“A MOTHER IN ISRAEL” Judges 5: 7
Introduction
The theme of the women’s church conference this year 2020 is chosen on this topic: “A Mother in Israel” Judges 5: 7. God has a great plan this year, He also has an important message for the women of this generation with inference to Deborah the prophetess and judge.
I was given a revelation earlier this year concerning the theme for this conference in the form of “a woman God uses”. In our Mothering Sunday week, God used a sister to open our eyes to the topic in another dimension.
As I penned down this theme, hardly had I know that a great war (Covid-19) would come in the land, an invisible warrior; a warrior that may prove to be stronger than David of our time. This warrior has defeated the globalist powers. The warrior has superior knowledge that the world academia. This war came in form of a virus and was later declared a pandemic.
Just as we saw in the time of Deborah; “the villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I, Deborah arose as a mother in Israel.” If we take a closer look at this verse of the scripture, we will discover that the pictures of what is happening today are painted.
See the first phrase; “the villagers ceased in Israel”. The New American Standard Bible version put it as; “The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel”.
As long as the world is concerned today, everything is at the standstill. The inter-state movements have been banned. International trade and movements are at a halt. The markets, schools and churches, and other worship centers are under lock and operate under restriction.
Indeed, peasantry has ceased on earth.
As women of God, there are areas God has called us to arise and stand in the gap in the family, church, and society. The scholars of the Bible after discussing the three sons of Eli that brought disgrace to the family and their ministries would always ask one question. And that is; “where was their mother. “…A child left to himself brings disgrace to his mother” Proverb 29: 15.
In the church, there is a need for women like Anna in (Luke 2:22-38), women like Dorcas in (Acts 9:36-42), women like Mary Magdalene, women like Esther, Women like Mary and Martha. These women made a great impact in their services to God and the humanities; especially the lives of Dorcas and Annah.
I am calling on you Annah who sits here to arise! Arise! You Dorcas and Deborah for peasantry has ceased in the land.
“A MOTHER IN ISRAEL” Judges 5: 7
We shall break this theme further by looking at it this way:
- What Happened When Deborah Had Not Arisen?
- What Happened When She Arose?
- Is There Any Excuse For Not Rising?
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What Happened When Deborah Had Not Arisen?
The Bible says in Matt 13:25 that when men slept, the enemies came and sowed tares. Goliath was mesmerizing the soldiers of Israelites, until a shepherd boy, arose. We are no longer talking about Deborah from the tribe of Ephraimite, we are talking about us. You and I, the mothers and women of All Souls’ Church.
When we did not arise and take up the battles, the Goliaths of our marriages, of family problems, of hardship come to take over and to cease the peasantry in the land. Because we did not rise to war in prayer; a virus came to cease the land. We were asleep on our mats and the enemy came right in our nose sowed tares in our family.
Abigail understood this rising principle in 1Sam 25: 23-44 when her husband Nabal insulted David. She arose early in the morning and ran to David to pacify him and pleaded on behalf of her husband. This single act of Abigail averted what would have resulted in a calamity for her family. When we don’t arise, we allow calamity to strike.
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WHAT HAPPENED WHEN DEBORAH AROSE?
Many things happen in the life of any child of God who rises, who stands in the gap always. I list here seven dimensions of changes that will occur in our lives when we live our lives like Deborah. The following happens when we arise.
- Everything will take its normal shape
- Terror will cease in the land.
- God’s promises will be fulfilled.
- We will draw others to rise with us.
- The weak will draw strength from us.
- We will retain a new title; “a mother in Israel”.
- A true mother in us will emerge.
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IS THERE ANY EXCUSE FOR NOT RISING?
“Therefore thou art inexcusable oh man…” Roms 2: 1.
We have seen from the scripture that there is no excuse for laxity. If there should be any who should give an excuse for not rising, it should be Deborah. If we look at her background as at the time of this record, she was a young wife. This implied that she was still procreating.
I have seen in one book, a picture of Prophetess Deborah under a tree where she sat to judge cases brought before her. The picture depicted her as a nursing mother. What does that imply? It means to teach us that she is an ordinary woman like us. She had the same family burden as us. She carried the normal 9 months pregnant as u and I do. She went into labor, went through labor pains, and breastfed the children. All these she did while rising for the people spiritually.
We have no excuse as young mothers to rise in services to God. God forbid, we should use the precious gifts God gave to us as an excuse for lagging behind in the things of God.
A woman like Abigail whom Bible described her husband as a foolish man should is another example. She should have used her husband as an excuse. Her husband Nabal was foolish but she wasn’t. She never used it as an excuse rather she arose and acted as was supposed.
Summary on a Mother in Israel Judges 5: 7
In conclusion, marital issues, Procreation, and raising of children shouldn’t be a hindrance to us in serving God. Let us arise today like Deborah did and bear our title. “A Mother in Israel”.
