ODJ: sisera’s surprise
February 13, 2010
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents (5:24).
READ: Judges 4
Taking online quizzes is popular on Facebook. The quizzes range from “What Disney character are you?” to “What Bible character are you?” I wonder how a person would react if the Bible character quiz revealed that they are most like Jael.
Who’s Jael? She’s the woman who drove a tent peg into an army general’s head. While we could debate the ethics of Jael’s action, a song in the next chapter of Judges sure celebrates what she did (5:24).
To understand why, let’s take a look at the historical background. For years, Jabin the king of Canaan had oppressed Israel. The instrument of their subjugation had been Sisera, the king’s general. He had 900 chariots (4:3), which was some serious military hardware.
No unbiased onlooker would have expected Israel to win the battle when they fought against Sisera at Mount Tabor. But God promised Israel victory. When Sisera’s army was thrown into disarray as God’s power surged through the Israelite forces, the Canaanite general sneaked away on foot.
Sisera sprinted to the tent of an ally, Heber the Kenite, whose wife was named Jael. I’m sure the last thing on Sisera’s mind at that moment was that Jael would drive a peg into his head. But that’s exactly what happened!
God chose to use a non-Israelite woman, with no fancy tools, to save His people from a powerful enemy. He can use us too, regardless of our perceived weaknesses.
In her book A Woman God Can Lead, Alice Mathews writes: ”It is our choice whether or not to fulfill our calling by using all that God has given us for His glory. . . . We let Him confound the mighty by using us in all our weakness. He is the One who raises up and puts down.” —Poh Fang Chia
How do you view your strengths and weaknesses? What has God given you? How are you using whatever you have for the glory of God?
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