“Jehovah Uses Two Women to Deliver His People” (10 min.)
I think most of us have heard the expression "weaker sex" in relation to women, but is it really so? Are women the weaker sex? Looking at it, they do things that men sometimes don't even dare to do. That is why this term is a derogatory or discriminatory way of addressing women. And of course Jehovah disagrees.
And it is for that reason that we are going to review in this section of Treasures of the Bible with the title: "Jehovah uses two women to liberate his people." What a theme, women have been used by Jehovah to liberate an entire nation. Impressive! Why did I need to do that? Why did he use women? We need to review the biblical history a bit.
LET'S READ: Judges 4: 3.
Jabin had 900 chariots with iron sickles and had been oppressing the Israelites harshly for 20 years. So the Israelites pleaded with Jehovah to help them.
Reviewing the biblical text, there was really nothing good about Israel. Jabin was considered the king of Canaan, although Canaan was a vast territory and each city or territory had different kings. When described as the king of Canaan, it appears that he was one of the most important of the kings or the one who had the most influence.
His nine hundred chariots with iron sickles stand out and also the number of years he had been oppressing Israel, 20 years, was too much. That is why the Israelites plead with Jehovah. The situation due to this oppression was not easy at all.
LET'S READ: Judges 5: 6-8.
In the days of Samgar son of Anat, in the days of Jael, there was no traffic on the paths, and the travelers of the paths traveled by indirect paths. 7 The inhabitants of the open countryside ceased, in Israel they ceased, until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose as a mother in Israel. 8 They proceeded to choose new gods. It was then that there was war at the gates. Not a shield, not a spear, was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
The condition of this nation and it was really sad. People hid because it was common that if they found women, they abducted them and took them away, they could rape them, etc ... They did not see women with due respect as Jehovah did. How do we know that Jehovah saw her differently? The expression at the end of verse 7 says until I emerged as a mother to Israel.
Therefore, the situation in this nation of Israel was not easy at all. 20 years oppressed by a cruel king, a Canaanite king. Now, thinking about it, for such a complicated task, who should Jehovah choose? It could be an experienced warrior, a person who knows the military strategy to face and face this Canaanite king with a good army.
But there is no expression: I am thinking of a man. However, Jehovah thought differently of someone who today uses the expression of the weaker sex, a woman. What characteristics did this woman have?
LET'S READ: Judges 4: 4-7.
At that time, Deborah, a prophetess, Lapidot's wife, was judging Israel. 5 He used to sit under Deborah's palm tree, between Ramah and Bethel, in the mountainous region of Ephraim. And the Israelites came to her for judgment. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Quedes of Naphtali, and said to him: “Jehovah, the God of Israel, has given you this order: 'Go, march to Mount Tabor and take with you 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali. and Zebulun. 7 I will bring you to the stream of Kishon to Sisera, the leader of the army of Jabin, with his chariots and his troops, and I will deliver him into your hands.
Who was possibly the most responsible for the hatred, for the oppression? Sisera, the head of Jabin's army. Possibly Sisera was more important and influential than the king himself and also more cruel. So here we see how Jehovah used a woman to give courage and direction to a judge in Israel. Today Jehovah can also use our sisters to give us ideas, suggestions or even encouragement to do something.
It may be our wives, a loved one who has a lot of experience in the spiritual realm. And it is not worth rejecting the advice simply because you think you are a woman. Furthermore, within Jehovah's people, women are a large army and thanks to them many elders, overseers, members of the branch committee, etc. they have been taught or advised at some point by a woman like Deborah did with Barak, directing of course everything to Jehovah.
But she was not the only woman who intervened in this biblical account and in liberating herself from such an oppressive people. Barak followed the direction that Jehovah sent through Deborah. So the war started.
LET'S READ: Judges 4: 16-17.
Barak pursued the army and chariots to Haroset of the nations, and all of Sisera's soldiers fell by the sword. Not one was left. 17 But Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Quenite, because those of the house of Heber were at peace with Jabin, the king of Hazor.
So Jehovah was working on behalf of his people. And if Sara fled to the store of Jael, another woman, he was because he knew that sector and knew the family where he was fleeing. Because there was a good relationship with him, with his people and also this Heber the Quenite. But what did Jael do once he received this man who was fleeing? Did he ask me to give him water?
And she wisely, undoubtedly under Jehovah's direction, gave him warm milk. And we know what warm milk produces if you're tired, it makes you sleepy. She already knew what to do at Jehovah's command. Someone who was apparently a person as they call him today, of the weaker sex. What happened? He fell fast asleep.
LET'S READ: Judges 4:21.
But Jael, Héber's wife, grabbed a tent stake and a hammer. And, while Sisera was fast asleep from exhaustion, she approached him quietly and drove the stake into his temples until he sank into the ground, and he died.
All of us should recognize and think that women in God's organization are highly valued. He has even chosen some of them to be part of the 144,000 anointed ones. We really want to appreciate our sisters and see that they are a valuable instrument within Jehovah's organization, and he will continue to use them in whatever way he sees fit.
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