About eleven-hundred years before the time of Jesus, Israel had no king. Everyone did as they saw fit while leaders called Judges governed the people. Canaan, the land surrounding Israel, had kings. Most were tyrants who constantly conquered, subdued and attacked God’s people, enslaving them.
Judge Deborah and Captain Barak Illustration by www.anneyvonnegilbert.com
The only woman ever to become Judge, Deborah, rose to power. She was considered the Mother of Israel. After eighty years of peace, the Israelites again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. God allowed them to be sold into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan. Deborah, not only a judge but also a prophet, called the leader of Israel’s army, Barak, in for a meeting. She told him that the Lord had given her a plan of attack against their enemy, and commanded him to go into battle against the Canaanites, and that he would experience victory over the enemy.
Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”
“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman” (Judges 4:8-9).
To maintain control of the area, the Canaanites depended on an army with 900 iron chariots, directed by the fierce Captain Sisera. What Sisera and his troops did not depend on was the sudden appearance of a torrential rain storm during the traditional dry season. The water and mud severely impeded the mobility of the iron chariot riding troops. This squall made it far less challenging for Israelite soldiers to attack and slaughter their enemy.
Captain Sisera fled on foot while Israel, led by General Barak and Judge Deborah, pursued and killed the enemy troops. Panicked, they ran from chariots stuck in sloppy mud. Weariness had gotten the best of Sisera. He stopped near the tents of the Heber clan. Sisera knew this family was friendly toward his people and his king. This made him feel safe to stop there and rest. He was soon met by Heber’s wife, Jael. She boldly invited Sisera into her tent.
Jael gave him milk instead of water, and covered him with a blanket. He laid down feeling confident he had found a reliable ally and a peaceful place to catch his breath and rest. But before he went to sleep, he made a grave mistake. He told Jael, “Stand at the entrance of the tent. If a man comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’”
A wise and discerning woman, Jael came to some conclusions after being asked to lie. Sisera must have been fleeing from the battlefield. This could only mean the Jews had won the battle and the Canaanite grip on the land was broken. Jael’s mind went to work planning her next move.
Even though her family was considered neutral with both sides at the time, she was still related to the Jews (a relative of Moses). Sisera had no reason to suspect danger. On top of being friendly with the Canannites, Jael showed him hospitality and kindness. Besides, what were the odds that a pursuing Jewish soldier would force his way into a woman’s tent? What Sisera could not know was that God himself had already promised through Deborah’s prophecy that a woman would take his life.
When Sisera fell into a deep sleep, Jael picked up a tent peg and a hammer and pounded it right through his temple, killing him. In the Eastern nomadic tribes, it was the woman who put up and took down the tents. Jael was strong and knew how to use a hammer! For a captain to flee from the battlefield was embarrassing; for him to be killed while fleeing would be humiliating; but to be killed by a woman was the most disgraceful thing that could ever happen (see Judges 9:54).
Art by Kevin Rolly
Should we bless or blame this wonder woman? She killed a defenseless man who was under her protection. This was a serious offense in her culture. Yet, Deborah wrote about her in a song of celebration saying:
“Jael is most blessed of women, the wife of Heber the Kenite,
she is most blessed among tent-dwelling women.
He asked for water; she gave him milk.
She brought him cream in a majestic bowl.
She reached for a tent peg, her right hand,
for a workman’s hammer.
Then she hammered Sisera—she crushed his head;
she shattered and pierced his temple.
He collapsed, he fell, he lay down between her feet;
he collapsed, he fell between her feet;
where he collapsed, there he fell—dead.”
From Deborah’s Song: Judges 5:24-27 (CSB)
Some gruesome measures were taken during warfare in the ancient world. It is also important to keep in mind that the Jews had been under severe bondage because of King Jabin and Sisera, both of which had mistreated the Israelite people for years.
Jael knew that if the Canaanite army had won, hundreds of Jewish girls would have been captured and raped. Jael’s undercover work was ingenious and protected many lives, especially women. This strong and courageous woman finally stopped being neutral and took her stand with the people of God.
Another amazing facet to this story is that God used her average skill of putting up and taking down tents to conquer the enemy. This brings hope to a new level, especially for those of us who feel like our work is mundane and goes unnoticed.
Things aren’t much different for us today. The war is still raging against God’s children and he still uses everyday people and methods to accomplish his purposes. We may not use a tent peg and hammer to save the day, but we can still be women (and men) of wonder by moving into action.
There are many fighting nonprofits out there striving to bring about healing and change for the homeless, sex trafficked, abandoned infants, and many more ills of society. Now is the time to step out of your tent and stop being neutral. Join forces with an organization in your town that is doing work that stirs your heart. Stand for what is right! You never know whose life you will save and protect along the way.
To discover lots of ways to serve, click the Chasing World Changers tab above to explore.
If you are interested in more details about this fascinating story read Judges 4:1 to 5:31.