Women Who Broke the Mold: Deborah

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Thursday, May 03, 2007 - Women Who Broke the Mold

There is a woman in the Old Testament whose leadership and accomplishments would be outstanding today. In her day they had to be incredible.

Deborah was one of the judges of Israel, the top authority in the country. She had men working for her; she even led the army into a battle and won it. That certainly was not a customary role for women in her time.

She must have felt like a fifth wheel at times. She was different from all the other women in her day! It must have been a lonely spot. Undoubtedly there were times when she grew weary of the responsibilities and pressures on her. But she was a woman of great faith in God, and her dedication to her calling was unwavering, whatever personal desires she may have had to forego.

We know that she was married; we don't know if she had any children. But this was a woman in a traditional role, yet called by God to a job that was very untraditional. She had a position of higher authority than her husband–than any other man in the country.

Why do you think Deborah accepted the job of judge? I don't think she was trying to prove anything. There was no election campaign, where she stumped the trail proclaiming that women had a right to be a judge. Her career ambition was not to be the first woman judge in Israel. That was never an issue with Deborah. Deborah was a judge because God called her to be one.

Why do you think God asked Deborah to be a judge for those many years? Because He had gifted her for the job and that was His plan for her. Why would He ask her to do something so different from a traditional woman's role? Because God is sovereign and He uses many different kinds of people in different situations as He sees fit.

Today God still calls some women to break old molds and do things not often done by women. He has a right to do so now, just as He did with Deborah. But the women God calls are not marching for women's rights. They are marching in the Lord's army, followers of Jesus Christ, committed to His service, regardless of the role they are asked to fill.

If God has called you to be a mold-breaker, count it a privilege. Keep in mind, I'm not talking about departing from biblical principles or standards, but rather about man-made traditions and roles. Sometimes God uses mold-breakers in very effective ways.