Crystallization-Study of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth
Message Seven
God’s Raising Up of Deborah as a Judge
of Israel and as a Mother in Israel
Who Practiced the Female Submission to the Man
in Order to Keep God’s Ordination
and Bring All of Israel into a Proper Order
under God’s Kingship and Headship
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
1 Cor. 11:3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.
Judg. 5:7 …Until I, Deborah, rose up; until I rose up as a mother in Israel.
Judg. 5:15-16 …Among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolutions in heart….In the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
Word of Appetizer
At the time of Judges 4, the men of Israel had failed in their God-ordained function of leadership; God raised up a female, Deborah, as a judge of Israel, what’s the meaning of this?
Regarding this, we need to realize that in the Bible, whenever God does something which stands out as being extraordinary, it is very significant; it indicates, first, man’s failure, and then, God’s excellent act; that raising up of a female changed the entire condition of Israel; God raised up Deborah as a judge of Israel who practiced the female submission to the man in order to keep God’s ordination and bring all of Israel into a proper order under God’s kingship and headship.
Spiritual Burden
God raised up Deborah as a judge of Israel who practiced the female submission to the man in order to keep God’s ordination and bring all of Israel into a proper order under God’s kingship and headship.
We should continually take, experience, and enjoy Christ as our King, our Lord, our Head, and our Husband so that He can be our blessing to make us a channel of blessing to the saints and all the churches.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The book of Judges shows that Israel had offended God by rejecting Him as their King; it is a great wickedness, a great evil, in the sight of God if we reject Him as our King, our Lord, our Head, and our Husband.
God raised up Deborah as a judge of Israel who practiced the female submission to the man in order to keep God’s ordination and bring all of Israel into a proper order under God’s kingship and headship.
Deborah rose up not only as a judge of Israel but also as a mother in Israel.
The Bible says that at that time among God’s people, there were “great resolutions in heart,” and there were “great searchings of heart”.
The Experience of Life
The more we are under the Lord’s ruling, the more we enjoy the Triune God as our blessing; the more we take Christ as our King (the son of David), the more we are under His ruling, and the more we are under His ruling, the more we enjoy Him as our blessing (the son of Abraham); this is the blessing of the processed Triune God consummated as the all-inclusive Spirit.
Practice and Application
All the sisters need to be serving sisters by prayer and loving mothers by the most excellent way of love in order to help the needy ones and the younger ones in their spiritual life and church life; this is the best way to receive the blessing, the growth, the spirituality, and the real enjoyment of the Lord.
We need to aspire and pray to be like those whom Deborah describes at the end of her song, which concludes in a glorious way: “May those who love Him be like the sun / When it rises in its might”.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1: In the gospel we receive Jesus Christ first not as life but as the King (Matt. 4:17).
(Why is the gospel presented first not in the way of life but in the way of the kingdom?)
T2: The kingdom is the realm, the sphere, for God to exercise Himself to bless us (Matt. 1:1).
(What’s the significance that Matthew 1:1 speaks of Christ first as “the son of David”, and then “the son of Abraham”?)
Day 2
T1: In the Bible, a proper female indicates one who is in submission to God (1 Cor. 11:3).
(What’s the significance that God raised up a female, Deborah, as a judge of Israel?)
T2: Deborah was full of ability and capacity, but she was very submissive (Judg. 4:4-6; 1 Cor. 11:10).
(How did Deborah practice the female submission to the man in order to keep God’s ordination?)
Day 3
T1: The first function of the sisters is to be submissive (Eph. 5:22; 1 Pet. 3:5).
(Please explain that the first and greatest function of the sisters in the church is to be submissive.)
T2: How can we be submissive?
(Please explain with your own experiences that those who are filled with Christ are filled with submission.)
Day 4
T1: His mother (Rufus) …as well as mine (Paul)…(Rom. 16:13; Judg. 5:7).
(Please explain with examples that the New Testament tells us very little about the direct flesh relatives of the apostles.)
T2: The Gospel of John is not on the natural life but on the transferred and transformed life (John 19:25-27).
(Please explain that we had a life transfer through the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.)
Day 5
T1: All the sisters of all ages can be a mother to someone else (John 19:25-27).
(Please explain with your own experiences that to pick up some younger ones as your children in the spirit will cause you to grow.)
T2: Whether or not we have children, we all need to be the mothers (Rom. 16:13; Judg. 5:7).
(Please explain with your own experiences that this is the best way to receive the blessing, the growth, the spirituality, and the real enjoyment of the Lord.)
Day 6
T1: We should have great resolutions in heart and great searchings of heart toward God (Judg. 5:15-16).
(Why should we have great resolutions in heart and great searchings of heart toward God?)
T2: May those who love God be like the sun when it rises in its might (Judg. 5:31).
(Please explain with your own experiences that there is nothing more glorious than serving full time.)
