Deborah's prophetical utterances are not to be tried by the standard of
the Isaian age. So tested some of her judgments might fail, some of her
visions lose their charm. She had no clear outlook to those great
principles which the later prophets more or less fully proclaimed. Her
education and circumstances and her intellectual power determined the
degree in which she could receive Divine illumination. One woman before
her is honoured with the name of prophetess, Miriam, the sister of Moses
and Aaron, who led the refrain of the song of triumph at the Red Sea.
Miriam's gift appears limited to the gratitude and ecstasy of one day of
deliverance; and when afterwards on the strength of her share in the
enthusiasm of the Exodus she ventured along with Aaron to claim equality
with Moses, a terrible rebuke checked her presumption. Comparing Miriam
and Deborah, we find as great an advance from the one to the other as
from Deborah to Amos or Hosea. But this only shows that the inspiration
of one mind, intense and ample for that mind, may come far short of the
inspiration of another. God does not give every prophet the same insight
as Moses, for the rare and splendid genius of Moses was capable of an
illumination which very few in any following age have been able to
receive. Even as among the Apostles of Christ St. Peter shows
occasionally a lapse from the highest Christian judgment for which St.
Paul has to take him to task, and yet does not cease to be inspired, so
Deborah is not to be denied the Divine gift though her song is coloured
by an all too human exultation over a fallen enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account