The Courage of Deborah and the Shaming of Men

One of the issues brought up supporting an egalitarian position of women is the story of Deborah in the Old Testament. Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke interprets Deborah's story as not supporting and confirming the leading authority of women over God's people, but in fact shaming the lack of normative male leadership.

"Deborah, however, who was married, is one clear exception to 'patriarchy' (Judg. 4:4-9), but it is the exception that proves the rule. The narrotor makes his intention clear by shaming the Israelite men at that time for their fear of assuming leadership. Note, for example, how Deborah shames Barak, the military commander of Israel's army, for his failure to assume leadership. After she mediates God's command to him to join battle wtih Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, Barak replies: 'If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go.' Deborah responds, 'Very well, I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this [i.e. full of fear], the honor will not be yours, for x will hand Sisera over to a woman [i.e. to shame him]' (Judg. 4:8-9; cf. 9:54). Deborah did not seek to overthrow patriarchy through her gifts, but to support it. Apparently I AM raised up this exceptional woman, who was full of faith, to shame the men of Israel for their lack of faith. If so, the account serves to reprove unfaithful men for not taking leadership, not to present an alternative norm to male authority." (An Old Testament Theology, 245).

God's raising up of Deborah was meant to shame the failed leadership of men not to invent a new standard for leadership. God sometimes ordains that which He does not command. His desire and command that men be leaders does not mean that that is the only leadership He will use, but it does mean that that is the leadership He desires. He has called men to lead, and when they do not He shames them.

Similarly, God called Israel's kings to lead righteously, and when they do not He raises up, in His sovereignty, wicked kings to judge them. He ordains teachers of the Old Testament law to teach rightly and justly, and ordains a man eating grasshoppers to shame them and call them to repentance. Just because God does something in history with someone who is faithful (and even those who are wicked) does not mean that this is what He has commanded as the norm for God's people. In fact, God often in judgment uses what is not proper leadership to shame those who should have executed righteous leadership.

Deborah was indeed an unbelivably courageous and faithful women and this is a call to women to be faithful and full of courage, but it is not a call for women to subvert the calling of men to lead. It is a call for men to step up in leadership and if not to be prepared to be shamed by faithful, godly women.