Topical Bible: God: Preserver: Under Deborah

◄ God: Preserver: Under Deborah ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical narrative, God is often depicted as the Preserver of His people, ensuring their survival and success against overwhelming odds. This aspect of God's character is vividly illustrated in the account of Deborah, a prophetess and judge of Israel, as recorded in the Book of Judges.

Deborah's Leadership and God's Preservation

Deborah emerges as a key figure during a tumultuous period in Israel's history, when the nation was oppressed by Jabin, the king of Canaan, and his formidable army commander, Sisera. The Israelites, having turned away from God, found themselves subjugated and in dire need of deliverance. In this context, God raised Deborah as a leader to guide and preserve His people.

Judges 4:4-5 introduces Deborah: "Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her for judgment." Her role as a judge and prophetess signifies God's direct involvement in the affairs of Israel, using her leadership to steer the nation back to Him.

The Battle Against Sisera

Under God's guidance, Deborah summoned Barak, the son of Abinoam, instructing him to lead an army against Sisera. Judges 4:6-7 records her words: "She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, 'Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you: ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude, to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand’?'"

This passage highlights God's promise of preservation and victory, assuring Barak that He would deliver Sisera into his hands. Despite the daunting challenge posed by Sisera's nine hundred iron chariots, God’s assurance through Deborah emboldened Barak and the Israelite forces.

Divine Intervention and Victory

The ensuing battle, as described in Judges 4:14-15 , underscores God's role as Preserver: "Then Deborah said to Barak, 'Arise, for this is the day the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?' So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army with the edge of the sword before Barak; Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot."

God's intervention is evident as He confounds Sisera's forces, leading to their defeat. The preservation of Israel is achieved not through human might but through divine orchestration, as God goes before His people to secure their victory.

The Song of Deborah

Following the triumph, Deborah and Barak sing a song of praise, recorded in Judges 5, celebrating God's preservation and deliverance. Judges 5:3-5 declares: "Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers. I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel. O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel."

This song not only commemorates the victory but also acknowledges God's sovereign power and His role as the Preserver of Israel. Through Deborah's leadership and God's intervention, the Israelites experience a period of peace and security, as noted in Judges 5:31 : "So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You be like the sun when it rises in its strength." And the land had rest for forty years.

In the account of Deborah, God is revealed as the Preserver who raises leaders, orchestrates victories, and ensures the survival and flourishing of His people, even in the face of formidable adversaries.

Nave's Topical Index

Judges 4:5
And she dwelled under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... of it, as also the Song of Deborah and the ... could no longer intercede with their God
except through ... are told of idolatrous practices in Judah under Rehoboam and ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm