Two Brave Women: Deborah and Jael

Judges Chapter 4

After the judge named Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath rescued Israel. He killed six hundred Philistines with an ox goad. (An ox goad was a long stick with a small flat piece of iron on side and a sharp point on the other. They could be used as spears.)

After Ehuds's death the Israelites again lived in evil, so the Lord handed them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. His commander of the army was Sisera, who with his nine hundred iron chariots oppressed the Israelites for 20 years. And again the people cried to the Lord for help.

Deborah was a prophet who had become a judge in Israel and held court under the Palm of Deborah in the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came to her to settle their disputes. One day she sent for Barak, who lived in Naphtali, and told him the Lord commands you to send ten thousand warriors from Jabin's army, along with his chariots and warriors to the Kishon River, where I will give you victory over him. Barak agreed, but only if Deborah came with him.

Deborah agreed, but told him that the Lord's victory would then be at the hands of a woman and Barak would get no credit. When Barak and his ten thousand warriors went down the slope of Mount Tabor into battle, the Lord threw Sisera and his warriors into a panic. Sisera tried to escape on foot, but Barak chased the enemy, killing all the warriors. Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite because Heber's family was on friendly terms with King Jabin. Jael let Sisera into her tent and covered him with a blanket. While he slept, Jael crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg and drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, killing him. When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael showed the man lying dead with a tent peg through his temple. From that day on, Israel became stronger against King Jabin and finally destroyed him.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: After 20 years of misery, the Israelites finally cried to the Lord for help. God should be the first place we turn when facing struggles. The Israelites chose to go their own way and got into a mess.
The Bible records several women who held national leadership positions; Deborah was a prophet and exceptional woman. God can choose anyone to lead his people, man, woman, young or old.
Barak may have trusted human strength more than God's promise. Perhaps he did not have the full faith of Deborah, because a person of faith steps up to God's commands, like Deborah did, alone or not alone.
Heber was Jael's husband from the Kenite tribe, but for some reaon had chosen to side with Jabin, perhaps because of the tremendous size of the military. Apparently his wife did not throw in with Jabin and his forces. Sisera was deceived and figured Jael was friendly and loyal to his forces, because of her husband's loyalty. In those days, a man was never allowed into a woman's tent, so he figured he was safe and nobody would look for him in there. Jael had physical strength to drive the peg into his temple, because like most women of that time, she pitched the tents. So between Deborah and Jael, the honor of conquering Sisera went to two brave women.

How does this chapter relate to us today? The Israelites tried to run their own lives and got into trouble. Do we do the same today? We often try to run things without God's help and we create painful circumstances for ourselves. This was a lesson Israel never fully learned. How about you? Don't you know that a life without God in it is no life at all. A marriage without God in it is lacking. God needs to be in our relationships with family and others. We need to humble ourselves on a daily basis and ask for God's help in getting along each and every day. Ask HIM through prayer each day.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, Logan and the newly born Stella who is taking mother’s milk now and Lori (who suffered a terrible accident)and her family. Update on Stella: Her parents have been called to conference with doctors because her lungs continue to be a serious problem. Pray for her, please and her parents too.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.