“Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women”. Judges 5:24 niv

Background Reading: Judges 4.
Key Reading: Judges 5:24-41

This is a very apt quote “there are no great men of God, Only ordinary men of a Great God“

This idea of being “made for something greater” has sunk deep into our psyche of faith. It has become our norm to think in terms of global spread and influence as the yardstick for success in ministry & the fulfillment of calling. We spend so much time captivated with the global dreams that we neglect the ‘ordinary’ mission tasks set before us. We appraise a minister’s ‘spiritual stature’ by his/her level of renown, visibility. coverage and following but we forget that Christ rated John the Baptist ‘the greatest ever born of woman’ whilst he was still dressed in camels’ hair, eating wild locusts and honey.

JAEL trained in the mundane!

Jael’s life reminds us that we can live out our calling in simple spaces, doing simple regular uncelebrated service. What is of utmost importance is that (a) we do it with God; (b) we do it faithfully; (c) we do it timely. When we serve faithfully outside the spotlight like David Psa 78:70-72; we grow in intimacy with God, we develop Integrity of Heart and skill-fullness of hands.

Esther delivered Israel from a palace. Jael delivered Israel from a tent! In Gods estimation: one is not greater than the other.

4 Takeaways Jael’s life offers us.

  • The Hammer & Tent peg:
    Jael could skillfully wield the hammer and tent peg just as expertly as David could wield the sling! No matter how ordinary the task you have been given, and how simple the tools (gifts) you have to work with – stay faithful. If God could use Jael’s faithfulness in routine service of adjusting the tent weekly to fashion the hands of deliverance for a Nation not even her own, then He can advance His kingdom interest through yours as well.
  • The Lordly Dish:
    Jael knew how to host. She could set a table & minister to chief men just as well as Esther could for kings. Her daily service to her husband, in-laws and community might have seemed mundane and beneath many of us today, yet out of it, God was fashioning a hostess equipped with hidden treasures who could disarm strong men and humble principalities!
  • Butter and Milk:
    Jael didn’t have the voice that could rally crowds. Yet through her diligence with her quiet time & meditation, she learned how to draw out revelation from wells of scripture. Start with the little you have in from of you. Daily dedicated meditation on the word will produce crumbs which God can use to visit refreshing upon men.
  • Tent Dweller:
    Jael wasn’t sought after by crowds like Deborah. But God knew where she lived, He could deliver burdens to the door of her heart for execution! You may not have a stage to operate, but even your closet is a space sufficient for God to equip you to handle national issues right from your bedroom!

In the volumes of 66 books in bible, JAEL is only mentioned in a few paragraphs, yet her contributions were no less significant that those who had great stage and “spotlight”. Jael would be unattractive today to many disciples: we would reckon her as lacking ambition! Yet in her simplicity, God trained an instrument He could deploy in frustrating the expectations of the enemy when the need arose.

As we engage disciples weekly, we see that many no longer entertain the notion of being used discretely of God in obscure spaces. We nurse global ambitions and dream ‘big dreams’. And with the ubiquity of technology and social media, we now have the means to achieve those dreams without giving thought to whether it is in God’s agenda/timeline or not.

Yes, God has singled out men in every generation like Elijah and lifted them to a global stage because He has a particular thing He wants to highlight in a generation, Yet He is no less mindful of the 70,000 who are outside the spotlight. It is the 70,000 unknown majority who will do the bulk lifting of the great commission in the local spaces without ever being possibly recognised!

To the God of all creation, everywhere is local and every small assignment committed into your hands is a stage through which the Heavenly vision can be advanced! If only He can find faithfully yielded men busy with what He has set before them.

Are you such a man? have you been faithful with the small task set ahead of you?

Shallom