BRAVERY

BRAVERY

My mom at 89 years old is reading through the whole Bible again. She’s on Judges 5 and we read it together a couple days ago. It’s the story of a woman named Jael, a story of bravery and the courage to do the right thing. Judges 5 is a song sung by the prophet Deborah concerning the overthrow of Israel’s enemies. In verse 2 she sings: “Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.” The Lord was able to work in them to bring peace to themselves for many years because of Jael bravely yielding to the will of God.

The people were being oppressed. Verses 6-8 tell us:

“In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel. . . . They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?” The answer is no.

The land was full of anarchy and confusion, everywhere infested with bandits. No public road was safe; and in going from place to place, the people had to take unfrequented paths. Village life ceased. Not only was life hard under the oppressors, but they also confiscated all weapons, so the Israelites could not fight. By spiritual analogy, we can say that Satan not only wants to oppress the Christian; he also wants to disarm us as well and make us feel small and unable to do anything to change any situation.

Sisera was an enemy leader who fought against God’s people. We are told in Judges 4 that “Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred of iron, and all the people that were with him” (v.13). But “the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet” (v.15).

Sisera had spiritual help from the devil and he was getting away. But God had a plan and He had someone who was bold enough and brave enough to take care of the final problem, Jael. She was a simple married woman, one of the ones who “willingly offered themselves” to do the Lord’s bidding. Sisera came to this married couple’s tent and expected to be treated well. Sisera’s king was friendly to the clan of Jael’s husband so Sisera thought he was perfectly safe in the presence of Jael and her husband. He was not! When it comes to loyalty to God versus loyalty to family friends, God is always going to win for committed people like Jael.

“Sisera fled away on his feet 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.  And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.  And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him” (Judges 4:17-19).

Jael was not going to let this enemy go. She knew what she had to do. She made him comfortable, gave him the favorite drink of the culture, curdled milk instead of just plain water, and she had his confidence. He lay down to rest after pursuing and killing God’s people, totally unaware of what was about to happen. As he slept, “Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died” (Judges 4:21).

Deborah in her song puts it this way (Judges 5:26): “She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.”

This is where we get the phrase, “You hit the nail right on the head!” In other words, you got it totally accurate and final.

What bravery and confidence to believe that she had the means and the right to carry out this act to deliver God’s people from their oppression. Deborah ends her song with this: “So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years” (Judges 5:31).

My mom and I read this together and talked about bravery and truth. Every time I read God’s Word, the Lord teaches me more about trusting Him and being willing to fight for the freedom and peace of His people. I love the Word of God and I sure love my mom for being a faithful, courageous and brave woman of God like Jael.  

We may not always hit the nail on the head, all the time, but we do all fight spiritual battles for ourselves, our families, our friends, our nations and God’s people around the world.

Love you, Carolyn