Praying the Bible – Praying with Deborah

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:04 pm by Guest Contributor

Praying the Bible – Praying with Deborah 2015-03-13T17:04:59-05:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Some years after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt and after Joshua took them into the land that God had promised Abram, Israel was led by a series of judges. Moses picked the first judges, people who feared God and were known to be trustworthy and uncorrupt.

After Joshua died, but before the people of Israel demanded a king, the Israelites attempted to settle in the Promised Land. It was a time of great turbulence. The judges, whose lives are recorded in the Old Testament book of Judges, ruled during this interim. They weren’t quite kings, but instead were the heads of families who rose to prominence for their great wisdom. Gideon and Samson were two of the more famous judges.

Deborah, too, became a nationally renowned judge and prophet. She lived around 1250 BC, and was known to sit under a palm tree (named after her!) to hear disputes needing
her judgment.

One day, she summoned Barak, a general in the army. She told him God had spoken: Barak was to fight Sisera’s mighty army. God had promised Barak the victory. Barak, not quite as confident as he should have been about this proclamation, was only willing to go into battle if Deborah would go with him. She agreed to go, but because of his cowardice, she announced, he wouldn’t get credit for defeating Sisera.

As you might imagine, Barak’s army crushed Sisera’s army. Sisera fled from the battlefield and hid in the tent of a woman named Jael. After getting him sleepy with warm milk, Jael killed Sisera by . . . well, it was gruesome.

In one of the oldest Hebrew poems, Deborah responded to the victory God gave by singing a beautiful song of praise and thanksgiving. It takes up the entire fifth chapter of Judges. Here’s
a portion of it:

When they let down their hair in Israel,
they let it blow wild in the wind.
The people
volunteered with abandon,
bless God!
Hear O kings! Listen O princes!
To God, yes to God, I’ll
sing,
Make music to God,
to the God of Israel. . . .
Warriors became fat and sloppy,
no fight left in them.
Then you, Deborah, rose up;
you got up, a mother in Israel. . . .
Lift your hearts high, O Israel,
with abandon, volunteering yourselves with the people–
bless God!
You who ride on prize donkeys
comfortably mounted on blankets
And you who walk down the roads,
ponder, attend!
Gather at the town well
and listen to them sing,
Chanting the tale of God’s victories,
his victories accomplished in Israel.
Then the people
of God
went down to the city gates.
Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, sing a song!
On your feet, Barak!
Take your prisoners, son of Abinoam! . . .
Most blessed of all women is Jael,
wife of Heber the Kenite,
most blessed of homemaking women.
He asked for water,
she brought milk;
In a handsome bowl,
she offered cream.
She grabbed a tent peg in her left hand,
with her right hand she seized a hammer.
She hammered Sisera, she smashed his head,
she drove a hole through his head.
He slumped at her feet. He fell. He sprawled.
He slumped at her feet. He fell.
Slumped. Fallen. Dead. . . .
Thus may all God’s enemies perish,
while his lovers be like the unclouded sun.

(Judges 5:2-3,7,9-12,24-27,31)

Of course we agree with Deborah that when the Lord does a great thing for us, we should respond with a song of praise. But what’s special about Deborah’s song is that she is the only judge who responds this way. While over and over again in the book of Judges the people turned their backs on God, and then God still rescued them from certain defeat, only Deborah says, “Hold everything! We need to sing a hymn of praise to the God who has granted us victory!“

Abraham laughed with joy as a response to finally having a son, and Moses gave a long and beautiful speech to all the people before he died, reminding them to stay true to the Lord. But Deborah breaks into song, the way most of us do every Sunday in church, as a way of thanking God.

There’s another interesting note about Deborah’s song: In it, she tells everyone in the nation to sing praises to God. This is not her personal song; it’s a national anthem of praise to God. She encourages all the people to stop what they’re doing, to wake up, and to sing out to the Lord who has saved them.

When did you last wholeheartedly sing your praises to God? What was the reason for your praise? What’s your favorite song of praise? Some of our national songs, such as “God Bless America” and “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” are national songs of praise to God. The next time you sing one of these songs, sing it as a prayer.

If you like this and you’d like to read more, check out my book, Ask Seek Knock. Thanks.

bible

Prayer

spirituality

Previous Post

May 25, 2009

Christianity21

Next Post

May 27, 2009 Praying the Bible - Praying with Solomon

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category bible blogging books christianity in america church church history dissertation divorce Dog Training education emergent church essay family funny glbt jopa productions ministry minnesota movies music parenting philosophy politics Prayer publishing Questions That Haunt random same sex marriage speaking spirituality Teaching technology television theology Travels Uncategorized writing youth ministry

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 June 2006 May 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 June 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 August 2004 February 2004 January 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who dreamed of a ladder reaching heaven?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jacob Abraham Paul Elijah