“What have I done?” he thought to himself and he ran as fast as he could away from his worst nightmare and towards what he used to call home, now a very dangerous place to remain.  His heart was consumed by guilt and his body wretched with fear as he quickly rushed past tents of familiar faces and acquaintances, turning his head so as to not make eye contact.  “Maybe, just maybe, I can get my family out of town before the news spreads, and someone puts the pieces together of what I have done,” he wondered to himself as he came into the clearing where his tent was barely visible.  He could see the silhouette of a slender woman with a baby wrapped tightly around her body and resting its head on its mother’s back, standing by the fire just outside the door of their family’s comfy little abode.  He knew what he had to do, but what would his wife say?

“How could I have not counted the cost? How could I have been so careless with my desires and wants?”  The thoughts seemed to flood his mind's ear to the point that he could no longer think straight nor plan anything past just what needed to happen within the next 2 hrs.  His heart screamed at him, “Heber you have messed up!”

She looked up in just enough time to make out his face as his hand grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the flame and the pot’s yummy aroma.  Her first thought was “He is going to embrace me.  He missed me while he was away,” but instead he could barely talk for lack of breath.

“Jael, you must make haste and gather some things for a few days' journey.  Make sure you have enough food and milk for the baby and little Kenan.”  He paused but only to catch his breath as he continued, “We must be gone by dark.  The army will return and I will be hanged for treason and you and the children may be spared or they may stone us all.”  His breath caught in his chest and he would have been weeping but the adrenaline of the need to act fast overtook what should have been a broken and contrite spirit.

“Here have a drink of water,” Jael began as she reached for the water ladle that hung on the  pitcher by the door of the tent.

“Sweetheart, we don’t have a moment to lose, please just do as I asked and I’ll get the donkey from the stable.” He cut her off, not even caring about his need for refreshment right now.

Jael’s eyes seemed to be unconcerned as Heber took one glance around to see if anyone was coming. He caught sight of 3 yr old little Kenan playing in the dirt about 20 feet away, unbothered and not even realizing daddy was home.  Kenan often played alone since Heber had moved their family away from their Israelite kinfolk and had chosen a different way of living.  Heber was regretting that now.  His great, great grandfather Hobab, the brother in law of Moses, had left his home and brought his family to follow the one True God into Canaan land, but Heber didn’t want that life for little Kenan.  He had heard how God fed the Israelites in the wilderness, led them into conquering the land of Cannan, and won many victories under the leadership of Joshua but Heber just wanted something different for his children.  All that following God’s laws and stuff was good for his grandparents, but things had changed and a newer modern way of living was enticing.  He wanted to be independent and live life how he desired without all the laws that God had put in place.  He had made peace with Jabin, the King of Hazor, and he had been doing alright up until now.  Jabin had been ruling over the children of Israel with a mighty hand of oppression for 20 years and the peace treaty between their families seemed to be the smartest thing to do.  God may not even exist, and if He does King Jabin seems to be doing a good job of keeping the Israelites handled.  His army has been growing and he has a pretty amazing captain in his host named Sisera and with their nine hundred chariots of iron it seemed he could defeat any army that may come against them. So yes, things had gone pretty good and Heber had hopes of maybe one day being a big name in the kingdom of Jabin; but today all that has changed.  Right now all he could do was protect what he had left, his sweet little wife Jael and their two sons. As tears of regret began to fill his eyes, he realized Jael was untying the sleeping child from her body and laying him down in the small basket right inside the tent door.

“Heber come with me, I have something to show you,” she said softly as she led him inside the tent and through a little opening in the back that housed their sleeping quarters. Heber didn’t resist, but very anxiously followed her knowing he needed to hurry, see what she needed and then get busy packing.  As Jael entered the small chamber she stepped aside to show him an unexpected guest.  Heber could not believe what was before his eyes. 

“How in the world is the captain of the King's army in my house and what is that in his head?”

You can read the rest of the story in Judges 4:11-24. 

Jael had protected her home.  She was a Godly homemaker and unique warrior of sorts.  She is an old testament picture of the Titus 2:3-5 woman.   She had many wonderful qualities.  She was a keeper at home.  She was in her place where she could protect her most precious possession, her family.  She was given to hospitality and Sisera knew she would open her home to him so he didn’t hesitate to hide safely in her tent. 

She was sober.  The biblical term “sober” is used in Titus 2 metaphorically to describe someone who is calm, collected and self-controlled, and who is not easily distracted by worldly dangers.  How do we know she was sober? Do you think a wise captain of the army would have trusted his safety to a woman who was not?  A sober person is not hard, violent or impatient, but instead moderate in disposition. 

Furthermore she portrayed a lady that was discreet & chaste. Sisera would not have put his life in the hands of a flighty woman or as the Bible calls it a “silly” woman.  He trusted her because she was level headed and of a quiet spirit.  Jael is nothing like the strange woman mentioned in Proverbs.  Sisera was not looking for attention, but quite the opposite, he needed security and discretion.  Jael would be described more so like the virtuous woman, whose husband's heart trusteth in her.  Sisera knew this much about this woman, but what he didn’t know was she believed in God.  Jael didn't have the right leadership in her home but that didn't stop her from doing what she knew was right.  In the killing of the enemy she protected her husband’s honor, though he was wrong.  She saw a seed of wickedness growing in their home, possibly even years earlier when Heber had made the peace agreement with the wicked king Jabin, but she had to wait for God’s timing before she could take action.  As ladies we cannot control each situation but it is our job to do everything in our power to keep the enemy out of our home.  She knew this situation had built up to the worst fear, destroying her precious family.  Never back down from what you know is wrong, stand up to it and kill it before it can kill you. 

Back to Heber, he didn’t count the cost of his actions and he put his family in a very dangerous and ungodly situation.  Ladies don’t make a league with ungodly people.  The wicked may seem like they are rising to the top now, but God is ultimately the victor and He will get the glory in the end and you DO NOT want to be on the wrong side when the day of reckoning comes.