“Then 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).
Jael certainly knew how to pitch and set up a tent. We don’t know much about her size, but she was strong. She knew how to use a hammer, having strength to drive a tent spike into the ground. She might not have been able to overpower Sisera any other way. She couldn’t take that risk. The hammer and tent nail were there and she knew what to do with them. She drove that tent nail into Sisera’s temple, thus killing him. It would be an understatement to say he didn’t know what hit him. Jael went out to meet Barak who had been looking for Sisera. She showed him what she had done.
Jael’s actions were not considered appropriate even for a woman of her day. Women were deemed inferior to men. Jael never dreamed she would be used to kill a wicked enemy of Israel.
When we are faced with unusual or hopeless circumstances, trust God to help you to use what you know and have.
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for women traveling to the Michigan State WAC Retreat, September 16-18 in Perrysburg, OH.
