Deborah: Prophetess of God by H. B. Moore

 This Bible story brings a story of the only female judge mentioned in the Bible - Deborah. Set in ancient time, when Israelites were oppressed by Canaanites: some unjustly imprisoned or forced into the king’s workforce; some children stolen during the night and used as sport in arena games; some women taken by force to work in the temples as prostitutes; all had taxes increased each year and, upon threat of death, were collected.

Deborah is a young Israelite shepherdess who lives in an isolated village of Ramah with her father and brothers. She knows her surroundings well. She knows how to listen to nature. And when danger lurks, she knows how to respond.

When Canaanites invade yet again the valley where they live, Deborah offers a solution to tell Canaanites that a plague has reached their village infecting people, animals and water.

And with that her legendary leadership skills grow.

When family members are lost, a search is set. She sees a smoke that leads her to a hiding place of those who were trying to survive hiding from enemy. Except, there was no smoke, it was a sign from God.

And with that her legend grows as a prophetess of God.

One day, two village elders come to their homestead, bringing a message for Deborah. “Shamgar, the Third Judge of Israel, has requested an audience with her.”

She is told, “Israel needs a spiritual leader to pull it out of its fallen state. (…) Upon my death, you will become the next Judge of Israel. You will be known as Deborah, prophetess and Fourth Judge of Israel.”

The second part of the book moves forward 15 years. Deborah is married to Lapidoth and they have two sons. The second part focuses on Israelites training to defeat Canaanites for good. They’ve been training in secret before, but not on this scale. This is a very dangerous mission. But they’ve been oppressed for long enough, that the determination outweighs the danger.

The day has come, ten thousand Israelites gather at the river Kishon and wait for Canaanites to fight them. God sends help of rushing waters and drowning many chariots of enemy...

This is a quick and engrossing read, bringing a vivid depiction of tumultuous times; Israelites always learning how to navigate the oppressor and how to outsmart them. They strive to “live free of fear and persecution by the Canaanites. (…) Free from the grueling days of teaching men how to fight for their lives.”

Deborah reveals many layers of her character. She is a strong woman, who at the same time is loyal and obeys her father’s wishes. She can fight like a lioness and at the same time she remembers about the respect due to the village elders.

Deborah is such an interesting character that I wished there was more to her story. The descriptions are very captivating including the tense encounters between Israelites and Canaanites, Deborah hunting down the snake that injured the sheep a day before, and Israelites training in secret.

Release date: 1 Sept. 2019

Source: Covenant Communications