Women of Note in the Old Testament
31
All the inhabitants of the city [Jericho], with every living thing
that it contained, “both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and
sheep, and ass,” were put to the sword. Only faithful Rahab, with her
household, was spared, in fulfillment of the promise of the spies. The
city itself was burned.—
Patriarchs and Prophets, 491 (1890)
.
See
Matthew 1:1-16
for genealogy of Jesus, whose ancestor was
Rahab.
Deborah
This chapter is based on
Judges 4
and
5
.
Deborah the prophet governed Israel during the reign of Jabin, a
Canaanite king who was very cruel to the children of Israel. Life in
the villages was harsh. The people were plundered and fled to the
fortified cities for protection. Then the Lord raised up Deborah, who
was like a loving mother to Israel. God sent a message through her to
Barak that he should prepare to meet Sisera, Jabin’s general, in battle.
[37]
Barak refused to go unless Deborah went with him. She agreed, but
warned him that because of his lack of faith in the words of the Lord,
the honor of killing Sisera would go to a woman, not to Barak
.
The Israelites, having again separated themselves from God by
idolatry, were grievously oppressed by [their] enemies. The property
and even the lives of the people were in constant danger. Hence the vil-
lages and lonely dwellings were deserted, and the people congregated
in the walled cities. The highroads were unoccupied, and the people
went from place to place by unfrequented byways. At the places for
drawing water, many were robbed and even murdered, and to add to
their distress, the Israelites were unarmed. Among forty thousand men,
not a sword or a spear could be found.
For twenty years, the Israelites groaned under the yoke of the
oppressor; then they turned from their idolatry, and with humiliation
and repentance cried unto the Lord for deliverance. They did not cry
in vain. There was dwelling in Israel a woman illustrious for her piety,
and through her the Lord chose to deliver His people. Her name was
Deborah. She was known as a prophetess, and in the absence of the
usual magistrates, the people had sought to her for counsel and justice.