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  Last Sunday, I realized the preacher was going to be talking about Deborah in the book of Judges. I was a little worried. I’d been down this road before and I wasn’t sure I could keep quiet this time.

  The last preacher I listened to announced that God chose Deborah because no man was available for the task. I laughed out loud in a very quiet church. A friend leaned over and whispered, “He’s serious!”

  “What?” ​

  She shrugged her shoulders and I lost track of what the preacher said after that. I couldn’t imagine that this pastor felt that God was incapable of finding a man for a job. For heaven’s sake….he could CREATE a man. He’s all POWERFUL. With perfect WISDOM. He absolutely did not pick Deborah because he was forced into a corner and no man was available.

  Let me tell you the story in case you’ve not heard it…

  Deborah was a Jewish prophetess (which meant that she knew God’s thoughts) and a judge. The people of Israel were being oppressed and she had a message that God wanted them to take action.

  She told them…“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. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.”

  Barak was nervous about the whole deal and refused to go unless Deborah accompanied him. So she did. And as promised, all the enemy perished by the sword…except Sisera himself. He escaped, took a nap in a tent…and had a tent spike drilled into his temple. By a another woman. (who was also there because God planned it)

  I thought my experience was unique but apparently it is not. This is an article about similar situation, written by someone more familiar with the Bible.

  I really thought this was all behind us. I grew up learning about Susan B Anthony-- who successfully won  the right to vote for women in 1920. That was a long time ago! (It shouldn’t surprise you that she fought against slavery too.) 

  I grew up watching commercials and reading ads (These are pretty funny, you should take a peek) that compared modern women to older times and claimed, “You’ve come a long way, baby.” 

  And we have. But we still have work to do…#MeToo.

  But here’s the good news. Last weekend…that preacher understood that God knows exactly what’s he’s doing. And he always picks the best person for the job.