Israel was not your average Middle Eastern kingdom. First of all, it was not a kingdom because it did not have a king. Second of all, it was not a nation created by men, but rather, it was a nation created by God. Having created Israel, God expected Israel to follow His rules and laws. God intended that the Israelites would recognize Him as their supreme authority. At the same time God recognized that people need somebody in a position of leadership to handle the daily affairs of the nation.

It was very common for the leaders of the Middle Eastern kingdoms to have prophets. The Kings would pick their own prophets, and with the exception of Israel, those picked to work with leadership were men. Men thought that only men are qualified to lead (some still to). God thought differently. A prophet was His messenger, and he chose who would speak for Him. He chose Deborah, and she was a true prophet. That does not mean she was a fortuneteller, it means she spoke the truth on behalf of God. She was highly regarded and the people of Israel followed her leadership. They came to her to settle disputes because they trusted her to tell them what was right; She spoke for God.

The people not only trusted her to speak for God, they trusted her to speak to God. When the oppression by the Canaanite king, Jabin, became unbearable, they humbled themselves and cried out to the Lord for help. Because the people of Israel were not on speaking terms with God, their cry for help took the form of a visit to Deborah. She took their request to the Lord, and He gave her an answer.

The New Testament calls Christians a priesthood of believers. We are not all called to be preachers, but we are all called to be witnesses. We speak for God. When the world recognizes what we say and do is righteous, they will trust us to help them seek God.