Women of the Bible Series part 2

Long story short, give your enemies milk and a blanket.

We have been studying the many hidden powers of women in the Bible.

On Monday, we reviewed the life of Achsah, a woman who asked for land after marriage to build wealth. Today we are embarking on the journey of Deborah and Jael in Judges 4 and 5- the women who led their people to victory and restored peace in the land for 40 years.

Summary:

Deborah was the first and only female Judge in Israel, leading her people when they were being “cruelly oppressed” (Judges 4:2,3) by the commander Sisera from the army of Jabin, the King of Canaan. Deborah had a courtroom after her name called “The Palm of Deborah” (it could have been a tent under a palm tree as she refers to “tent-dwelling” women in Judges 5:24). The Bible said that people went to her to have their disputes decided on, just like we read later on in the Bible in the story of King Solomon.

Deborah is presented to us as a woman with great wisdom and a prophetess used by God to maintain some level of fairness and justice among her people during times of war.

It must have been extremely difficult for her to establish her authority as a female Judge then, but that did not stop her from doing the Lord’s work. In verses 6-9, she shared a message from God with Barak, the commander of the tribes of Zebulun and Nepthali, that God wants him to take 10,000 men and go to war to free the people as victory is already assured by God.

Barak responded to her: “I’ll go if you come with me. I won’t go if you don’t come with me.”

Deborah sensed the fear and doubts about the word of God from the commander, and she responded, “sure. I’ll certainly come with you”, but because of your fear, and your doubts, “the honor will not be yours, but God will deliver Sisera, the oppressor of Israel into the hands of a woman,” and that woman is the great Jael.

Deborah must have dealt with men like Barak on a daily basis. Men who second-guess her decision or prophecies from God. To be a wife and the leading Judge of a people living under oppression could not have been easy. To maintain that leadership position, God must have blessed Deborah with wisdom beyond her generation.

Fast forward to the end, Jael killed the great warrior and cruel commander in his sleep with a tent peg and a hammer; First, she gave him curdled milk instead of water to assuage the commander’s exhaustion from fighting and a warm blanket to sleep, then she killed him in his sleep.

Jael was first mentioned in the Bible in Judges 4:17; however, her story started in verse 11. Jael was not being cruelly oppressed by the enemies like others in her community because she was married to a man, Heber the Kenite, who had set his family apart by having an alliance with the King of Jabin.

Jael lived a privileged life because of her husband, but she never lost sight that the King who favored her remained her fierce enemy.

Deborah was Judge in one season, and she suited up for battle the next because she trusted God with her life. It did not matter whether Barak believed her or not, whether he was afraid to go alone, or whether he responded like that because he thought she wouldn’t want to come to the battlefield, Deborah was determined to see this battle through. She said yes with the certainty of her victory.

Jael greeted Sisera with arms open. She gave him milk when he asked for water. She gave him a blanket to sleep on. The commander was so comfortable that he asked her (in addition to her hospitality) to watch the door and be his guardian while he fell into a deep sleep. Jael did not object. She waited patiently for Sisera to fall asleep, then she killed him.

Sometimes, God places you in a position of influence and privilege because he knows, at the appointed time, he can rely on you to save all of her children in that community.

When that time comes, don’t be afraid to use your privilege for the glory of God.

Don’t be afraid to use your privilege to SERVE the people of God.

Don’t be afraid to use your privilege to give voice to the voiceless.

That’s what Jael did. and God wants more people like Jael who respond to God before anything else.

The capacity for a woman to accomplish great things has always been under fire since our mother, Eve, listened to the serpent. But here is another lie being told by the serpent in our generation, we need to be more like men as women to accomplish anything worthy in this life.

David subdued his opponent by force with a stone to his forehead and then cut his head.

Jael subdued her opponent with milk and a blanket and then took his head.

Same result, different strategies.

This post is in no way encouraging women to use their charms to destroy other people but rather highlighting that women are more effective leaders when they lead as themselves.

That’s why it’s good to read the Bible more than once because that way, you can go back and forth with the stories and gain new perspectives on life.

If you’re a woman reading this, I want you to know one of the surest ways to win in life is to be completely, patiently, unapologetically, 100% your SELF.

You don’t need to fight the way men do, you have your own power. Use that to your advantage, and step into a life of Non-Striving.

What are your thoughts on Deborah and Jael?