Welcome to "Thinking about Home." 00:00:31.11\00:00:32.62 I am Kathy Matthews, and we've been talking 00:00:32.65\00:00:34.87 about women in society. 00:00:34.90\00:00:36.76 And most specifically we are going to talk 00:00:37.22\00:00:39.84 about mothers in Israel again today. 00:00:39.87\00:00:41.76 I want to read a scripture to you out of proverbs 31:10, 00:00:42.26\00:00:46.07 and it's "A wife of noble character who can find? 00:00:46.10\00:00:50.69 She is worth far more than rubies." 00:00:50.72\00:00:54.13 If we were to meet the noble 00:00:55.04\00:00:57.75 Misses far above rubies, 00:00:57.78\00:00:59.48 the virtuous women of Proverbs 31, 00:00:59.51\00:01:02.30 would we be drawn to her or hate her. 00:01:02.33\00:01:05.20 Our guest again today is Arlita Winston 00:01:05.91\00:01:08.05 and I want to welcome her, 00:01:08.08\00:01:09.36 Arlita, thank you for being here. You are welcome. 00:01:09.39\00:01:11.86 What would we think of this woman? 00:01:12.05\00:01:13.91 Well, I don't know if you would love her or hate her. 00:01:13.94\00:01:16.08 She was obviously, she had it together. 00:01:16.11\00:01:18.29 She was a great woman. She was great wife. 00:01:18.32\00:01:21.32 She was a great mother. She was a great neighbor. 00:01:21.35\00:01:24.09 But one doesn't become virtuous by doing 00:01:24.91\00:01:27.53 all the things that are said in Proverbs 31. 00:01:27.56\00:01:30.68 One does those things because one is virtuous. 00:01:30.71\00:01:34.34 And I think that the key for that is found 00:01:35.17\00:01:38.44 in one of the verses of the very end of the chapter, 00:01:38.47\00:01:40.98 where talks about she was a woman who feared the Lord 00:01:41.01\00:01:44.45 Amen. That showed where her heart was. 00:01:44.48\00:01:46.97 And I think that when we are talking about women 00:01:48.84\00:01:51.09 in society who are going to have an effect on society, 00:01:51.12\00:01:55.41 on our society today. We have to start there. 00:01:55.44\00:01:58.24 Women who fear the Lord above everything else 00:01:58.85\00:02:02.01 they aren't afraid to be, to speak out the truth. 00:02:02.04\00:02:06.83 They aren't afraid with their children. 00:02:06.86\00:02:09.65 They aren't afraid in the groups that they are with, 00:02:09.68\00:02:13.44 but they stand up and accounted. 00:02:13.47\00:02:16.55 They set their face like a flint. 00:02:16.58\00:02:18.39 And they show that they fear the Lord 00:02:18.99\00:02:22.39 and that they hate evil. And this kind of woman 00:02:22.42\00:02:25.51 is obviously one that's going to be a noted woman 00:02:25.69\00:02:28.92 like this woman in Proverbs 31. 00:02:28.95\00:02:31.33 I think of one of my favorite women 00:02:31.36\00:02:35.03 in all of The Bible, I have a number of favorites, 00:02:35.06\00:02:38.03 but Esther is certainly one that I dearly love. 00:02:38.06\00:02:44.02 In her story here she is a young woman 00:02:44.05\00:02:46.67 when she is called into the court and queen Vashti 00:02:46.70\00:02:50.51 has been deposed because of insubordination to the king 00:02:50.54\00:02:55.26 and so a great beauty contest is held 00:02:56.26\00:02:59.05 and so you wonder what kind of story is this going to be. 00:02:59.08\00:03:03.61 Is this going to be about a woman who fears God? 00:03:03.64\00:03:06.79 You know, the word God is not does not even appear 00:03:07.48\00:03:10.84 in the entire book and yet you are left 00:03:10.87\00:03:13.52 with a very deep conviction that this woman feared God, 00:03:13.55\00:03:19.27 knew how to subordinate her own desires 00:03:19.30\00:03:23.59 and be submissive to her uncle, Mordecai! 00:03:24.39\00:03:28.02 Yes, and her mother and father had died 00:03:28.05\00:03:32.61 and she grew up in the house of her cousin Mordecai 00:03:32.64\00:03:36.30 and he was a man obviously of a note there even though 00:03:36.73\00:03:42.57 there whole nation, the nation of Israel 00:03:42.92\00:03:45.37 where prisoners there in Persia. 00:03:45.40\00:03:47.44 They were living there in Persia. 00:03:47.47\00:03:49.11 Yet he was well-reputed and it was an upstanding family, 00:03:49.14\00:03:54.58 so here we find Esther, she is brought into the palace 00:03:54.61\00:04:01.22 and immediately Eunuch, the man who is in-charge 00:04:01.25\00:04:06.83 of the women's ports, 00:04:06.86\00:04:10.01 Yes, I was thinking what's that called; 00:04:10.04\00:04:12.36 that area where all the women are? 00:04:12.81\00:04:14.33 Well, it's called the Harem. 00:04:14.36\00:04:16.82 I was going to say that and I thought well 00:04:16.85\00:04:19.63 was it that, it was. He was Eunuch who was in-charge 00:04:19.66\00:04:21.24 of the Harem, but Esther attracted him greatly 00:04:21.27\00:04:25.38 not because I don't think because of her beauty 00:04:25.41\00:04:28.70 in particular but for beauty of spirit. 00:04:28.73\00:04:31.05 And he gave her the choice place to stay. 00:04:31.73\00:04:36.75 He gave her the choice ointments. 00:04:36.78\00:04:39.49 He just singled her out for special, special favor 00:04:40.82\00:04:45.11 which is very interesting, but God is not what made 00:04:45.75\00:04:48.51 her attractive. It was because 00:04:48.54\00:04:50.80 she was already attractive. In spirit In spirit 00:04:50.83\00:04:54.83 that I think is why the king was so drawn to Esther. 00:04:54.86\00:05:00.08 And then of course, the plot thickens and you see 00:05:00.11\00:05:03.66 an another woman who is the wife of the 00:05:03.69\00:05:05.69 prime minister Haman and she is a rather a self-serving, 00:05:05.72\00:05:11.43 very strident woman and her name was Xerxes 00:05:11.46\00:05:16.69 and she nagged Haman on to positions of great apparent 00:05:17.51\00:05:21.21 no matter what the cost of lives, didn't matter to her. 00:05:21.24\00:05:24.62 Her husband needed to be next to the king 00:05:24.65\00:05:27.97 and so if cost Mordecai's life fine. 00:05:28.00\00:05:31.24 If he cost the whole nations lives, fine, 00:05:31.27\00:05:34.60 but she was determined to have power. 00:05:34.63\00:05:37.61 So lot of difference between the two of them, 00:05:37.64\00:05:39.65 wasn't there? Enormous, enormous difference. 00:05:39.68\00:05:42.41 The Mordecai at this point has hurt of the plot. 00:05:42.44\00:05:47.40 He tells Esther to go to the king. 00:05:47.94\00:05:51.58 Meanwhile the king has not had Esther in his apartments 00:05:52.16\00:05:56.79 for about 30 days. And Esther knows that if the king 00:05:56.82\00:06:01.77 has not invited her it could be of with her head Yes 00:06:01.80\00:06:06.83 So, she sent back to Mordecai. 00:06:07.33\00:06:09.98 She said, how can I do this? 00:06:10.01\00:06:11.78 I haven't been be then to the king in all these days. 00:06:11.81\00:06:15.22 And he says, don't think Esther that your life 00:06:15.90\00:06:21.10 will be spared. Don't think that you 00:06:21.13\00:06:24.10 can get away with this. He doesn't know yet 00:06:24.13\00:06:27.07 that you are Jew. 00:06:27.10\00:06:28.44 The whole nation may die and you may live, 00:06:29.46\00:06:32.39 but who knows but what God has brought you for such 00:06:33.54\00:06:37.34 a time as this, and you go to that king 00:06:37.37\00:06:41.70 and you tell him. Well, here is dear Esther, 00:06:42.44\00:06:45.99 Trying to make a decision, isn't she? 00:06:47.33\00:06:49.56 Not only that, but she has been submissive to Mordecai. 00:06:49.59\00:06:53.15 All of her growing appears. 00:06:53.18\00:06:54.80 He has been like a father to her. 00:06:54.83\00:06:56.95 He has told her what to do and she begins realizing 00:06:57.57\00:07:00.28 that's true. My whole nation is at risk here. 00:07:00.31\00:07:04.32 And she begins to identify with her people. Amen. 00:07:05.50\00:07:08.80 And she said, alright, but first I got to pray 00:07:08.83\00:07:13.83 and she asked all of her maidens to gathered 00:07:14.34\00:07:17.55 to together and she herself and she tells Mordecai says, 00:07:17.58\00:07:21.35 you go on fast and my maidens and I will fast over 00:07:21.38\00:07:25.51 for three days. She fasted during those days. 00:07:25.54\00:07:28.45 I believe she went through such a cleansing experience 00:07:28.48\00:07:32.39 knowing that it was life and death, 00:07:32.42\00:07:34.17 and if God had mercy, would he please give her a plan 00:07:34.60\00:07:38.56 and a plan God gave her, a marvelous plan 00:07:38.59\00:07:42.62 which she set out to do and of course, you know, 00:07:43.09\00:07:48.90 the story of how she invited Haman and the king 00:07:48.93\00:07:51.89 alone to the banquette table and of course Xerxes 00:07:51.92\00:07:56.57 was thrilled to death that Haman had been invited 00:07:56.60\00:08:00.03 to the dinner for the king and queen. 00:08:00.06\00:08:02.11 And Mordecai still not bowing down to her husband 00:08:02.51\00:08:06.46 though she says make the gallows in the back 00:08:06.49\00:08:09.80 we will just have him hung. 00:08:09.83\00:08:11.61 Well, in then of course, the second banquette 00:08:12.22\00:08:14.73 that Queen Esther invites them to she does exposed 00:08:14.76\00:08:19.73 the whole plot to the king. And the beauty of Esther 00:08:19.76\00:08:25.60 of laying down of being willing to lay down her life 00:08:25.63\00:08:29.37 where she says and if I perish, I perish, 00:08:29.83\00:08:33.72 And she identified totally with her people 00:08:34.26\00:08:37.16 and wasn't ashamed to let the king know who she was. 00:08:37.19\00:08:40.83 And then she trusted God to do what she couldn't do. 00:08:41.32\00:08:44.58 She asked the king if he could reverse the decree. 00:08:45.02\00:08:47.81 He said, I can't, its law of the Medes and Persians, 00:08:48.28\00:08:51.25 but I can give them permission to fight 00:08:51.28\00:08:54.81 for their lives and fight for their lives they did. 00:08:54.84\00:08:57.37 And to this very day the Jews celebrate Purim 00:08:58.03\00:09:02.50 in honor of that marvelous day when that woman Esther 00:09:03.00\00:09:09.18 had the courage to go and speak on behalf of her people 00:09:09.21\00:09:13.49 and God honor that. We did, we did. 00:09:13.52\00:09:17.30 And there is verse there in Proverbs 31:30, 00:09:17.33\00:09:20.57 if you don't mind If I read it. Please. 00:09:20.60\00:09:22.76 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; 00:09:22.79\00:09:26.38 but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." 00:09:26.41\00:09:29.80 It reminds me how the story of Esther affected me 00:09:31.14\00:09:35.30 when I was in Shanghai and I was a girl only 12 00:09:35.33\00:09:38.22 and the communist were coming into the city 00:09:38.25\00:09:42.40 and we knew that there would be in that night, 00:09:42.43\00:09:45.63 and we had gathered all around in the living room 00:09:45.66\00:09:48.75 and the drapes were drawn and it was blocked out 00:09:48.78\00:09:52.16 and we knew we were listening to the radio 00:09:52.19\00:09:54.66 when I had my ear down to the radio to listen to a very 00:09:54.69\00:09:58.03 quietly and I was passing on what I heard 00:09:58.06\00:10:01.07 to the rest of the family. 00:10:01.10\00:10:02.32 We gathered all there round that radio 00:10:02.35\00:10:05.20 and then we were going to have our family prayers 00:10:05.23\00:10:07.29 before going to bed that night. 00:10:07.32\00:10:09.10 And I had been practicing for a part in the play 00:10:09.71\00:10:15.21 and I was Esther in a play that are young people 00:10:15.74\00:10:20.54 were doing, or we had a children's Bible study group 00:10:20.57\00:10:27.34 were doing, or we had a children's Bible study group 00:10:27.37\00:10:28.34 and one of the missionary mother's was leading it 00:10:28.35\00:10:31.09 and I got to be Esther in the play and I got to wear 00:10:31.12\00:10:34.41 the bridesmaid's dress in order to be the queen 00:10:34.44\00:10:38.83 and every day I was rehearsing 00:10:38.86\00:10:41.24 the lines of Esther, day in and day out 00:10:41.27\00:10:43.53 and it was wonderful because it took 00:10:43.56\00:10:45.01 our minds off, the Chinese communist coming in 00:10:45.04\00:10:49.12 and take over the city. And I was in another world. 00:10:49.15\00:10:51.95 I was in Persia and so that night as I was thinking 00:10:51.98\00:10:57.26 that may be we would die that night. 00:10:57.29\00:11:00.17 The lines kept coming over and over to me 00:11:00.67\00:11:03.75 perhaps we are here for such a time as this. 00:11:04.64\00:11:08.66 And so after we heard the news and passed 00:11:09.53\00:11:13.26 the word on to dad. He gathered us with the Bible 00:11:13.29\00:11:16.38 and I will never forget we went around a circle 00:11:17.56\00:11:21.03 and prayed, and all I could think of Esther's lines 00:11:21.62\00:11:27.97 perhaps you have come for such a time, is this? Perfect. 00:11:28.00\00:11:32.74 But I thought oh! My sister is going to just laugh 00:11:33.33\00:11:37.40 out loud because she has got a thing I can't get out of 00:11:37.43\00:11:40.22 that play and here this is serious business 00:11:40.25\00:11:43.29 we just might died tonight, and I felt so ashamed 00:11:43.32\00:11:47.89 about praying this prayer because 00:11:47.92\00:11:50.01 this is all like think off, and so the time came for me 00:11:50.04\00:11:53.95 and I just thought I just have to pray this and I 00:11:53.98\00:11:58.84 said, Lord we have come for such a time is this 00:11:58.87\00:12:03.22 and if we perish, we perish for Thee, 00:12:03.25\00:12:06.63 and it wasn't until many years later that I realized 00:12:07.40\00:12:10.82 that was the heart cry. The mother 00:12:12.03\00:12:16.67 and dad picked up and they were able to go to bed 00:12:16.70\00:12:20.70 that night, talking us all in saying Lord if we perish 00:12:20.73\00:12:25.81 we perish for Thee. And the Lord used you. 00:12:25.84\00:12:28.38 And the next morning we got up and dad said, 00:12:28.41\00:12:33.71 did any of you sleep? And we said, yes. 00:12:33.74\00:12:37.31 And he said, go look out the window. 00:12:37.34\00:12:39.76 We looked out the window and the whole place 00:12:40.22\00:12:43.17 had been shelled and there were bodies 00:12:43.20\00:12:47.04 laying everywhere, sand bags put opened and our home 00:12:47.07\00:12:53.99 had not been touched. And we had not; 00:12:54.02\00:12:57.00 we children had not heard a sound that entire night. 00:12:57.03\00:13:01.26 Mother and daddy had been up all night praying, 00:13:01.79\00:13:06.07 the entire night, but we had slept right through it 00:13:06.54\00:13:10.30 and then the Lord enabled us to move from there. 00:13:10.71\00:13:14.01 We were put under house arrest, 00:13:14.04\00:13:16.27 but we were kept save. 00:13:16.30\00:13:17.76 But Esther has always been a very special person 00:13:18.22\00:13:21.13 in my life, for many reasons but that strikes me 00:13:21.16\00:13:24.87 as one where her testimony to this day is helping women 00:13:24.90\00:13:30.78 to trust in God. Yes, she might have being impact 00:13:31.93\00:13:36.36 in your life even that play and her words, yes, it was, 00:13:36.39\00:13:39.75 Gods words, the words that God gave to her. 00:13:39.78\00:13:42.50 But have you thought of other women? 00:13:43.14\00:13:44.55 Have you known other women or Well, I've thought. 00:13:44.58\00:13:48.29 I had a big impact in society as women? 00:13:48.32\00:13:50.52 Yes, I think of Lydia she was of the city 00:13:50.55\00:13:54.58 of Fire of the Torah and she was a business woman, 00:13:54.61\00:13:58.32 a wonderful business woman providing purple material 00:13:58.35\00:14:03.19 in particular. Yeah, purple. 00:14:03.22\00:14:05.49 Yes, and it was too wealthy homes 00:14:05.52\00:14:08.43 and even to the royal household. 00:14:08.46\00:14:12.03 And this was a woman who knew the ways 00:14:12.51\00:14:16.31 of the marketplace and she knew of a certain man 00:14:16.34\00:14:20.35 who had come to speak down at the river, 00:14:20.38\00:14:22.82 and all the women were gathering to hear. 00:14:23.38\00:14:26.34 And she had heard of this man who had 00:14:26.37\00:14:29.44 once been persecuting the Church of which 00:14:29.47\00:14:32.46 she was part of. She was devoted woman who feared 00:14:32.49\00:14:37.05 God and yet she didn't know really about Jesus Christ. 00:14:37.08\00:14:42.86 And she gathered and she thought I've got to hear 00:14:44.03\00:14:47.29 what this man saying and Paul so stirred her heart 00:14:47.32\00:14:51.84 and stirred her whole family's heart 00:14:51.87\00:14:53.95 that they were converted and she constrained 00:14:53.98\00:14:58.18 Paul to stay with her, in her own home 00:14:58.21\00:15:02.33 and she constrained and so she opened up her home 00:15:02.36\00:15:04.62 with great hospitality as well as being a business woman 00:15:04.65\00:15:09.62 and my what story she must have heard from Paul. 00:15:09.65\00:15:12.58 This man who had persecuted the Church had that an equal 00:15:12.61\00:15:17.14 if not greater fervency in winning others to the Lord. 00:15:17.17\00:15:20.88 My what story she must have heard him tell. 00:15:20.91\00:15:23.70 I think so, and there is another scripture that 00:15:23.73\00:15:27.11 we can share on the women of Proverbs 31 here, 00:15:27.14\00:15:31.23 isn't there? Yes, and read that one. 00:15:31.26\00:15:33.29 Proverbs 31:18 to 27, Okay, alright 00:15:33.32\00:15:36.35 "She sees that her trading is profitable. 00:15:36.83\00:15:40.11 She watches over the affairs of her household 00:15:40.14\00:15:43.14 and does not eat the bread of idleness." 00:15:43.17\00:15:45.88 There is another woman now that 00:15:47.59\00:15:49.70 I am thinking Priscilla. 00:15:49.73\00:15:51.65 She was always linked with her husband Priscilla 00:15:52.10\00:15:54.96 and Aquila wherever you read about them 00:15:54.99\00:15:57.54 they were linked together and they were tent makers 00:15:57.57\00:16:00.42 just common ordinary tent makers whom Paul 00:16:00.45\00:16:04.82 found and he stayed with them. 00:16:04.85\00:16:07.26 And he must have had some wonderful times 00:16:07.73\00:16:10.60 talking over the scriptures and their hearts 00:16:10.63\00:16:13.13 also were stirred with the love for the Lord, 00:16:13.16\00:16:16.01 and I can imagine their sharing together, 00:16:16.04\00:16:18.12 and I can imagine Priscilla and Aquila 00:16:18.15\00:16:20.11 growing in the Lord as they would share with Paul 00:16:20.14\00:16:24.73 and one time Priscilla and Aquila traveled with Paul 00:16:24.76\00:16:29.63 from Corinth to Ephesus and then he traveled down 00:16:29.66\00:16:32.67 in left them at Ephesus and I imagine they had an impact 00:16:32.70\00:16:36.69 on the believers there because we read 00:16:36.72\00:16:39.66 about them listening to the great orator Apollos, 00:16:39.69\00:16:43.88 the Alexandrian Apollos and they noted that he, 00:16:43.91\00:16:47.74 as far as he went he gave the truth but it wasn't 00:16:47.77\00:16:51.53 the full truth. He was still stuck on teaching 00:16:51.56\00:16:55.90 on the Baptism of John. 00:16:55.93\00:16:58.24 He had fully understood about Jesus Christ, 00:16:58.27\00:17:02.05 about his death and resurrection. 00:17:02.08\00:17:04.46 And the new birth in that way. 00:17:04.49\00:17:07.77 And he was still preaching of repentance, 00:17:07.80\00:17:11.55 but not through Jesus Christ. 00:17:11.58\00:17:13.88 And so dear Priscilla and Aquila very humbly, 00:17:13.91\00:17:17.15 these humble tent makers, take them a side. 00:17:17.18\00:17:21.14 They invited him into their home and just more fully 00:17:21.79\00:17:26.52 explained the scriptures to him. 00:17:26.55\00:17:28.87 And here we have a woman working side by side 00:17:28.90\00:17:31.69 with her husband, both in their workplace, 00:17:31.72\00:17:36.95 but also in their spiritual outreach and then they 00:17:36.98\00:17:42.57 established a Church in their home. 00:17:42.60\00:17:44.67 They were there hospitable it sounds like. 00:17:44.70\00:17:46.25 Not only hospitable but she knew well the scriptures 00:17:46.28\00:17:49.49 and it's sounds to me like she was well versed 00:17:49.52\00:17:52.61 in the scriptures, and that she and her husband 00:17:52.64\00:17:54.77 were a real team which is a beautiful picture of how 00:17:54.80\00:17:59.15 I think God would have husbands and wife 00:17:59.18\00:18:02.04 worked together. Not the one you slurping over that, 00:18:02.07\00:18:05.84 and no Pricilla did not take over from Aquila 00:18:05.87\00:18:08.64 but she added too what he gave. 00:18:09.22\00:18:13.30 And had great influence on an orator 00:18:14.28\00:18:16.69 who went on to established many Churches. 00:18:16.72\00:18:20.05 It sounds like what my husband 00:18:21.23\00:18:25.09 and I would like to do. 00:18:25.12\00:18:26.09 We have a ministry called Tentmaker Ministries 00:18:26.12\00:18:28.25 and he got that from, oh did he, those scriptures, 00:18:28.28\00:18:32.26 yes and there is more scriptures that 00:18:32.29\00:18:35.23 we can share, isn't there? There is. 00:18:35.26\00:18:37.47 On that, it's proverbs 31:23 and 26 and it's 00:18:37.50\00:18:43.53 "Her husband is respected at the city gate 00:18:43.56\00:18:46.45 and faithful instruction in on her tongue." 00:18:46.48\00:18:49.58 And Arlita this reminds me of the story of Deborah. 00:18:49.61\00:18:53.87 Oh! it really does. She was a magnificent woman. 00:18:54.28\00:18:57.42 At a period of time of tremendous discouragement, 00:18:57.45\00:19:01.56 desolation, gloominess, Israel had been in captivity 00:19:01.59\00:19:06.21 really under King Jabin who lived in the 00:19:06.24\00:19:09.53 Northern city of Hazor. 00:19:09.56\00:19:11.28 And he had a dreadful, dreaded general names 00:19:11.31\00:19:16.76 Sisara, and they had nine hundred iron chariots 00:19:16.79\00:19:21.44 and so nobody was safe around there except 00:19:21.47\00:19:25.50 the people in the hill country where 00:19:25.53\00:19:27.19 the chariots couldn't get to and so 00:19:27.22\00:19:30.07 but you find that there was palm tree which was not 00:19:30.10\00:19:34.20 common right in that area. 00:19:34.23\00:19:35.98 And this palm trees sitting up on the hill where Deborah 00:19:36.01\00:19:40.53 would go and sit every day and she was a Prophetess 00:19:41.11\00:19:45.98 and a judge of the nation, and I often wondered 00:19:46.01\00:19:50.70 how she got to that place, I would like to know. 00:19:50.73\00:19:53.42 I think she was definitely married and her husband 00:19:53.45\00:19:57.80 gave her honor and obviously let her 00:19:57.83\00:20:02.18 have this place and had it was though 00:20:03.01\00:20:06.07 he gave it to her. And she sat in judgment to show 00:20:06.10\00:20:14.61 the people how to rule because everything 00:20:14.64\00:20:18.46 was just going to smothering the nation. 00:20:18.49\00:20:22.15 There was so much evil 00:20:22.18\00:20:24.30 and there was so much oppression, in fact, 00:20:24.33\00:20:26.19 we need to think of it, the children who lived 00:20:26.22\00:20:27.91 in that time really didn't know of anytime when they 00:20:27.94\00:20:32.71 won't under oppression, only the parents knew of a day 00:20:32.74\00:20:36.62 when there wasn't depression. 00:20:36.65\00:20:38.24 And there was such sadness and Deborah 00:20:38.27\00:20:41.13 would go every day and listen to the heart cries 00:20:41.16\00:20:44.78 of the men and the women and I can imagine her 00:20:44.81\00:20:47.80 going home everyday from the palm tree. 00:20:47.83\00:20:50.94 A mother in Israel in fact it calls her a mother 00:20:51.60\00:20:55.66 in Israel, yes, going home and crying out to God 00:20:55.69\00:21:00.55 for her people but you know it wasn't the nation 00:21:00.58\00:21:05.53 the King Jabin headed up. There was the problem. 00:21:05.56\00:21:11.34 It was the men in Israel that with the problem. 00:21:12.05\00:21:14.77 They were not leaders Within the Church 00:21:15.42\00:21:18.68 They were not leaders at all. They are an Israel. 00:21:19.25\00:21:22.00 And I imagine Deborah kept saying Lord 00:21:22.48\00:21:25.39 where is the man who can lead Israel so that 00:21:25.42\00:21:28.86 we can get out from under the suppression 00:21:28.89\00:21:30.84 and how is that I have to be here. 00:21:31.49\00:21:35.37 Where are the men and I think she was called by God 00:21:35.40\00:21:41.50 to faithfully do a duty at a time when men 00:21:41.53\00:21:46.14 were discouraged and couldn't rise up 00:21:46.17\00:21:49.68 and take their rightful place of leadership. 00:21:49.71\00:21:52.80 The God chose a woman who is able to do it 00:21:52.83\00:21:55.74 in a very discreet wise way because here what happens. 00:21:55.77\00:22:00.10 The Lord speaks to Deborah and said, Deborah 00:22:01.02\00:22:04.89 it's time the nation rises up I want you to call on a 00:22:05.53\00:22:11.21 man and his name is Barak. Barak, Barak; 00:22:11.24\00:22:19.19 God you are sure. He said, I am going to deliver 00:22:20.27\00:22:24.90 the nation of Israel out of Jabin's hand 00:22:24.93\00:22:27.44 and you go wake up Barak and tell him to get up 00:22:27.47\00:22:32.19 because I am going to deliver the nation, 00:22:32.22\00:22:35.03 so she says, rise up Barak, Gods given them 00:22:35.06\00:22:39.20 into our hands. He wants you to go. 00:22:39.23\00:22:41.82 He says, wait a minute Deborah I know 00:22:41.85\00:22:45.28 you are a good judge. I know you are a good Prophetess, 00:22:45.31\00:22:48.99 but not me, and she says, Barak, God has said, 00:22:49.02\00:22:55.20 you to go and lead them. 00:22:55.23\00:22:57.72 Well, I am not going to go unless you go with me. 00:22:58.31\00:23:00.94 And so she said, alright, I will go with you. 00:23:02.38\00:23:06.15 I will go, but you too trust God that's the one thing 00:23:06.86\00:23:12.90 you have to do is to trust the God to deliver 00:23:12.93\00:23:16.62 this nation. I will go with you Barak, 00:23:16.65\00:23:19.66 but the honor will go to another woman. 00:23:19.69\00:23:22.23 Now when you first read that story you think 00:23:23.35\00:23:25.92 of course, the woman is going to be Deborah 00:23:25.95\00:23:27.90 that the honor goes to, but no isn't. 00:23:27.93\00:23:30.38 What happened is Deborah goes along with Barak 00:23:30.87\00:23:36.61 and they go up to Mount Tabor and then you can 00:23:36.64\00:23:39.84 just picture from the Tel Megiddo here 00:23:39.87\00:23:44.97 and King Jabin over here and Mount Hazor over here. 00:23:45.00\00:23:50.75 And Israel going up that mountain 00:23:50.78\00:23:53.86 and then getting ready to come down into the plains 00:23:53.89\00:23:56.41 of Megiddo where incidentally that plain 00:23:56.44\00:24:00.23 is where more fighting has happened down to 00:24:00.26\00:24:03.67 the centuries, and is where the great final battle 00:24:03.70\00:24:07.28 will be fought. More blood has already been spilled 00:24:07.31\00:24:10.33 there than any other single place on earth 00:24:10.36\00:24:13.49 because that was the great cross roads of all the nations 00:24:13.52\00:24:17.50 coming across the plains so here come the children 00:24:17.53\00:24:21.47 of Israel down the mountain, down 00:24:21.50\00:24:24.16 to the river Kishon, just at the precise moment 00:24:24.19\00:24:30.17 the Barak gets down there with his troops 00:24:30.67\00:24:33.37 and Sisara with his nine hundred chariots 00:24:33.40\00:24:37.07 a pounding across the fields this way. 00:24:37.10\00:24:39.89 The precise moment God opens up the heavens 00:24:39.92\00:24:42.79 and it rains and it hails, and the river Kishon 00:24:43.56\00:24:47.97 overflows and of course the mud's starts turning up 00:24:48.00\00:24:52.14 the wheels of the iron chariots and you can 00:24:52.17\00:24:55.45 just pictured the horses eyes just bulging 00:24:55.48\00:24:58.49 and straining trying to drag these iron chariots 00:24:58.52\00:25:01.16 through these muddy fields and the hail, 00:25:01.19\00:25:04.98 the rain completing in and just the chariots start 00:25:05.01\00:25:10.28 piling up falling up one right after the other. 00:25:10.31\00:25:12.32 Well, Israel who you would have thought had Loss 00:25:12.35\00:25:18.01 because they were so small in comparison 00:25:18.04\00:25:20.70 to Jabin's forces. They win a tremendous victory 00:25:20.73\00:25:25.63 and Sisara the general though thinks he can get 00:25:25.66\00:25:30.38 away free and he slips out and runs 00:25:30.41\00:25:34.53 into the interior lands. Finally comes 00:25:34.56\00:25:42.26 to a little tent where Jael is standing. 00:25:42.29\00:25:47.38 Now Jael, you have to understand, 00:25:47.99\00:25:49.73 Jael her name means wild she-goat. Really! 00:25:49.76\00:25:54.81 That's what it means And it gives you a clue 00:25:54.84\00:25:57.64 as to the personality of this woman Jael, 00:25:57.67\00:26:01.42 and she stands there and she said, coming Sisara, 00:26:01.45\00:26:05.46 come and rest yourself and he comes 00:26:05.97\00:26:09.09 and she not only has laid down and rest 00:26:09.12\00:26:12.58 and he is exhausted from the battle. 00:26:12.61\00:26:14.89 She said I will give you milk as well 00:26:14.92\00:26:16.86 and then he falls a dead asleep. 00:26:16.89\00:26:19.48 She takes a tent pack and a hammer 00:26:19.51\00:26:22.88 and goes way up right through his temple 00:26:22.91\00:26:27.32 to the ground, and the forces are defeated. 00:26:27.83\00:26:33.09 And it's Jael that Deborah sings the praises up 00:26:33.12\00:26:38.28 and her song is magnificent. Yes, and isn't it 00:26:38.31\00:26:42.47 one of the oldest and most beautiful of Hebrew poetry. 00:26:42.50\00:26:45.78 Yes, and isn't begins like this; listen oh! 00:26:45.81\00:26:49.11 'you king and princess for I shall sing about the Lord, 00:26:49.14\00:26:52.70 the God of Israel and then ends with these words, 00:26:52.73\00:26:56.33 but may those who love the Lord shine is sun 00:26:56.36\00:26:59.71 when he goes forth and his might. 00:26:59.74\00:27:01.80 And there is a verse in proverbs that really 00:27:01.83\00:27:06.34 describes it says. Why don't you read that 00:27:06.37\00:27:08.41 the proverbs 31, 25, and 26. Okay, 00:27:08.44\00:27:11.56 "She is clothed with strength and dignity; 00:27:11.59\00:27:14.41 she can laugh at the days to come. 00:27:14.44\00:27:16.57 She speaks with wisdom." 00:27:16.60\00:27:18.30 I think Deborah is one of the outstanding women 00:27:19.04\00:27:21.88 in biblical history and one that we can emulate 00:27:21.91\00:27:27.41 because of her submission, 00:27:27.44\00:27:29.66 because of her relinquishment, 00:27:30.79\00:27:33.32 in many ways and because of her praises. 00:27:33.97\00:27:37.40 So we come full circle again, to woman 00:27:37.43\00:27:40.73 who have relinquish their rights 00:27:40.76\00:27:44.32 and yet who have accepted God's 00:27:44.35\00:27:46.81 calling in their life and who end up praising God Amen 00:27:46.84\00:27:50.45 Arlita, will you come back and join us again? 00:27:50.48\00:27:53.05 I hope so. I want to invite you back again 00:27:53.08\00:27:56.60 and I want to invite you too again. 00:27:56.63\00:27:58.89