Women of Fire:

 

Week 8

 

October 9, 2016 Rev. Tom Boeck, Associate Pastor

 

“Deborah is identified in Judges 4:4 by two terms: “a prophetess”,

literally, “a woman (Heb. .iššâ), a prophet”; and as one who was

“judging Israel” at the time of a 20-year period of oppression by

the heavily armed Canaanites. Between these two terms is

another identifier, the phrase .eĹĄe. lapp.^.Ă´., typically translated

“wife of Lappidoth (Torches).” However, it could equally mean

“fiery (or spirited) woman” (lit., “woman of torches”) because

Lappidoth, elsewhere unknown in the Bible, is unlikely to be a

man’s name and because the noun .eše. (construct of .iššâ) can

mean “woman of” as well as “wife of.” The need to have a

woman identified in relation to a man, rather than the

acknowledgement that a woman’s identity could in some

instances stand alone, apparently influenced virtually all modern

and ancient translations.

 

Yet the several roles Deborah plays as an autonomous woman in

national life would warrant her name appearing with the epithet

“fiery woman” and without reference to a man.1”

 

 In our Upper Story, we see a God who continues to love His

chosen people and continues to place leaders into their midst

who will keep guiding them toward a ________________

relationship with Him, their creator and savior.

 

 

In the Lower Story, God uses Deborah as the fiery leader who

challenges the people of God to _____________Him and leads

Israel’s general, Barak and the Israelite army into battle against a

heavily armed enemy.

 

1 Meyers, C. (2000). Deborah. In D. N. Freedman, A. C. Myers, & A.

B. Beck (Eds.), Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible (p. 331). Grand

Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

 

 

Judges 4:4-8 (NIV) “4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of

Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under

the Palm of Deborah between Ramahand Bethel in the hill

country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have

their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from

Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel,

commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of

Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will

lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots

and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your

hands.’”

8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t

go with me, I won’t go.”

 

 

Luke 8:1-3 (NIV) “1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one

town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the

kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some

women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary

(called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;

3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household;

Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to

support them out of their own means.”

 

 

In My Story, God _________________ each of us to do His will, to

serve others and to share His love with those around us as we

grow closer to Him.

 

Here at our church the LWML provides support to these ministries

and missions:

 

. Concordia Scholarship Fund

. Charlotte Travis Scholarship Fund

. Roland Trinklein Scholarship Fund

. Little Lambs

. M.U.S.T. Ministries

. Project Compassion

. Navajo Sponsorship

. Lutheran Bible Translators

. Lutheran Social Services

. Military Troop Support

. Social Ministries

. Choir Music

 

 

826 (LSB): “Hark! the voice of Jesus crying, "Who will go and work

today? Fields are white and harvests waiting--Who will bear the

sheaves away?" Loud and long the Master calleth; Rich reward He

offers thee. Who will answer, gladly saying, "Here am I, send me,

send me"?

 

Are you on fire for the Lord?

 

Through prayer and study of God’s word, your fire for the gospel can

be restored!

 

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