W. Robert Godfrey

Well, I think the answer is that on that list, which includes Barak and Jephthah and Samson, they're all losers.

They're all sinners, very obviously sinners saved by grace.

Deborah is not so obviously a sinner.

We know she is a sinner because we have good theology.

We know the big picture.

But she's presented very positively in the book of Judges.

And I think Hebrews' point is God saves the weak.

God saves the needy.

Deborah's not a good example of that.

It's true of Deborah, but she's not a good example of it.

So we have Deborah, and I would argue that Barak is not a judge.

He's a prominent figure in the book, but he's not a judge.

He's in a supporting role.

Deborah is the leader, and Deborah is raised up as a mother in Israel because the fathers in Israel have failed, and God is testifying to his saving purpose through her.

And then after Deborah, Gideon.

who's sort of at the center of the book.

And Gideon is a very interesting judge.

We probably think we know a lot about Gideon too.

But Gideon starts out really well and then fades.

And Gideon is a sort of transition point in the book of Judges then.