Craig wrote:
Thanks for the lecture professor! You sound just like a Program Director. However, instead of a school for troubled teens, you are trying to run a program for troubled teen helpers. The problem is that you are using the same style and techniques that the troubled teen programs use. I thought you were against that. The hypocracy comes out! It always does. ****
Craig dear,
I'm not a christian, so don't get the wrong idea here... but 'god' musta been speaking to my mother when she named me.
A little excerpt about the biblical character, Deborah, which I'm sure you know well, but never spell correctly.
Deborah is a unique character in the Bible. She is the only woman to be a Judge of Israel. Her story takes place between the years 1209 and 1169 B.C. She was a prophetess and Judge of Israel, the equivalent of king. How she came to be chosen for this position is not recorded but it is evident in her story that her leadership was honored. As Judge, she was also leader of the army of Israel.
Deborah feels certain of victory. Barak says he?ll obey this command (go to war) only if Deborah accompanies him. She agrees. Remarkable. This general is given a prophecy that his army will win but won?t go to battle without Deborah. We can discern two things from this: that Barak had incredible faith in Deborah, and that Deborah was a courageous woman.
Here we sit 3,500 years later and women are not allowed by our government to serve on the front lines. Yet this woman was not only going to serve on the front lines but lead the battle!
Deborah doesn?t take any credit for her actions or for the victory their army was to enjoy. Her humility is a lesson to us.
Deborah?s story is largely about success against all odds. Though everything about the times and the culture was against Deborah serving as the leader of the nation, she did. Though her army was vastly outnumbered, they won. Though her enemy tried to hide among sympathizers, one he believed to be on his side killed him anyway. Deborah didn?t allow the circumstances around her to overwhelm her or interfere with her belief.
Deborah?s courage and humility are models for us. She kept her eyes focused on the goal and not the circumstances around her. She reminds us that we all have the potential to do great things.
I'm more fond of this version:
Porter?s third leadership image, the Weaver, comes from the unlikely character of Deborah, the Prophet, Judge, and military strategist described in Judges 4 & 5. Porter does not emphasize Deborah?s wisdom which earned her the respect of the people who brought disputes to her for resolution. She plays down Deborah?s formal leadership role as Judge which enabled her to command Israel?s foremost military leader to go to war. She glosses over Deborah?s prophetic gifts which enabled her to know the specific place and time when victory would be had. She underplays Deborah?s courage to accompany Israel?s general to lead the army into battle. Instead, Porter emphasizes Deborah as "a mother of Israel" (Judges 5:7), describing her as "both mother and leader, as listener, encourager, perhaps even nurturer ? qualities traditionally associated with women but not with strong leaders." Porter sees Deborah?s willingness to accompany Barak into war as a sign of good relationship-building skills, rather than confident, courageous leadership. She reduces Deborah?s role in the front lines to spiritual leader, rather than military strategist. "As Barak led the military charge down Mount Tabor, Deborah led the spiritual charge. Barak sharpened their battle plan, and Deborah lifted their spirits."
And this one:
An ancient woman warrior named Deborah rises to national influence and leads an army of fellow countrymen against foreign oppression and domination. The setting is ancient Israel 1125 BC. It was a time fraught with war and oppression from nearby city states. Deborah grows up with an uncanny sense of wisdom and knowledge unusual among her peers. She rises to become a leader of her people when no man will. As an only child, she gains an understanding of people from her father, who also trains her in the art of combat. She grows up mostly an outcast except for her life long friend Lepidoth. Meanwhile King Jabin?s general, Sisera, who has an incestuous love for his own mother, continues his raids and torment against the Israelites. General Sisera knows of a legend of the woman having golden eyes. This is Deborah. In the beginning he considers her of no consequence because she is only a woman. But through the years as Deborah gains the respect and loyalty of her people, she becomes an irritation to him. A chance meeting on a hill top stirs his emotions to both desire and conquer her. She takes advantage of this fascination to lure him into his final battle. As the armies of Deborah claim the battle victory, Sisera escapes to what he thinks is a friendly camp. While he sleeps, he is killed by a woman who is loyal to Deborah by driving a tent stake through his temples into the ground. This is the story of one of the greatest heroines of the Bible. It has been subdued for centuries by a male dominated church because it flies in the face of what ?their? Christianity has always taught was a woman?s place. Deborah is the only woman to have ever held a leadership position in ancient Israel. It is a fascinating story of romance, intrigue and war. My script, The Song Of Deborah ?A Warrior's Story? is an eye opener for its research into ancient life and customs. It is about a biblical character but NOT a mushy bible story.
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Damn, notice any resemblence? I proclaimed victory when you chose to default and ignore my questions.
