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The Tent Peg of Jael

Judges 4:21-22 – “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. 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.”

            The book of Judges covered a chaotic time in Israel’s history.  A key Scripture for Judges in found in Judges 21:25, “Every man did was right in his own eyes.” There were seven cycles of apostasy, where the covenant children of God would turn away from the principles of the Word of God.

            When they had godly leadership they would serve the Lord.  When that leader would die they would turn from God to idolatry. This resulted in servitude and bondage.  In their oppression they would cry out to God and He would raise up a judge or deliverer. 

            In Judges 4 Israel is living in bondage and servitude. They were oppressed by a Canaanite King, Jabin and his commander, Sisera.  Sisera had nine-hundred chariots and oppressed Israel for twenty years.  In Judges 4:4 we are introduced to Deborah the Prophetess.  She along with Barak lead an army ten-thousand strong against Sisera.

            God promises Barak victory in Judges 4:7, “I will deliver him into your hand.” Barak had the assurance of victory, yet he refuses to go to battle without Deborah. Listen to her words in verse 9, “The Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” 

            God is faithful to His word.  Barak went down and the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots.  Barak and his army destroyed the enemy, but Sisera fled on foot and hid in the tent of Jael.  Jael is the wife of Heber the Kenite, who was an ally of Jabin and Sisera.  Sisera is exhausted and asked her to hide him from Barak and his pursuing army.

            Jael gives him a drink of milk and covers him with a blanket.  Sisera sleeps from exhaustion.  While he is sleeping, Jael takes tent peg and hammer and drives the tent peg through the head of Sisera.  Sisera dies at the hand of Jael.

            Isaiah 54:2-3 from the Message Bible reads, “Clear lots of ground for your tents!  Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities.”

            It is time to stake your claim and to drive a tent peg deep into the plans of the enemy.  The tent peg is the Word of God. If you are going to possess our prophetic promises, you will have to deal with the enemy who is occupying your place of promise. 

            This is your time to overcome the enemy that oppresses you. The enemy wants your mind.  He desires to keep you in bondage. You must drive a tent peg into all mindsets that are contrary to the Word of God.  The enemy wants to tie you up in a Sisera mindset. 

            What is a Sisera mindset?  The following could be characterized as a Sisera mindset:
  •  Oppression
  • Poverty
  • Fear, timidity, unbelief, and passivity.


All of these are Sisera mindsets.  The Devil wants to keep you in bondage.  He will assault your thought life.  We must take up the tent peg of Jael and drive it through the enemy’s plans.  How do we overcome a Sisera mindset?  We have our mind renewed by meditating and studying the Word of God.

Comments

Unknown said…
Wow, what a powerful word. And so timely. Thanks for your obedience to God and your awesome ministry. May God continue to bless you and use you to build up others. You are a blessing.
February 29, 2016 at 9:14 AM
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