We need to be bold when the moment arises

I have found a new role model. A woman prepared to act against her family for the sake of the Lord and his people.

She used her abilities and the resources at her disposal to serve the Lord’s cause even at the risk of her own life. She is a little intimidating because she seemed so in control despite her vulnerability. Her nerve extended to extreme violence. She is Jael, and we read about her in the book of Judges.

I confess that I have avoided spending prolonged time in Judges; the depravity of Israel is horrendous, and its heroes are complicated. The added difficulty is the violence that it describes. The graphic descriptions of despatching the baddies can delight younger hearers, but I found Jael’s act of driving a tent peg through Sisera’s temple gruesome. She invited Sisera into her tent; she offered hospitality and care just like a mother of Israel and then, when he was asleep, murdered him. What are we supposed to make of that? Is Jael someone we should admire? To my surprise, I discovered the answer is yes.