She realizes that her womanhood is actually a strength to be leveraged in her leadership, not a weakness to be discarded. 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. During the time of the Exodus the Kenites acted in kindness to Moses and the Israelites. T here are many great examples of strong women in the Bible to learn from. 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. Jael, said Graybill, is a "highly unusual biblical heroine." The text identifies her as a "wife," but she has no husband. Have you ever read any of Davids prayers? God equips His people for the work He puts in front of them. Her hair is neatly braided and pinned back. She is confident. All the chariots got stuck in the mud. ( Judges 4:9) For her role, Jael was praised as the "most blessed of women." Judges 5:24. 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. 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). Instead she used things like the fact that he would trust a woman easily. He had separated himself and his wife Jael from the other Kenites and pitched their tent in the plain of Zaanaim, which is near Kedesh in the tribal territory of Naphtali. She quietly went to Sisera. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon. In those days, women made their own tents and pitched them. So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. A folktale is a fictional story that has been orally passed down over hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. And Jael took Sisera and pushed him onto the ground from the bed. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! But he did not feel it, because he was very groggy. You will need to know the difference. While running away, he found refuge in the tent of a woman, Jael. Jael and her family were a bit like Abraham and Sarah. It is believed they served customers wherever they traveled in the way of metalworkers. Because men were never allowed to enter a womens tent, no one would think to look for him there. 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. http://www.angelfire.com/ok/bibleteaching/judges2.html The Canaanite men kidnap the Bethlehem wife, brutally beat, torture, gang-rape her, and leave her for dead. The name Jael means "mountain goat". ", And Jael said to him, "Go, boast before your father in hell and tell him that you have fallen into the hands of a woman. 5. Israel was at war with the Canaanites. 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. It went against everything she knew about hospitality, something hugely important to her culture at the time. Faith, not fear, wins. That is why Sisera ran to Jaels tent (Judges 4:17) because he believed that he would be safe there. Deborah was the first. Jael saw an opportunity to help Gods people. They were responsible for Israels great victory over the Canaanites but ultimately, it was because of God (Judges 4:14-16). Why is it important for us to know? So here Jael sits, with the commander of the Canaanite army in her tent, and she has a decision to make. Jael acted with initiative and courage. He was such a coward. All these things can be summed up in two words: prioritize God. Jael was some kind of woman. Jael probably had her own tent separate from her husbands living quarters. So when Sisera approached her tent, she knew exactly who he was and what she needed to do. 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. She split and struck through his temple. Jael may have seen this actual body part in her country, or at the very least heard about it. 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. Step 2 declare three integers x, y & z. Killing Sisera was the ultimate betrayal of a guest. Deborah had great reason to applaud Jaels actions in her poem. Incidentally, this historic ground was located in Nephtali a land set apart for fleeing inhabitants of the 12 tribes of Israel. "J-L". 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. [9] The "Song of Deborah" (Judg. 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. We need to prioritize His heavenly rules over our earthly religious rules, His voice over what we think is right. Your imperfections and disadvantages do not disqualify you from doing something great for God. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Quite the opportunist, Heber travels north from Judah to Canaan, taking Jael with him. She has much to teach us about the fact that God can and will use anybody as His chosen vessel. No one would expect it, and no one would find him there. When not shown in the act of killing Sisera, she carries her hammer and sometimes the spike, making her easy to identify. Technically speaking, Yal is a female name, borne from the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old . 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. Two stations were monitored between July 1996 and April 1998 to study temporal variation in species diversity and abundance of the epi- and endo-benthos. Then Sisera said to Jael, Go stand at the entrance to the tent. 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). He was willing to give up his daughters than hand over his guests to the men of Sodom. The only one who can help us do that is Jesus. Soon Sisera would be awake again, and she took the opportunity to do what God was asking her to do. Those were just about enough to bring her enemy down. Camels are used as draft and saddle animals in desert regions of Africa, Arabia, and Asia. Jael could offer to help a fleeing enemy, as she did, but was not obligated to the ritual hospitality law. More of her work can be found at Woman of Noble Character. When the Jews ate at King Achashverosh's (non-kosher) party, they brought death upon themselves. Finally, Jaels husband very likely had a good relationship with Sisera. Reminiscent of the Egyptians plight in the parting of the Red Sea, the Canaanites are slaughtered, with Sisera being the lone survivor. But only the chief man of the household could offer ritual hospitality. (LogOut/ That is why Sisera ran to Jaels tent, Jael saw him coming, so she went out to meet him and said, Sir, come into my tent. I can laugh now, but at that time in my life I had only been burned by men. Since many of the Jael/Judith panel . Barak demurred, saying he would go, provided she would also. She lives in rural North Central Missouri with her handsome and hilarious husband and a myriad of dogs, cats and chickens. 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. Adaptations to windblown deserts include double rows of eyelashes, the ability to close the nostrils, and wide-spreading soft feet. 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. Her name is Jael. Copyright 2022 Nina Dafe. 1.2 Mary was Humble. Deborah agrees to go, but tells Barak that because of the way he responded to Gods call there would be no glory for him in Siseras defeat. And understandably, her virtue is at risk of being violated. But as Ive grown in my walk with Christ, Ive come to appreciate that the Bible is about seeing God in the realness of our human experiences. Still, for a meaning of the name Jael, both BDB Theological Dictionary and NOBSE Study Bible Name List read Mountain Goat. 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. Moses lived among the Kenites in Midian until he was called by God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. The name Jael means "mountain goat". 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! "[14][15] According to Herbert Lockyer she may have acted out of practical necessity. Jael knew who the real enemy was in the fight and she also knew that battles can be very unpredictable. Just before the battle had begun a downpour caused the battleground to become deep mud and Deborah took advantage of the circumstances, thus the Israelite foot soldiers were able to overtake the Canaanite iron chariots. And just like the Virgin Mary, she became an unlikely heroine of a prophecy fulfilled. In short, Jael wasn't going to miss. The story of how she met the king is a fascinating study on an interesting lady. Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, knew of Heber and the peace he lived with Jabin, the king of Canaan. She was Jewish, but as Mordecai had recommended, she never exposed her ethnicity or family background. Come in. He wasnt just a regular visiting guest. 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). Deborah, the prophetess, was judging Israel at this time. She was married to Heber, the Kenite. A bigail became one of the wives of King David. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.. 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. It is unknown if Jael, like Rahab, acted out of loyalty to Israel and Israels God, or reacted to Siseras arrogant and domineering behavior. He sees our potential in Him, which is why it is important that we dont disqualify ourselves from going towards the things that we know that He has called us be, do or have. She Was a Reincarnation of Eve and Yael Through feeding her husband the forbidden fruit, Eve introduced death into the world. 1 March 2009. Step 3 define values of x & y. They also can tolerate dehydration and high body temperatures. Judges 4 and 5. She also assured him that God would defeat Sisera through him however Barak refused to go to battle without her (Judges 4:6-8). One day, I was sobbing and crying out to God that I wouldnt have a boy. [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. If she did not act, she probably would have been raped by a vicious Canaanite man. He remained in her tent though his presence there endangered everyone in the encampment. After all, a sleeping man cannot defend himself. Her family were priests, pathfinders, metalworkers, and wanderers, looking for work wherever they could find it. Learn how your comment data is processed. It was effective, but it was also violent and gory. She used a bowl of milk and a tent peg. Problem: Create an algorithm that multiplies two numbers and displays the output. I also want you to recognise that you are capable of bringing the word that God has given you to pass. Jael was the typical woman taking care of the daily affairs of her home. God used the evil fight between Rachel and Leah to further the promise he had made to Abraham. In Judges 4, the Israelite army, led by General Barak and under the prophecy of Judge Deborah, planned a surprise attack against their oppressors and rescue Israel from the bonds of slavery. The Israelites and Kenites were always friendly to one another. They were well-educated, wealthy, wives, mothers, and judging from the number of solo female portraits single women or widows. Jaels tent is seen as sacred ground, and this is why Sisera enters: he believes himself to be safe. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. When she didnt see anyone chasing after him, maybe that is when the decision was made. [19] This can be seen in the Stavelot Bible, the Speculus Darmstadt, as well as several other texts. Most Blessed is Jael among women, indeed. She understood that God alone is able to do what he says he will do. Lead them to Mount Tabor. At that time, Deborah was the ruling judge in Israel. 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 Lord will allow a woman to defeat Sisera, Barak and his men attacked Sisera. Yael plays an important role in the story of Israel's wars with the Canaanites, described in the Book of Judges. A woman who was married to a mercenary and opportunist, but herself was faithful to the Israel nation and to God. Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. For with God all things are possible. Adam is Adham, meaning 'dust of the earth'. [21] Ladies sometimes chose to have their portraits painted as Jael, a transformation achieved by holding a hammer and spike.[22]. Quietly, Jael took a mallet and drove a tent peg through Sisera's temple into the ground while he was sleeping, killing him instantly. When the Israelites came at Sisera with 10,000 men, Sisera fled. [citation needed]. The Story of Miriam in the Bible. Jael was a woman in the Bible who helped the Israelites subdue Jabin the Canaanite king by single-handedly killing the commander of his army, Sisera. Jael was the wife of Heber who was a Kenite, the same ethnic group that Moses' father-in-law (Jethro) had been from ( Judges 4:11 ). Folktales are thus . They knew very little back ", "forgot to address your question, "How do you people dress and feed yourselves?" Heber was the head of his home so he was the only one to really offer that. Lockyer, Herbert. Tweet. Bible Character Study on Abigail. They are thus able to go several days without drinking water. However, she is not the only woman of valour detailed in this particular part of the Bible. He insisted that Deborah, the prophetess and God-appointment judge in Israel, go with him. They did not know what to do. I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabins army, come to you. She also accepted Hegai's advice on what to was to request before going in to see the king (Esther 2:15). Today our battle isnt against a person; it is against the powers of darkness. The Antiquities of the Jews, translated by William Whiston. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Who was Melchizedek and Why was He so Important? Java applications are usually compiled to bytecode, which can execute on any Java virtual machine (JVM), regardless of the computer architecture. This enabled the Israelite army to defeat the Canaanites one person at a time. Step 4 multiply values of x & y. 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