DEBORAH A MOTHER IN ZION: DR MENSA OTABIL – SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE, 8TH MAY, 2022.

SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE BY DR. MENSA OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) CHRIST TEMPLE, ACCRA GHANA)

TOPIC: DEBORAH A MOTHER IN ZION.

DATE: 8TH MAY, 2022

TEXT: JUDGES 4:4-5

Let’s rise up together as we take our DECLARATION OF INCREASE in this Year of Increase:

Are you ready? Say with me:

I confess today that Jesus Christ is my LORD and Saviour. In Him I have life, His Abundant Life.

The Lord is my Light and Strength. As He is, so has He made me. By His Spirit I Increase in Word and in Wisdom. In Faith and in Favour.

The Lord has said: “In Blessing, I will bless you. In multiplying I will Multiply your Seed.”

So, I can boldly say: My God shall Increase me more and more. What I Place in God’s Hands grows into Overflow.

Though I begin small, my end shall Greatly Increase.

In this Year of Increase, I grow in Grace and in Strength. To be all that God wants me to be.

In Jesus’ Name – AMEN!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful Women here and all of you reading this Message on the Label of DMC. God bless you all – Amen.

Today I am to focus on relating Motherhood to the Church and the Life of the Church.

I am sharing today about an “Unusual Mother” in the Bible – She was the Leader of Israel at the critical time.

When you read the Old Testament you get the impression that all the Leaders of Israel were Men. However, that is not the whole Truth.

Because this woman was a Leader of the whole Nation and her name is DEBORAH. And she called herself a Mother in Israel.

So my Massage today is Titled: DEBORAH A MOTHER IN ZION.

I have replaced Israel with Zion, to give her a Role and a Place in the New Testament.

DEBORAH A MOTHER IN ZION OR A MOTHER IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.

Judges 4:4-5 (NKJV)

4 Now Deborah, a Prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

5 And she would sit under the Palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the Mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for Judgment.

… That is how the Bible introduces her to us.

And in those two (2) Verses, a few things are said about who this woman Deborah is – Her name is mentioned, and certain other things are mentioned about her.

I just want to run through them with us as we begin our Message.

1. The first is her Name – Her name is DEBORAH.

And the name could have been derived from several Hebrew words.

From another root it means a “Honeybee”. And another root says ‘To Speak’

So Deborah (depending on which root you are looking at) could mean:

I. A “Honeybee”.

And if that is her name; it means a Wise Person, an Industrious Person and also a Person who can fight back.

II. And then if it is ‘To Speak’ it fits into her Mission which the Bible describes as a bee.

… So Deborah could mean a “Honeybee” or “To Speak”.

There are Three (3) Descriptions that are given about Deborah in the Passage:

I. The first is her “Spiritual Gift” – She is a Prophetess.

She was God’s Voice to the Nation. And she spoke and Prophesied to the Nation of Israel.

So she is a woman with a Spiritual Gift.

II. The Second thing you see about her is he “Domestic Role” – She was a Wife.

… The wife of Lapidoth!

So Deborah was not only a “Gifted Woman” but she was also a Person in a Relationship – A wife to a man (Lapidoth). Although not much is heard about him after that!

III. And then the third thing we see about Deborah is her “Political Office or Role” – She is a Judge.

She is the Highest Ranking Citizen of Israel at this time.

Now if you know your Bible well, this is the Period in Israel’s time when they were ruled by Judges. This is before they were ruled by Kings – And Deborah is a Judge.

So if you would look at it in context, she is a King! She is the Leader of a Nation just like Judges like Gideon and Samson and others would come and be Judges.

And most of the Judges were just Warriors and Military Leaders – Only two (2) Judges were Prophets and Judges and that is Deborah and Samuel.

Samuel was the last Judge of Israel – And he was a Prophet and a Judge.

And that is about the same role that Deborah is Playing – She is a Prophetess and she is a Judge.

So she has a Spiritual Calling, a Spiritual Gift and she also holds a Political Office and she functions well in the house as a wife.

It could appear that Deborah was a woman who knew how to balance her Home Life, balance her Spiritual Gift, and balance her Professional Role as a Judge of the Nation of Israel.

And there are women like that in our world today. And I pray that she will be a Role Model to you if you are a woman.

Now Deborah occupied a very Unique Place.

At the time she came into office, Israel was in a crisis – The Canaanites have taken over Israel.

Because if you read the Book of Judges; you would know that many times the children of Israel would do something bad and then some Group or other would come to their Land and invade them.

And then they would cry to God and God would raise a Judge – The Judge would deliver them. There would be Peace for about forty (40) to seventy (70) Years; and then they go back to Apostasy – God raises a Judge.

DMC NOTES: Apostasy is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a Religion by a Person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one’s Previous Religious Beliefs. One who undertakes Apostasy is known as an ‘Apostate”.

At this time the Nation had sinned, the Canaanites are ruling them, mistreating them – And this is when Deborah rises! So she rises in a time of crises.

I want you to consider the world that she lived in – And it’s in Judges 5:6-9.

Here Deborah is singing a Song – This is after she had led Israel to defeat the Canaanites. But in singing the Song, she tells us the kind of situation she met.

So Judges 5:6-9 – In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael; the highways were deserted, and the travelers walked along the byways. Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. My heart is with the rulers of Israel Who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the Lord!

So Deborah is telling us the condition she came to meet. She didn’t meet the best of conditions. She didn’t come into office when the Previous Government have left a lot of money (laughs)!

Things were in a bad situation, and she comes into the Leadership of Israel.

There are Four (4) Things I want you to Pay attention to from her Poetry:

1. The first thing is that Deborah tells us that as at the time she came on the scene, there was a lot of Fear.

She says that the highways were deserted, Travelers walked on the byways. And the reason was because the Canaanites terrorised the Travellers.

So, when Deborah came into Office as a Judge, the Canaanites had siezed all the Major highways of Israel; by which they would go and trade with other Nations. The Canaanites controlled it.

So People couldn’t go and Purchase Commodities. Businesses were collapsed, Nobody could go out. They had to use long routes to go out and do their Business.

And the reason was because the Canannites had taken over the Business routes of Israel and there was so much fear in the Life of the People.

So that’s the first thing you would Notice – That there is fear in the Nation and the Canaanites have taken over the Trade Routes.

2. The Second thing that Deborah says about her – She said, Village Life had ceased.

That means there was despair, there was discouragement, there was no Life in the Communities – The Nation of Israel were in disarray!

There was hunger and deprivation. Even children could not Play happily in the Villages.

Village Life had ceased! The elderly had stopped sitting at the City Gate which was where they would normally sit to deliberate about matters at stake.

… So there is fear, there is despair.

3. And the third thing which is very serious – There is Idolatry.

The People chose “New gods” – The Nation is in Apostasy and Spiritual decay.

As a matter of fact, it is this Spiritual decay that brought in the Canannites.

So there is fear, there is despair, there is Idolatry – Apostasy;

4. And the fourth thing that Deborah talks about – She says that there is War in Gate.

“War in the Gate’ speaks of conflicts.

Conflicts flow at home!

Now if she says there was war in the field, it would mean that the war they were fighting were afar off – They go out to fight.

But she says that there was war at the Gate – That means that the Canannites had brought the battle home to them. And not only at the entrance of the Gate, but the Israelites themselves were at war one with another.

The Nation is in disarray, People are fighting one another, People are destroying one another; the Canaanites are fighting them and they are fighting themselves.

So, this is the world of Deborah – There is fear, there is despair, there is Idolatry, there is conflict; People are fighting themselves, fighting one another; the Canaanites are fighting themselves.

.. And she says, it is in this circumstance that God called her.

Let’s look at her Response:

Deborah said: I arose, a Mother in Israel.

In this conflict and situation, in this Idol worship situation, in this fearful situation – “I arose as a Mother in Israel”.

Two (2) Things there to Notice about her are – Awareness and Initiative.

Deborah was aware of herself, she was aware of the situation facing the Nation and she took the initiative “I AROSE.”

She didn’t sit down, she didn’t add to the Problem – She was determined that: “I’m going to do something about this Problem.”

… I arose, a Mother in Israel.

May God touch the Deborah’s of today, who in the midst of chaos, hopelessness, despair, conflicts, fights, would arose as Mothers in the House of the Lord – Amen.

You know, in this Church we call the women who are above fifty (50) years of age: “MOTHERS OF ZION.”

This is where I got the whole idea from – A Mother of Zion is a Deborah. She is a Woman who comes into a difficult situation, but doesn’t sit in it but rises!

And that situation may be a situation in your home. You don’t sit in it – You rise!

It may be a situation in your family, you don’t sit in it – You rise!

It may be a situation in your Nation, you don’t sit it it – You rise!

Deborah said: “I arose, a Mother in Israel.”

And I like that! – It is her Action.

She didn’t even say: ‘God raised me up’; She didn’t say: ‘The People of Israel raised me up’; she didn’t say the People came and said: “Deborah, Mrs. Lapidoth, can you come and lead us?

She said: “I AROSE!” – She took charge!

We are looking for Deborahs who knows how to rise; who knows how to resist the situation they find themselves in; who don’t just sit and complain that everything has gone bad. But those who are able to arise!

Somebody say – I AM DEBORAH (not the men).

Being a Mother in Zion is not about Age; neither is it just about joining a Group

Because you know many times we want to join a Group – It’s good to join a Group!

But Deborah didn’t join a Group, she arose! – Taking Personal Responsibility. Rising up to say “I am of age, and I will do something about this Problem.” – I arose, a Mother in Israel!

We don’t know whether Deborah had any actual children because the Passage doesn’t talk about her children. It just talks about her husband, Lapidoth. It doesn’t say whether she has children or not.

It is quite instructive, because looking at the way records go in the Bible, if she had children, it will be Noted.

If she did have children, then Deborah saw herself not only as a Mother of her children, but a mother of a Nation, of a Community, of a Society.

If she didn’t have children, it didn’t stop her from mothering the whole Nation.

So for women who have children, you have to look beyond your children.

For women who have no children, you have to look beyond your situation.

Because to Deborah, children or no children did not stop her from becoming a Mother to the Nation – A Mother in Israel, a Mother in Zion, a Mother in the Church.

And in the Church we need a lot of Deborahs who will rise up and do something about the Calling God has given to them, and the opportunities that God has given to them.

So I am going to look at Four (4) Things that Mothers in Zion do:

And this goes to every Christian Woman who is grown both Spiritually and in age – You may not be very old, but there are Younger women (and men) who look up to you.

And this is the interesting thing about Deborah – She was leading both men and women. She was leading the Nation.

So what did Deborah do, and what can we learn from her?

1. The first thing that Mothers in Zion do is that they settle Disputes – They end Conflicts.

This is the first thing we see Deborah doing – She sat under a Palm tree and settled matters amongst the People. The people would come to her and she would settle their matters.

And why was that important?

Because Israel had a big enemy – The Canaanites.

But the bigger enemy was the People themselves – They were fighting one another.

If you cannot unite the People, they cannot win the bigger battle.

And Deborah decided “I’m going to end the disputes in Israel.” – So, she started Patching People.

I have to say this for Women – That most women in most family, are the GLUE that hold the family together.

Most People would say that about their mother – “My Mother was the one who held us together. My Mother was the one who kept the family together.

However, when women move outside of the domestic situation, that ability to hold everything together seems to disappear. And instead, they become those who separate others.

Sometimes with the very, very Powerful Gift of Communication; they talk! In talking, they separate.

So must times you find, when women are together, they don’t work together. There’s too much disputes, too much conflicts, too much quarrels. And unfortunately, even sometimes as they grow older, it gets worse.

Where you would expect that there will be a rally Point; the Mother figure that everybody rallies around; they become the one who say: “Do you know what this one is doing? Hey, don’t talk to this one, don’t do this and that.” And before long, instead of doing what Deborah did (settling disputes) they are creating disputes.

But it will not be so with you! You are a Deborah – One who holds the Nation, the Church, the Community, the family together – Amen.

Sometimes Women are able to hold their children together when the children are Young. Then as the children grow older, they are not able to hold them together.

And sometimes unfortunately (sadly) they divide the children.

Or you put these women in a Group, and the Group can’t work.

… That’s not Deborah!

If you are a Mother in Zion – And I am not talking about Mothers in Zion of ICGC; I am talking about Mothers in Zion as a Woman who understands her Giftings, her office and her roles in life; then you must rise!

And the first thing you do as a Mother in Zion is that you learn to settle disputes and bring People together. Not separate People – Bring People together.

You have the Gift, you have the Ability, you have kept family together for Years.

All of us can testify – “But for our Mothers, our lives (our homes) won’t be together.”

Take that Gift, use it at the National Level; take that Gift, use it at the Church Level; take that Gift, use it at the Larger Group Level – That’s what the Mother in Zion does; (They settle conflicts).

2. The Second thing that Mothers in Zion do is that they Inspire God’s People.

She began her Victory song in Judges 5:2.

It says: When Leaders lead in Israel, when the People willingly offer themselves – Bless the Lord!

Deborah inspired People to willingly offer themselves.

People stopped thinking about me, myself and I and everybody says: ‘Let’s come together, let’s work together, let’s fight the Canaanites.’

How did it happen?

*Because this Woman was able to bring People together and create an atmosphere where there was Voluntary Commitment to Service and to the uses of Gifts!

A Deborah does not look at Somebody who is serving hard in the House of the Lord and say ‘is that your father’s Church? Is that for you alone? Why are you doing it as if it is reserved for you alone?’

No! Deborah said ‘go ahead and Volunteer, work for God and give your best.’

That’s what she is doing!

When Leaders lead, the People willingly offer themselves.

Deborah came in and took a fractured Nation and put it together. And now People are ready to enlist into the Army of Israel; People are ready to take up weapons and go and fight.

The Scriptures says when she came, Nobody was ready to fight. There was even no Ammonition for the People to fight with. But she changed all of that! The People had a heart to work.

May God use you as a Deborah, as a Mother in Zion. That wherever you go: you will inspire People to love God. You will inspire to serve God. You will inspire People to give their best to the Lord – Amen.

My wife always tells me that one of the People who inspired her (in this Church) the most to give ALL she had was Mrs. Hermon.

And she would come to Church and see this old woman give everything. And she decided “when I grow up, I want to be like this woman – I’ll give my heart.”

… That’s the Pastor’s wife inspired by a Member of the Congregation.

That means that to be a Deborah, you don’t need Titles and Positions to inspire People to give their heart, their Service to the House of the Lord.

That’s what Deborah did: she got the People to give themselves to the Lord.

3. And the third thing Deborah did – She Motivates a New Leader called Barak.

Mothers in Zion motivate New Leaders in a time of crisis.

That’s what Deborah did! _

• She called for Barak and reminded him of God’s Calling on his Life.

Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and deploy Troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera, the Commander of Jabin’s army, with his Chariots and his Multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand’?” And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!” – Judges 4:6-8

She called for Barak and the way she speaks to Barak, it’s as if Barak was a very reluctant man! He is one of those ‘Sidon look men’ – They sit and look! They don’t want to get involved. But God has Plans for Barak but Barak was afraid.

And Deborah said: ‘Go and get that Army General Barak for me.’

General Barak comes, she says: Has God not been talking to you Barak, that you must deploy Troop?

Now get away and deploy Troop – Let us go and face the Canaanites because God says: “I will deliver Sisera, the Commander of the Canannites into your hand.”

This is woman who dares People to jump to their duty. When they see a Gift they don’t like, they won’t let the Gift die!

They won’t see a Potential and let the Potential to rotten.

They won’t see a Person with a Destiny and just let him be.

They interfere in People’s lives to inspire them to become all that God wanted them to be – They Raise Leaders!

The Deborahs are not afraid to raise New Leaders – To raise Younger women, to raise Younger men.

If you are a ‘True Mother in Zion’; your greatest Joy is to see Younger People coming up after you doing great things inspiring them and you motivating them.

Don’t get threatened because a Young Person showed up! – You get excited because the Youth are now on fire for the Lord.

4. And the final thing about Deborah is that – She got Involved in doing God’s work.

… She got involved in the battle.

Because Barak said to her: “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!” So she said, “I will surely go with you.”

She is not a Soldier, she is not the Army General.

The Army General says: “Madam President, Madam Judge, Mrs. Lapidoth; I know I have the arms, but your courage is what I needed.”

And if you are going with me, I will go. And if you don’t go, I am an afraid man – I’m going no where!

And Deborah says: “I will go on the battleground with you.”

She is not trained as a Soldier but she went as a “Foot Soldier” of Israel – She got involved in the work. And of course,God gave Victory to Israel.

Deborah a Prophetess, a Wife and Judge, who rose up in a time of crisis and turned the tide of History.

And I Pray that on this Mother’s Day; there will be a New Generation of Deborahs – Amen.

Maybe in our Natural lives, when things are down in our Nation; you would rise up!

Maybe in your office, when things are down; you would rise up.

Whatever you are up in, you are not going to join the People and complain about the Problem. You will arise as a Deborah – as a Mother in Zion, God’s Person, and you will go and do exploits – Amen.

… Every woman rise up!

God is speaking to you to do Great things – It may not be at the National level. It could be just in your family. Maybe you need to:*

I. Start: solving the Problem in your family:

II. Settling the quarrells in your family amongst your Cousins and some other Members of the family.

Maybe God has raised you as a Deborah to bring Peace.

III. Maybe God is saying: “In your family start inspiring the Youth and Young People or in your local Church.

Whatever God is laying in your heart, you must rise up!

I pray for you today:

May the same God Who called Deborah ad Gifted her, Gift you!

I speak that every Gifts of God in you would be “Stirred Up’ this morning!

Every Anointing and Grace rested on you would be “Stirred Up” this morning!

Your Gift would not lie dormant!

And I speak that whenever you are – Whether you are a wife or you are not a wife; you will arise from that situation.

That your Domestic Life will not be a hinderance to your Purpose in Life.

And may the Lord Who has placed you wherever you are, use you tremendously.

May you be a Nation Changer; a Family Changer, a Church Inspirer, a Youth Inspirer.

May God use you to raise up the New Baraks – A New Generation, New Warriors for the Kingdom of God.

And may the Grace of God upon you “Stir Up” on the Battlefield, that when you step into every battle there will be Victory!

By your hand may the Lord give Victory to His People wherever they are!

May the Lord use you; so that you would know without a Shadow of doubt that the hand of the Lord is upon you.

May Grace rest upon you; Favour rest upon you; Increase rest upon; Ability rest upon you you; Courage come upon you!

May the Lord use you tremendously in your time and in your Generation as a Mother in Zion!

In Jesus’ Name – AMEN.

God Bless you all Women! – You are our Hope for the Future!

God Bless You – AMEN.

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