Ⅱ
God raised up Deborah as a judge of Israel who practiced the female submission to the man in order to keep God’s ordination and bring all of Israel into a proper order under God’s kingship and headship—Judg. 4—5:
A
The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah after Ehud died (4:1), so Jehovah sold Israel into the hand of Jabin the king of Canaan, the captain of whose army was Sisera; he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed Israel severely for twenty years—vv. 2, 3b.
B
At the time of Judges 4, the men of Israel had failed in their God-ordained function of leadership; this forced God to do something extraordinary and unusual in raising up a female, Deborah, as a judge of Israel; the raising up of such a female changed the entire condition of Israel—vv. 4-5.
C
The children of Israel cried out to Jehovah (v. 3a), and Deborah, a prophetess, was raised up as a judge of Israel; she would sit under the palm of Deborah, and the children of Israel went up to her for judgment (vv. 4-5).
D
In the Bible a proper female indicates one who is in submission to God, one who keeps God’s ordination; this is the position that Israel should have taken before God as her King, her Lord, her Head, and her Husband, but Israel violated God’s ordination, leaving her position as God’s wife and forsaking Him for hundreds of idols; this brought Israel into a miserable situation and condition:
１
Samson was a Nazarite from his mother’s womb for the full course of his life; the Nazarite was to let his hair grow long, signifying that he was to remain in subjection to the Lord’s headship, wherein is power—Num. 6:5; Judg. 16:17; 1 Cor. 11:3-6, 10, 15.
２
But Delilah pressed him with her words every day and urged him to tell her the secret of his power until “his soul was tired to death” (Judg. 16:16); because of Satan’s wearing-out tactics, Samson fell into Satan’s snare, his hair was shaved by Delilah, and he was captured by the Philistines, losing his Nazarite consecration, his power, his testimony of sanctification, and God’s presence (Dan. 7:25).
３
Those who accept the different and wrong teaching that the believers should not submit to deputy authorities appointed by God will be spoiled by this teaching; with us (especially with the married sisters—Eph. 5:22-24), there should be a submissive spirit, standing, atmosphere, and intention; if you are such a person, there will be a great blessing for you and for your future.
E
By reading Deborah’s song in Judges 5, we can see that she was full of ability, capacity, insight, and foresight, but such an excellent and capable person was very submissive; God made her the leader, yet she kept the proper order and took Barak as her covering—4:6-9; cf. 1 Cor. 11:3-6, 10.
F
Deborah realized that she needed a man to be her covering; as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:3: “Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.”
G
When this excellent, extraordinary woman took the lead to practice the female submission to the man, the entire country came into an excellent and proper order; all the leaders took the lead, all the people followed, and the army was formed; everyone returned to his or her proper position before Jehovah.
H
Thus, Deborah could say in her song, “That the leaders took the lead in Israel, / That the people have willingly offered themselves, / Bless Jehovah... / Then a remnant of the nobles went down; / The people of Jehovah went down with me against the mighty”—Judg. 5:2, 13.
Morning Nourishment
1 Cor. 11:3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.10 Therefore the woman ought to have a sign of submission to authority on her head for the sake of the angels.
Prior to the history recorded in Judges 3:7 through 5:31, the people of Israel had never had a female leader. Then, suddenly, God raised up a female, Deborah, as a judge of Israel. Regarding this, we need to realize that in the Bible, whenever God does something which stands out as being extraordinary, it is very significant. It indicates, first, man’s failure, and then, God’s excellent act. At the time of Judges 4, all the men of Israel had failed, so God raised up a woman. That raising up of a female changed the entire condition of Israel.
In the Bible a proper female indicates one who is in submission to God, one who keeps God’s ordination. This is the position that Israel should have taken before God, but the situation in Israel had become fully abnormal. The men had left their position before Jehovah. Hence, Israel violated God’s ordination, leaving her position as God’s wife and forsaking Him for hundreds of idols. (Life-study of Judges, p. 15)
Today’s Reading
According to God’s creation, Deborah was a very capable person. By reading her song in Judges 5, we can see that she was full of ability, capacity, insight, and foresight. But such an excellent person was very submissive. God made her the leader, yet she kept the proper order and took Barak as her covering (4:6-9). She realized that she needed a man to be her covering….When she took this kind of standing, the whole nation became different. In their miserable situation no one would take the lead to fight for Jehovah’s interest, and no one would be willing to follow. But when this excellent, extraordinary woman took the lead to practice the female submission to the man, the entire country came into the proper order. Everyone returned to his or her proper position. Thus Deborah could say in her song, “Then a remnant of the nobles went down; / The people of Jehovah went down with me against the mighty” (5:13). All the leaders took the lead, and all the people followed; the army was formed. At first, only some of the people followed, but eventually they all followed. From this we see that the entire country came into an excellent order, assuming the proper position before Jehovah. (Life-study of Judges, pp. 15-16)A Nazarite must deal with the rebellion in his nature. Thank God that we were created with an abundance of hair on our head, indicating that we are under authority. I can testify that it is a great blessing to be under someone, some thing, or some environment. It is a blessing to be under someone or some thing. It is even a blessing to be severely limited. I thank the Lord that from the day I came into the recovery, the Lord put me under someone, some thing, or some environment.
Today some are teaching that it is not necessary for believers to submit to a deputy authority, that believers should not be under anyone. This erroneous teaching is very damaging. First, it is damaging to those who teach in this way, and then it is damaging to the ones who receive such a teaching. Those who accept the teaching that the believers should not submit to deputy authority will be spoiled by this teaching. Some may even be spoiled without remedy in their youth. Therefore, it is a serious matter to teach that we should not submit to deputy authority, and it is also a serious matter to receive this teaching.
A Nazarite is a person full of hair, full of submission. With him there are a submissive spirit, standing, atmosphere, and intention. If you are such a person, there will be a great blessing for you and for your future. (Life-study of Numbers, pp. 70-71)
Further Reading: Life-study of Judges, msgs. 1, 4, 8; Life-study of Numbers, msgs. 8, 10; CWWN, vol. 38, chs. 52, 67