Are You For or Against Women in Combat?

Are you for or against women in combat? Spiritual combat that is…

While meditating on my Lord as I trudged along on the mindless treadmill, I began to think on Deborah of the Old Testament. In my mind’s eye I saw her sitting under the palm tree in counsel with Barak.

As I pondered this, I heard in my spirit, “Women arising on the battleground is a sign that women are arising on the battleground of the spirit realm”.

As most of you are probably aware, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta recently announced the lifting of the longstanding ban on women serving in combat. This is not to say that I believe the Spirit of the Lord is necessarily condoning this change in America’s military policy, but I believe that it is one of the many signs that women are ARISING IN RECOGNITION of who they are in the Spirit.

Women have always served in combat but not on equal footing with men. “The recent policy change allowing women to fight in combat is a change not in job description but rather in recognition. [NEWS LINK]” Just as women have always served in physical combat, so have they always served in spiritual combat. This earthly policy change is a manifestation of what is happening within the spirits of God’s people.

This is not to say that women should be considered higher than or better than men, but in the Body of Christ they are finally going to be RECOGNIZED for who they are in Christ as they were always intended to be—ALONGSIDE MEN! It is not that one gender is better than the other. They were created with different strengths and weaknesses so they would need to work together!

What better place is there an example of this than in The Book of Judges in the account of Deborah and Barak:

And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, [saying], Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? - Judges 4:6 KJV

Deborah acknowledged the anointing of leadership on Barak. What is interesting, though, is that he insisted that she be AT HIS SIDE:

And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, [then] I will not go. - Judges 4:8 KJV

There are commentators who write that Barak was weak and nonheroic because he would not go into battle without this woman. I disagree. Hebrews 11:32 records that Barak is an example of a man of faith. I believe Barak was moved by faith by making this demand because he acknowledged the anointing on Deborah as a judge appointed by God (Judges 2:16; 4:4) and a military leader of Israel [Judges].

From the very beginning of creation, Elohiym created man and woman to have co-dominion over the earth.

So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. - Genesis 1:27-28 KJV

WHY would our God want women to be recognized on equal par spiritually with men? Besides the obvious answer that our loving Heavenly Father sees His children as having equal worth I believe the answer is in Judges 4:9 where Deborah reminds Barak that he will not receive honor even though he goes into battle BUT “the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Just as He told Gideon to choose only a small army to defeat the larger enemy army so that man would not get the glory for the victory, God chose Israel at this time to receive victory at the hands of a woman so that the Lord God would receive the glory!

We are living in a time of great urgency. It matters NOT whether you are for or against women serving in spiritual combat—they are already there! It is going to take ALL of us who are born of God’s spirit to arise and be who we are called to be in these last days.

Do you agree?

Another article I wrote on Deborah can be found here: To Beeeeeee

To Beeeeeeee

It turns out that it was a wise decision for me to take a blogger break, for May was a very happenin’ month! It started out great with me hosting the women in my family at our home Mother’s Day Weekend. At the end of our weekend gathering, my sister Kim asked me to go to her home in Georgia. I spent the next two weeks trying to catch my breath as I followed her around and ‘helped’. Like me, she is fifty-something but has the schedule and energy of a woman decades younger!

Anyway, weeks earlier Kim had had a vision of me being at her house for her annual garden tea party that she hosted for the women of her church and their guests. At the time, I did not see how it would be possible for me to be there (we have only one vehicle), but Yahweh made a way.

Kim shared with me that the theme of the party was centered around bees. She showed me interesting facts she had collected about bees and compared them to characteristics we as followers of Christ should emulate. As we conversed, The Spirit of the Lord showed us how it was important first TO BE in order TO BEE. By this He meant we must first practice being in the presence of the Almighty before becoming busy as a bee.

A couple of days later while brushing my teeth, The Holy Spirit brought something to my remembrance (has that ever happened to you?). He reminded me of a study I had done years ago on Deborah, a judge of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament, whose name means ‘bee’. When I shared this with Kim, she realized that I was to share about Deborah at the tea party and I was honored to do so.

And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. - Judges 4:4-5 KJV

A biblical judge differs from a modern-day judge in that they served as military leaders of their tribe and as Godly counselors knowing Yahweh’s laws and commandments. I like that the Word of God gives a picture of where Deborah lived…under the palm tree of Deborah. Her tent was probably pitched there, but I see her sitting under its shade and perhaps praying—simply BE-ing in God’s presence. Out of this place of being in His presence, she was prepared when a dispute arose and a tribesman sought out her wisdom for ‘the children of Israel came up to her for judgment’.

Deborah is described as the ‘wife of Lapidoth’. This phrase can be translated more literally as ‘woman of torches/lightenings’ or ‘woman of fiery spirit'.

Like a bee that can see ultraviolet rays (which humans cannot), I believe Deborah saw with spiritual eyes leading Israel with confidence and a fiery spirit!

Deborah was a mother to Israel and like a protective mother she flew at the enemies of her people and her sting was fatal! She must have been highly esteemed as a military leader; for in the clash with the Canaanites, her general, Barak, would not go into battle without her (Judges 4:8)!

When I shared all this with the women who gathered in my sister's home, I exhorted them to seek the Lord’s face daily—even if only for several minutes before beginning their day—and to do so throughout the day bringing their thoughts captive to Christ. We should remember Deborah and simply--

Practice bee-ing...