Edmund Heddle looks at the role of prophecy in spiritual warfare, using the example of Deborah.
The story of the prophetess Deborah told in prose in Judges 4 and in poetry in Judges 5 illustrates the role of the prophet within the people of God in times of both peace and war. The study is particularly appropriate at a time when the rise of personal prophecy needs to be balanced by according prophecy its proper place in the church's call to spiritual warfare.
It is true that, from time to time, God is pleased to reveal his purpose and guidance to individual believers, though this is likely to occur only occasionally through prophecy. Guidance is more likely to come through study of the scriptures, by the voice of the Spirit, through the teaching of God's ministers, and by the counsel and encouragement of other Christians. By contrast, every stage of spiritual warfare needs to be directed prophetically, as we shall see from our study of Deborah.
Deborah's Prophetic Ministry in Peace-time
Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading (or, more correctly, 'judging') Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided (Jud 4:4-5).
Deborah's name means 'bee'. She was obviously 'busy' and industrious. She brought sweetness into many situations as the Spirit of God enabled her to unravel tangled relationships. On the other hand, she could inflict a sharp sting to those who were acting unfairly or selfishly. Her husband's name means 'flaming torch', so she obviously had the blessing of a man who wielded the torch of truth. For some time, she had sat regularly under the palm which by now had taken her name and which had become an open-air court of justice. She did not conduct her ministry in secret but allowed everyone access to her presence. In this way she had won for herself universal respect throughout Israel and was acknowledged as a "mother in Israel" (Jud 5:7).
Deborah conducted her ministry of justice in the open, public arena, winning for herself universal respect.
There is still need today for those who can exercise the gift of prophecy in a counselling situation. The gifts of wisdom and knowledge make it possible to get to the heart of the trouble, and this without the lengthy psychotherapy of earlier days.
Israel's Deteriorating Situation
The idyllic scene at Deborah's palm tree was not to last very much longer. After the death of an earlier judge, Ehud, the Israelites (as was their bent) turned from Yahweh to idols, from God's ways to do what was right in their own eyes (Jud 2:11, 3:12, 41, 6:1 and 10:6, see also Jud 17:6 and 21:25).
Because of this apostasy the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, a Canaanite king who reigned in Hazor. He had at his disposal 900 iron chariots, an armoury that must have terrified Deborah's fellow countrymen. In her song (Jud 5) Deborah tells of the time when "the roads were abandoned" and travellers had to take to by-ways, a time when "village life in Israel ceased" and no longer was it possible to consult Deborah about their problems (Jud 5:6-8). It was a time when, to face Jabin's chariots, Israel was unable to rustle up even shield or spear to arm its 40,000 soldiers (1 Sam 13:19).
After 20 years of cruel oppression, the Israelites cried out to the Lord for succour. By way of answer the Spirit began to stir within Deborah. Where would we be today without devout women in all church groupings, women who are grieved at the state of the church; the idolatry, the immorality, the occult practices and the proud confidence of those who really believe they can cope without prayer and the spiritual gifts? There is no hope for our own deteriorating situation unless we take spiritual warfare seriously and learn its elements from the Deborah story, lessons that Christian men as well as women need to learn.
Where would we be today without devout women who are grieved at the state of the church and know how to take spiritual warfare seriously?
Deborah's Prophetic Ministry in Time of War
First let us note that Deborah did not presume to command the Israelite army herself. She waited on God until he revealed the commander of his choice. Then, reads the inspired record, "She sent for Barak [his name means 'lightning' or a flashing sword] from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, 'The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor'" (Jud 4:6).
In this incident Deborah was acting as God's mouthpiece. Just as in time of peace she had used the prophetic gift to counsel God's people, so now as Israel prepared to go to war she was able to hear what God had to say and was quick to pass on to Barak what she had heard. We should note that God's brief through Deborah to Barak is highly detailed:
- Barak, son of Abinoam, his name meaning 'Father of Pleasantness', was God's choice to be Israel's military commander.
- He was told the number of troops he was to recruit: "ten thousand men" (Jud 4:6).
- He was told the tribes from which he was to select them: "of Naphtali and Zebulun" (Jud 4:6).
- He was told the place where he was to rendezvous: "lead the way to Mt Tabor" (Jud 4:6).
- He was told the battle-plan God had designed: "I will lure Sisera...with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon river" (Jud 4:7).
- He was given the promise of complete victory: "I will give him into your hands" (Jud 4:7).
- He was given the day to march forth against the enemy (Jud 4:14): "This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands."
- He was given the assurance that God had gone ahead (Jud 4: 14).
Barak's Insistence That Deborah Must Go with Him
All this vital tactical information was given to him by Deborah, who had first received it from the Lord. Some commentators have been critical of Barak who, in response to his commission, replied, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me I won't go" (Jud 4:8). Others have labelled him a coward. But surely his caution was sensible? He had learned a lesson, one the church needs to learn today. It is folly to imagine that the spiritual battle can be won by human ability or academic qualifications alone. We need to remember the explanation given by Jesus to his disciples when he said, "This kind can come out only by prayer" (Matt 17:21) (some manuscripts add "and fasting").
How important it is for today's church to ask that an abundance of Deborahs be raised up who can hear what God is saying and then pass on his battle orders! I fear that often we fail to discover God's combat briefing, and then wonder why so little has been accomplished despite all our efforts.
How important is it for today's church to ask that an abundance of Deborahs be raised up who can hear what God is saying and pass on his battle orders!
Responding to our Commission to Overthrow the Principalities
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm" (Eph 6:12)
There was a response to the Lord's call to his people in the time of Deborah. There were some who delighted Deborah (and the Lord himself) by willingly offering themselves for the work. She commenced her song with the words, "When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves - praise the Lord!" A few stanzas further on she comes back to the joy of finding volunteers: "My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the Lord!" (Jud 5:2 and 9).
Further still in their victory song, Deborah and Barak record their appreciation of help received from other tribes within Israel, and comment on those who did not heed the call.
1. The tribes that mustered at the call
Help came from Ephraim and Benjamin, while a group of captains came from Makir (a branch of the tribe of Manasseh that had settled west of the Jordan). A group of men, each carrying a commander's staff, came from Zebulun. The princes of Issachar (the tribe that "knew the signs of the times") are twice mentioned for their support of Deborah and for rushing into the valley with Barak (Jud 5:14-15).
2. The tribes that risked their lives to be there
Two of the tribes, Zebulun and Naphtali, risked their lives as they took position on the heights of the battlefield (Jud 5:18). Their bravery received special mention.
3. The tribes that found excuses and failed to turn up
Reuben was the tribe that could not make up its mind. As the New English Bible renders the verse, "He was split into factions." According to the Good News Bible, "The tribe of Reuben was divided, they could not decide whether to come" (Jud 5:5-1). Deborah asks, but does not answer, the question posed in her song: "Why did you stay among the camp-fires to hear the whistling for the flocks?".
Reuben had the reputation of being unstable (Gen 49:4). He could not decide who should go or, if they did go, who should lead. So in the end no one went from Reuben. Other tribes lived some way away and did not want to get involved. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. Dan lingered with his ships. Asher sat unmoved by the seaside, with its creeks and coves.
4. The tribe that was cursed for failing to help
We do not know why the tribe or clan of Meroz is singled out for special condemnation, but it is cursed by the angel of the Lord himself. The reason given is simply that they "did not come to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty" (Jud 5:23). No one knows who or what Meroz was and there is no other mention of the name in the Bible. Like the fig-tree which was also cursed by the Lord himself (Mark 11:12 and 21), their failure to respond to the call was visited by divine displeasure.
Jael is called 'blessed' because she seized her opportunity and dispatched the cruel tyrant Sisera with tent-peg and hammer (Jud 5:26). Deborah is careful, in commending those who turned up to help so willingly, to remember that the praise must go to Jehovah, the God of Moses, and to him alone. "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the Lord, I will sing; I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel" (Jud 5:3).
Deliverance at the River Kishon
The river Kishon, whose name means 'winding', was normally a meandering stream. But it was to this river that God said he would lure Sisera, the Canaanite commander, with his chariots and troops (Jud 4:7). From Deborah's song we can see that the event had a parallel to God's action in Moses' day: "O Lord, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water" (Jud 5:4-5).
As well as extensive flooding there was also frightening activity in the sky: "From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera" (Jud 5:20). A catastrophic cloud-burst changed the Kishon into a raging torrent. Many chariots were swept away and the rest were bogged down in the mud. Up to his waist in mud, Sisera had to abandon his chariot and seek whatever protection could be found on such a night. But his fate was already sealed by the prophetic word that Deborah had received and passed on to Barak.
The Prophetic Word in Spiritual Warfare
There are valuable lessons to be learned from this account of the prophetess Deborah. The church is committed to continuous conflict with powers of darkness, and we have every reason to believe the conflict will escalate the nearer we get to the coming of the Lord.
The church is committed to continuous conflict with the powers of darkness – and so we have valuable lessons to learn from the account of the prophetess Deborah.
Church leaders need to understand and accept the valuable part that men and women must play in this kind of warfare. They need to encourage co-operation between the regular on-going ministry and the occasional spiritual gift such as prophecy. Finally, they should remember that we need never be afraid to follow where Christ is leading us. There may be temporary problems and set-backs, but victory is certain. All the time we follow his prophetic direction we shall find that the weather itself will fight for us.
Discover the place of prophecy in leading God's army into action, and how thrilling his service can be when we learn to take God's prophetic word seriously.
First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 6 No 6, November/December 1990.
