Many women reference Deborah, the Old Testament "prophetess," as our exemplary when it comes to women and leadership. There is no question the Deborah performed her job well, or that God used her to deliver Israel - that's exactly God's point. There was not a single man with courage enough to take the responsibility and lead. To Israel's great shame, God raised up a woman to support the men and warn them of their cowardice.
The Botkin sisters in their book So Much More say, "The role of a Deborah is not one we should be hoping for, but one we should be trying at all costs to prevent. If our society ever sinks to the level where one Deborah is necessary, it will be a sign that God is phenomenally displeased with our culture and is inflicting a colossal curse on it. Deborah was glorified and blessed by God as a deliverer of Israel, and, in essence, what she did was to bring men back into leadership."
To build a doctrine around the exception God used is Israel's history because of their sin, and refuse to take the rest of the passages in the Bible about women and leadership (1 Timothy 11-14; 1 Corinthians 14: 34-35) at face value is, as Debi Pearl says, "just as foolish as Deborah leading the armies instead of a man." (Created to be His Help Meet, pg. 120).
It may be true that women can "do just as good of a job as men, or even better." She may be more "qualified" than any other male to serve in a position of authority over men. But simply being more capable of doing something doesn't make doing it right. I may be an exceptionally good marksman, but I would still be guilty of breaking the 6th commandment if I utilized my "gift" by going on a shooting rampage. However good a woman's intentions may be, the end never justifies the means.
The very best thing a woman can do for society it to purse God's perfect design for her and willingly submit herself to the God-ordained authority of man in church (1Timothy 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35), civil magistrate (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ex. 18:2, Deuteronomy 17:14-20) and home (Ephesians 5:22-24). In this way, perhaps her righteousness will entreat God to revoke His judgment and shower down blessings on a nation instead.
Very well spoken, bless you.
ReplyDeleteLove your thoughts on this, Jacinda. We take the Bible as a whole and follow the pattern found throughout scripture: Men are called to lead throughout, many times women helping alongside them, but never leading alone with the exception of Deborah--again, the exception, due to Israel's weak condition during this time "when men did was was right in their own eyes." I just finished the Book of Judges and it is filled with terrible things that happened during this period--Deborah leading was one of those things--not the book to example our lives after, but rather a history of what happens when God's people turn away from obeying Him.
ReplyDeleteWhen I explain to people about my views on a woman's role, their comment is ALWAYS, "what about Deborah?" This definitly helped me to understand it better so I can answer their questions with grace. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAgree! Well put. I'm glad you covered that she was only put in that place because no man would. It was a negative thing not a positive. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful for your friendship and wisdom. Thank you for keeping your blog a pure place for me to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteGood point!
ReplyDeleteYes. This debate reminds me of something wise teachers in my church told us from Sunday school on - always look at the context when citing something from the Bible. And with Deborah's story, the context tells us a lot, as you show so well here.
ReplyDelete"simply being more capable of doing something doesn't make doing it right" - and I so agree with this. I've known people with all kinds of gifts, but there are God-ordained ways to use them and ways that run contrary to Scripture. Thanks!
I don't have any problem with your refusing this advertisement, but I must admit that I don't understand your biblical reasoning regarding Deborah. You say that there were no men of courage or leadership in Israel during this time, so Deborah was chosen to shame the men. But I can't find a single statement in the text (Judges 4-5) to support this idea. There are men in Israel of leadership and courage. Barak is very able to lead the armies of Israel, and his request that Deborah accompany him is no more craven than when the sons of Israel ask Samuel (also a judge and prophet)to cry out for them to the Lord on the eve of battle with the Philistines (I Sam. 7). Deborah's post-battle song speaks more than once of the volunteers and princes of Israel who rallied to the battle.
ReplyDeleteDeborah is clearly spoken of as God's gift to Israel in a time of trouble, and her story is not one of judgment on Israel, it's a story of God's gift and grace to Israel. Her judgship results in a great battle victory and 40 years of peace for Israel. We have stories of God's judgment in the Bible, and they do not result in victory and peace. God's judgment results in death, defeat in battle, 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, 70 years of exile, and so on. I can't find in the text even a hint of judgment against Israel due to Deborah's sex.
Besides that, it seems to me that a lack of male leadership and courage has never once stopped God from finding a male leader and giving him courage. Take Gideon, the very next judge after Deborah. He's hiding from the Midianites in a winepress when the angel of the Lord finds him and addresses him as "Mighty Warrior" (apparently God isn't opposed to the use of sarcasm!). There are so many examples of God choosing and equipping whomever he pleases. Our weaknesses and sin are never an impediment to God's will. If God is really, truly opposed to female leadership, I can't imagine why he'd choose a female to lead.
With respect,
Christina
I haven't studied a lot on Deborah, but from what I can understand, she was a leader over Israel on political/governmental issues rather than the spiritual welfare of Israel. To me, that seems more aligned to the context of the rest of the Bible, particularly the NT.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jacinda, for your courage to speak on this topic that could be quite controversial! I really admire you :)
Blessings!
6 Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; 7 and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand’?”
ReplyDelete8 And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”
9 So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command,[a] and Deborah went up with him.
I always understood it to be vs 9 that shows the shame for Barak. Not only did he need a woman to call him to task in vs 6 but in vs 9 she tells him that because of the path he has chosen there will be no glory for him and that Sisera will be sold into the hand of a woman. The second woman in this story is Jael. Jael and her tent peg.
This is so interesting. In my line of work, I contact a lot of churches and am surprised to discover that with a lot of them, their head and pastor is female. It just never sits right to me. I don't know so much as to be able to lead a discussion, but it is nice to read on this topic some more. Thank you for your post. -Nicole @ Working Kansas Homemaker
ReplyDeleteJacinda, I agree totally with what Rhonda Devine said. What a well- written post, and I am really thankful that you handled it the way you have. May the Lord bless you for taking a clear, but graceful stand.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. So well put. Deborah is an example, especially to men, of what should not happen in leadership. We honour her because she obeyed God, not because she trampled others or outsmarted them to be better than them.
ReplyDeleteI touched a little on this when our female PM first took office. Shame on us!
I respect your views but something is nagging in me since your FB question and I never had time to comment.
ReplyDeleteOur church is pastored by a godly man. His wife recently became and ordained minister as well. She preaches from time to time, always under the authority of her husband and with his blessing.
I believe she hears from God and is following God's prompting.
I also know that if she had not preached a few Sundays back in late October/early November my husband would not have given his life to the Lord on November 16th.
So my rhetorical question of sorts is this - is his salvation somehow less important, not as holy as someone else's because a woman pastor stirred something in him that lead him to answer Jesus' knock on his heart?
Perhaps the issue is a woman striving for a high position of authority, putting it over her other god-given roles. But my God is no respecter of persons and if he calls me (or another woman) out to do something who are we to question God?
I guess I don't fully understand this and it's something I need to research in the bible and pray about.
I pray you find this respectfully submitted as I mean no disrespect or argument.
Blessings!
Danielle,
DeleteThanks for the question! Your husband's salvation is no less secure or important because he was converted under the preaching of a woman pastor. It's God's Word that ultimately drew your husband to Himself, and there is nothing in this world that can get between your husband and the salvation Christ has paid for by His own blood.
God will not, however, ask something of us which He has forbidden in His Word.
I appreciate your sincerity.
Warmly,
Jacinda
How do you know your husband would not have come to the Lord if the woman had not been preaching? No, the Lord chose to speak into your husband's heart at that time not because a woman was speaking but because it was the time He had in store for your husband. The New Testament says that the important thing is that the Gospel is preached...even when it's done so out of wrong motivation. So the fact that your husband's time occurred when a woman preached is testament to that truth, not the rightness of a woman pastor. Also, just because some denominations ordain women doesn't make it biblical. Praise God your husband came to Christ, but I would say it's in spite of the situation, not because of it.
DeleteJust a comment about the story of Deborah, not the issue at large...
ReplyDeleteIn Judges 4:9, Deborah says Barak will have no honor because he wants a woman to go with him. Yet, God honors Barak in Hebrews 11:32. The story of Deborah is not about the roles of men and women in the New Testament church. The book of Judges contains some unlikely heroes in a time when the people were doing what was right in their own eyes, no longer following God. It is not a good proof text for either side of this debate.
What a wonderful post! I applaud your tackling this difficult subject. I have met too many women craving positions of leadership in the church that use Deborah and a few other women from the New Testament to justify their desire to be in a position of control. The difference, for me, is like so many "fine lines" in scripture. It's a heart issue. Are you seeking to lead because God desires that for your life or because you do? Thanks again for the excellent post!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more, Jacinda! "God will not ask something of us which He has forbidden in His Word." So true. So if God called Deborah to lead her people, to be their judge, it seems the only conclusion we can draw from that is that God is not opposed to female leadership.
ReplyDeleteChristina
Mrs. Jacinda,
ReplyDeleteI find this topic very interesting. I agree: many women use Deborah as an example but she is ONE woman out of the WHOLE Bible that was placed in such a leadership position. Interesting. Also interesting is that during that time, Israel was under a curse (Judges 4:1-3).
Here is another verse that we have found about women in leadership position:
Isaiah 3:12: As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
This seems to give the picture that oppressive children and women rulers are abnormal - not God's perfect will.
I pray that we will all take God's WHOLE Word as the source by which we base our convictions and standards.
Blessings!
Amanda
www.withajoyfulnoise.blogspot.com
Just wanted to say thank you to Christina at The Hitchcocks for kindly and respectfully presenting another side to this. I have been under female leadership and I see no Biblical reason why there shouldnt be female pastors and leaders. I know that wont be a popular comment here and Im not trying to stir anything up. Just maybe say, please be careful about the lines you draw in the sand.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate everyone's respectful and kind responses here. Very refreshing!
This is a great post, and I'm going to share it on Facebook, as I think many of my friends will appreciate the explanation. Using Deborah as some sort of justification for the unbiblical practice of women in leadership is like using Moses as a justification for sending kids to government schools. Just because God had a special role for ONE person doesn't mean that should be instructive for all...especially when the opposite position is expounded upon all throughout the rest of Scripture.
ReplyDeleteI have a theory Deborah was actually an older wise woman, perhaps middle aged or older. She sat under a tree, and people came to her for counsel in judging matters (Judges 4:5). Some folks who promote females for office often point to Deborah as an example, but I just don't see her leaving her family to hit the campaign trail. Know what I mean?
ReplyDelete