Jael: The Gentle WarriorНамуна

We are picking up where we left off.

“Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.”Judges 4:17 NASB.

Sisera saw the demise of his army and knew it was only a matter of time before he met his end. So, he fled!

Interestingly, Sisera chose to run to what he would have deemed his nearest safe haven, to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber. The distance from Mount Tabor to Zaanannim, near Kedesh, was 12-15 miles. That is equivalent to a half-marathon! Ask any distance runner, and they will tell you this is no easy feat!

But before going further, let us pause here for a second … Where was Jael found? At the entrance of her tent. This carries a few significant implications.

Friends, sometimes the greatest opportunities are right where God has placed us. Not ‘there’ or ‘over yonder’ but ‘right here.’

At the beginning of my journey into motherhood, I struggled to find purpose and to see it as a calling, an opportunity. It was not until I became a stay-at-home momma and left behind a career that I cherished that my eyes were truly opened to the mission available right here in my home. Every day brings a new opportunity to choose motherhood as my mission in the Kingdom of Christ.

Another worthy thing to note is that Jael was found to be faithful in her position. Jael likely heard of the famed Prophetess Deborah. After all, the news of an Israelite woman found to be a teacher, leader, and military advisor surely would have garnered fandom. Perhaps Jael even traveled to hear Deborah speak and teach under her infamous palm tree. Nevertheless, we do not see Jael seek her own fame or her own platform of influence. She is found to be rightly positioned in her tent, faithful to her assignment.

Verse 17 also highlights that there was an alliance between King Jabin and Heber. This coincides with the theory that Heber’s metalworking skills were utilized for Israel’s enemies. And likely, Heber had no allegiance to the Israelites or their God. So, the question arises, what significance does Jael, the wife of a Canaanite ally, have in this story?

As we continue tomorrow, we will see just how tremendously God utilized Jael’s positioning to bring about the deliverance of His people.