Jael: The Peg Smasher

RECAP

Week 1 – Benaiah: The Lion Chaser

Didn’t keep sin at arms reach

Pursued sin, that wanted to kill him, and killed it instead

Three Things to Remember:

Don’t forget where you came from

External circumstance can’t handle your inner power

You are not trapped with the lion, the lion is trapped with you

STEPPING UP

Chuck Yeager Story

– trying to break Mach 1 (sound barrier)

– as the plane goes faster the air pressure an sound waved build up causing the plane into a nosedive

– the British scraped their plans to reach Mach 1 when one of their place imploded at Mach .94

– Chuck Yeager, a young America pilot was not having it.

– He got in his plane, climbed 42,000 feet, and as he approached Mach 1 his plane began to violently shake.

– To make things worse, he broke 2 ribs riding a horse the day before!

– He was in a plane, flying fast than any before, shaking worse than ever before, and racked with pain.

– That is enough to make anyone quit!

– At Mach .965 his speed indicator went haywire.

– At Mach .995 his vision began to blur, stomach churned, and he believed that he was actually dying.

– Just as the place was about to disintegrate there was a loud crack.

– Air pressure shifted from the front to the back.

– The shockwaves turned to a sea of glass and the ride because peaceful and smooth.

– He broke through the unbreakable!

Ask student to share a time when they stepped out

FULL OBEDIENCE MATTERS

Story Background

Judges 4:1-9

Ehud dies and Israel rebels

Judges 2:19 ESV

19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

As a result, God allows Israel to fall into the hands of, Jabin the king of Canaan

20 years goes by

Israel is oppressed by Sisera

900 chariots of iron

The People of Israel cry out to God and repent – God raises up Deborah as a judge and prophetess for Israel

Deborah summons Barak, Israel’s Army General

Judges 4:6–9 ESV

6 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. 7 And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” 8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

"If” Obedience

Judges 4:8 ESV

8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

Barak was only willing to go through with this IF Deborah would go with him

Barak wanted to add his own terms and conditions to God’s instructions.

How many times do we do this to God?

I’ll go talk to them if...

I’ll call them if...

I’ll pay for their meal if...

I’ll go to church if...

“Obedience to God means you don’t get to add your own terms and conditions.”

When Barak added terms and conditions, God made an amendments.

Judges 4:9 ESV

9 And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

OBJECTIVE OBEDIENCE

Barak leads his 10,000 men into battle and it says in Judges 4:16 that not a man was left.

In this process, Sisera (the general of Canaan), flees on foot!

Judges 4:17–21 ESV

17 But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’ ” 21 But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.

Objective: means that you are not swayed by external circumstances or internal feelings

Jael’s obedience was objective – she didn’t think twice about

Judges 4:21, tells us that she went softly to him and drove the peg

Take authority over your thoughts!

We have to get to a place where we don’t allow our feelings to overcome our ability to obey.

2 Corinthians 10:5–6 ESV

5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

“Your ability to be used by God is linked to your obedience!”

COMPARISON WILL KILL YOUR ABILITY TO BE USED BY GOD

Jael vs. Barak (someone else)

Jael could easily have said that Barak was more qualified to kill Sisera

Jael vs. Sisera (not qualified)

Jael could have looked at Sisera and realized, on paper, there was no way she could win a fight

Jael vs. Jael (self critique)

Jael could have talked herself out of it by pointing out all her weaknesses, and have analysis paralysis

YOUR OBEDIENCE CAN CHANGE AN ENTIRE GENERATION

we must be students that say yes to God every time!

we are students that live unshaken and unafraid in our faith!

What would happen if you said yes every time God asked something of you?

“How would you feel if God answered your requests the same way you answer his?”

would we see this generation rise, revival spark, salvations taking place across the city, state, and country?

would we see people healed and delivered from afflictions

would we see Jesus’ name rise above all others?!

Now is Your Time!

you have been put on Earth for...

this time

this place

...with...

your gifts

your talents

your abilities!

Don’t be limited by what you see on paper or in the mirror.

“God is not looking for what you think is right…He’s looking for someone that is obedient!”

1 Samuel 16:7 “...For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”