In closing, in order to examine the Deborah’s narrative in Judges 4.4-24, it was necessary to give a general overview of the whole book to put her story in to context. Next, we moved into examining the passage and after commenting on the structure, the major themes of the passage were explained, which showed us that God was essentially the main player who was willing to upset the social order of Israel and give the glory of the deliverance to those who were willing to listen and obey. The theological message of the book affirms such themes by revealing what can happen when God’s people listen to him and that they have the chance to experience His faithfulness as well. We then explored what the implications of Deborah’s role considering her gender could mean for the contemporary church and how scholars have reconciled New Testament comments about women and leadership with Old Testament narratives like Deborah’s. Lastly, we explore the implications of Deborah’s narrative for Pentecostals showing that Prophecy, in conjunction with the Word, is a powerful missional aid in liberating the oppressed and progressing the church’s faithfulness towards God, but only if we are willing to listen and obey. Deborah’s story may have taken place in ancient days, but the story still affects us because of the timeless themes which the Holy Spirit connects us through. We should take warning of what happens when we aren’t willing to hear God and obey, but we should also be encouraged that the glory of the battle goes to those who are willing, and to God above all others. Let us always be the ones willing.
[1] William LaSor and David Hubbard, Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament, Second Edition, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans’s Publishing, 1996), 132.
[2] Ibid., 132-33.
[3] Ibid., 132.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Arie C. Leder, “Paradise Lost: Reading the Former Prophets by the Rivers of Babylon,” Calvin Theological Journal,” 37, no. 1 (Apr 2002), 10. Leder argues that Noth’s suggestion of Deuteronomy being the introduction leaves the Torah with an unsatisfying ending,
[6] Brien Neil Patterson, The Authors of Deuteronomistic History: Locating a Tradition in Ancient Israel, (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2014), 10.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Lee Roy Martin, The Unheard Voice of God: A Pentecostal Hearing of the Book of Judges, (Dorset, UK: Deo Publishing, 2008), 80.
[9] Jay G. Williams, “The Structure of Judges 2:6-16:31,” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 16, no. 49 (Feb 1991), 78.
[10] Martin, The Unheard Voice of God, 81.
[11] Ibid., 82.
[12] Walter Brueggemann, The Creative Word: Canon as a Model for Biblical Education, Second edition (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 1.
[13] Martin, The Unheard Voice of God, 84.
[14] Elmer A Martens, God’s Design: A Focus on Old Testament Theology, Third Edition (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1998), 44.
[15] Ibid., 45-6.
[16] Martin, The Unheard Voice of God, 89.
[17] Ibid., 91.
[18] Arthur Cundall and Leon Morris. Judges and Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary, (TOTC 7; Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1968),
[19] Martens, God’s Design, 45.
[20] Judy Taubes Sterman, “Themes in the Deborah Narrative,” Jewish Bible Quarterly 39, no. 1 (Spr 2011), 19. Sterman talks about how in many parts of chapter 4, the technology of the Canaanites, with regard to their chariots, were the reason Israel believed they could not over take them.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Susan Niditch, Judges: A Commentary, First Edition (Old Testament Library; Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2008), 4.
[23] Ibid., 65.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Lee Roy Martin, “Tongues of Angels, Words of Prophets: Means of Divine Communication in the Book of Judges,” Passover, Pentecost and Parousia: Studies in the Celebration of the Life and Ministry of R. Hollis Gause, eds. S.J Land and R.D. Moore (Dorset, UK: Deo Publishing 2010), 40.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Martin, The Unheard Voice of God, 3.
[28] Modern here means contemporary.
[29] Ben Witherington III, Conflict and Community in Corinth, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1995), 236. In the Greco-Roman world, it was the male officiant who covered their head to prophecy about their deity as depicted in the artwork of the time, but Paul did not want to accommodate such an idolatrous culture’s practice into the church.
[30] Catherine and Richard Kroeger, I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence, (Grand Rabids, MI: Baker Academic, 1992), 98.
[31] John Christopher Thomas, “The Word and the Spirit,” Ministry and Theology: Studies for the Church and its Leaders (Cleveland, TN: Pathway Press, 1996), 15.
[32] Rickie D. Moore, “Canon and Charisma in the Book of Deuteronomy,” Journal of Pentecostal Theology 1, no. 1 (1992), 91.
GLORY GOES TO THE WILLING: A READING OF THE PROPHET DEBORAH
Introduction
When God recruited Moses to free the Israelites from bondage, Moses hesitated and then struck a bargain with God where Aaron would speak on his brother’s behalf (Ex 4:10-17). Later in the book, the characteristic of this interaction repeats itself when the Israelites, the nation who would be a light to the rest of the world, struck a deal with Moses where he would speak to them on God’s behalf (Ex 20:19). In both cases, the parties whom God recruited showed hesitation and insecurities in their own skills, and both showed a lack of understanding of God’s empowerment. Therefore, it can be argued that both Moses and the Israelites missed out on a deeper relationship with Yahweh than had they agreed with Him from the start. The book of Exodus, however, is not the only place where this unwillingness takes place in the Scripture, rather all throughout the Old Testament the same type of interaction occurs. The people’s fear and unwillingness of hearing Yahweh directly, sets up the necessity for the office of the prophet who will continue to speak God’s Word to Israel. The narrative of the prophetess Deborah in the book of Judges becomes a microcosm of the unfortunate tale of Israel’s reluctance in participating with God’s saving history. Deborah’s narrative, however, shows that Yahweh will use whoever is willing to carry out the completion of His plan with some surprising results. This essay will provide an overview of the book of Judges to provide an outline for the significance of Deborah, offer an analysis of Deborah’s narrative in Judges 4:4-24, then reflect on the passage’s relevance for Pentecostals, and finally, provide an outline for teaching the importance of this passage.
An Overview of Judges
The Composition of Judges
The book of Judges sits in a group of texts traditionally called the “Former Prophets,” which are made up of Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings. In the Protestant tradition, these books are included among the “historical” division of the Old Testament, which conflicts with the Hebrew canon calling them “prophets.”[1] This misunderstanding can be remedied by identifying the fact that Hebrew authors were not concerned with a definition of history as it relates to the modern reader, but instead by defining it as history from a prophetic point of view.[2] Judges, in particular, did not set out to write a continuous account of Israel’s development, rather the writer was concerned with the pattern of Yahweh’s judgment and grace towards his people during that period.[3] With that focus comes the need for a “high degree of theological interpretation.”[4] This theological interpretation can be mostly seen through the Former prophets classification as Deuteronomistic History (although some argue that this classification reduces the Torah to a tetrateuch).[5] This classification was developed by Old Testament scholar Martin Noth, who suggested the key of understanding the Former Prophets is through Deuteronomy 4:44 – 30:20, which Noth links to Hilkiah’s discovery in 2 Kings 22.[6] What this means is that Judges, as well as the other Former Prophets, are said to be written well after the events contained in the book, and most would place the final composition sometime between the ministry of Jeremiah and the reign of Josiah.[7] This begs the question, can we only truly understand the events until after take place? Scholarly consensus would argue, yes.
The Structure of Judges
Across the churches of the world, congregants learn that the book of Judges displays Israel’s sin cycle, or more accurately, spiral of sin. Yet, this spiral of sin has both a beginning and end, all of which is seen throughout a structure of three major sections; the prologue (1.1-3.6), the stories of the judges (3.7-16.31), and the epilogue (17.1-21.25).[8] It is important to note that the structure is not agreed upon by all Old Testament scholarship. For example, some scholars such as Jay G. Williams and Barry G. Webb have place the beginning of the second section at 2:6, directly after the death of Joshua most likely to place more emphasis on start of Israel’s decline.[9] At 3:7, however, the reader is introduced to the story of the first Judge with subsequent stories that follow and end at 16:31. For the purpose of this essay, as implied above, verse 3:7 will mark the beginning of the second major section being that it is the story of one particular judge that is of importance.
The Prologue
The book of Judges is somewhat peculiar in that most scholars suggest it has two introductions, however, the Deuteronomistic authors may have intended it to be that way for a reason. The first subsection of the prologue (vv. 1.1 – 2.5) speaks on the account of the warfare that was waged to seize the land of Canaan.[10] The first half of chapter 1 tells of Israel’s success in driving out the Canaanites due to their faithfulness towards the covenant God made with them. Sometime after the tribe of Judah had been chosen to lead Israel in battle, Israel began to fail in driving out the inhabitants of the land and started to live amongst the Canaanites (1.19 – 1:36). This signaled a direct disobedience to the covenant God made with them and the “Angel of Yahweh,” addresses their lack of duty in the beginning of chapter 2. The section, which holds one of the three speeches from Yahweh in the book of Judges,[11] initiates the cycle of Israel’s sin and redemption, which is a central struggle for almost the entirety of the book. While Israel did not need a Judge now, it was Yahweh’s direct speech, which caused the tribes of Israel become faithful again to Him. At least, until the death of Joshua and his generation that is.
The second subsection of the introduction (vv. 2.6 – 3.6) tells of the reaction of Israel towards the speech and the death of Joshua as mentioned above, but introduces the willful disobedience of the Israelites that causes the tribes to descend into chaos. It also acts as a window into what would take place in the subsequent events of the book of why the Israelites behaved the way they did (2.11 – 13), the result of their behavior (2:14 – 15), and then how God delivered them (v. 16). The next section chronicles how this cycle would repeat itself and how no matter many times God would rescue Israel, each generation would devolve worse in morals and worship than the previous generation (vv. 17-23). Finally, 3:1-6 tells of the nations which God leaves in the land to test Israel. The whole introduction though sets up a theological rationale for the reader to understand the cycle of Judges. One possible reason for this cycle might have to do with Israel’s lack of educating the next generation in the ways of the Torah. Walter Brueggemann notes, especially in Israel’s case, “every community that wants to last beyond a single generation must concern itself with education.”[12] On the other hand, Dr. Lee Roy Martin says that the root problem is that Israel does not hear and obey the word of God and therefore their unwillingness causes them to suffer (emphasis mine).[13]
The Stories of the Judges
The Epilogue
Like the beginning of Judges, which can be considered to have two subsections, the epilogue has two subsections of its own, but it also acts as the climax of the book. The first section chronicles the account of Israel establishing a place of idolatrous worship (17.1 – 18.31) and the second tells of an event that triggers a civil war 19.1 – 21.25). Throughout the epilogue, the phrase, “in those days there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes,” appears four times. The statement suggests that without a leader Israel has no sense or wrong from right and therefore seems to be making a case for the coming monarchy. Through the whole book, fourteen leaders are named, but by the end of the book, just like the beginning, no leader presides over Israel.[17] If only Israel would have been willing to let God rule them.
An Examination of the Narrative of Deborah in Judges 4:4-24
The Structure
This section of the essay will begin in earnest the coverage of Judges 4:4-24, which covers
The Themes of Deborah’s Narrative
Yahweh
Though this passage is short, there are significant themes embedded within it. One of the more obvious themes is concerned with the activity of God within the events. Just as there are four sections of the passage, there are four places within the text that directly concern Yahweh. The first comes in v. 4.6-7 where Deborah has summoned Barak and communicates what God has commanded him to do. The second follows closely in v.9 when Deborah tells Barak the God has given the glory of killing Sisera to a woman. The third instance of this theme comes in the sequence of battle in vv.14-15 where Deborah commands Barak to engage in battle because God has gone out before him and then the narrator comments that the victory was God’s doing. Finally, the fourth time the theme occurs is in v.23 where the author credits God for Israel’s defeat of Jabin. It is more than possible this theme is indicative of the “Yahweh war,” spoken about above, being that it carries hallmark traits of the feature. Specifically, God is the one who issue’s a directive to battle through the mouth of Deborah (v.6). Secondly, there is an assurance offered to those battling that God has given their enemy over to them, vv. 14-15, a promise that usually signified the battle had already been won,[19] no matter the superior technology of the enemy.[20] The last hallmark then is the fact that the author doesn’t mention the skill level of Israel’s fighters, which is akin to other instances in Old Testament Scripture where “Yahweh war” is engaged. All the fighter’s need to do to qualify for warfare is observe the ritual requirements.[21] This theme gives way to the larger theme of the Former Prophets that Israel’s history is wrapped up in the action of Yahweh.
Social Order Disruption
Willingness and Unwillingness
This last theme, like the previous, needs close observation to be drawn out, but has consequences not only for the characters of chapter 4, but for the whole of Judges as well. The willingness of the characters in this passage seem to determine what events come to pass for who. The characters are God, Israel, Deborah, Barak, Sisera, Jael, and to a lesser extent, Jabin. The reader finds in Judges 4:4 that Deborah is Judging in Israel. This indicates, as the beginning of chapter four states, that Israel must have done something to bring oppression upon themselves. Throughout the book of Judges, it states that the Israelites have done evil in the sight of the Lord and that they have worshiped other gods. This indicates Israel was unwilling to fulfill their covenant with God and therefore suffered. God, however, is willing to keep us his end of the covenant despite Israel’s unfaithfulness and raises up a judge in Deborah, who willingly and faithfully fulfills her duties. Even though the Barak’s hesitation is hotly debated, it could be considered a signal of unwillingness. What happens then is that God finds someone who is willing to accomplish His goals, and that turns out to be Jael. The victory God gives the Israelites installs in them a willingness to renew their fulfillment of the covenant as the end of Deborah’s song in chapter five shows Israel had a period of rest. The issue remains though that the next generations once again became unwilling to do God’s work, a problem that repeats and grows worse as time goes one.
The Theological Message of Judges 4:4-24
In his book, The Unheard Voice of God, Old Testament scholar Lee Roy Martin examines Judges and specifically concentrates on the divine speeches of Yahweh to the corporate body of Israel. Inspired by his Pentecostal faith, his observation is that Israel’s undoing is caused by their neglect of listening to the Word of God.[27] The reader can see such an observation in v. 5 identifying Deborah as a judge, a role that only comes about when Israel cries out for redemption. The rest of the chapter’s narrative, however, reveals what happens when Israel listens to God. When Israel listens to God they have the courage to face their enemies in battle (v. 14). When Israel listens to God, they witness God shattering their enemies before them (v. 15). When Israel listens to God, they defeat their enemies (v. 23, 24). The end of chapter five also tells us that because they listened to God and defeated Jabin, they had forty years of peace. So, while Israel had been guilty of not listening to God’s word before the prophet of Deborah, and were guilty of it after her, Deborah’s narrative show’s that Israel is able to experience the faithfulness of God when they do listen to Him. If this is the case for the characters in Judges 4, then it true for God’s believers today as well.
Deborah’s Narrative in a Modern Context[28]
Deborah’s time as a Judge has presented problems within the church at large. The problem
What Deborah’s Narrative Means for Pentecostals
Willingness
Conclusion
In closing, in order to examine the Deborah’s narrative in Judges 4.4-24, it was necessary to give a general overview of the whole book to put her story in to context. Next, we moved into examining the passage and after commenting on the structure, the major themes of the passage were explained, which showed us that God was essentially the main player who was willing to upset the social order of Israel and give the glory of the deliverance to those who were willing to listen and obey. The theological message of the book affirms such themes by revealing what can happen when God’s people listen to him and that they have the chance to experience His faithfulness as well. We then explored what the implications of Deborah’s role considering her gender could mean for the contemporary church and how scholars have reconciled New Testament comments about women and leadership with Old Testament narratives like Deborah’s. Lastly, we explore the implications of Deborah’s narrative for Pentecostals showing that Prophecy, in conjunction with the Word, is a powerful missional aid in liberating the oppressed and progressing the church’s faithfulness towards God, but only if we are willing to listen and obey. Deborah’s story may have taken place in ancient days, but the story still affects us because of the timeless themes which the Holy Spirit connects us through. We should take warning of what happens when we aren’t willing to hear God and obey, but we should also be encouraged that the glory of the battle goes to those who are willing, and to God above all others. Let us always be the ones willing.
[1] William LaSor and David Hubbard, Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament, Second Edition, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans’s Publishing, 1996), 132.
[2] Ibid., 132-33.
[3] Ibid., 132.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Arie C. Leder, “Paradise Lost: Reading the Former Prophets by the Rivers of Babylon,” Calvin Theological Journal,” 37, no. 1 (Apr 2002), 10. Leder argues that Noth’s suggestion of Deuteronomy being the introduction leaves the Torah with an unsatisfying ending,
[6] Brien Neil Patterson, The Authors of Deuteronomistic History: Locating a Tradition in Ancient Israel, (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2014), 10.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Lee Roy Martin, The Unheard Voice of God: A Pentecostal Hearing of the Book of Judges, (Dorset, UK: Deo Publishing, 2008), 80.
[9] Jay G. Williams, “The Structure of Judges 2:6-16:31,” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 16, no. 49 (Feb 1991), 78.
[10] Martin, The Unheard Voice of God, 81.
[11] Ibid., 82.
[12] Walter Brueggemann, The Creative Word: Canon as a Model for Biblical Education, Second edition (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 1.
[13] Martin, The Unheard Voice of God, 84.
[14] Elmer A Martens, God’s Design: A Focus on Old Testament Theology, Third Edition (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1998), 44.
[15] Ibid., 45-6.
[16] Martin, The Unheard Voice of God, 89.
[17] Ibid., 91.
[18] Arthur Cundall and Leon Morris. Judges and Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary, (TOTC 7; Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1968),
[19] Martens, God’s Design, 45.
[20] Judy Taubes Sterman, “Themes in the Deborah Narrative,” Jewish Bible Quarterly 39, no. 1 (Spr 2011), 19. Sterman talks about how in many parts of chapter 4, the technology of the Canaanites, with regard to their chariots, were the reason Israel believed they could not over take them.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Susan Niditch, Judges: A Commentary, First Edition (Old Testament Library; Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2008), 4.
[23] Ibid., 65.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Lee Roy Martin, “Tongues of Angels, Words of Prophets: Means of Divine Communication in the Book of Judges,” Passover, Pentecost and Parousia: Studies in the Celebration of the Life and Ministry of R. Hollis Gause, eds. S.J Land and R.D. Moore (Dorset, UK: Deo Publishing 2010), 40.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Martin, The Unheard Voice of God, 3.
[28] Modern here means contemporary.
[29] Ben Witherington III, Conflict and Community in Corinth, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1995), 236. In the Greco-Roman world, it was the male officiant who covered their head to prophecy about their deity as depicted in the artwork of the time, but Paul did not want to accommodate such an idolatrous culture’s practice into the church.
[30] Catherine and Richard Kroeger, I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence, (Grand Rabids, MI: Baker Academic, 1992), 98.
[31] John Christopher Thomas, “The Word and the Spirit,” Ministry and Theology: Studies for the Church and its Leaders (Cleveland, TN: Pathway Press, 1996), 15.
[32] Rickie D. Moore, “Canon and Charisma in the Book of Deuteronomy,” Journal of Pentecostal Theology 1, no. 1 (1992), 91.
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