Women of the Bible, Jean E. Syswerda, Zondervan Publishers, 1999. There was a woman prophet named Deborah. She was described as a prophetess, and, in fact, is one of the seven major female prophets in the Bible. She loves to hang around men with money, power, influence and positions. Sisera arrived on foot at the tent of Heber on the plain of Zaanaim. Ehud wisely befriended the king by giving him presents and praise, and eventually made himself welcome in the kings court. Grow, develop and die 5. He dealt with the wife rather than her husband. 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. She feeds him some milk and hides him under a rug. Today, this godly woman, along with the heroine Deborah the Judge, are part of the recorded history of the nation of Israel and hailed as women who courageously obeyed God, even at the risk of their own lives. All these things can be summed up in two words: prioritize God. She covered him with a rug to hide and comfort him. [9] The "Song of Deborah" (Judg. There is no need to wait for someone else to fight your battles- Jael didnt. IMAGINE: Being a Nomadic, tent dweller who seizes the opportunity to save Israel from their cruel oppressor taking all is fair in love and war to a whole new level. Jael acted with initiative and courage. Exactly who was Jael? I was 2 months pregnant sitting in Gods presence when I heard the him say, You are having a girl. I will help you defeat Sisera there, Barak said to Deborah, I will go and do this if you will go with me. Note that although the character Jael is feminine, the name Jael is the same as the masculine word for mountain goat, whereas the feminine version of it, Jaalah, belongs to a male character. "[14][15] According to Herbert Lockyer she may have acted out of practical necessity. Since the tent she was staying in was a womans tent, there were no weapons nearby. Reference Library, Anchor Bible Publishers, 1998. Key Scripture: Judges 4-5 (New International Version) Jael, under the circumstances, had no better weapon than the tent peg. Jael and her family were a bit like Abraham and Sarah. Her decision was an easy one. Schenk notes that Sisera was Jael's guest, "was in the sanctuary of her home, and protected by the laws of hospitality. This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. 1.4 Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was Obedient. With no one else around, Ehud tells the king of a private dream he wanted to share, and whispered for the king to come close. Satan (the Devil). Abagail was kind and intelligent. While running away, he found refuge in the tent of a woman, Jael. But only the chief man of the household could offer ritual hospitality. Worse, he did this when she was alone. Her grieving husband cuts her body up into twelve pieces, and sends it out to the 12 tribes of Israel as a stark reminder of the lust and violence that were the Canaanites, and to severely warn them against co-habiting with such mongrels. The Israelite army, however, had strategically no chance of success since they were sorely lacking in soldiers and weaponry. 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. 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. Deborahs prophesy was fulfilled in that a woman did indeed defeat Israels enemy. More of her work can be found at Woman of Noble Character. And eating and drinking are pretty small, insignificant things. And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.. He wasnt just a regular visiting guest. He was such a coward. Unfortunately, Heber falls into the same trap as did the nation of Israel, and enjoys the riches and spoils of the land, compromising his integrity and beliefs to do so. He entered the tent of a married woman. Jezebel Who was Jezebel? By the way, if you prefer to listen rather than continue to read, feel free to play the audio below. Josephus, Flavius. He is able to use any of us, even those who feel insignificant or powerless, for His greater good. [citation needed] According to Jack Sasson, there are reasons to doubt whether the events narrated in Judges 4 ever occurred. He was willing to give up his daughters than hand over his guests to the men of Sodom. But if you will not go with me, I will not go, But because of your attitude, you will not be honored when Sisera is defeated. As I said before, Jael was vigilant so when Sisera showed up, she knew him. In the Baroque period, Jael continued to be a sexual figure in art. The common jackal's face is brown or red with white shades across its cheeks and throat. A folktale is a fictional story that has been orally passed down over hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. 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. The Israelites finally destroyed him (Judges 4:23-24) which is why it was written that Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. That would put him to sleep, a very deep sleep. 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. Deborah therefore agreed to go along with him but prophesied that there would be no glory for [Barak] in the journey [that he was] taking, for the Lord [would] sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. In Renaissance works the subject is one of the most commonly shown in the Power of Women topos, with other biblical women who triumphed over men, such as Judith or Delilah. She quietly went to Sisera. 3. The other primary female character, Jael, has not been viewed so positively. Jael Articles. Yes, trouble might come from these people but if that is the case, they are only instruments in the hands of the enemy. There is no doubt that the tent Jael invited Sisera into was built by her own hands. Ephesians 6:12 puts it like this: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. You will have that defining moment in your life, just like Jael did, where you will be used mightily to further His kingdom. What can we learn from Jael? Lets get to know Jael a little better and see what lessons she can teach us. She only gets a few lines of Scripture, but we have so much to learn from her. Mountain Goat. After all, a sleeping man cannot defend himself. She will be blessed above all women (Judges 5:24) because of her heroic act. Due to Jaels actions, the children of Israel won their battle for freedom against King Jabin and had rest [in their land] for forty years. And Sisera had no reason to be. It could just mean that their lives will take turns they didnt see coming. The name Jael is pronounced the same as the word for mountain goat, but distinctions in pronunciation were added many centuries after this text was written. The story of Jael in the Bible is short but it is power-packed with lessons about spiritual warfare. That means that if anything, Jael should have been an ally to Sisera. The name itself signifies a wild mountain goat - apropos for a Bedouin's wife whose feet and character stay sturdy amongst the harsh crevices, rocks and unforgiving surroundings of her society. If she did not act, Deborahs prophecy from God would not have been fulfilled. She recognized God's intentions to remove Saul from power and put David on the throne. Sisera died, Barak came by Jaels tent, looking for Sisera. God used the evil fight between Rachel and Leah to further the promise he had made to Abraham. As predicted when Baraks army battled against Siseras, they totally kicked butt- to the point that all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword [and] not a man was left. (Judges 3:12-25). They did not know what to do. 5. As Christians, we often like to focus on living at peace with everyone. Judges 4 and 5. Still, she said yes to the prodding of God. Therefore, the prospect of a woman being able to kill an experienced commander of an army was a strange one. And when God steps in, His goal is to bring an end to the battle once and for all. If anyone comes by and asks you, Is anyone in there? say, No, But Jael found a tent peg and a hammer. Deborah and Jael: Bible Women, Women Warriors, http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.8.Deborah_Jael.htm, Deborah and Jael, Dr. Claude Mariottini, http://claudemariottini.com/2009/07/06/deborah-and-jael/ Then she used a tent peg and hammer. Chapter 14--Jael Her Name Means "A Wild or Mountain Goat" Her Character: Decisive and courageous, she seized the opportunity to slay an enemy of God's people. Chercher les emplois correspondant Characteristics of jael ou embaucher sur le plus grand march de freelance au monde avec plus de 21 millions d'emplois. I could not believe that such violence was in the Bible. Jael went on to show Sisera every possible kindness. But our God is sovereign, and we can trust Him to give us competence. (The Palm Tree of Deborah is between the cities of Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ep, to Barak, The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Go and gather 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. Jael was no warrior. Not a man was left, except Sisera that is, who managed to dismount his horse and run away on foot to the tent of Jael (Judges 4:17). Her family were priests, pathfinders, metalworkers, and wanderers, looking for work wherever they could find it. Scholars[10] have long recognized that the Song of Deborah, on the basis of linguistic evidence (archaic biblical Hebrew), is one of the oldest parts of the Bible, dating back to the 12th century BCE.[11]. That is why we need to decide in our hearts that when the time comes, we will say yes to God. Jael showed Sisera great hospitality. Now, use an example to learn how to write algorithms. A guest, once ritually invited into the home, had to be protected and cared for, even at the expense of everyone else in the house even at the expense of giving the woman of the house to the guest of honor for his lascivious pleasure. Jael is one of those women of the Bible who we don't get a lot of details or background on. Be highly organized Slideshow. Yael plays an important role in the story of Israel's wars with the Canaanites, described in the Book of Judges. So he died. It may not look the way we expect it to, and it can take a lot of trust to act when we dont feel well-equipped. She obeyed Mordecai when he told her to hide her faith and her people (Esther 2:10). In her free time youll probably find her writing, lifting, or doting on her handsome cat. A woman who, without her remarkably courageous deed, the descendants of Israel would have been lost. According to tradition, both her and husband would have had separate tents, doubling her work, efforts and skill. Tearing a page from Ehuds handbook, she lulls Sisera into trust and complacency. And not just any milk. A woman whose physical strength, faithfulness, patience, and discernment were praised in the very first poem of the Hebrew Bible: The Song of Deborah.. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul. 5:2426) recounts: Extolled above women be Jael, When not shown in the act of killing Sisera, she carries her hammer and sometimes the spike, making her easy to identify. In the Hebrew Bible, Judges 4-5 tells the lurid story of the heroic figure of Jael, the formidable woman who saves Israel from the Canaanite army by seducing their general, Sisera, and then nailing his head to the ground with a tent-peg. Jewish Virtual Library, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0012_0_11033.html This shows how desperate he was to not be found. This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 10:00. Barak said to Deborah, I will go and do this if you will go with me. She is passionate about helping Christian women to grow in Christ, improve their marriages and creatively worship. Deborah does accompany Barak, an Israelite general, to fight the Canaanites. But if you will not go with me, I will not go (Judges 4:8) and Deborah the Judge agreed to go but told Barak But because of your attitude, you will not be honored when Sisera is defeated. Yet this is exactly what happened. What is important is that when the time came to make the decision, she didnt hesitate. I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabins army, come to you. Once separated from its original theological context, the Jael and Sisera tradition transforms into a story about gender identity and conflict between the sexes. She manipulated the trust that Sisera had for her. Jael saw her opportunity to act and seized it. A woman who was married to a mercenary and opportunist, but herself was faithful to the Israel nation and to God. 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. Heber (whose name means ally,) contracts himself out to the Canaanite army led by General Sisera for weapon-making. Jael is perceptive enough to understand why this is happening: she equates the suffocating oppression her people are enduring due to Israel's lack of faith and worship. The name Jael means "mountain goat". 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. Bible Character Study on Abigail. You are not a second-class citizen, and you have the right to assert Gods will. She calls for Barak from Kedesh in Naphtali to go up against Jabin and his army as the Lord will turn him over to Barak. Her right hand to the workmens hammer; Because God has a million ways to solve one problem. The Story of Miriam in the Bible. He was the enemy. God Redeems the Lost. Judges 4:21-22 tells us this: But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. His family was at peace with King Jabin of Hazor. She made him comfortable. In spiritual battles, the enemy often comes disguised. They also can tolerate dehydration and high body temperatures. Turn aside, my lord, she said to him. (Joshua 20:1-7) Sisera ultimately chooses this tent, this family, this land of protection to flee to for safety after the Canaanites disasterous defeat. Jael is best known for killing Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, in a bloody, gruesome manner. But this is not realistic. If she did not act, women would continue to be raped and tortured by their guests. If she did not act, she would miss the only chance of aligning herself with the Israelite conquerors. She was judge of Israel at that time. Sometimes in spiritual warfare, we can mistake our spouse, children, friends, family, and coworkers for the enemy. In those days, women made their own tents and pitched them. 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). Medieval images of Jael, mostly in illuminated manuscripts, depicted her as both a defender of Israel and a prefiguration of the Virgin Mary. Despite this, once Jael saw that he was in a deep sleep, she took a tent peg and hammer, crept over to Sisera and drove the peg into his temple- so far that it went down into the ground. He brought the battlefield to his allys encampment. 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. Thank-you for such detail on the story of Jael. Sisera asked Jael for a drink of water; she gave him milk instead. In spiritual warfare, you have to know who the enemy is. 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. He commanded Jael to watch over the tent and tell any inquirers that no one was there. Deborah arose to become a mother in Israel. Jael shamed the enemy and helped deliver Gods people from their oppressors. The Lord will allow a woman to defeat Sisera (Judges 4:9). This enabled the Israelite army to defeat the Canaanites one person at a time. Jabin's army was led by Sisera (Judg. Siseras army was quickly losing, so in one last ditch effort to save his life Sisera got out of his chariot and fled on foot, Jael saw Sisera and came out to meet him. In Hebrew, Jael means "mountain goat" so it certainly doesn't sound like a. Jael or Yael (Hebrew: Yl) is a heroine in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Judges who delivers Israel from the army of King Jabin of Canaan.After Barak demurs at the behest of the prophetess Deborah, God turns Sisera over to Jael, killing him by driving a tent peg through his skull after he enters her tent near the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.
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