READ:
Judges 4:9-24
“Very well,” she replied, “I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.
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.
When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, he called for all 900 of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harosheth-haggoyim to the Kishon River.
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle. When Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot. Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive.
Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor. Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.
“Please give me some water,” he said. “I’m thirsty.” So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again.
“Stand at the door of the tent,” he told her. “If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no.”
But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.
When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. She said, “Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he followed her into the tent and found Sisera lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple.
So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king. And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him.
CONSIDER:
I remember vividly the first time I was invited to speak at a young women’s conference. In my mind I was sure I sounded like a stammering Moses, telling God all the reasons why I was ill-equipped to take on this task. “No one wants to hear from me”; “I don’t have anything worthwhile to offer these women”; “I bet these ladies have been Christians a lot longer than I have”. The excuses flowed like a chocolate fountain but certainly didn’t taste as sweet. Nonetheless, out of my mouth squeaked a feeble “sure” and so I was committed. As I began to prepare what I would share, I recalled my first year of college and the nausea I experienced when I had to speak in front of my peers during my (required) speech elective. With panic rising inside me, I heard God’s tender voice squelch my doubts as He whispered gently, “Just bring me your fish and your loaves.”
Everything in me wanted to be able to offer those young ladies a message of inspiration where I detailed a long history of walking closely with the Lord. Yet, the truth was, my road to Jesus had been so broken I could have kept Domino’s busy for quite some time. But that was the fish & loaves I had to offer and so I humbly brought what I had and trusted God to feed the ladies with it. As you can imagine, He didn’t disappoint.
Instead of “fish”, what I had to offer was a long history of approval addiction that led to drug addiction. My “loaves” were the embarrassment and shame of overdosing 3 times, twice waking up with the same ER nurse. It might not be what I wished was my story, but I shared what I had and God used it for His glory. This experience was a valuable lesson for me in using whatever God has given me to take the opportunities God places before me.
Jael is one of those women of the Bible who we don’t get a lot of details or background on. All we know for sure, besides the account of her story, is that she was the wife of Heber the Kenite & that her husband’s family was “on friendly terms with King Jabin.” When Sisera, the commander of King Jabin’s army, was being defeated he ran straight to the tent of Jael. Did you catch that? Sisera ran right to her tent. Dear friends, don’t miss the message in that tiny statement. God can & will use you right where you are. No need to travel to a foreign land or another state/city to serve Him. You can use what you have right where you are.
Jael went on to show Sisera every possible kindness. She covered him with a rug to hide and comfort him. When he asked for water, she gave him milk (possibly to make him more sleepy!) And Sisera drifted off to sleep.
Jael saw her opportunity to act and seized it. Judges 4:21-22 tells us this:
But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.
When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. She said, “Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he followed her into the tent and found Sisera lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple.
As I read Jael’s story, it reminded me of similar lessons I learned all those years ago when I was asked to speak at that women’s conference. First, Jael acted on the opportunity God put in front of her and we should too. Jael’s actions may have seemed extreme and likely not what she expected to be doing when she woke up that morning, but what is important is that when the time came to make the decision, she didn’t hesitate. She took the opportunity to do what God was asking her to do. She had to ignore all the fear, all the “what-ifs”. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to act, we don’t always have a long time to think and pray about it. Situations are ever-changing in this life and opportunities pass by quickly. That is why we need to decide in our hearts ahead of time that when the time comes, we will say “yes” to God and step boldly and confidently into what He calls us to.
Secondly, Jael used the tools she had been given. Jael, under the circumstances, had no better weapon than a tent peg. She likely had extensive experience putting up tents with tent pegs and so she was skilled with this tool. She used the resources given to her in this situation by God. She didn’t waste a moment thinking, “If only I had a sword.” She simply took the tools she had at her disposal and did what was being asked of her.
Finally, Jael trusted God to give her everything she needed to carry out the task He had called her to. God equips His people for the work He puts in front of them. He gives us certain skills and gifts for a reason, and we should always be on the lookout for ways to use them. Even when we don’t feel skilled or equipped or prepared, He ensures that we are for the sake of His glory. It may not look the way we expect it to, and it can take a lot of trust to act when we don’t feel well-equipped. But our God is sovereign, and we can trust Him to give us competence.
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
~2 Corinthians 3:5-6
Jael was a woman who only gets a few lines of Scripture, but we have so much to learn from her. She used what she had, right where she was and defeated the evil enemy. How different would the world look if we seized opportunities, used our resources, honored God, and fought like Jael? Friends, what talents and tools have God placed in your life? (“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 1 Corinthian 12:7) We all have them and in order to use them, we must recognize them. Take a moment today to write in your journal some of the gifts God has equipped you with. If you struggle to name them, ask your close friends for help. They know you best and will be able to tell you what your natural gifts are. Then let’s commit today to act on the opportunities God puts in front of us using the tools, gifts & talents He has given us to further His Kingdom. For “God’s gift and His call can never be withdrawn.” (Roman’s 11:29) And may we all be called “blessed among women” as Jael (Judges 5:24), & later the mother of Jesus, were!
PRAY:
Lord, thank you for blessing each of us with distinct & unique gifts with which to serve You. Because you already know every detail of our lives, reveal to each of us today some of the gifts and talents you desire us to tap into to serve You best today and throughout this week. Let us not be afraid or doubtful about what part of our story you can use in Yours. Let us offer it all to You and ask you to make beauty from the ashes. Remind us anew every morning that You are a God who can take ANY situation and use it for good and to further your Kingdom. (Romans 8:28) Give us the confidence and boldness to step confidently into every opportunity You place in our path trusting You to be able to take our fish & our loaves and multiply it for Your glory. In Your Holy & mighty name.
Amen
MORE:
Read Judges 4 & 5 for the entire story, and backstory, of Jael.
Read 1 Corinthians 12 for more on Spiritual Gifts and our part in the Body of Christ.
Today’s post was written by Cyndi Staudt
Cyndi traveled a long & broken road that led to the heart of her Savior and is grateful God can use her tattered past in His story. God has placed in Cyndi a heart for sharing the love of Jesus both locally and globally and she has traveled to the Philippine’s (3 times), India (2 times), Thailand & Myanmar to let people in some of the most remote regions of the world know that God is Crazy about them. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing, performing & teaching aerial silks, hammock & hoop, traveling, writing devotionals, and date nights with her main (feline) man Harley. Most weekends you will find Cyndi enjoying Saturday night service at the Clermont Campus.