On Wednesday, I was really saddened to hear of the death
of Marie Colvin, a well-known foreign correspondent for the Sunday Times in
London. In the same attack the French photographer, Remi Ochlik, was also
killed. Later I heard Marie’s mother briefly interviewed on the news and she
spoke of her daughter as being very passionate about what she did, even when it
was very difficult and dangerous. She said, “Her legacy is: Be passionate and be involved in what you believe
in. And do it as thoroughly and honestly and fearlessly as you can.”[i] Those who knew her well
talk about how she was a kind and caring person who was always ready to mentor
younger colleagues in the business.[ii] She was certainly brave,
intelligent, and determined to communicate to the world the atrocities of war
and the resulting human suffering. She was a champion for the innocent victims
who had no voice.
What
causes so many journalists, like Marie, to continually place themselves in such
volatile environments, exposing themselves to the brutality and ruthless
disregard for human life and dignity? Where do they find the courage and
strength to surge forward into places that threaten their own personal safety?
Are they really as fearless as they appear in the media, or when they lay down
for a few minutes of rest do they wrestle with the same feelings of insecurity
as you and me?
I’m
not sure about them, but there is one woman in the Bible who really inspires me
with her courage and willingness to put her life and reputation on the line. She
was highly respected and a person of great influence. This is evidenced by the
fact that her own people regularly came to her for advice and to settle disputes.
They obviously knew they could trust her to make fair decisions. She was the
only woman mentioned in the Old Testament who held the distinguished position
of a judge. We find part of her story in Judges 4 and 5. Her name – Deborah.
We
do know she was married but no children are mentioned. Her devotion to God was
undeniable and she received a special message from Him. This passage of
Scripture also calls her a prophetess and in that role, she was passionate
about not only hearing God’s message but communicating it to others and seeing
that his commands were carried out. At the time of this account, the Israelites
had been under the oppression of the Canaanites for twenty years. The commander
of the Canaanite army was Sisera, a cruel leader who led an entourage of nine
hundred iron chariots – talk about intimidation and fear!
Even
though Deborah held a highly influential position among the Israelites as a
judge and prophet, she was primarily their spiritual and moral leader. However,
when the injustice of her people reached an all-time high and they cried to the
Lord for help, she did not hesitate to lead a military endeavor, inspired by
the God of Israel. She immediately called for Barak, a man who was probably a
military leader of good standing. It is not clear of his position in
relationship to Deborah’s, but her decision to work closely with others to
accomplish the task speaks well of her leadership style. She was a take-charge
woman, but willingly employed the expertise of other people and was ready to
stand with them and support them on the front lines.
When
Barak came before Deborah she said to him, “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…with his chariots and his
troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’” (4:6-7) This was to
be the Lord’s war – a holy war in the biblical sense that it was God who would
fight for His people as
they trusted in Him for victory.
Deborah’s strict obedience to God’s commands motivates me
to think about how I handle the challenges that come my way. Do I readily and
willingly obey what He reveals to me through His Word, or do I try and solve
the problem my way and with my own limited wisdom and understanding? Am I open
to seeking the advice of other mature believers in Christ and working together
with them to see something through? Good food for thought this week!
Until next Sunday,
Kathy
What a wonderful story about Deborah, I'm going to learn more about her in the Bible, I never knew about this courageous woman, as I thought they were mostly men in the Bible world. Yes, as you say, such courageous lady journalist, how sad for her family. I did see the also, very brave interview from her mother on Fox News. Thank you for your lovely and kind visit. Have a blessed Sunday.
ReplyDeleteFABBY
Thanks, Fabby. I'm glad you enjoyed my blog today and yes, Deborah's story is an interesting one indeed. Another woman's story you would find interesting is that of Esther - it was always one of my favourite Bible stories to tell to children and she was also one courageous lady!
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting women. We could all learn from her. Wonderful to have you be a part of Seasonal Sundays.
ReplyDelete- The Tablescaper
These stories in the Bible about women like Deborah are so inspiring. We can learn so much from them. Thank you for sharing this insight about Deborah.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Charlotte