Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-10
BY REV. HUGH +. sTE>E>soN.

By REV. HUGH 4. STENEN>0N.
| Women have always been the domi-l
| nant factor in the development Of
] civilization. The recent world war
has witnessed their entrance upon
| fields of endeavor that heretofore had
been reserved by custom. the cast
| formed by the centuries. for men only.
| The story of the Struggle would have
| been different If il We're not for the
! industry and influence of the women
, who made good in the untried fields.
| Their cooperation in winning the war
! has fastened the movements TO cX-
, tend to them the rights Of suffrage.
The roll of the women of all ages
| whose power has. helped mold history
| would include among the earliest that
| of Deborah, who delivered Israel from
the hands of her enemies.
| Israel's repeated lapses into idolatry
| hindered their development as u ma
| ton The nations apoStaSy. that was
seen in their unbelief. ingratitude, and
neglect of Gods service. resulted IN
| their being oppressed by the people
! that they had failed to dispossess from
| the land. When the stern discipline OF
heather tyranny forced them 10 re-
| turn to God for aid Jehovah heard
| their cries for assistance ana sent
! them liberators, who freed them from
| the yoke of bondage. He sent mem
| Othnen, the nephew of tateh. !" no no
Grated them from the power OF
Cushan 1.-The wicked and gave Israel
rest from the Syrian yok" Tor forty
years. Jehovah later sent them Ehud.
the Benjamite. after their eighteen
years oppression under the tyranny OF
Eglon, the King of Moab, had caused
them to repent and seek Divine help.
Israel rallied at the call of Ehnds
trumpet at the fords of the Jordan
and mastered the Moabite forces so
that the nation had peace for eighty
years. After him Shamgar. by mas
pbiliStipaS the
nation, but sin again brought them
under the dominion of .Jabin. the King
of Hazor. AT the root of all misery
in life is sin. When the nation that
had wandered again into apostasy.
after the death of their liberator. and
| had been nightly oppressed for twenty
years, cried unto the Lord, Jehovah
gave them Deborah as the leader in
the contest for civil and religious
freedom. If our misery that is due to-
God for salvation, il is not in vain
that we suffer No one ever sought
the Lords aid without being helped
When manhood seemed to have been
completely destroyed a remarkable
woman warrior appeared upon the
scene of Israers history to lead her
countrymen in their battles for free
DOM Deborah arose to be the ruler
! of her nation because of her person
ality that enabled her to win allie
lance through neT character t0al
had been formed through communion
with God. She was one of those rare
souls whom the Lord has endowed
with spiritual insight. that enables
them not only to grasp the crucial
| situation to their countrymen, but
! also to sound that deep religious note
| in their spiritual instruction that
| arouses their fellow citizens to duty.
| The oppression of the Canaanite ruler
had destroyed the nations possibility
| of development. The kings unjust
| taxation and oppression had removed
all desire for industrial or aericul-
| tural development. In that dark hour
| her soul burned with patriotic en-
| thusiasm and she was moved by the
| holy purpose to free her suffering
| countrymen from the yoke of bond
! age
| God was preparing her for national
| leadership by attracting the multi
| tudes, whose hearts longed TO know
! the truth about God and their coun-
| try to the palm tree beneath whose
shade Deborah instructed those who
| sought her out, by opening up to them
! Jehovah'S program for the nation.
! Confident that the hour to strike Tor
| freedom had arrived she summoned
! Barak, who was "A brave and skliltui
| leader. to lead the nation in strug-
| gle for independence, promising him
| that if he obeyed Gods call to serve
| the Lord and nation that Jehovah
| would give to the unframed ana
! poorly equipped Israelites victory
4 over their enemy. Barak recognized
| that the call was from the Lord ana
| that the task was n battle for reli-
i gious liberty, as well as civil, SO ne
| accepted the commanders commls-
! sion on one condition, mat Deoorah
| go with him. He counted upon her
| presence to inspire the nations war
| riors She with a womans native
| modesty. preferred the home life but
! her love of her country caused her to
20 with Barak to the battle
| Filled with faith in Gods power
1 they led the 10, 900 men from the SIX
| nearby tribes into battle. They had
assembled in small groups from Yep
| ulon Issachar and Manassen on tn-
| north. and from Ephraim. Ben ainii,
! and Manasseh on the south, all niltd
| with wild enthusiasm to join IN bal
! tie for freedom. Reuben. Dan. had ana
Asher had remained neutral TOT se'h1i'
/ reasons which brought upon thehi
! singing rebuke Because the! came
! not to the h"lp of the LORD, 10 me
| help of the Lord against the mlsh.s
| II anDeared to be an unequal confess
| when they We're all mobiiiZed az
| Mount Tabor. When. Deborah anu
Barak led their army into the pains
| of E,sdraeIon to meet SiSera, JaDlh
general with his 900 chariots OF IRON,
Tho ancient tanks, that hlled the
| whole country with terror, God was
on their side and the stars ~ .heil
| courses fought against SlSera. =
| thunderstorm. with torren.s .e az W.
| caused the Kishon to overno" Us
| hanls and rendered the charlots
| worthless. Gods rain MADE inc ar.
| cient tanks worthless ana smtpa
away the warriors OF the 'ahaahi'e
! in it's waters. ;,. - Tho
| forces Of Israe that rushed down the
mountain side in obedience to the
nnnnmand OF Deborah, complete de-
! liverance did not come uh'ii az, tne
| death Of Sisera. What some nave
called murder ~, cann nh,en ne nr pssu
| cd Inv his death in the tent or Jael'
! - wife Of Heber. the kenite traitor,
u,h, BETRAYED to Jabin the mobiiiZa-
| tfnn ~ the army of Israel. presents
| a problem that must pc laeeu' 80
so,ption can be found in the tent
! .;fa among the Bedouins. The enlogy
- Iael upon the lips of Deborah
" .,,o. not a bit of vindictive ecstasy.
| for his end came in accoroahce YIN
the memorable laws of Bedourn lile.
S;sera violated the laws OF hospl-
| lis. Nv going into the inner tent
1.el ale not only violated the
| " ..ad laws of hospitality. but. ques-
sao, the chastity of Jael and cast
! shadow upon her reputation AS !he
a.;thfnI wife of Heber the kenlte.
sai. n heinous breach of eastern
sun has in each case been 1oi-
.lea nv death" Had she not put
| Sisera to death after ne mao gone
;nto the inner tent. where only her
husband should 60 ,n IL uio and nav .
been proof of her ,Ii,,ae daatt ''. sba
suied Sisera in self-defense. Her act
| CONNECTED the victory or penofah
and Rarak It was commended ny
| Deborah in her song Of thankSgiv-
nj q