Jael and her family were a bit like Abraham and Sarah. In biblical times, women were responsible for all the elements of repairing and pitching tents. Barak and his men defeated Siseras army, but Sisera left his chariot and ran away on foot (Judges 4:15) but Sisera got away ran away to the tent where a woman named Jael lived. Ezra Glenn's song "Sisera Sleeps" from 2020's "Two-Heel Sandwich" refers to Jael's actions. Quietly, Jael took a mallet and drove a tent peg through Sisera's temple into the ground while he was sleeping, killing him instantly. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believers daily walk with God and the Bible. She lives in rural North Central Missouri with her handsome and hilarious husband and a myriad of dogs, cats and chickens. Proud member Blessed Among Women. He made requests of his hostessbad manners for a guest. That required skillful use of a mallet and tent peg. On the day Sisera died, Deborah and Barak honor Jael with song: Jael is most blessed of women,the wife of Heber the Kenite,she is most blessed amongtent-dwelling women.Judges 5:24. All these things can be summed up in two words: prioritize God. She may have just been trying to delay him so that anyone pursuing him could catch up. She split and struck through his temple. He is the one who gives life; he is the one who cancels our debts; he is the one who nails our sins to the cross once and for all. We need only to skip ahead in the Bible to the life of Jesus to read more stories of rules broken. Sometimes in spiritual warfare, we can mistake our spouse, children, friends, family, and coworkers for the enemy. As I said before, Jael was vigilant so when Sisera showed up, she knew him. Sisera was the commander of the Canaanite army. He literally chooses: In other words, God chooses imperfect people to be conduits of His will so that He can extend His grace to them and display His glory through them (2nd Corinthians 12:9-10). She is passionate about helping Christian women to grow in Christ, improve their marriages and creatively worship. [5] Heber lived approximately during the 12th century BC in the Hula Valley (anciently known as Zaanaim) of northern Israel during the time of the Israelite judges. The word folk comes from the German word volk, which means people. She used a bowl of milk and a tent peg. She Was Weak In Loyalty. Jael could offer to help a fleeing enemy, as she did, but was not obligated to the ritual hospitality law. Brave: we often think that bravery is the absence of fear. This might explain why she had no reservations about getting involved in this Israelite battle with the Canaanites. As the predicted battle between Canaan and Israel ensues, it is clearly evident that another David vs. Goliath scenario was playing out. Therefore, Jael had some family ties to Israel. When not shown in the act of killing Sisera, she carries her hammer and sometimes the spike, making her easy to identify. If she did not act, King Jabil and the Canaanites would continue their oppressive power over the Israelites. The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at an ancient synagogue in Israel, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced last week. The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons, 3 Things You Didnt Know About Mary (Mother of Jesus), 5 Powerful Lessons from the Unusual Story of Jael. Barak said to her, If you will go withme, I will go. While running away, he found refuge in the tent of a woman, Jael. His family was at peace with King Jabin of Hazor. Jael was a Nomadic, tent dweller. So, what can we learn from this courageous womans story? She is confident. Sisera was pursued by the people of Israel at the request of Deborah the Judge. Deborah, the prophetess, was judging Israel at this time. It may not be in line with our idea of perfect timing, however He is not a man that He should lie;" His word does not return to Him void but accomplishes what He pleases (Isaiah 55:11). But while she was doing that, she was very much aware of the fact that there was a battle going on. Cultivate gratitude to God first and foremost. If Jaels husband were to catch her alone with Sisera, he could accuse her of adultery and have her stoned to death. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite who is celebrated in the Song of Deborah in the Book of Judges in chapter five. Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. Women, especially Jael, then had every reason to be terrified for fear of being raped at the hand of her guest. And Jael was living amongst the Canaanites, harboring a Canaanite general, knowing full well the evil he was capable of. Blessed is she among women. A distinctive honor not just given to the Virgin Mary, but also to a little-known nomadic warrior who descended from a priestly clan in 1125 B.C. Naomi thought her family line had ended, but God . Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names translates this name with Ibex. Her name is Jael. As horrible as this was, we have to appreciate Jaels wit and bravery. She obeyed Mordecai when he told her to hide her faith and her people (Esther 2:10). Exactly who was Jael? At her feet he sank, he fell; She also accepted Hegai's advice on what to was to request before going in to see the king (Esther 2:15). We do not know if Jael was concerned for her safety once Sisera awoke from his sleep, or if she was just doing the will of God with the action she took. Those enemies who are relentless in pursuing the called of God will be temporarily or permanently taken care of by God. 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One day, I was sobbing and crying out to God that I wouldnt have a boy. Others see her as a model of courage and power, a woman who risked her life to do the will of God, who shattered role expectations, and invites all of us to greater freedom. The ancient laws of hospitality in the ancient Middle East were very strict. And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, Come, I will show you the man whom you seek. And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple. (Judges 4:21-22). A . Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. Jael had a front row seat to the vicious cycle of idolatry and judgment upon the nation of Israel namely the destruction of the lands and the assimilation of pagan practices. Remember the story of Lot and the angels? You have the right to your own mind, no matter what your husband says and does, or where he takes you. 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. The story of how she met the king is a fascinating study on an interesting lady. Top 7 Bible Verses For Those That Have Been Abused, "Sondergaard is a member of the New Apostolic Reformation cult. I heard the Lord say, your little girls name is Jael, she will be a symbol of the bondage I will break in your marriage. She was nowhere near ready for a battle of any kind. The Jezebel Bible story comes to a close with the queen's gory death. Here are five strong women with a summary of their story.. Jael - Judges 4. When Moses fled Egypt and went to Midian he met Jethro and eventually married his daughter Zipporah, thus marrying into the tribe of Kenite. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Barak demurred, saying he would go, provided she would also. At that time, Deborah was the ruling judge in Israel. Judges 4 and 5. Jaels tent is seen as sacred ground, and this is why Sisera enters: he believes himself to be safe. Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, knew of Heber and the peace he lived with Jabin, the king of Canaan. When Sisera asked for water, she gave him milk. If you are a Bible study teacher, you are free to allow this content to influence the lessons you teach or the sermons you present. These are tools she knew how to use well because she made tents. Step 6 print z. (Gen. 15:18, 19). Extolled above women in the tent. Ehud wisely befriended the king by giving him presents and praise, and eventually made himself welcome in the kings court. Folktales are thus . First, Sisera should have gone to Hebers tent. Eve means 'life-bearer'. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Thank-you for such detail on the story of Jael. Ch.1.4: CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE. 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. David thanked her for this and repented of his desire to seek revenge. Killing Sisera was the ultimate betrayal of a guest. Deborah, also spelled Debbora, prophet and heroine in the Old Testament (Judg. In the heat of the day, the king and Ehud sat together in the parlor, conversing, laughing, and sharing stories. The A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). Sisera was in flight and Barak in pursuit. To take a refugee into her tent, show him hospitality and make him feel safe, and then kill him was an act of gruesome treachery. Medieval images of Jael, mostly in illuminated manuscripts, depicted her as both a defender of Israel and a prefiguration of the Virgin Mary. Charles Spurgeon once gave a sermon where he compared Sisera to sin. But, any job God gives us to do He will pour out the courage and ability to do it. Jael is one of those women of the Bible who we dont get a lot of details or background on. Jal (aka Jal Malli; born Rahel Krebs; 19 August 1979 in Bern, Switzerland) is a Swiss musician who was the frontwoman and lead singer of the band Lunik from 1998 to 2013.. She worked several times with Delerium, co-writing, and singing "After All" on their album Chimera, "Lost and Found" on their album Nuages du Monde, and "Light Your Light" on their 2012 album Music Box Opera. For with God all things are possible. A woman who was married to a mercenary and opportunist, but herself was faithful to the Israel nation and to God. 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