Passage Introduction
The people of Israel have settled in the promised land. Unfortunately, after the death of Joshua, they began to turn away from God and were oppressed by a variety of outside nations. The book of judges tells the stories about how they would turn away from God, be oppressed by their enemies, repent, and how God would raise up someone to deliver them, only for the cycle to repeat again.
This passage begins the story of Deborah and Barak and how God used them to deliver Israel during one of these cycles. As you read through this passage, notice the repeating pattern of the people of Israel as well as Deborah and, to a lesser extent Barak, followed God and were instruments of his deliverance. Also, recognize that Deborah as a prophetess and a judge for the people of Israel and one of the key women God worked through to bring about his plans and purposes.
David Dalton
The people of Israel have settled in the promised land. Unfortunately, after the death of Joshua, they began to turn away from God and were oppressed by a variety of outside nations. The book of judges tells the stories about how they would turn away from God, be oppressed by their enemies, repent, and how God would raise up someone to deliver them, only for the cycle to repeat again.
This passage begins the story of Deborah and Barak and how God used them to deliver Israel during one of these cycles. As you read through this passage, notice the repeating pattern of the people of Israel as well as Deborah and, to a lesser extent Barak, followed God and were instruments of his deliverance. Also, recognize that Deborah as a prophetess and a judge for the people of Israel and one of the key women God worked through to bring about his plans and purposes.
David Dalton
Spiritual Practices: Visio Divina
Visio Divina, or sacred seeing, is a type of prayer in which we allow our hearts and imaginations to enter into an image or a scene in silence to see what God might have to say to us. You can find out more about Visio Divina here. Spend some time prayerfully reflecting on the images below and listen to what God might say to you through them.
Visio Divina, or sacred seeing, is a type of prayer in which we allow our hearts and imaginations to enter into an image or a scene in silence to see what God might have to say to us. You can find out more about Visio Divina here. Spend some time prayerfully reflecting on the images below and listen to what God might say to you through them.
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Deborah Beneath the Palm Tree
Tissot, James, 1836-1902. Deborah Beneath the Palm Tree, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55998 [retrieved November 17, 2023]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tissot_Deborah_Beneath_the_Palm_Tree.jpg.
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In Tune (Deborah)
Pittman, Lauren Wright. In Tune (Deborah), from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57091 [retrieved November 17, 2023]. Original source: Lauren Wright Pittman, http://www.lewpstudio.com/.
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"In this image, Deborah stands firm under her palm tree with her hand open, signifying her openness to God’s wisdom and to sharing her voice with others. The chariots of war loom in the distance, but the chariots are empty because, in the midst of impending war, this prophetess can see God’s victory before it even takes place."
Spiritual Practices: Keyword Listing
Keyword listing is a method of observational Bible study. It doesn’t require any special skills, tools, or training. You can read more about the process of keyword listing here. You can choose any word or short phrase to study using keyword listing. For this passage, we suggest the following keyword(s) to start your study.
Starting Points
Keyword listing is a method of observational Bible study. It doesn’t require any special skills, tools, or training. You can read more about the process of keyword listing here. You can choose any word or short phrase to study using keyword listing. For this passage, we suggest the following keyword(s) to start your study.
Starting Points
- People of Israel (and related pronouns) - discover the plight of the people of Israel
- Deborah (and related pronouns) - discover how God works through Deborah the prophetess
- Barak (and related pronouns) - discover what God does through Barak