Welcome to an important WASSCE/SHS Christian Religious Studies (Bible Knowledge) tutorial on the role of Deborah in the history and religion of the Israelites.
This tutorial will assist you to answer both essay and objective test questions on the role of Deborah in Israel.
Deborah as a woman and a Judge in Israel played a major role in the history of Israel.
Another woman who featured prominently in the Deborah story in the Bible was Jael.
Therefore, your WAEC/WASSCE Christian Religious Studies (CRS) syllabus links the role of Deborah to the role of women in the national affairs of their countries.
Likely Question
A very likely two-part WASSCE CRS question on the role of Deborah in the life of Israel will look like this:
- WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF DEBORAH IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL?
- IN WHAT WAYS HAVE WOMEN IN YOUR COUNTRY CONTRIBUTED TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT?
It is for this type of WASSCE CRS question that I have tailored this tutorial for your benefit.
I strongly advise that you take careful note of the details (names, places and so on). It will help you while you tackle the objective test questions in your WASSCE or terminal exam Christian Religious Studies/Bible Knowledge paper.
Are you ready? Then let’s get going.
Introduction to the Role of Deborah
After the death of Joshua, Israel sinned by turning to Baal and other Canaanite gods.
God punished the Israelites by making other nations conquer and oppress them. They would then cry for mercy and God would send them a “Judge”. This “judge” was a charismatic local leader chosen by divine inspiration to deliver them.
Deborah was one of such judges. She was from the tribe of Issachar and was said to be permanently seated under a tree between Bethel and Ramah.
It was from this point that Deborah administered justice and prophesied.
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WAEC Christian Religious Studies Syllabus
Sample WASSCE English Summary Answers – pdf
Deborah’s Role as a Judge
After the death of Judge Ehud, Israel sinned. God, therefore, raised Jabin, a Canaanite king to oppress them.
Yahweh later had mercy on Israel and called Deborah, the prophetess, to summon Barak (son of Abinom from Kedesh) to lead them.
Deborah ordered Barak to gather 10,000 men from the tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali at Mt Tabor.
In her own account, however, Deborah said she called all the tribes of Israel but the tribes of Dan, Gad, and the rest failed to turn up.
Deborah told Barak that God would draw Siserah, the commander of Jabin’s army to the river Kishon where God would give Israel victory.
Barak then pleaded with Deborah to go with him and Deborah consented but not before warning him that the glory of victory would be given to a woman.
The role of Jael
In the ensuing battle, Siserah’s troops were roundly defeated. So Siserah fled to seek refuge in the tent of a woman called Jael, wife of Haber. Jael tricked and killed Siserah with a tent peg.
The Role of Women in National Development
Political Leadership
Women in Ghana, for example, have served as members of Parliament, District Assembly members and Queen mothers. Thus, women have helped to formulate and implement national policies
Civil Society Activists
Women continue to take part in programmes geared towards community and gender development.
Professionals
Many women have contributed to national development by working in such professional positions as teachers, lawyers, judges, doctors, actresses, musicians, pastors, nurses, and sportswomen.
Businesswomen
Many women are actively engaged in various economic activities that help to develop the country. Their contribution to government tax revenue, job creation and the provision of social amenities cannot be overemphasized.
Housewives
Women have worked to keep the family together, train and groom children who are the future leaders of the nation.
Promotion of Peace and Security
Many Ghanaian women, for example, have served the country as soldiers, police women and immigration officers. In these capacities, women have contributed to the promotion of law and order, national peace and security.
Last word
Congratulations on your ability to reach this stage of the tutorial. You will now be in a solid position to answer correctly any Christian Religious Studies or Bible Knowledge question on the role of Deborah in the history of Israel. Likewise, you will not have any problem doing justice to a question on the role of women in national development.
Thank you.
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Photo by Matt Dragseth from FreeImages
Ralph Nyadzi is the Director of Studies at Cegast Academy. He is a qualified English tutor with decades of experience behind him. Since 2001, he has successfully coached thousands of High School General Arts WASSCE candidates in English, Literature and related subjects. He combines his expertise with a passion for lifelong learning to guide learners from varying backgrounds to achieve their educational goals. Ralph shares lessons from his blogging journey on BloggingtotheMax. He lives with River, his pet cat, in the Central Region of Ghana.
