Introduction to the Series:
According to Carol Meyers, the General Editor of Women in Scripture: A Dictionary of Named and Unnamed Women in the Hebrew Bible, The Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, and the New Testament, there are around 205 named women in Scripture and over 600 unnamed women.1 Yet, if asked to name even ten of these, most people would have trouble. Sure, there are a few women who get a lot of attention: Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Martha of Bethany, Ruth and Esther. But there are many more women in the pages of Scripture—women in public leadership roles, women used by God to further God’s plans, women with courage and bravery, women who use their skills and their wiles to create a future. Women in the Bible, though they lived in radically different cultures thousands of years ago, continue to inspire and challenge us today.
Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting 5 such women in a series that can be used in the preaching and worship life of your congregation. For each woman, you’ll receive some commentary to help aid your preaching, a prayer of the day for use in worship, a hymn suggestion, and a blessing. We’ll be working in chronological order, beginning with women from the Old Testament and ending with women from the New Testament. The women we will be featuring are: Deborah and Jael, Abigail, Anna, and Junia. We hope this series is helpful and insightful as you teach and preach about the remarkable women in Scripture!
Week 1: Deborah and Jael
Commentary:
Deborah and Jael are the two primary characters in the action-packed stories from the book of Judges, chapters 4-5. Together, they defeat the Canaanite army, bringing peace to the people of Israel. Their story is one of bravery and courage, showing that “biblical womanhood” is not about being small, quiet, or mild, but about listening to God’s voice, acting decisively, and doing what is best for your people.
Deborah is the only female judge in Israel’s history, and the only one to also be called a prophet. Her story is told through the narrative of Judges 4, where she sets herself apart as a military heroine, and through the Song of Deborah in Judges 5, perhaps the earliest poem in the Hebrew Bible.2 A reading of the story makes the obvious plot lines clear: The people of Israel are trying to take the land of Canaan. God has made it known that the time to defeat the Canaanite army is now, and so Deborah, the judge, calls her army general, Barak, and charges him to lead the battle. Surprisingly, he wavers—and refuses to go without Deborah by his side. She concedes, but makes it very clear: he will not get to take responsibility for the victory. She tells him (and perhaps this is her prophetic gift, seeing what is to come) that the Lord will give Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, into the hands of a woman.
The battle commences, and things go exactly as Deborah had said—well, sort of. Barak and Deborah defeat the Canaanite army, and Sisera is, indeed, given over to the hands of a woman. But it isn’t Deborah, as readers might think. It’s Jael. Jael is a member of the Kenite clan, a people who were at peace with the Canaanites. She watches on as Sisera flees the battle on foot and welcomes him into her tent for a brief respite and a drink of water. Exhausted, Sisera falls asleep, and while he is sleeping, Jael picks up a tent peg and hammers it into Sisera’s head, killing him immediately.
This is the story of Deborah and Jael, as found in Judges 4. When, in the following chapter, Deborah sings about the battle, she praises Jael, singing:
“Most blessed of women be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite,
most blessed of tent-dwelling women.” (Judges 5:24)
Readers acquainted with the New Testament will hear something familiar in these words. When a pregnant Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth because she is unmarried yet bearing God’s Son, Elizabeth exclaims: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (Luke 1:42, NIV). Elizabeth links Mary to Deborah and Jael. Elizabeth adds Mary to the list of women who act decisively and courageously in order to see through God’s plans for their lives and their people.
Preaching on the story of Deborah and Jael will mean recounting a violent story, with murder at its heart. This is not always a preacher’s first choice! But the stories of these women are important. They remind us that women have been in leadership roles for thousands of years, that God chooses women to lead God’s people, and that women have the ability to think critically, rationally, and quickly in order to act for the sake of others. Take time to tell the story and lift up these two incredible women. Then, consider how this story invites each of us—regardless of gender—to act with bravery in our world today. Where is courage needed? Where is decisive action needed? As followers of Jesus, how are we being asked to take a stand or to speak out today?
God is not calling us to violence anymore. Elizabeth might have quoted Deborah, but the story changes with Mary because of Jesus. Mary will not be blessed among women because of her violence, but because of the non-violent one she carries and births into the world: Jesus Christ, who flips everything inside-out and upside-down. So what is God calling us to, today? In our communities and in our world, how can we answer that call with the decisiveness, courage, wisdom, and strength of Deborah and Jael?
Prayer of the Day:
O God, we give you thanks for the witness of Deborah and Jael, women you called and used to fulfill your purposes. Help us to discern what your purpose is for us, here and now. As we listen, lead us into action, giving us strength and wisdom as we rise to meet the needs of our neighbors and of your world. Amen
Hymn Suggestion: Rise Up, O Saints of God
Blessing:
Like Deborah and Jael, may the God of strength give you courage. Like Mary, may Jesus Christ move you to nonviolent compassion for the world. And may the Holy Spirit guide you as you seek to do what is right, this day and always. Amen.
