FHBC Sermon Notes

v.11  Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: Heber is an interesting person.  He is not ethnically Israelite, having been part of Jethro's family (Moses father-in-law), the Kenites.  But he separated from the covenant people from Israel, from the Kenites and pitched himself out in the world. 

v.12-16 - Sisera has the advantage with technology.  He has the latest, iron chariots. But he is not fighting the Israelites. He is fighting the LORD. God is the main character here. Let that be not forgotten. All of Sisera's army is destroyed, but Sisera escapes for the moment.

v.17-22  Sisera fled to Heber's tent. Jael is the person of the moment. Heber is not mentioned at all. She shows her faithfulness to God, having in a sense broken the peace here husband had with Sisera's people.  This is a fulfillment of the prophecy by Deborah that he would fall at the hand of women. At the start of the story one might think that she Deborah meant herself, but instead it is a women from a Gentile people who in heart was a believing sojourner with the Israelites and therefore a child of God.


Next week: The song of Deborah