In Judges, chapter four, verse four, Deborah was a prophetess. She had prophetic gifts, which enabled her to hear messages from God and communicate His will to the people. Deborah’s close relationship with God gave her a strong influence on her people. She is the only female judge or ruler in Jewish history, except for the Phoenician murderess, Athaliah. Deborah is a judge to whom the title of prophet is attached.
Deborah was a prophetess who was instructed in Divine knowledge by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. She judged Israel as God’s mouth to them: correcting abuses and redressing grievances. By God’s direction, she ordered Barak to raise an army and engage Jabin’s forces. Barak insisted on her presence, and Deborah promised to go with him. She would not send him where she would not go herself.
There are women like Deborah today inside various churches’ congregations dedicated to the Lord. Most of them are kept back because of church stipulations within the organization. However, God is still working through these women regardless of the rules or standards which may be in place within the church. A prophet said, in his opinion, there might be more females than males in heaven. Even though we will recognize each other, we will no longer have a gender identity.
Women like Deborah remind us of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In Luke one thirty, the angel said unto her, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.” She lives a life that caters to God and His will. Similar to women like Deborah, being obedient to the things He expects the vessel to deliver for souls to receive deliverance. Few women have had such an impact on people in society that only God was working through to accomplish tasks that remind us again of Deborah: two well-known women that end with Theresa and the other that starts with Kathryn.