Jael

Day 1

Jael
Her name means “A wild or mountain goat”
Her Character: Decisive and courageous, she seized the opportunity to kill an enemy of God’s people.
Her Joy: To be lauded by Deborah and Barak for her part in a decisive victory.
Key Scripture: Judges 4-5

Judges 4:14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left. 17 However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear.” And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket. 19 Then he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’” 21 Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22 And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man whom you seek.” And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple. 23 So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. 24 And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Was Jael a hero, opportunist, or merely a treacherous woman? It is difficult to know. Perhaps she believed in Israel’s God. Perhaps she wanted to curry favor with the Israelite’s, since they were the days clear winners. Certainly Deborah and Barak approved of her song.

Judges 5:24
“Most blessed among women is Jael,The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed is she among women in tents.
25 He asked for water, she gave milk;She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.
26 She stretched her hand to the tent peg,Her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head, She split and struck through his temple.
27 At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still;At her feet he sank, he fell; Where he sank, there he fell dead.

Day 2

Her Legacy of Prayer
Judges 5:24-27 (see day 1)
Reflect on Judges 5
Praise God for defeating the enemies of our souls.
Offer thanks that we can be instruments of deliverance for others.
Confess any tendency toward passivity in your struggle against sin and Satan.
Ask God to give you wisdom and discernment in the spiritual battle.

Day 3

When Jael gave Sisera mild, she was offerring the best of the house. It was a prized drink made by putting goat’s milk into an old skin bottle and shaking it. What is a skin bottle? Instead of clay bottles which could break, the Nomadic dessert peoples would sew goat or lamb skins together with the hair on the outside and seal them so that water, milk and wine could be held while traveling.
Christ’s decree to not put new wine in old wineskins has, of course, significant meaning for us today. Are our minds and hearts like an old wineskin - brittle and hard? Are they ready to burst when faced with new ideas or ways of doing things? Are our minds and hearts supple and soft, like new skin? Are we open to learning new things about our community of believers and ourselves. Are we open to learning more about our God?

Day 4

Read Judges 4:14 -22 ( see day 1)
How did God accomplish this great victory?

God has proven over and over again that he can do what we think is impossible. What has he accomplished in your life?

What characteristics of Sisera and Jael are worth imitating? Which are worth forgetting?
Lift your Heart.

Day 5
WAR drobe Check
Sometimes we are naïve about the kinds of spiritual struggles that face us as Christians. Ephesians 6 talks about the importance of putting on the full armor of God in order to successfully engage in battle. Take some time for a wardrobe check - make sure you aren’t missing anything vital, without which you will be more vulnerable to attack. Here’s a quick checklist for the well-dressed spiritual warrior:
The Belt of Truth- Have any small dishonesties crept into your life?
The Breastplate of Righteousness - Are you cooperating with the grace to become more Christlike?
The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace - The gospel reconciles us to God and others. Are you willing to receive it, live by it, and share it?
The Shield of Faith - Are you responding to life with faith or in a way that shows you really don’t think God is quite as loving or as powerful as he says he is?
The Helmet of Salvation - Salvation is a gift. But like any gift, it has to be received.
The Sword of the Spirit - God’s Word wounds the enemy and thwarts his purposes. Reading and praying through Scripture helps us take the offensive.

Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Lord, help me to be ready so that any moment I am equipped to stand against the enemy and even deal a decisive blow in the battle. Give me courage, discernment, and wisdom, and help me to stay close to you in the midst of the fray.