Famous Women in the Bible

Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite….

Judges 4:17

Peace symbolizes an intangible tranquility of calmness and serenity. Yet, how can one find peace   Deborah, a prophetess and judge for Israel, rallied the troops to attack General Sisera and his army of iron chariots. Whereas, Jael served as the executioner. Under the leadership of Deborah, Barak led the troops to Mount Tabor to prepare for battle. In the meantime, Heber the Kenite informed General Sisera the location of Israel army; however, unbeknownst to General Sisera, his 900 iron chariots, was about to face God in an army of 10,000 Israelites. As Israel army descended off Mount Tabor under a surprised ambush which lead to a ferocious encounter, the narrative in Judges 4:15 relates it as “the Lord discomfited Sisera.” This phase meant that Sisera became disoriented and ran away speedily. After much running, he found his de facto ally at the house of Heber.  Hint, Heber is a descendant of Moses’ father-in-law. Yet, Heber’s wife, Jael, became the focal point to climax this victory for God. I believe if we interviewed Jael about her encounter with General Sisera, her story will unfold as follows:
when sinful behavior ranges in one’s life? In Book of Judges one will find individuals who allow sin to disrupt their lives, and then they will cry out for God to restore peace. One particular passage in Judges (chapters 4-5) demonstrates how God used two women (Jael and Deborah) to defeat Israel’s enemy and restore peace.

I am that woman of whom Deborah prophesied that Sisera would be handed over to a woman. General Sierra was an enemy of Israel. He served as commander of the Canaanite army which consisted of 900 iron chariots. He had a bad reputation; he was a zealous oppressor toward the Israelite for 20 years. Remember, my ancestor, Zipporah was united with Moses, the deliverer of Israel from Egypt. Amazingly, the Scripture does not portray me as one of the bad girls. Yet, Deborah’s song of praise pictured me as a heroine. Yes, my action was gruesome and shocking, but I was only doing what Yahweh commissioned, the God of Israel wanted to deliver His people again from another oppressor, King Hazor. I recalled the story like this.

General Sierra came to my husband’s camp looking for refuge, a safe haven to hide since his 900 chariots were no longer a threat among my kinsmen. For my understanding, his army had suffered a brutal defeat just below Mount Tabor. There, I was standing in the doorway of the tent welcoming him to come and rest from running. He entered the tent tired and thirsty. He asked for water, but I graciously went above the usual hospitality and gave him warm milk instead.  I prepared a pallet for him to rest comfortably. Like any tired soldier, he went to sleep. At that moment when he was defenseless, I felt a passion for my ancestor, Zipporah and knew that I must end this torment for her people. So I grabbed a tent peg in my left hand and mallet in my right hand. I placed that peg right into his temple and drove it into his skull by hammering repeatedly. I nailed that peg so deep that it touched the ground through his skull. Little did I know that his life would end the same day that Deborah, the prophetess, prophesied! 

Please know that I am a woman of honor, make no mistakes about it. I am not the one that you can mess over especially my kindred. Yet, I am gentle, giving, fervent in spirit, and some even call me “most blessed of women.” I do have a mind of my own, though. Just like the Savior’s mother, Mary, we are the only two women in the Scripture with this description, “blessed above women.” Like Mary, I too became a willing vessel that Yahweh used to accomplish His deliverance for His people. Even though, my action was brutal and furious; I am genuine in character despite my method of redemption for God’s people.

I want you to remember these key points from this episode:

1)     God can use anyone, even the average woman

2)     Become fearless and break traditions

3)     Use the tools right by your disposal

4)     God’s time is now

5)     Act on the opportunities

6)     Allow God to use you

Safety and trust only occur when you find yourself in God’s hand.  Because of Jael’s lion-hearty act, Israel experienced 40 years of peace. Likewise, when you obey and trust God, you too can become a blessed woman of God while experiencing peace.  

By Debra Baker

My Wife

Check out the song mentioned in Judge 5 about these two characters by Rev P Under the Influence: