{"id":572,"date":"2008-10-03T21:49:07","date_gmt":"2008-10-04T04:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/strivetoenter.com\/wim\/?p=572"},"modified":"2015-10-19T20:27:19","modified_gmt":"2015-10-20T03:27:19","slug":"women-leaders-to-judge-sinful-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strivetoenter.com\/wim\/2008\/10\/03\/women-leaders-to-judge-sinful-men\/","title":{"rendered":"Are women leaders used to judge sinful men?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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It is very common for hierarchists to explain away Deborah\u2019s position as Judge in the nation of Israel as merely a judgment by God<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The men in Deborah\u2019s day were very weak and cowardly. This is seen in the fact that Barak, the captain of the armies of Israel, refused to go into battle unless Deborah went with him. The woman had to remind him that God had said it is time to fight; the woman had to encourage and challenge him to go; yea, the woman had to go with him!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Obviously it was a period in Israel\u2019s history during which God could find no man to do His will, so He used a brave, willing woman. We can praise God for women like Deborah who are willing to be strong when the men are weak.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In general the leaders are weak and seem entirely lacking even in common sense. They cannot control their little children and women rule over them (compare Is. 3:12). This is God\u2019s judgment because of the apostate condition of professing Christians.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Is it really true that women ruling the nation represent God\u2019s judgment?\u00a0 The only way that we can know for sure is to see what God had to say. \u00a0 Several nations were used by God as a judgment against Israel and their sin.\u00a0 The thing that we can notice in all<\/strong><\/em> of the cases of judgment is that the nation who was used as a judgment by God against Israel always hurt and destroyed Israel.\u00a0 Israel was taken captive many times and this was God\u2019s judgment.\u00a0 But what about Deborah?\u00a0 Was she used by God to punish Israel and hurt Israel or was she one of the many godly Judges that God raised up and sent to delive<\/strong>r<\/strong><\/em> Israel?<\/p>\n

Judges 2:16\u00a0 Then the LORD raised up judges who delivered them<\/strong> from the hands of those who plundered them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Judges 2:18\u00a0 When the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them<\/strong> from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Judges were all<\/strong><\/span> sent to deliver Israel from their enemies.\u00a0 This means that it was impossible for Deborah to be a judgment against Israel when she was sent to deliver <\/strong>Israel.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at the next claim \u2013 that God had no man he could use, so his hands were tied and he had to use a woman.\u00a0 This idea is foreign to scripture.\u00a0 The sovereignty of God demands that we see God as the one who chooses whom he desires to use.\u00a0 He is not a God who does not have choices.\u00a0 When Elijah thought that he was the only one left, God educated him in the true facts:<\/p>\n

Romans 11:4\u00a0 But what is the divine response to him? \u201cI HAVE KEPT for Myself<\/strong> SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There has never been a time when God has not had his men.\u00a0 God is sovereign and he is able to preserve the remnant just as he stated that he would.\u00a0 The second proof that God is able to choose a woman even when there are godly men available is the case of Huldah.\u00a0 Huldah was a prophetess of God who was consulted about God\u2019s word at a time when Jeremiah had already been a prophet in the land for five years.\u00a0 This proves that there is no such thing as God having to use a woman only<\/strong><\/em> because there are no godly men available.<\/p>\n

But what about Barak?\u00a0 Was he weak-willed and cowardly because he needed a woman to go into battle with him?\u00a0 Not at all.\u00a0 The bible tells us that Barak was a man of faith.\u00a0 He is listed in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11:32 right alongside David.\u00a0 How was Barak\u2019s faith in God shown?\u00a0 His faith was shown because he refused to go into battle without God\u2019s provision for the battle.\u00a0 Deborah was God\u2019s provision.\u00a0 Deborah was the Judge who was to deliver Israel from their enemies.\u00a0 Barak was a man of God because he believed God and he trusted that God would work through Deborah.\u00a0 He was willing to be shamed by men who would call him cowardly and weak-willed because of his faith in God\u2019s provision.\u00a0 Barak was a great man of God who accepted God\u2019s provision in the battle.\u00a0 It was Deborah herself!<\/p>\n

Lastly, what about the verse that seems to say that women who rule the people are a judgment by God?<\/p>\n

Isaiah 3:12\u00a0 O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The NET bible follows the Septuagint in rendering this verse much differently:<\/p>\n

Isaiah 3:12\u00a0 Oppressors treat my people cruelly;
\ncreditors rule over them.
\nMy people\u2019s leaders mislead them;
\nthey give you confusing directions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Septuagint<\/strong><\/a>, (English version here) is the Greek translation of the Old Testament Hebrew scriptures and it was the bible that the early Church used the most.\u00a0 The Septuagint\u2019s rendering which is consistent with the NET bible, shows how the early church would have understood Isaiah 3:12.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 3:12 \u201cO My people, your exactors strip you, and extortioners rule over you; O My people, they that pronounce you blessed lead you astray, and pervert the path of your feet.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Isaiah 3:1 is also very differently translated in the Septuagint showing that the Lord of hosts will remove the mighty men and women of strength leaving behind those who are weak:<\/p>\n

Isaiah 3:1 Behold now, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the mighty man and mighty woman, the strength of bread, and the strength of water,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This passage in Isaiah isn\u2019t saying that God is sending women as a judgment against Israel.\u00a0 Not at all.<\/p>\n

If we are to take Isaiah 3:12 as women ruling the nation as a \u201csign\u201dof God\u2019s judgment, why would God use a \u201csign\u201d that means evil in one place and good in another place?\u00a0 Why would God raise up a godly woman (Deborah) in the same \u201csign\u201d?\u00a0 This would mean that God is contradicting himself and he is wishy-washy using women as a sign for evil and<\/strong><\/em> a sign for good.\u00a0 This cannot be.\u00a0 God cannot contradict himself.<\/p>\n

The fact is that Deborah was a godly woman sent by God to be a blessing to Israel.\u00a0 She did her job and delivered Israel from their enemies.\u00a0 She operated in the gifting and calling of the Lord God Almighty.\u00a0 It is a dishonor to say that Deborah was an instrument of God\u2019s judgment to shame the men.\u00a0 Instead of bringing shame to Barak, Deborah brought him victory and a place in the Hebrews 11 hall of fame.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is very common for hierarchists to explain away Deborah\u2019s position as Judge in the nation of Israel as merely a judgment by God. The men in Deborah\u2019s day were very weak and cowardly. This is seen in the fact that Barak, the captain of the armies of Israel, refused to go into battle unless Deborah went with him. The woman had to remind him that God had said it is time to fight; the woman had to encourage and…<\/p>\n

Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11,13,14,24,51,52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answering-complementarian-arguments","category-authority-and-leadership","category-authority-and-women","category-complementarian-errors","category-old-testament-scriptures","category-opposing-viewpoints"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nAre women leaders used to judge sinful men? - Women in Ministry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/strivetoenter.com\/wim\/2008\/10\/03\/women-leaders-to-judge-sinful-men\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Are women leaders used to judge sinful men? - Women in Ministry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It is very common for hierarchists to explain away Deborah\u2019s position as Judge in the nation of Israel as merely a judgment by God. 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