ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tusite Sune 20, 2023

דבורה Prophetic Mother Bee

PALOFITA FEFINE - KO E HONE - KO E FA’EE

JUDGES 4:4-5

NOW DEBORAH, A PROPHETESS, THE WIFE OF LAPPIDOTH. WAS JUDGING ISRAEL AT THAT TIME. SHE USED TO SIT UNDER THE PALM OF DEBORAH BETWEEN RAMAH AND BETHEL IN THE HILL COUNTRY OF EPHRAIM, AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL CAME UP TO HER FOR JUDGMENT.

FAKAMAAU 4:4-5

4 Pea ko Tepola ko e fefine palōfita, ko e uaifi ‘o Lapitoti, ko ia ia na‘a ne fai fakamaau ‘i ‘Isileli ‘i he taimi ko ia. 5 Pea na‘a ne nofo ‘i he lolo Paame ‘o Tepola, ‘i he vaha‘a ‘o Lama mo Pēteli ‘i he fonua mo‘unga ‘o ‘Ifalemi; pea na‘e ‘alu hake kiate ia ‘a ha‘a ‘Isileli ke fai honau fakamaau.

The name Deborah means "bee" (d'vorah) in Hebrew (Deut. 1:44). During a time in Israel's history that was soured by fear, the sweet honey of her leadership, wisdom, and courage was direly needed. She was a neviah, a prophetess, one of several in the Bible, including Miriam (Exod. 15:20), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Neh. 6:14), the wife of Isaiah (Isa. 8:3), Anna (Luke 2:36), and a false prophetess in the church of Thyatira (Rev. 2:20). The people of God came to Deborah for mishpat (justice or judgment). She was the mouthpiece of God, as were the other prophets, the ones through whom the Lord revealed his will to his people. When she called Barak to lead Israel into battle, and he waffled and wavered, she bravely marched with the troops alongside him.

In the song she wrote about the battle, she calls herself "a mother in Israel" (5:7). She birthed hope for the nation once more. In her footsteps followed another mother in Israel, one named after the prophetess Miriam (= Mary), who birthed hope incarnate-the Savior who "brings justice to victory" (Matt. 12:20).

Blessed are you, O Lord, for raising up women to be mouthpieces of your wisdom and grace.