Heroes of Hope: Wednesday

Wednesday February 24, 2021

Created by Dr. Joy Schroeder

Judges 5:12 (NIV)

“Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song!”

Devotion

Before the Israelites crowned Saul and David as their first two kings, a woman named Deborah rose to prominence as a prophet, judge, military strategist, and hero. Bible translations identify Deborah as “wife of Lappidoth” (Judges 4:4), but Lappidoth, Hebrew for “torches,” does not appear as a male name elsewhere in Scripture. Deborah is “woman of torches”: a fiery woman. When the Israelites were losing hope because they were oppressed by the Canaanite king and his general Sisera, Deborah summoned the Israelite commander Barak to fight for freedom. Deborah and Barak defeated the enemy. A fierce woman, Jael, finished Sisera off with a tent peg through his skull.

Afterwards, Deborah and Barak sang a victory song. In Scripture, women were composers and song leaders, especially at times of celebration. Miriam exalted with her tambourine at the shore of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20–21). Hannah rejoiced that she would have a son (1 Samuel 2:1–10). The Virgin Mary hopefully imagined a time when the hungry would be fed (Luke 1:53).

Parts of Deborah’s song make me uncomfortable. Deborah celebrated Jael’s assassination of Sisera, calling Jael “most blessed of women” (Judges 5:24). Then Deborah pronounced: “So perish all your enemies, O Lord!” (5:31). I don’t like violence and vengeance. However, Deborah’s song reveals that Sisera and his men abused female war captives, so her feelings may be understandable (5:30). As a poet, Deborah teaches us that our prayers and songs can contain an array of human emotions — an honest intermingling of anger, hope, and joy.

Prayer

Good and gracious God, help us to find hope in this weary season. Amen.