Chapter 9

Working Together to Accomplish God’s Purposes

Chapter 9 Text

The story of Deborah and Barak presents an excellent picture of male and female working together for victory, restoration, and the accomplishment of God’s purposes for His people. Let me remind you of a time when Israel was doing evil in the sight of the Lord, and once again the Lord gave the people into the hand of their enemies. This time it was King Jabin of Canaan who for 20 years “harshly oppressed the children of Israel” (Judges 4:3), until in their desperation they cried out to the Lord for help. And God sent help—by way of a woman. Her name was Deborah.

Deborah and Barak

Deborah was a prophetess, which speaks of her relationship with God and ability to hear His voice. She was also noted as the wife of Lapidoth, which indicates she had a proper relationship with her husband. She was also a judge, or leader, in Israel. Only two people are mentioned in Scripture as being both judge and prophet. Samuel was one, Deborah the other.

Though Deborah had a prominent position in society and also had the call of God on her life, she seems to have been comfortable in her role as wife and homemaker. Scripture does not indicate that she chafed under this role, even though she was obviously a very gifted stateswoman. Whether Deborah had children is not mentioned. If she did, they may have reached a certain maturity by this time in her life.

I believe Deborah had the love and encouragement of her husband. In her day and age, it is unlikely she could have become the leader she did without his support. Apparently, he was secure enough and humble enough to recognize God’s call on her life and allow her to be used in an incredible, powerful way. Such freedom did not diminish his identity at all—she was, after all, referred to as “Lapodith’s wife.” Because he is mentioned by name, he, too, was likely a man of some renown.

Deborah was the political and judicial head of the nation and was greatly respected by those who served her, as well as by all Israel. Her exemplary leadership abilities did not spring solely from natural talent; rather, I believe they were the result of her close relationship with God.

As a prophetess, she was able to hear the word and the heart of the Lord and then declare it to others. Her name literally means “bee.” Research indicates that the Hebrew root of her name, debar, connotes a sense of being able to put things in order and having instincts for orderly systems that will work. No doubt those abilities were greatly needed during her day in Israel!

From all we have learned about a woman’s design, the way God made women to function, we should not be surprised that Deborah’s leadership was specifically linked, even by her name, to her ability to “speak”—to hear and to communicate the word of the Lord with clarity and understanding.

Because of her intimate relationship with God, she was also a warrior, a military leader who moved with great wisdom and authority. Once Deborah was assured she had heard from God, she moved quickly to put His mandate into action.

In her story, we read that she had heard by the Spirit of God that the time had come to end the oppressive rule of King Jabin. She summoned Barak, commander of the armies of Israel, a man who is listed among the great men of faith in Hebrews 11. Deborah asks, “Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and deploy troops . . . and I will deliver [the commander of Jabin’s army] into your hand’?” (Judges 4:6, 7).

Barak’s response has always intrigued me. Though he is a military man, a man of great strength and experienced in military conflicts, this time something is different about him. His reply bears witness to his great admiration and confidence in Deborah: “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!” (v. 8).

Even though Barak is told he will not receive full honor for the victory (in this particular battle a woman named Jael will deliver the death blow to the enemy’s head [see vv. 9, 21]), he is not moved. The issue for Barak and for the armies of Israel was not whether a woman was present on the battlefield, but the successful outcome of the war. Clearly, he cared more for the welfare of the nation than for his personal reputation. He realized that the greater good of the Nation of Israel was at stake. He also knew that their combined efforts (his and Deborah’s), each bringing their particular strengths, would ensure the victory. And victors they were.

“So on that day [the day Barak and Deborah joined forces and went to war against their enemies] God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan” (vv. 23, 24).

What a celebration followed! “Then Deborah and Barak . . . sang on that day, saying: ‘When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless the LORD!’” (5:1, 2).

The leaders had led, and the Lord was blessed. The issue was not male or female; the issue was the anointing, the call and equipping of God that made them leaders, male and female.

Unity and Restoration

Just as God used men and women together to bear fruit to accomplish His purposes in Deborah and Barak’s day, so He is calling men and women to work together again, to bring forth His purposes in our day. As we consider the importance of gender reconciliation and the work of restoration that God is doing in our midst today, we must remember that the bottom line of everything Jesus came to do was to restore relationship—with God and with each other. He came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). The works of the devil, then and now, include alienated, fragmented relationships. Sin, at its core, is the failure to love others. All the problems of the world—from wars between nations, the fracturing of our culture, divisions in the Church, or divorce between couples—are problems of relationship.

When our relationships are right, when we are walking in true intimacy with God and others, we will have a testimony before the world that those who are truly seeking the meaning of life will be unable to resist. It is this, our genuine love for one another, that Jesus said would testify of His life in us (see John 13:34, 35). His disciples would not be recognized by physical healings, not by miracles, signs, or wonders, as wonderful and exciting as these are, but by love.

In the atmosphere of such love, God’s anointing for the miraculous and the power that “breaks the yoke” of our enemies is poured out. Psalm 133 declares: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forevermore” (vv. 1–3).

The oil mentioned in Psalm 133 represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In unity there is anointing and life. In unity God commands the blessing! Until that unity comes to the very core of God’s creation—male and female—it will not have reached its complete fulfillment. It is no accident of nature that it takes both male and female to bring forth life. This was God’s design. The absence of either produces emptiness, barrenness, and impotence. The world will not fully see Jesus until the foundation of His house—the God-intended partnership between male and female—is fully repaired.

What will be our response as a Church in this day and hour, at this most turbulent time in our history, when God is calling us to increased presence and spiritual effectiveness in this dark and dying world? Let us consider the question and then respond to each other, male and female, as Barak did to Deborah: “I will not go without you!” Indeed, God would say, “You cannot go without each other. The life, the power, the victory will come from your union! It is there I gave My blessing. From the beginning I have said, ‘Let them, male and female, rule and have dominion over the earth.’ I have not changed My plan. As I have said, so shall it be!”

Summary

• Deborah and Barak are an excellent example of a man and a woman working together effectively to fulfill God’s purposes.
• God’s people needed a victory, and Barak knew it was not possible without the combination of his and Deborah’s strengths together.
• God still uses men and women, such as Deborah and Barak, to partner with each other to accomplish His purposes today. This is why the restoration of relationship between the genders is so important.
• God blesses unity.