commander-in-chief - judge deborah

the book of judges opens with the rise and fall of israel in the promised land itself. whenever israel succumb to disobedience and suffer the consequences, they call out to God who delivers them time and time again with the leadership of judges.

one of which is a woman, a wife, a leader, a warrior, a prophetess, a judge - deborah.

leadership is often male dominated, especially in the olden days. it is heartening for me to see God rising up a woman to be the commander-in-chief.

Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.' "

after successfully overcoming 900 iron chariots of the enemy sisera, it is again a woman who delivers the final blow to the enemy by killing him with her hands.

"Most blessed of women be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite,
most blessed of tent-dwelling women.

He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.

Her hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workman's hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
she shattered and pierced his temple.

At her feet he sank,
he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell-dead.

deborah's account continues to relate the fall of sisera from another woman's point of view - the wisest of the ladies of sisera's mother.

"Through the window peered Sisera's mother;
behind the lattice she cried out,
'Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?'

The wisest of her ladies answer her;
indeed, she keeps saying to herself,

'Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:
a girl or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,

do not take lightly the strength, wisdom and counsel of women.