She is materialistic and she loves power. It so happened that Jael saw him coming, so she went out to meet him and said, Sir, come into my tent. (LogOut/ We'll get deeper into three of her weaknesses, and how they apply to us in our modern, 21st century lives as Christians. 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. The name itself signifies a wild mountain goat apropos for a Bedouins wife whose feet and character stay sturdy amongst the harsh crevices, rocks and unforgiving surroundings of her society. Your email address will not be published. The text in Judges 5 is very explicit about Jael's efficiency in killing Sisera. 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. The Israelite army had been called to battle by God. They were familiar to the Israelites through the connection of Jethro to Moses, and their skill as metalworkers was welcomed wherever they camped. Zondervan Publishers, 1967. I was 2 months pregnant sitting in Gods presence when I heard the him say, You are having a girl. She manipulated the trust that Sisera had for her. 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. A mighty warrior, judge, prophetess, and minstrel. It was effective, but it was also violent and gory. She crashed through and transfixed his temples. Worse, he did this when she was alone. It is believed they served customers wherever they traveled in the way of metalworkers. The story of Jael can be found in Judges 4. 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. The fact is that they will not let up until they have accomplished their goals. The task set before her took a large amount of courage. 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. But if you will not go withme, I will not go. I will go with you,she said, but you will receive nohonor on the road you are aboutto take, because the Lord willsell Sisera into a womans hand.Judges 4:8, 9. 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. Instead she used things like the fact that he would trust a woman easily. He will step in and destroy either them or their plans for you. In Hebrew, Jael means mountain goat so it certainly doesnt sound like a complimentary name but in that culture, that was a symbol of strength and sureness so we cant read into any meaning from our modern culture. Barak said to Deborah, I will go and do this if you will go with me. We can learn much from this Old Testament lady of faith. One point to notice is that Sisera went into Jaels tent, not the tent of her husband. The Lord will allow a woman to defeat Sisera (Judges 4:9). Deborah arose to become a mother in Israel. Jael shamed the enemy and helped deliver Gods people from their oppressors. Cultivate gratitude to God first and foremost. Jael is a Hebrew name, from Yal meaning "ibex" or "chimois" (which are species of wild mountain goats), from the root yal meaning "to profit, to ascend" (perhaps in reference to the goat's nimble ability to ascend mountains with ease). If she did not act, King Jabil and the Canaanites would continue their oppressive power over the Israelites. Why shouldnt he take refuge in the tent of a woman uninvolved in the war? This event in Jaels life reveals a series of lessons, the first of which is that God will always fulfil His word. Judges 4:21-22 tells us this: But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. In any case, it would still be disastrous for Jaels reputation for Sisera to be alone with her. At that very moment Barak came by Jaels tent, looking for Sisera. Terms of Use: The contents of this blog post are restricted to your personal use only. 1 March 2009. Elisha came and eventually revived the child. In biblical times, women were responsible for all the elements of repairing and pitching tents. During the time of the Judges There was a woman prophet named Deborah. But this is not realistic. Sisera was the epitomy of the moral flaws of Canaanite men, and had a cruel streak that was not to be ignored. She was married to Heber, the Kenite. Who was Melchizedek and Why was He so Important?The Bible Story of Queen EstherThe Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons3 Things You Didnt Know About Mary (Mother of Jesus). She is confident. 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. And to protect his interests, Heber quite probably informs General Sisera of Baraks battle plan, and is richly rewarded with a commission to build 900 iron chariots. She didnt waste a moment thinking, If only I had a sword. She simply took up the tools at hand and did what was being asked of her. Lets get to know Jael a little better and see what lessons she can teach us. They are thus able to go several days without drinking water. She was Jewish, but as Mordecai had recommended, she never exposed her ethnicity or family background. He remained in her tent though his presence there endangered everyone in the encampment. The husband of Jael is Heber the Kenite. Her action appears to show her faithfulness to the Covenant people of Israel which, as mentioned, the Kenite clan had identification through Moses. Where he sank, there he fell dead. Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. They were well-educated, wealthy, wives, mothers, and judging from the number of solo female portraits single women or widows. And when God steps in, His goal is to bring an end to the battle once and for all. T. Nelson and Sons. What character qualities, positive or negative, do we see demonstrated in Jael's life? 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. I will help you defeat Sisera there (Judges 4:6b-7). 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. 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). Works by Gregorio Lazzarini and Artemisia Gentileschi are two examples of an attractive Jael, shown in the act of killing her foe. Yet this is exactly what happened. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite who is celebrated in the Song of Deborah in the Book of Judges in chapter five. Lessons from Deborah in the Bible (characteristics and leadership qualities), 20 Free Christian Coloring Pages printables for adults and children . Jabin's army was led by Sisera (Judg. Still, for a meaning of the name Jael, both BDB Theological Dictionary and NOBSE Study Bible Name List read Mountain Goat. So he died. They also can tolerate dehydration and high body temperatures. She recognized God's intentions to remove Saul from power and put David on the throne. 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). 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. Her name is Jael. Grow, develop and die 5. If General Barak were to catch her, she could be accused of conspiracy, harboring a fugitive, and summarily executed. They therefore cried out to the Lord who sent His answer via Deborah, a judge and prophetess. For more info, you can check out her blog here. 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. [18] Jael, along with Ehud, is an example in Judges of the contrast between marginal heroes and well-armed enemies conquered by wit and stealth. On hearing Gods word, she sent for a man named Barak and told him that the Lord wanted him to gather ten thousand men and go to war against Sisera, the commander of Jabins army. A woman who, without her remarkably courageous deed, the descendants of Israel would have been lost. I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabins army, come to you. So here Jael sits, with the commander of the Canaanite army in her tent, and she has a decision to make. [citation needed]. A Character Study. 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. She is considered one of the outstanding female warriors of the Bible next to Deborah. Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. But he did not feel it, because he was very groggy. A woman who was married to a mercenary and opportunist, but herself was faithful to the Israel nation and to God. Deborah had great reason to applaud Jaels actions in her poem. 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. These nuts claim that God ", "Maybe what happened to you was simply something going on in your mind or heart ", "Medical science has progressed tremendously in the last 200 years. In spiritual battles, the enemy often comes disguised. Heber and his household were at peace with Jabin, the king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. I can't get over how fearlessly Jael acts in this story. Mountain Goat. For Moses, it was the staff in his hand. She feeds him some milk and hides him under a rug. Just before he fell asleep, Sisera instructed Jael to stand at the door of the tent and lie to any man who appeared to be looking for him, to which she seemed to agree (Judges 4:20). So when Sisera approached her tent, she knew exactly who he was and what she needed to do. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Esther was kidnapped from her home and forced to live at the palace with the other harem girls. There Barak found Sisera lying dead on the ground, with the tent peg through the side of his head (Judges 4:22). Yael plays an important role in the story of Israel's wars with the Canaanites, described in the Book of Judges. T here are many great examples of strong women in the Bible to learn from. So the Israelites became stronger and stronger until they defeated King Jabin of Canaan. The meaning of Jael in the Bible is wild goat or wild gazelle. She also assured him that God would defeat Sisera through him however Barak refused to go to battle without her (Judges 4:6-8). Jael specifically pitched their tents under a sacred oak tree in Zaananim, paying homage to her priestly Israeli ancestors, and thus consecrated it as holy ground. She put the tent peg to the side of Siseras head and hit it with a hammer. During the battle, the Lord confused Sisera and his army and chariots. Jael has often been understood to be the wife of Heber the Kenite. 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). Jewish Women's Archive, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jael&oldid=1141698215, Bertie also mentions "Jael, wife of Heber" in. The Israelites finally destroyed him, Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. And eating and drinking are pretty small, insignificant things. 5), putatively composed by her, is perhaps the oldest section of the . Asiatic jackals are characterized by their ears, which are slightly smaller than African common jackals. When he asked for water, she gave him milk. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. He fell asleep and while he slept, she killed him. Jael features in the book of Judges as a heroic woman who killed Sisera, the leader of King Jabin's Canaanite army. At the time a prophetess named Deborah was judge over Israel, and people went to her in matters of justice. Colossians 2:13-15 paints a beautiful picture of the victory Jesus gaveand continues to give usover sin: And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. So, what can we learn from this courageous womans story? [17] Parallels between the details of Jael's actions and Ehud's assassination of Eglon have led van Wijk-Bos to propose Jael as killing Sisera in a manner similar to his conquering army's use of rape. All we know for sure, besides the account of her story, is that she was a Bedouin and the wife of Heber the Kenite. 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. On the day of battle, God caused it to start raining. Once Sisera was asleep, from shear exhaustion, Jael puts her tent building expertise to work. By Jaels one act, she saves Israel from oppression, reverses the traitorious bedmates of Israel with Canaan, demolishes the law of rape under the guise of hospitality, saves her own reputation, becomes a woman warrior in her own right, and fulfills Deborahs prophecy. (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. Therefore, Jael had some family ties to Israel. (Gen. 25:1, 2). Why is it important for us to know? This was the best way to secure hospitality and protection. Still, she said yes to the prodding of God. But, any job God gives us to do He will pour out the courage and ability to do it. Change). 1.4 Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was Obedient. 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. The only one who can help us do that is Jesus. Moses lived among the Kenites in Midian until he was called by God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. Come in. By the way, if you prefer to listen rather than continue to read, feel free to play the audio below. Upset, Jael called XYZ Burgers to complain. Jael saw her opportunity to act and seized it. There is no way that she could win a physical fight with him. These themes were echoed in contemporary plays and poems as well. When Sisera asked for water, she gave him milk. Medieval images of Jael, mostly in illuminated manuscripts, depicted her as both a defender of Israel and a prefiguration of the Virgin Mary. S life a tent peg, and minstrel will not let up until they defeated King Jabin of Canaan jackals! 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Mother of Jesus, was Obedient blog post are restricted to your personal only! Up the tools at hand and did what was being asked of her who is in! Jael can be found in Judges 4 a prophetess named Deborah was also and!, if you will not let up until they have accomplished their goals head and hit it a. His hand were well-educated, wealthy, wives, mothers, and has! Best way to secure hospitality and protection examples of an attractive Jael, shown in the Bible next to.! Kenite who is celebrated in the Bible next to Deborah, i will help you defeat through... Put the tent peg, and people went to her in matters of justice series of lessons the. Asked for water, she said yes to the Israelites, but as Mordecai had recommended, she exposed... Did what was being asked of her husband didnt waste a moment thinking, if will... From Deborah in the Song of Deborah characteristics of jael the Book of Judges in chapter five he! 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And summarily executed to live at the palace with the commander of King Jabins army, come to you character.

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