At every battle, there are people trained for specific purposes. When the battle becomes tough, there are those who have the capacity to stand their ground and ensure that the soldiers with tired arms and limbs get some rest. Even in the midst of technological advancement and weapons of mass destruction, the army still has ranks. The battle between Israel (the army with least experience and less armory) and Jabin, king of Hazor was fought with Barak as the army commander of Israel and Sisera as the army commander of the Canaanites. Barak went to the battle because Deborah, the judge, agreed to go with him. “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.” (Judges 4:9). Barak knew that the glory of the battle would not go to him. The Canaanites lost the battle and “Barak pursued the chariots and army of Sisera as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left. Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.” (Judges 4:16-17). Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my Lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. (Judges 4:18, 21) So who is this woman who took the honor of defeating the “villain”? Jael, the wife of Heber, played a subtle role in defeating the Canaanites. She was cunning, persuasive and yet accommodating. When Sisera fled to her tent, “Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my Lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.” (Judges 4:18). Sisera did not sense foul play. Jael welcomed him well. Sisera then had the audacity to request for water. He said, “I’m thirsty. Please give me some water.” The well positioned Jael offered him milk instead of water. “She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up” (Judges 4:19). Jael knew that for the tired Sisera, milk will help to relax him for sleep. Unknown to Sisera, Jael was the real warrior he was to avoid. He was overwhelmed by her hospitality, little did she know that Jael is a silent warrior and she would be the real heroine for the battle. Sisera told Jael to “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” and “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’ ” (Judges 4:20). The very tired Sisera slept soundly after taking the milk. Then Jael went into action. She “picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.” (Judges 4:21). That must have been quite gross. Ordinary women don’t have such boldness. Jael was a silent warrior. She was not on the main battlefield but she added the icing to the cake. A defeated Canaanite army with a living army commander would have been a potential threat to the Israelites. Sisera escaped the gallant warriors on the battlefield and fondly entered the home of a subtle and cunning woman. He thought he was free from death. He drank milk and woke up in hades. A brave woman took the honor that was due to Barak. She fulfilled the words of Deborah, “the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Barak saw the flight of Sisera and he came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.” (Judges 4:22). Jael was obviously harmless in appearance, loving in deeds, compassionate but a warrior at heart. She understood the havoc the Canaanites inflicted on the Israelites, and when she had the opportunity to make things right, she utilized her feminine skills to make Sisera feel at home and then used her warrior skills to pin down the villain. The Christian journey is a battlefield. There are many evil arrows shot daily by the enemy. We need to be warriors at heart to avoid these arrows and defeat the enemy. Like Jael, we don’t need to physically look like warriors. What we need is the warrior mentality. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:11-13 to “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Jael’s armor was her subtlety. We have the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-18) to intercept the evil darts of the enemy. Let’s be intentional about our tactics in this battle. No matter how the enemy comes, we should be ready in our spiritual armory to stand our ground. Civilians don’t fight. We are the armed forces of Christ. Be at post always!
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