This is not a text that is strictly speaking about gender roles. However, Deborah is often cited as an example of what godly women should aspire to be. Some say that godly women should aspire to lead, be a prophetess and speak a word of authority like Deborah. But is this so? 

Deborah is given as a model, but not of these things. 

This is a text that is about God. We are not to find ourselves as the primary actors in this narrative. Rather, we are supposed to see that God is the hero of the story. God’s people find themselves falling into sin and oppression as a result of their rebellion, and God saves them. They are like sheep that go astray and God the Good Shepherd must save them once again. 

How is the book of Judges designed? We begin by reading of how Joshua led the people in the Promised Land and as they entered, the reader should have in mind how God’s people finally entered God’s Promised Land under God’s leader with God’s presence. It may seem like everything will now be restored but we also read of how Israel does not fully possess the land as they allow some of the inhabitants of the land to remain there.

God begins to raise up judges – heroes raised by God to save His people. From Judges 3:7, the introduction of the book is now over and we begin to read of the individual stories of the judges. In this study, we will try to see what we can learn from these men.

In Judges 1, we read of the tribes of Israel resuming the conquest of Canaan after the death of their leader, Joshua. We saw things seeming to work out well on the surface, with Israel taking possession of some of the lands. But as we looked closer, we saw Israel’s disobedience and failure to trust in God’s promise to deliver, resulting in their failed conquest and God’s curse that they will not drive out the inhabitants of the land.

The narrative restarts, and we have a second introduction to Judges. The focus shifts from Israel’s military campaign, to the state of their relationship with God and the cyclical pattern that recurs throughout the book of Judges. The text ends just before the introduction of the first three judges.

In Judges, the people repeatedly rebelled, turn away from God, God is angered and allows the enemies to oppress them; the people cry out; God raises a judge to deliver them; there is peace and the pattern repeats itself. 

And it gets worse each time. It is a dark book about how the people of God repeatedly turn away from Him and sin. 

We also see repeatedly how this God is a holy God who loves His people. He graciously and repeatedly raises a judge each time to save His people. This is a tension that is repeated raised and not resolved in the judges, not when they get a king and is only resolved when Christ comes.