Deborah: an example of Godly leadership

Two hundred years after the fall of Jericho and after the death of Joshua, the Israelites began to lose its hold on the land. Canaanite rulers held the Israelites oppressed for twenty years. Sisera was the chief warrior among the Canaanites and his force of 900 iron plated chariots terrified the people and kept them in line for many years. Sisera was so assured that no one could challenge him and he felt even more smugly secure as Israel had a new leader: a woman. Deborah was an extraordinary woman. A wife, a mother and a leader of the Israelites. Judges in Israel were unelected and uninherited. They were chosen by God to serve as military leaders when the people needed to be rescued from their enemies and establish justice. Deborah was the only woman to serve as judge. 

Deborah was a prophetess who held court under a palm tree. She refused to lose heart as Israel became more and more divided and dispirited. The people had sunk deeper into idolatry and forgot God’s promises and the faith of their ancestors. Her vision of the world was not shaped by the political situation but her relationship with God. Even though it was uncommon for a woman to be a leader in the ancient world, Deborah was the leader Israel needed. She heard God and believed in Him. By her example, courage began to arise in the people which enabled them to throw off their oppressors. Sisera thought he was invincible but he failed to take into account Deborah’s strong faith. Deborah summoned Barak, a Jew from the North, and told him that God would deliver Sisera’s army into his hands. But Barak was terrified and only agreed to go if Deborah also went into battle. She tells him the honor of defeating Sisera would not be his but hers. When Sisera heard of the plan to defeat his army, he felt so confident that he went ahead to the Kishon River. Unfortunately, his chariots became stuck and became easy targets for Barak’s troops. After the battle, there would be peace in Israel for 40 years (Judges 5:31). 

Deborah’s story speaks volumes for us today. Deborah is an example of strong leadership. She was not power hungry. She only wanted to serve God and when praise came her way, she gave credit to God. She is a person who demonstrated what can be done when God is in control. First, we need to be available to God and others. Deborah was known as a mediator, advisor and counselor (Judges 4:5). She led Israel peacefully for 40 years. Second, how to be a wise leader. Wise leaders are rare. Leaders who know how to work with and through others. They are good mediators, advisors, planners and delegators. When God revealed his plans for Sisera’s defeat, Deborah didn’t try to do it all herself. She called Barak to help. And when Barak’s faith was shaken at the prospect of facing Sisera, he asked Deborah to be at his side (Judges 4:8). She was the type of person who understood the spiritual needs of the people she led. While she believed that God would lead them to victory, her presence helped build the confidence of the troops. She understood the needs of the people and not just worried about success. She didn’t downplay Barak’s role in the victory, despite his reluctance to go into battle without her (Judges 5:12). 

Imagery is important in Deborah’s story. The palm trees are often heralds of peace and hope. Deborah meeting with people under the palm tree. The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life. Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem before his crucifixion and death (Matthew 21:8, Mark 11:8, John 12:13) is another example of the palm inclusion bringing a deeper meaning. Deborah’s name means “bee” (Devorah or D’vorah in Hebrew). The imagery of the bee is interesting as the Midrash, a collection of teachings on the Torah, explain that the Hebrew people were like bees (Nelson, 2019). First, bees follow their leader in a swarm. The Jewish people would follow prophets to teach them. Judges 4:5 says Deborah held court where the Israelites came to her to settle their disputes. Second, the bee demonstrates the consequences of not following God’s commands, as a bee sting is quite painful. But as the bee’s honey is sweet, those who follow His commands will be blessed with a sweet life. Third, bees are a lowly insect and serve as a reminder to be humble. Colossians 3:12 says “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” 

In conclusion, judges in Israel were unelected and uninherited, chosen by God to serve as military leaders when the people needed to be rescued from their enemies and establish justice. Deborah was a humble leader who used wisdom and God’s guidance to usher in forty years of peace. At a time when the Israelites desperately needed a strong leader, God gave them Deborah. With her faith, she was able to be an example of strength and confidence in God. At a time when women leaders were uncommon, Deborah was an example to all who sought her. Through Deborah’s example, we can be wide leaders who seek God’s guidance. We can be leaders in our homes, our families, our workplaces, and our schools. Men, women, boys, girls, young and old, we all can be wise leaders for God. 

References

Nelson, Susan J. (July 10, 2019). Who Was Deborah in the Bible? Christianity.com. www.https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/who-was-deborah-in-the-bible.html. Retrieved January 21, 2021. 

How to Train Your Dragon Hidden World movie review

How to Train Your Dragons Hidden World opened in the US on February 22, 2019 to rave reviews. I loved the other films in the trilogy and was eager to see this one. Unfortunately, I was unable to see it in theaters. The Blu-ray and DVD were released on May 21 and I was determined to buy it. Hidden World is the last film in this trilogy, and we must say goodbye to this beautiful world and these outlandish but lovable characters. Always visually stunning with great characters, great moments and send off worthy of this wonderful series.

The film opens one year after the events of How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014), Hiccup (played by Jay Baruchel) and his friends continue to rescue captured dragons. He brings them back to Berk where he has created a dragon-human utopia. Unfortunately, his place has resulted in an overpopulation of dragons. The villagers urge Hiccup to marry Astrid (played by America Ferrera) and take a larger role as chief. Unwilling to take that next step, Hiccup is determined to keep the dragons with them. He wants to find the Hidden World, a place his late father told him about as a child. Meanwhile, a white female Fury (dubbed Light Fury by Astrid) is discovered by Toothless. Unknown to Hiccup, the Light Fury is being used as bait by the infamous dragon hunter, Grimmel (played by F. Murray Abraham) in order to capture Toothless. As Hiccup searches for the Hidden World, he must decide whether to free Toothless and the other dragons or spend a lifetime fighting those who want to hurt them.

I loved this film. First, I love the characters. They have grown with each film; however still struggle with their insecurities/weaknesses. Hiccup is a great example. The boy would couldn’t or wouldn’t kill a dragon has grown in a man who hasn’t quite figured out his role as chief. He’s reluctant to marry Astrid, not because he doesn’t want to because he fears his dragon riding days are over. With the help of Astrid (who is my favorite character), he realizes that its time to say goodbye. Second, I like that the movie features a moral or lesson that we don’t have to be alone to solve our problems. We find strength, encouragement and solutions as we lean on others for support, advice and help. That we are better together as a partnership or a team than we are alone. Valka, Hiccup’s mother (played by Cate Blanchett) tells Astrid, “He thinks he has to lead alone.” Being a great leader means having a great team around him or her. Third, I love the theme that in life, sometimes we must lose who or what we love. In a flashback scene, Stoick (played by Gerard Butler) gives his son this lesson. “With love comes loss, son. It’s part of the deal. Sometimes it hurts, but in the end, its all worth it. There’s no greater gift than love.”

There were a few things I didn’t like. First, I was told and expecting a huge emotional response with the goodbyes in the film. While it was bittersweet to see Hiccup and Toothless say goodbye, it was not the emotional impact I was expecting. Maybe because I knew it was coming? Maybe because it wasn’t the goodbye, I thought it would be to warrant an emotional response? I’ve read reviews where people said they left the theater in tears and I saw nothing that was as a tearjerker. It was definitely not the emotional impact that Disney’s Coco (2017) had. Second, the villain Grimmel. While F. Murray Abraham played a great villain, the villain fell short for me. He reminds me of Drago, the villain from the second film. While Drago wanted to build a dragon army, Grimmel wants to rid the world of dragons as he sees them as an inferior species. Also, his role in the story was over too quickly. He shows up, they battle, and its over. Third, the flirtatious competition between Snotlout (played by Jonah Hill) and Eret (played by Kit Harrington) for Valka’s attention. It’s creepy and goes on too long and even gets creepier when Valka returns the flirts at the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this film and it is a fitting goodbye to these characters and the lovable dragons. The characters were great with Hiccup struggling to find himself as chief. Astrid as his confidante and partner as he learns to lead his people. The lesson of leadership and how great leaders don’t lead alone. And the hard lesson that sometimes we must say goodbye to those we love. I highly recommend How to Train Your Dragon Hidden World as well as the first two films, if you haven’t seen them. The trilogy is great for the entire family.

Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther: when God seems silent

Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther are known as the post-captivity books. Ezra, the faithful scribe, records the Jews returning to their homeland after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. His records show God’s faithfulness to keep His promise to restore his people to their land. Nehemiah demonstrates leaders as he guides the Jews to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Finally, Esther is the story of courage to stand up to certain death for the livelihood of others and the celebration created as a reminder of that courage. Many people will point out that God is silent in these books. Although God doesn’t speak in these books, He isn’t inactive as the events unfold and His guidance is seen in the faithfulness and devotion of these three people.

Ezra, the true and faithful scribe, records the events which return the Jews to Jerusalem. The Lord moved in the heart of Cyrus, the king of Persia as he proclaimed that the temple was to be rebuilt in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-2). Despite opposition from some Persian officials, the rebuilding begins with the king’s increasing support. Ezra was a committed student of the Law. He was determined to follow and teach the God’s word. Once the Jews were back in Jerusalem, he was determined to get the Jews back on track with God as he taught the Law to the returning families. Ezra showed the people that God kept His promise to return them to their land and they must show their gratitude by returning to God and the practice of His Word. “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). Ezra is an example of how devotion and commitment to knowing and practicing God’s Word has a direct effect on how God works in our lives.

Nehemiah, the rebuilder of walls, was the cupbearer to the king (Nehemiah 1:11). A cupbearer was an important position. He was to ensure the safety and quality of the king’s drink. It also gave him unique opportunities to speak with the king. As Nehemiah waited for the right moment to approach the king with his requests, King Artaxerxes notices Nehemiah’s distress and opens the door for Nehemiah ask to be sent to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city (Nehemiah 2:1-6). In Jerusalem, Nehemiah was the type of leader which gets the work done. He carefully planned and encourage teamwork as he solved problems which often arise when people work together. He also have courage and tremendous faith to get the work done even if it meant getting dirty with the workers himself. He was a leader that people will follow. “I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what they king had said to me. They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began the good work” (Nehemiah 2:18).

Esther, the Jewish orphan who become queen and she was placed in a position to risk for her life for others. Her cousin, Mordecai, had overheard a plot to kill the Jews by the government official Haman and he became distress as it was a king’s decree. Word got back to Esther about the plot and Mordecai pleads with her to tell the king (Esther 4:13-14). She agrees, “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). Esther devises a clever plan to expose the plot to the king by throwing a feast for Haman. At the banquet, she makes one more request. She asks the king to spare her people and the king is outraged that such a thing was plotted (Esther 7:3-5). She exposes Haman as the plotter and he is hanged. The king then decrees that the Jews had the right to protect themselves from whoever tried to do them harm (Esther 7:11). In response to these events, the Jews began a new celebration, Purim. Purim is celebrated as a day of joy and feasting. It is a day of giving presents to one another in remembrance of Esther’s bravery and courage.

In conclusion, while God is silent in these three books, He certainly isn’t inactive. He sent in motion the Jews return to their lands. He can be seen in the story of Ezra, a man who never forgot where he was from. He worked within the law of the land he lived with respect but he never let God’s law become second. He can be seen in the story of Nehemiah, a godly leader, one who isn’t afraid to work alongside the men to complete the work as well as caring for his men when the practice wasn’t so generous. And He can be seen in the story of Esther, a woman who hid her true heritage, only to reveal it when a greater threat loomed. From these examples, we need to remember that when God seems to be silent, He is working. He is working in your life and when you least expect it, that work will be reveal. Follow the examples of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, keep the faith and trust in God. 

Judges and Ruth: lessons in leadership, trust, and loyalty

Today, I’m going to cover two books of the Bible: Judges and Ruth. Maybe people may think that the Bible is filled with stories of men and how women are lesser than them. However, within these two books are three stories of women. Two of these women are examples of courage and loyalty. While another woman is an example of what happens when greed blinds you. These women are: Deborah, Delilah and Ruth.

Deborah was the fourth and only female of the pre-monarchical Israel. Her story is told in Judges 4-5. She was a prophetess of God and the wife of Lapidoth. Many Israelites came to her for counsel. After 20 years of oppression by King Jabin and his commander, Sisera, the Israelites called out to God for help. He speaks to Deborah who sends for Barak, son of Abinoam. She tell him that God commands him to take 10,000 men and lead the way to Mount Tabor. At Mount Tabor, the Lord would deliver Sisera into his hands. But, Barak is reluctant to do so without Deborah. Deborah agrees but says the victory will belong to a woman. The battle goes as the Lord says and Deborah successfully counterattacked the forces of King Jabin and Sisera. She would rule Israel peacefully for 40 years. What lesson can be learn from Deborah’s example? Wise leaders choose good helpers. Deborah was a good strategist and in Barak, she had a commander who could carry it out. Therefore, a wise person would know when to ask for help.

Delilah is a famous person from the Bible whose story is told in Judges 16. Everyone seems to know the story of Samson and Delilah. She was a woman from the Valley of Sorek and Samson fell deeply in love with her. Samson consistently bested the Philistines and they were looking for a way to finally defeat him. They approach Delilah and ask her to discover the secret to Samson’s strength. She asks Samson twice and each time he tells her a lie about the source of his strength. Delilah asks for a third and final time and he tells her the truth. It’s his hair and while he was asleep, she cut his long locks off. When the Philistines came to overpower him, he did not have the strength to fight them off. What lesson can be learn from Delilah’s story?  She was persistent when faced with obstacles but she valued money more than relationships. She betrayed a man who trusted her, leading to his capture and eventual death. Therefore, we must be careful who we place out trust.

Ruth has a book entirely to her story. As a widower of Naomi’s son, she had the chance to return to her family as Naomi was going to return home to Judah. But she decided to stay with Naomi. When they reach Judah, Ruth begins to pick from the fields of Boaz and catches his eye. It turns out Boaz is one of the kinsmen-redeemers. A kinsmen redeemer is a relative who volunteers to take responsibility for the extended. The law states in Deuteronomy 25-5-10, a widow can marry her late husband’s brother but since both Naomi’s son were died, the nearest relative could marry the widow. Boaz takes this responsibility and marries Ruth. Ruth soon gives birth to a son named Obed, who is the grandfather of the future king of Israel, David. What lesson can be learn from Ruth’s story? When God is at the center of a relationship, differences can be overcome leading to peace, love and harmony.

In conclusion, women play important role in the Bible for good and for bad. Deborah, Delilah and Ruth are just a few examples of how God uses women for His purpose. Deborah is an example of how God choices leaders by His standards, not ours and that wise leaders seek help. Delilah is an example of how greed and misplaced trust can be catastrophic and Ruth is an example of how love and loyalty can change your life forever when you trust God to be a part of your relationship.