And understandably, her virtue is at risk of being violated. For example, she gave him milk when he asked for a little water and covered him with blankets when he lay down to rest, being weary from battle (Judges 4:18-19). He fell asleep and while he slept, she killed him. Jael was some kind of woman. Is It Ok for Christians to Follow Zodiac Signs? But Jael also knows that her faithful God will break the bonds of slavery as long as the Israelites humble themselves, and turn back to the One True God of their nation. There is no need to wait for someone else to fight your battles- Jael didnt. It went against everything she knew about hospitality, something hugely important to her culture at the time. He is able to use any of us, even those who feel insignificant or powerless, for His greater good. Jael was no warrior. David thanked her for this and repented of his desire to seek revenge. Jael was a tent-dweller. The Israelites finally destroyed him, Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. Jael could have easily been included in Hebrews chapter eleven, the so-called Hall of Faith because she was a heroine who snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat in helping Israel defeat a much larger, more experienced, and far superior Canaanite army during the time called the time of the Judges.. Otherwise, it will continue to harass us until it destroys us. Heber was the head of his home so he was the only one to really offer that. Deborah arose to become a mother in Israel. Jael shamed the enemy and helped deliver Gods people from their oppressors. The Canaanites were defeated, and Sisera fled the scene.[3]. Jael acted with initiative and courage. First, Sisera should have gone to Hebers tent. Those enemies who are relentless in pursuing the called of God will be temporarily or permanently taken care of by God. When he asked for water, she gave him milk. Feeling secure once inside her tent he appears to proceed giving her orders to tell anyone asking whether there is a man within her tent to tell them no. 1 Characteristics of Mary, Mother of Jesus. Jael knew who the real enemy was in the fight and she also knew that battles can be very unpredictable. Now, use an example to learn how to write algorithms. Heber made weapons. Common jackals are a little smaller than wolves and are recognizable by their bushy tails. Eglon was another king who brutally treated the Israelites for 18 years, again a punishment handed down by God because of Israels unfaithfulness and idolatry. All we know for sure, besides the account of her story, is that she was a Bedouin and the wife of Heber the Kenite. Jael went out to meet Barak and said, Come in here, and I will show you the man you are looking for. So Barak entered the tent with Jael. Just before the battle had begun a downpour caused the battleground to become deep mud and Deborah took advantage of the circumstances, thus the Israelite foot soldiers were able to overtake the Canaanite iron chariots. "J-L". While the Bible doesnt expressly tell us about Jaels motives for killing Sisera, she must have had a motive that was more important to her than an earthly alliance, and that motive must have been honoring God. He asserted that we should not be content to see our sins simply fleeing from us; we should be ready to pursue them and then to drive them into the grounddeadwith a nail, the way Jael did. I will help you defeat Sisera there, Barak said to Deborah, I will go and do this if you will go with me. We cannot and must not be passive in our struggle against our enemy and, more importantly, the enemy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And Deborah prophesies: I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. Presumably this hand was that of the Judge Deborah, not an obscure woman living in the high desert amongst the enemy. Jaels primary job, though, was to pitch tents, and she had become an expert in all phases of making, pitching, and striking such dwellings. But as Ive grown in my walk with Christ, Ive come to appreciate that the Bible is about seeing God in the realness of our human experiences. She stretched her hand to the tent peg; Still, for a meaning of the name Jael, both BDB Theological Dictionary and NOBSE Study Bible Name List read Mountain Goat. God used the evil in the hearts of Josephs brothers to make his dream come to pass. These things were made from metal. If she did not act, she probably would have been raped by a vicious Canaanite man. Sisera appears to have gone into Jaels tent, at her beckoning, instead of her husband Hebers tent. Jael would also be familiar with the legendary Ehud, a Benjamite who recently drove a knife into the heart of King Eglon of the Moabites during Israels last cycle of oppression. He dealt with the wife rather than her husband. Rather, it makes you a perfect candidate for Him to show His glory through. of Tearing a page from Ehuds handbook, she lulls Sisera into trust and complacency. How different would the world look if we seized opportunities, used our resources, freed the oppressed, honored God, and fought like Jael? Jezebel Who was Jezebel? She is passionate about helping Christian women to grow in Christ, improve their marriages and creatively worship. It was divine intervention, then, that Jael was alone with General Sisera, and she seized upon it with the courage, wisdom, strength and vigilance as her predecessors. She would have had no settled home, moving from place to place as a way of obtaining food, finding pasture for livestock, or otherwise making a living. In Judges 4, the Israelite army, led by General Barak and under the prophecy of Judge Deborah, planned a surprise attack against their oppressors and rescue Israel from the bonds of slavery. Mountain Goat. 4 Ways the Parable of the Sower Encourages Spiritual Growth. And just like the Virgin Mary, she became an unlikely heroine of a prophecy fulfilled. 4:2). And Ehud smotes him in the heart, leaving the dagger in his body with a treacherous slight of hand. The story of Jael in the Bible is short but it is power-packed with lessons about spiritual warfare. He insisted that Deborah, the prophetess and God-appointment judge in Israel, go with him. The verb (ya'al) means to profit, benefit or be of any (or much) practical use.Curiously, nouns (ya'al) and (ya'ala) describe the male and female mountain goat respectively.Some scholars insist that these nouns derive from a whole other but unused verb, namely one meaning to ascend. 1.5 Mary Turned to Jesus Right from the Beginning. I was 2 months pregnant sitting in Gods presence when I heard the him say, You are having a girl. Lead them to Mount Tabor. Josephus, Flavius. (Mark 3:1-6). 1.6 Mary's Faith Held Strong. Heber, Jaels husband, was a smart enough businessman so as to keep peace with Jabin, the king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor and who had oppressed the Israelites for the past twenty years. Susan runs on Jesus, coffee, and not enough sleep. Bible References. Remember too, the horrific account as noted by Jewish historian, Josephus. As he drew near, Jael invited him to enter her tent. Note that the death of Sisera was unusual because the general of the Canaanite army lost his life by the hands of a woman, which in the culture of the Ancient Near East, was considered to be the greatest humiliation a soldier could ever experience. Deborah started the battle to defeat the enemy of Israel and Jael finished it. Jabin was trying to conquer Israel, which was at that time under the leadership of Deborah, a prophetess and the only female to judge the nation of Israel. 4 and 5), who inspired the Israelites to a mighty victory over their Canaanite oppressors (the people who lived in the Promised Land, later Palestine, that Moses spoke of before its conquest by the Israelites); the "Song of Deborah" (Judg. Sisera arrived on foot at the tent of Heber on the plain of Zaanaim. Most Blessed of Women? Further to this, at this point in time women did not usually go to war; therefore, Baraks insistence that Deborah came to battle with him was hugely unorthodox. She is materialistic and she loves power. For Elijah on Mount Carmel it was the power of prayer. [7] Jael, however, sympathized with the Israelites because of the twenty-year period of harsh oppression inflicted on them by Jabin, his commander Sisera, and his nine hundred iron chariots. Today our battle isnt against a person; it is against the powers of darkness. Jael proved herself to be resourceful and courageous. She recognized God's intentions to remove Saul from power and put David on the throne. All rights reserved. Satan (the Devil). As such, Jael shows us that God will use absolutely anybody to bring His will about. While there, the leering inhabitants of the city noticed her beauty in the marketplace, banged on the door of the old man, and demanded he hand her over to them. Jael learns her method from Ehud, who, through false pretenses, brought the enemy to within arms reach, and slays him to save the Israelite nation. "[13], Judges 4:17 states that there was peace between the Canaanites and Heber's clan. Sisera was in flight and Barak in pursuit. (Notice the similarity to Lot offering up his daughter in the annals of Sodom and Gomorrah: Genesis 19:4-8). What character qualities, positive or negative, do we see demonstrated in Jael's life? She was Jewish, but as Mordecai had recommended, she never exposed her ethnicity or family background. How much more should we glorify God with larger parts of our lives? With the finger of God directing judgment on the oppressors, hail, sleet and hurricane-force winds were driven into the faces of the Canaanite army, blinding their vision and mucking the grounds into which the chariots iron wheels get buried. God gave the Israelites a seemingly impossible defeat against the superior Canaanite army thus giving them access to the fertile plains of Jezreel and Esdraelon. She was not about to play around with this evil man. Here are some highlights of Queen Esther of Persia's noble character: Obedience (2:10, 15) Pleasant/Friendly (2:9) Wise enough to seek advice and follow it (2:10, 15, 20; 4) Boldness - courage in action, despite realistic fear (4:16, 7:3) Faith (5:4) True humility (7:3-4, 8:1-2) Growing Your Own Queen Esther Characteristics When not shown in the act of killing Sisera, she carries her hammer and sometimes the spike, making her easy to identify. She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head. He will step in and destroy either them or their plans for you. Heber mistakenly assumes that the Canaanites have the military advantage; he forgets that God is on Israels side. 3. Eve is the Great Mother, Everywoman. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. But only the chief man of the household could offer ritual hospitality. Respond to their environment 4. You will need to know the difference. But while she was doing that, she was very much aware of the fact that there was a battle going on. 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