PREPARED
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed.” Judges 5:24, ESV
Theme: Jael, a humble, working-class, Gentile woman, heroically killed the elite General Sisera without hesitation or condition.
I’M NOT TRYING TO BRAG, BUT…
I’ve been a backstage mom at dance performances more times than I can count, and if you’ve ever done anything similar, you’ll know there’s no such thing as being “overprepared” for a show. Over the years, I’ve refined my backstage preparation into a fine art—black clothes, headlamp, labels, and a carefully packed kit. My clear fanny pack has bobby pins clipped along the belt, and the pouch is filled with thread, scissors, band-aids, safety pins, a Sharpie, masking tape, rubber bands, and other essential doodads. Do I have to pin a strap or stitch a costume at every show? Certainly not. But when a dancer is seconds from going on stage with a costume emergency, I’m prepared—and I can do a 30-second whipstitch like you wouldn’t believe.
MOST BLESSED OF TENT-DWELLING WOMEN
What was Jael the Kenite doing in the hours leading up to Sisera’s fateful arrival at her tent? Was she simply going about her daily business: visiting the market, tidying her space, maybe replacing the tent pegs, perhaps adding vinegar to milk to make curds and whey? Had the God of Israel revealed to her—a Gentile woman—that she would be an instrument of His justice that very day? And did she suspect that her tiny ordinary tasks would be used for God’s extraordinary purposes? We don’t know if she had an inkling she would serve the Lord’s plans that day, but we do know that when the Lord sought her participation, she was prepared.
When Jael saw Sisera fleeing from battle, she called him into her tent: “Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Don’t be afraid.” She covered him with a blanket. Hospitality was (and remains) a deeply held value in that region, and since Jael’s husband was on friendly terms with the Canaanite king, Sisera probably believed he’d found a safe haven. He asked for water, but Jael offered him a “magnificent bowl” of milk instead—likely curds or cream, as described in Judges 5:25. Once he’d had a drink, she covered him again. His exhaustion, paired with the milk’s comforting and soporific effects, soon lulled him to sleep.
When Sisera had sufficiently surrendered to sleep, Jael silently approached him with a tent peg in one hand and a mallet in the other. She positioned the tent peg at his temple, and drove it through to the ground below, fulfilling the prophecy of Deborah: The victory of this battle would belong to a woman.
GOD HONORS READY HANDS
Though not an Israelite, Jael is celebrated in the song of Deborah and Barak as a heroic figure. The text doesn’t say whether she received a divine word or simply thought the world needed one less cruel tyrant. What it does say is: when it was time to act, she acted swiftly and decisively, fulfilling God’s plan for justice.
Jael was sharp and courageous—but more importantly, she was ready. The Lord invites prepared and willing people to be living vessels of His mercy and justice, regardless of their status or background. Jael was an unexpected participant, yet she became an instrument of God’s redemptive power, wielded the tools she had at hand, and reminded us that God is never caught off guard. His work and purposes are not bound by our categories or expectations, and He honors ready hands with meaningful work.
Make it Personal: Jael wasn’t an Israelite, and she certainly wasn’t the obvious choice—but God still entrusted her with a role in His plan. Have you ever felt too unknown, too ordinary, too unqualified, or too late to be part of what God is doing? Good. That means you’re exactly the kind of person He delights in using. Stay faithful in the small, everyday things. Those are the things that prepare us to say yes when He calls.
Pray: Lord, bless the ordinary work of my ordinary hands. Let everything in my life, whether mundane or extraordinary, serve You and magnify Your Name. Amen.
Read: Judges 4-5
Weekly Memory Verse: “And the people of Israel said to the Lord, ‘We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.’ So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.'” Judges 10:15-16, ESV