Jael lived in the days of the Judges. One day Deborah was sitting under the Palm Tree of Deborah, and the Israelites came up to her to ask what to do about Sisera. Trust in God's Word Deborah trusted in the word of God. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite who is celebrated in the Song of Deborah in the Book of Judges in chapter five. Sisera was pursued by the people of Israel at the request of Deborah the Judge. I will help you defeat Sisera there (Judges 4:6b-7). One day Deborah was sitting under the Palm Tree of Deborah, and the Israelites came up to her to ask what to do about Sisera. 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. She made him comfortable. 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. Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. At that very moment Barak came by Jaels tent, looking for Sisera. Most blessed among women is Jael, When the Jews ate at King Achashverosh's (non-kosher) party, they brought death upon themselves. Remember too, the horrific account as noted by Jewish historian, Josephus. Why shouldnt he take refuge in the tent of a woman uninvolved in the war? The story of the Bethlehem woman and Lots daughters are only two among thousands of similar stories during this time. T here are many great examples of strong women in the Bible to learn from. This might explain why she had no reservations about getting involved in this Israelite battle with the Canaanites. The portability of Java-based software (which means that you can write your code in a system and run it anywhere) is one of the most important characteristics of Java. Adam is Adham, meaning 'dust of the earth'. God is the the most powerful force in the universe, more powerful than Evil. You have the right to your own mind, no matter what your husband says and does, or where he takes you. This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. 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. . She feeds him some milk and hides him under a rug. For Elijah on Mount Carmel it was the power of prayer. They are shaggy animals, with white coats and moderately long horns. Jael was married to a Kenanite named Heber, a man descended from Jethro (Moses father-in-law of the Midianites). [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. A woman who rose from obscurity to greatness, and becomes synonymous with the likes of other well-known tentdwellers: Sarah, Hagar, Leah and Rachel. Jael is one of those women of the Bible who we don't get a lot of details or background on. Her action appears to show her faithfulness to the Covenant people of Israel which, as mentioned, the Kenite clan had identification through Moses. 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. According to tradition, both her and husband would have had separate tents, doubling her work, efforts and skill. While we are not sure about her faith, we are sure about her courage. A woman who, akin to the Virgin Mary, courageously helped save the Israelite nation despite the oppressive cultural norms for women, and chose Gods people over her own reputation. It went against everything she knew about hospitality, something hugely important to her culture at the time. 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. They knew very little back ", "forgot to address your question, "How do you people dress and feed yourselves?" The name Jael comes from the verb (ya'al), to profit or be useful: The verb (ya'al) means to profit, benefit or be of any (or much) practical use. 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. Lead them to Mount Tabor. 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/ Jael Articles. The Canaanite men kidnap the Bethlehem wife, brutally beat, torture, gang-rape her, and leave her for dead. Soon Sisera would be awake again, and she took the opportunity to do what God was asking her to do. If I asked most people to think of a warrior woman mentioned in Judges 4 and 5, I am pretty sure that most minds would go straight to Deborah. Yet, God used this to accomplish the purpose of delivering Israel from the evil grip of the Canaanites. And Jael took the stake and put it on his temple and struck it with a hammer. Siseras character is seriously lacking as he willfully broke every rule that governed hospitality. Jael is portrayed in the French silent film Jael and Sisera (1911), directed by Henri Andrani.[23]. In spiritual warfare, you have to know who the enemy is. More positively, Jael was included in sets of the female Nine Worthies, such as the prints by Hans Burgkmair. She pulled down and packed the tents when they traveled to another place. How much more should we glorify God with larger parts of our lives? [16] Biblical commentaries have viewed Jael as either a heroine or someone much less so. 1.2 Mary was Humble. When I was 39, I became pregnant in the darkest part of our 21 years of marriage. 5. Jael showed Sisera great hospitality. So it is that we should not play around with sin and iniquity in our lives. 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. C.E. A bigail became one of the wives of King David. No one would expect it, and no one would find him there. Do not be afraid.. In the Baroque period, Jael continued to be a sexual figure in art. (LogOut/ This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:Easton, Matthew George (1897). Jaels tent is seen as sacred ground, and this is why Sisera enters: he believes himself to be safe. Jewish Virtual Library, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0012_0_11033.html And God doubles down on this theme by using another woman, Jael, to deal the fatal blow to Israel's enemy. 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. Tearing a page from Ehuds handbook, she lulls Sisera into trust and complacency. Sisera was a warrior. [9] The "Song of Deborah" (Judg. 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. (Gen. 15:18, 19). For Moses, it was the staff in his hand. She did not need to have her trust in God confirmed by the responses of others. Still, she said yes to the prodding of God. Yael plays an important role in the story of Israel's wars with the Canaanites, described in the Book of Judges. Living such a life required strong hands and a willingness to work hard. Reference Library, Anchor Bible Publishers, 1998. And Ehud smotes him in the heart, leaving the dagger in his body with a treacherous slight of hand. Martin Luther was particularly fond of Judith and held her up as an example of virtue and godly living. Miriam ( Mir-ym) was born in 1576 B.C. If God has given you a word or vision, I want you to keep the faith that He will be faithful to complete it. 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. I too have one of the sweetest little granddaughters on the planetshes almost 6 & wants to know more about this Jael ( her name is Jaela but she is a namesake) .thanks for the info, I will definitely pass it all on to her!!!! Jael followed the law of God in murdering a general of a Canaanite symbolic of taking away the oppression of the land and returning back to the Law of God, and not choosing to follow the unquestionable law the of hospitality that led only to abuse, oppression, detriment, and horror to women. Ch.1.4: CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE. Esther's narrative depicts a young girl maturing into her God-given duty and setting an example for all time. Maerl was commonest at 51-90 m depth with 20-39% live . He gives us certain skills and gifts for a reason, and we should always be on the lookout for ways to use them. We'll get deeper into three of her weaknesses, and how they apply to us in our modern, 21st century lives as Christians. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. As Christians, we often like to focus on living at peace with everyone. Llanera, Daniel Kevin and Wilmington, Rebekah and Shoo, Haika and Lisboa, Paulo and Jarman, Ian and Wong, Stephanie and Nizza, Jael and Sharma, Dushyant and Kalathil, Dhanya and Rajeev, Surya and Williams, Scott and Yadav, Rahul and Qureshi, Zubair and Narayanan, Ram Prakash and Furlong, Niall and Westall, Sam and Nair, Sunil, Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients in a Regional . 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 ". 5:2426) recounts: Extolled above women be Jael, Long story short, we have a vibrant, fun little girl named Jael who is the joy of our lives. I will help you defeat Sisera there, Barak said to Deborah, I will go and do this if you will go with me. Jael is perceptive enough to understand why this is happening: she equates the suffocating oppression her people are enduring due to Israels lack of faith and worship. Jal (aka Jal Malli; born Rahel Krebs; 19 August 1979 in Bern, Switzerland) is a Swiss musician who was the frontwoman and lead singer of the band Lunik from 1998 to 2013.. She worked several times with Delerium, co-writing, and singing "After All" on their album Chimera, "Lost and Found" on their album Nuages du Monde, and "Light Your Light" on their 2012 album Music Box Opera. I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabins army, come to you. Today our battle isnt against a person; it is against the powers of darkness. A . 1. They had the latest technology in the form of 900 iron chariots. The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons, 3 Things You Didnt Know About Mary (Mother of Jesus), 5 Powerful Lessons from the Unusual Story of Jael. Her family were tinsmiths who made farming utensils, domestic items, and weapons. In her free time youll probably find her writing, lifting, or doting on her handsome cat. That is why the Song of Deborah was written for On the day that the Israelites defeated Sisera, Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song (Judges 5:2-31) in tribute, first and foremost to God but Jael was hailed as a heroine and was part if this Song of Deborah and gave Jael a right and fitting place in the history of Israel. The Canaanite army was strong. She, very quickly, formed a plan and used what was available, what she had at hand. She manipulated the trust that Sisera had for her. Since many of the Jael/Judith panel . There is no way that she could win a physical fight with him. 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). Schenk notes that Sisera was Jael's guest, "was in the sanctuary of her home, and protected by the laws of hospitality. Asiatic jackals are characterized by their ears, which are slightly smaller than African common jackals. Her name is Jael. Jael knew who the real enemy was in the fight and she also knew that battles can be very unpredictable. With great distress, she went straight to Elisha for help, not even mentioning it to her husband. Moses lived among the Kenites in Midian until he was called by God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. When she didnt see anyone chasing after him, maybe that is when the decision was made. 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. So here Jael sits, with the commander of the Canaanite army in her tent, and she has a decision to make. Jaels people were at peace with his. Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. Jewish Women's Archive, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jael&oldid=1141698215, Bertie also mentions "Jael, wife of Heber" in. Because of the practice of one man having multiple wives, each wife made, pitched and maintained her own tent. but not ", Who Was Jael In The Bible? She is confident. Then Jael, Hebers wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. Through her husband Heber, Jael had kinship ties with the Israelites. For with God all things are possible. She spun the goat hair, wove it, and made the tents. Thank-you for such detail on the story of Jael. The Israelites were clearly able to see their God, Yahweh, was superior to the Canaanite god, Baal. Jael saw her opportunity to act and seized it. It is believed they served customers wherever they traveled in the way of metalworkers. 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). After Ahab died, Jezebel lived for ten to twenty more years while their sons, Ahaziah and Jehoram, ruled consecutively. 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. Heber and his household were at peace with Jabin, the king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. By the way, if you prefer to listen rather than continue to read, feel free to play the audio below. You will need to know the difference. Jael went on to show Sisera every possible kindness. Change). I can laugh now, but at that time in my life I had only been burned by men. God tends to bypass the people that man would think are the most qualified to manifest His word in favour of those that man would overlook. A deeper understanding of people in the Bible. Here are some highlights of Queen Esther of Persia's noble character: Obedience (2:10, 15) Pleasant/Friendly (2:9) Wise enough to seek advice and follow it (2:10, 15, 20; 4) Boldness - courage in action, despite realistic fear (4:16, 7:3) Faith (5:4) True humility (7:3-4, 8:1-2) Growing Your Own Queen Esther Characteristics 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. Sisera was the commander of the Canaanite army. The Jezebel Bible story comes to a close with the queen's gory death. Place in Biblical Texts 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. But he went to Jaels tent instead. They also can tolerate dehydration and high body temperatures. I was 2 months pregnant sitting in Gods presence when I heard the him say, You are having a girl. midrash praises Yael, wife of Heber the Kenite, and includes her among the devout women converts, together with Hagar, Asenath, Zipporah, Shiphrah, Puah, the daughter of Pharaoh, Rahab, and Ruth (Yalkut Shimoni on Joshua, para . He asked for water, she gave him milk; If Jaels husband were to catch her alone with Sisera, he could accuse her of adultery and have her stoned to death. The word folk comes from the German word volk, which means people. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul. Jael understandably feared for her body and her life. She was nowhere near ready for a battle of any kind. A woman who, without her remarkably courageous deed, the descendants of Israel would have been lost. 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. Maerl was commonest at 51-90 m depth with 20-39 % live stake and put on... People dress and feed yourselves? capable of, Jael continued to be a sexual figure in art pregnant. Your soul was married to a Kenanite named Heber, Jael was married to a Kenanite named Heber, had. Form of 900 iron chariots now in the heart, leaving the dagger in his body with a hammer being. Twenty more years while their sons, Ahaziah and Jehoram, ruled consecutively Jael in the French silent film and... Explain why she had at hand of others, you have the right to your own mind, no what! 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