A warrior. A murderer. Ho hum. Turn the channel. Hey, not so fast. The pair I’m thinking about are two of my favorite women in the Bible — Deborah and Jael.

What I like about both is that they made decisions, quick decisions. They didn’t weigh alternatives forever. Trouble came their way and they answered it.

First, Deborah (see Judges, chapters 4-5). A judge in ancient Israel (about 1200 BC), she apparently enjoyed the trust of both men and women, solving disputes large and small. But she could also judge political events of the day. While the rest of Israel slept, the Canaanites picked off and plundered their way through neighboring villages, killing men, raping women and stealing young girls.

Deborah sought out Barack, the general of the Israelite army. “You must go to war against the Philistines,” she said, “before they destroy us.”

But Barack hesitates. “I’ll only go if you do,” he says. And so she does. Together, they lead 10,000 men into battle. And with help from God, they win…except the general of the Canaanites army, Sisera, gets away. The battle is not complete.

Another woman is needed for victory, a woman of a different culture, a woman just minding her business in her tent…

…tune back in on February 12th to learn more about this surprising story.