“Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel… May all who love [the Lord] be like the sun when it rises in its strength.”
-Deborah, Israel’s Prophetess, Judge, & Warrior
In a time when culture was saturated with patriarchy, women were hard-pressed to be seen as little more than property, but Deborah kept her eyes on the Lord and leaned into her God-given identity as she led Israel spiritually, judicially, and militarily. Her story rises up from the pages of the Old Testament as an example of what is possible when we live empowered by Holy Spirit. Like Deborah, we too can be unhindered by cultural stereotypes and fully embrace the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit.