characteristics of jael

She loves to hang around men with money, power, influence and positions. Deborah started the battle to defeat the enemy of Israel and Jael finished it. Terms of Use: The contents of this blog post are restricted to your personal use only. 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. [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. The only one who can help us do that is Jesus. Naomi thought her family line had ended, but God . Jaels people were at peace with his. 1.5 Mary Turned to Jesus Right from the Beginning. Jael knew who the real enemy was in the fight and she also knew that battles can be very unpredictable. During the battle, the Lord confused Sisera and his army and chariots. Jael showed Sisera great hospitality. Yet, God used this to accomplish the purpose of delivering Israel from the evil grip of the Canaanites. Killing Sisera was the ultimate betrayal of a guest. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. She may have just been trying to delay him so that anyone pursuing him could catch up. 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). God Redeems the Lost. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. The Israelites and Kenites were always friendly to one another. She crashed through and transfixed his temples. Copyright 2022 Nina Dafe. Israels Judges actually had the responsibility to act as a military leader and thus when war came Deborah led the out-numbered, badly equipped Israelite troops to a miraculous victory. (Judges 3:12-25). [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. [7] Jael, however, sympathized with the Israelites because of the twenty-year period of harsh oppression inflicted on them by Jabin, his commander Sisera, and his nine hundred iron chariots. She commanded Barak to fight against Jabin's army in the Valley of Jezreel along the Kishon River. I can laugh now, but at that time in my life I had only been burned by men. Sisera was the epitomy of the moral flaws of Canaanite men, and had a cruel streak that was not to be ignored. The Israelites finally destroyed him (Judges 4:23-24) which is why it was written that Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. Deborah prophesied that because of his weak faith, God would give victory through the hand of a woman. Massachussets, Hendrickson Publishers, 1987. No one would expect it, and no one would find him there. [citation needed]. 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. Only an act of God would make this plan work. Newsom and Ringe consider her a survivor caught up in her husband's politics. She Was a Reincarnation of Eve and Yael Through feeding her husband the forbidden fruit, Eve introduced death into the world. 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. The Hebrew ya'el means ibex, a nimble, sure-footed mountain goat native to that region. Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. 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. She was described as a prophetess, and, in fact, is one of the seven major female prophets in the Bible. We have to be vigilant and calculated in killing it. And God doubles down on this theme by using another woman, Jael, to deal the fatal blow to Israel's enemy. As I said before, Jael was vigilant so when Sisera showed up, she knew him. 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. Brave: we often think that bravery is the absence of fear. [1], As of 2016, Yael was one of the most common female first names in contemporary Israel.[2]. His family was at peace with King Jabin of Hazor. The word folk comes from the German word volk, which means people. By the way, if you prefer to listen rather than continue to read, feel free to play the audio below. 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. Upset, Jael called XYZ Burgers to complain. Jael (whose tent would have been separate from Heber's) [8] welcomed Sisera into her tent and covered him with a blanket. When I was 39, I became pregnant in the darkest part of our 21 years of marriage. Ephesians 6:12 puts it like this: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (LogOut/ Today, this godly woman, along with the heroine Deborah the Judge, are part of the recorded history of the nation of Israel and hailed as women who courageously obeyed God, even at the risk of their own lives. 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 ). 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. Where he sank, there he fell dead. Through her husband Heber, Jael had kinship ties with the Israelites. He was a powerful and cruel man who oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. A woman who was married to a mercenary and opportunist, but herself was faithful to the Israel nation and to God. It is believed they served customers wherever they traveled in the way of metalworkers. You have the right to your own mind, no matter what your husband says and does, or where he takes you. When the Israelites came at Sisera with 10,000 men, Sisera fled. He was the enemy. The only woman who judges, Deborah "used to sit under . Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Both sides in the conflict would have considered the Kenites a neutral party. Common jackals are a little smaller than wolves and are recognizable by their bushy tails. But our God is sovereign, and we can trust Him to give us competence. Her Joy: To be lauded by Deborah and Barak for her part in a decisive victory. She didnt attempt to beat him with a strategy she knew she was not going to be able to use to win. Her family were priests, pathfinders, metalworkers, and wanderers, looking for work wherever they could find it. He gives us certain skills and gifts for a reason, and we should always be on the lookout for ways to use them. Jael was the typical woman taking care of the daily affairs of her home. Yael plays an important role in the story of Israel's wars with the Canaanites, described in the Book of Judges. Sisera was the commander of the Canaanite army. In spiritual battles, the enemy often comes disguised. 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. What was even more unexpected is that this woman was not actually Hebrew, being a Kenite. Be patient, and wait for the opportune time when God will use you, while staying faithful and steadfast to His laws and commands. Still, for a meaning of the name Jael, both BDB Theological Dictionary and NOBSE Study Bible Name List read Mountain Goat. She was sympathetic and understanding even when the situation around her was difficult. How much more should we glorify God with larger parts of our lives? Now, use an example to learn how to write algorithms. Jael and Judith were also used as propaganda figures by Protestants and Catholics alike to symbolize the violent overthrow of heresy. Sisera was a warrior. It went against everything she knew about hospitality, something hugely important to her culture at the time. Remember the story of Lot and the angels? Heber, Jaels husband, was a Kenite. Once separated from its original theological context, the Jael and Sisera tradition transforms into a story about gender identity and conflict between the sexes. Judges 4:6 tells us that she summoned a man named Barak, who God chose to be the leader of Israels army against Jabins forces. Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and reviseded.). 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.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. Everything we do should be for the sake of honoring and bringing glory to God. These themes were echoed in contemporary plays and poems as well. 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 1.6 Mary's Faith Held Strong. 1. 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. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names translates this name with Ibex. 3. The Kenites may have been a part of the Midianite group. The example of Jael, however, show She is very ambitious. 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. In an astounding turn of events, the Shunammite woman gave birth to a child as promised, but, several years later, he died. Jael used the trust that Sisera had for her. That is why we need to decide in our hearts that when the time comes, we will say yes to God. 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). Respond to their environment 4. Being killed by a woman would shame both the dead Canaanite general and the live Israelite general, who should have been the one to slay the enemy. At that very moment Barak came by Jaels tent, looking for Sisera. The name Delilah in Hebrew means "weak; poor.". She understood that God alone is able to do what he says he will do. The name Jael means "mountain goat". Jael was the wife of Heber - "Now, Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses' brother-in-law, Hobab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh." (4:11) "Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber's family was on friendly terms . The NIV Study Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, Zondervan Publishing House, 1995. She was accustomed to setting up and tearing down camp. 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. Deborah, the prophetess, was judging Israel at this time. Cultivate gratitude to God first and foremost. Not only that, she likely had extensive experience putting up tents with tent pegs and so she was skilled with this tool. In those days, women made their own tents and pitched them. The CEO brushed off Jael's concerns, stating that there was enough business for everyone. She Was Weak In Loyalty. On the day of battle, God caused it to start raining. (Judges 5:24-27) There is another and her name is Jael. Eve means 'life-bearer'. Step 4 multiply values of x & y. Tearing a page from Ehuds handbook, she lulls Sisera into trust and complacency. Still, she said yes to the prodding of God. It was full fat milk in a large bowl. Heber mistakenly assumes that the Canaanites have the military advantage; he forgets that God is on Israels side. She stretched forth her hand to the nail, [4] The Kenites were a nomadic tribe, some of whom lived in close proximity to the Israelites. The Kenites were a Nomadic tribe of people who lived near Canaan. If she did not act, she probably would have been raped by a vicious Canaanite man. Jaels actions did not make sense in the moment. She was the wife of a man named Lappidoth. And Jael took the stake and put it on his temple and struck it with a hammer. For Moses, it was the staff in his hand. 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Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite who is celebrated in the Song of Deborah in the Book of Judges in chapter five. In the narrative about the military heroine Deborah, Yael kills Sisera, the Canaanite general of King Jabin, after he escapes from the battle with Deborah's general, Barak. Worse, he did this when she was alone. If God has given you a word or vision, I want you to keep the faith that He will be faithful to complete it. This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 10:00. Jael, Shawna R.T. Atteberry, http://www.shawnaatteberry.com/2008/12/11/436/. I heard the Lord say, your little girls name is Jael, she will be a symbol of the bondage I will break in your marriage. This ordinary woman does something extra-ordinary, and shows herself to be a willing, and committed, chosen instrument for God. Finally, Jaels husband very likely had a good relationship with Sisera. Jael went out to meet Barak and said, Come in here, and I will show you the man you are looking for. So Barak entered the tent with Jael. The truth is that Jael violated that trust and jeopardized the relationship that her husband had built. And her expression is placid - almost sweet - as she methodically sets about her task. Jael knew who the real enemy was in the fight and she also knew that battles can be very unpredictable. (The Palm Tree of Deborah is between the cities of Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim (Judges 4:4-5) and Deborah sent a message to Barak, The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Go and gather 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. 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). He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. [19] This can be seen in the Stavelot Bible, the Speculus Darmstadt, as well as several other texts. T here are many great examples of strong women in the Bible to learn from. Jael was a Nomadic, tent dweller. The railways and other public transportation systems, such as their trains and buses, for instance, are orderly and also extremely efficient and punctual. Jaels tent is seen as sacred ground, and this is why Sisera enters: he believes himself to be safe. Most blessed among women is Jael, They lived in tents and moved about in order to find work. If General Barak were to catch her, she could be accused of conspiracy, harboring a fugitive, and summarily executed. L'inscription et faire des offres sont gratuits. The Israelite army, however, had strategically no chance of success since they were sorely lacking in soldiers and weaponry. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believers daily walk with God and the Bible. http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/jael-bible, Jael: Blessed Among Women Or Bible Bad Girl?, Heid, Bill, http://www.offthegridnews.com/2012/05/06/jael-blessed-among-women-or-bible-bad-girl/, Jael, C.E. C.E. Jael showed Sisera great hospitality. Before we talk anymore about Jael, we have to talk about what was going on in Israel at the time. Most Blessed of Women? It may not look the way we expect it to, and it can take a lot of trust to act when we dont feel well-equipped. 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. Did this when she was not going to be a willing, and we always... & quot ; used to sit under Jael had kinship ties with the Israelites finally him! 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