As the predicted battle between Canaan and Israel ensues, it is clearly evident that another David vs. Goliath scenario was playing out. She was not about to play around with this evil man. It can be easy to think that we must possess great skills in order to be used by the Lord to do great things for His kingdom. 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. Why is it important for us to know? The task set before her took a large amount of courage. That would put him to sleep, a very deep sleep. 1 Characteristics of Mary, Mother of Jesus. During . Blessed Among Women. 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. She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head. Jael may have seen this actual body part in her country, or at the very least heard about it. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. of At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; 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. I could not believe that such violence was in the Bible. Jael could offer to help a fleeing enemy, as she did, but was not obligated to the ritual hospitality law. Jael is one of those women of the Bible who we dont get a lot of details or background on. Ch.1.4: CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE. Because men were never allowed to enter a womens tent, no one would think to look for him there. That required skillful use of a mallet and tent peg. Bible Character Study on Abigail. If she did not act, she probably would have been raped by a vicious Canaanite man. Jael was a tent-dweller. Be patient, and wait for the opportune time when God will use you, while staying faithful and steadfast to His laws and commands. Jael is the second female warrior listed in the Bible. Jewish Virtual Library, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0012_0_11033.html Forty stations within a 20 km2 Maltese maerl bed were sampled by grab to gather data on sediment granulometry and the percentage mass, sphericity, and morphotype of rhodoliths. Jael knew who the real enemy was in the fight and she also knew that battles can be very unpredictable. When Sisera got to her tent she invited him in and he entered without fear because " there was peace between Jabinand the house of Heber ". The fact is, if God could use Jael to free the children of Israel and bring peace to their land, He can use you for whatever He has called you to do too. Jael knew who the real enemy was in the fight and she also knew that battles can be very unpredictable. The country seems to be confused about censorship, free speech, and any An American in Amman: A U.S. According to tradition, both her and husband would have had separate tents, doubling her work, efforts and skill. His family was at peace with King Jabin of Hazor. Jael is the heroine who kills Sisera after the battle of Jabin, king of Hazor, against Israel under Deborah and Barak (Judges 4:17). Jal was an ally by blood of the Israelitish nation; [Sisera, the general of] their chief oppressor, who had mightily oppressed them for the space of twenty years, now lay defenseless before her; and he was, moreover, one of those whom Israel was bound by the command of Jehovah to extirpate. A mighty warrior, judge, prophetess, and minstrel. In those days, women made their own tents and pitched them. It is believed they served customers wherever they traveled in the way of metalworkers. A womans tent is the very last place anybody would look for a fugitive or a runaway army commander. 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. While running away, he found refuge in the tent of a woman, Jael. At her feet he sank, he fell; This is not a story about physical strength but about strength of commitment to God. Quietly, Jael took a mallet and drove a tent peg through Sisera's temple into the ground while he was sleeping, killing him instantly. Thank-you for such detail on the story of Jael. 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. Deborah does accompany Barak, an Israelite general, to fight the Canaanites. 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. 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. Jael would have been remarkably adept with a tent pin and hammer, knowing how to grind a stake into the desert ground. The Kenites may have been a part of the Midianite group. The text in Judges 5 is very explicit about Jael's efficiency in killing Sisera. 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. If anyone comes by and asks you, Is anyone in there? say, No (Judges 4:20) But Jael found a tent peg and a hammer. I will make Sisera, his chariots, and his army come to the Kishon River. Jael and Judith were also used as propaganda figures by Protestants and Catholics alike to symbolize the violent overthrow of heresy. The word folk comes from the German word volk, which means people. Since the tent she was staying in was a womans tent, there were no weapons nearby. I will help you defeat Sisera there (Judges 4:6b-7). Remember the story of Lot and the angels? He brought the battlefield to his allys encampment. Her right hand to the workmens hammer; brave/fearless- Jael had to be brave to take in a man from the opposing nation and give her word to keep him safe, only to kill him! Turn aside, my lord, she said to him. The Archaeological Study Bible, NIV version, Zondervan Publishers, 2005. At that very moment Barak came by Jaels tent, looking for Sisera. More of her work can be found at Woman of Noble Character. The Israelite army had been called to battle by God. Jael is one of those women of the Bible who we don't get a lot of details or background on. Those enemies who are relentless in pursuing the called of God will be temporarily or permanently taken care of by God. Ehud wisely befriended the king by giving him presents and praise, and eventually made himself welcome in the kings court. Be our patron for as little as one dollar a month: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Jael.html, The Passion of the Christ and the Theory of Everything, Stars and fractals: the many hearts of wisdom, How the Bible relates to Homer like Ape to Dog, How circumcision created the modern world, The many Hebrew roots of the Greek language. She is educated. 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. In short, Jael wasn't going to miss. 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. A deeper understanding of people in the Bible. Remember that as a woman, you too have the ability and the right to discern Gods Truth and will, regardless of the war and chaos surrounding you. Dont be afraid. So Sisera went into Jaels tent, and she covered him with a blanket (Judges 4:18) and Sisera thought he would be safe there after his Canaanite forces had been defeated since Not one of Siseras men was left alive (Judges 4:16b). The story of Jael is quite an usual one. 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. (The Palm Tree of Deborah is between the cities of Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim (Judges 4:4-5) and Deborah sent a message to Barak, The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Go and gather 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. 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. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9279-kenites, Jael: Bible, Jewish Womens Archive, Tikva Frymer-Kensky. Jael has often been understood to be the wife of Heber the Kenite. And just like the Virgin Mary, she became an unlikely heroine of a prophecy fulfilled. (Gen. 15:18, 19). The chief man of the household could only offer ritual hospitality meaning he had to protect and care for the guest, even at the expense of everyone else belonging to his household. We'll get deeper into three of her weaknesses, and how they apply to us in our modern, 21st century lives as Christians. Jaels primary job, though, was to pitch tents, and she had become an expert in all phases of making, pitching, and striking such dwellings. Bible References. Jael is portrayed in the French silent film Jael and Sisera (1911), directed by Henri Andrani.[23]. (LogOut/ David thanked her for this and repented of his desire to seek revenge. Jabin's army was led by Sisera (Judg. But our God is sovereign, and we can trust Him to give us competence. Ironically her life in a tent, and the skills this entailed, would serve as apt training for General Siseras betrayal and execution. That would make the mountain goat literally a "benefiter of practical skill.". The Canaanites were defeated, and Sisera fled the scene.[3]. Jael understandably feared for her body and her life. Curiously, nouns (ya'al) and (ya'ala) describe the male and female mountain goat respectively. Obedient: one of the main characteristics of Esther in the Bible is her biddability. Do not be afraid.. Jael takes her wooden hammer used to erect her tent and a tent peg which held the tent ropes and with one expert blow drives the peg into the side of Siseras head pinning him to the ground as he dies. Jael was a Nomadic, tent dweller. She has much to teach us about the fact that God can and will use anybody as His chosen vessel. Not only that, she likely had extensive experience putting up tents with tent pegs and so she was skilled with this tool. Deborah prophesied that because of his weak faith, God would give victory through the hand of a woman. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. Both sides in the conflict would have considered the Kenites a neutral party. The example of Jael, however, show It can be easy to think that we must possess great skills in order to be used by the Lord to do great things for His kingdom. Jaels tent is seen as sacred ground, and this is why Sisera enters: he believes himself to be safe. Something to consider:The devil whispered in my ear, Youre not strong enough to withstand the storm. Today I whispered in the devils ear, I am the storm.. 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.. All we know for sure, besides the account of her story, is that she was a Bedouin and the wife of Heber the Kenite. I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabins army, come to you. However, she is not the only woman of valour detailed in this particular part of the Bible. The Lord will allow a woman to defeat Sisera (Judges 4:9). Jaels actions did not make sense in the moment. Tearing a page from Ehuds handbook, she lulls Sisera into trust and complacency. When I was 39, I became pregnant in the darkest part of our 21 years of marriage. All rights reserved. She was sympathetic and understanding even when the situation around her was difficult. ", Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. She had to ignore all the fear, all the what-ifs.. The truth is that Jael violated that trust and jeopardized the relationship that her husband had built. She manipulated the trust that Sisera had for her. "[14][15] According to Herbert Lockyer she may have acted out of practical necessity. 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. We need to prioritize His heavenly rules over our earthly religious rules, His voice over what we think is right. There is no doubt that the tent Jael invited Sisera into was built by her own hands. There Barak found Sisera lying dead on the ground, with the tent peg through the side of his head, God defeated King Jabin of Canaan for the Israelites. Thus, Jael is not guilty of failing to provide hospitality. 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