I have had the great blessing in having many strong women as a part of my life. My mother was a strong and independent woman. My sister, Mary Ruth, was a very strong woman. I married a beautiful, strong and independent woman, Ruth. Ruthie and I raised our daughters, Meg and Beth, to be strong women. As a student, I had a tremendous respect for many of women who were students with me, and a great respect for many of my educators who were women. As a professional, some of the most profound people I have known and consider colleagues have been strong women. In a culture and in most world religions that remain and labor heavily under patriarchy, I find that hope for a better life and better leadership does not lay with men, whose egos have made a horrible mess of religion and human life, but rather with women.
I often have marveled at how women have risen above the obstacles and sexism that men have place in their way, to move humanity far beyond the limited, testosterone filled worldview of men. This is very evident in scripture. The strongest women in the Bible are not those in the Christian Testament, who, with the exception of Mary, Mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene, seem to cave under men. Rather, the strongest women in the Bible are in the Hebrew Testament. Deborah and Jael are wonderful examples of women to whom men would listen, respect, and follow.
I encourage you to read the story of these two women found in Judges, Chapters five and six.
A quick synopsis of the story. During a time when the 12 tribes of Israel occupied Canaan, as a loosely connected confederation, the tribes were easy targets of other Canaan kings. One Canaanite King, King Jaban wreaked all sorts of harm to the tribes of Israel. His general, Sisera, with 900 charioteers killed, sacked, and enslaved mostly women and girls (to be sexual surrogates) for King Jaban and his royal court.
Deborah was chosen by God to be Judge (more a political leader than an adjudicator) and Prophet to end the murderous campaign of King Jaban. Deborah’s court was not some grand building. Rather under a palm tree in the hilly area of Ephraim, she presided over the people. Hearing the cries of her people, she summons the elders and her general, Barak. She tells them that God wants Barak to lead his army of 10,000 infantry into battle against Sisera and his 900 charioteers (think of infantry up against a battalion of tanks). God would go ahead of the Israelite army and would defeat the Canaanite army. Barak says he will not lead the army into battle without the company of Deborah. Deborah she will stand by his side in battle, however, the victory will not be attributed to Barak, but to a woman. Barak agrees. The Israelites engage the Canannites in battle and roundly defeat them, killing them to a man. Sisera flees and takes refuge in the tent of the woman, Jael. She tells him that she will hide him in her tent. He asks for something to drink and she gives him milk. Sisera lies down in her tent and she covers him with a rug. As he falls into a deep sleep, Jael takes a tent peg and a mallet and drives the tent peg through the temple of the sleeping Sisera, killing him. Deborah’s prophesy comes true, the victory belongs to Jael, a woman. The Israelites wage war against Jaban and takes him out of power.
Here is a poem I composed to tell the story of Deborah and Jael.
CANTICLE FOR DEBORAH AND JAEL
Deborah, woman of Lappidoth,
your name is greatly revered
you are the Mother of Israel,
and all hold your memory dear.
God searched for the perfect woman,
whose heart could embrace such a lot,
God chose you as mother and prophet
of this ragtag nation God loved.
Your love for your nation is equal
to the love for the children you birthed,
your love feeds your nation God’s wisdom,
as your love fed the babies you nursed.
Israel is an adolescent nation,
more often than not, a mess
of loosely confederated folly,
yet, you love them nonetheless.
Under the palm tree in Ephraim,
is where you lead in court,
listening to God speak to you
within the shelter of your heart.
Your ears hear the cries of your people,
anguish and fear they impart
tales of enslavement and slaughter
move and stir your heart.
The cruel and arrogant King Jaban,
has sent Sisera, his general,
to wage war, to sack and to kill
your children Israel.
A mother’s love is unconditional,
a love that is greatly revered.
When a woman’s children are endangered,
She becomes a mother to be feared.
You summon the tribes of the nation,
as God’s prophet and as their judge,
you reveal what God has told you,
a force which nothing earthly will budge.
God will be with your army in battle,
you summon your general, Barak,
but, Barak refuses to lead
unless by his side you will walk.
Accompanying him into battle
victory is guaranteed,
but the victory will not be a man’s,
but by woman’s hand victory will be.
God fills your troops with courage
but your enemies feel only dread,
your army is victorious
and Israel’s enemies lay dead.
To the tent of the woman, Jael,
the defeated general, Sisera, flees,
cowardice has crushed his heart
of its arrogance and cruelty.
He seeks to crouch in fear
under a woman’s skirt,
she offers him shelter
and milk to slake his thirst.
Sheltered by Jael’s tent
and hidden under a rug,
Sisera’s strength is spent
and sleeps as if he is drugged.
As he lays in slumber deep,
into her tent, Jael creeps,
and drives the tent peg she holds
into his temple as he sleeps.
Deborah, all you prophesized
revealed to the nation God’s plan,
the victory for your family Israel
was won by a woman’s hand.
Deborah, woman of Lappidoth,
your name is greatly revered
you are the Mother of Israel,
and all hold your memory dear.
© 2021 by Robert Charles Wagner. All rights reserved.
The music I composed is comprised of three distinct themes or motifs: Deborah’s motif (heard at the very beginning), the Battle (the fugue that occurs in the middle of the song), and Deborah’s Song. You will hear Deborah’s motif three times: once in the beginning, repeated in the middle (though in a minor key), and at the very end along with a Coda. At about 9 minutes and 14 seconds, it is more like a symphonic overture than a mere piano piece.
Here is the music.
Canticle for Deborah and Jael (c) 2021 by Robert Charles Wagner. All rights reserved. Composed for my granddaughter, Alyssa.
