Judges 4:19
And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
After his army was defeated Sisera left his chariot and fled on foot to the tent of Heber the Kenite as to a friend for protection. In Heber's absence his wife Jael courteously received the weary general, and when he asked for a little water she gave him refreshing milk that both drinks and feeds and covered him until he fell fast asleep, a deliberate wisdom to bring deeper sleep. That rest in her tent became the setting for her to slay him as he slept and deliver Israel's oppressor into Barak's hand after twenty years under Jabin king of Canaan. The deed belongs to the victory of Deborah and Barak over the Canaanites by the Kishon, one of the great victories at Megiddo where leaders led and the people willingly offered themselves, set as an object lesson of the gathering of the nations at Armageddon. It shows the fearless courage and good work of Jael when the enemy captain was delivered into her hands, honoring woman alongside Deborah as a beacon in every avenue of life and calling mothers today to the same fearlessness to strike the death-blow to sin in the home.
Story and Meaning
Sisera's army had been defeated when he left his chariot and fled on foot like a common soldier to the tent of Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Jethro who was regarded as a friend, to seek protection. This was in Barak's battle against Sisera near the Kishon River, where Sisera was later killed by Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite.
In Heber's absence his wife Jael courteously received Sisera, giving him shelter and opportunity for repose. When in his thirst he asked for water, she gave him a refreshing draught of milk, which is both a refreshing drink and a food, and she covered him, so the weary general soon fell asleep. Her giving milk instead of the water requested was a deliberate act of wisdom and strategy, because the milk would bring quicker and deeper sleep.
At first Jael was ignorant of the character of her guest and resolved to conceal him, but when she afterward learned that he was Sisera the enemy of God and of His people her purpose changed and she overcame natural reluctance to slay him. The giving of drink and covering as he rested in her tent is the immediate setting for her killing him while he slept and delivering Israel's enemy into Barak's hands. By Jael's part Israel was delivered from Jabin king of Canaan after twenty years of oppression.
Victory and Prophecy
The verse belongs to Barak's battle against Sisera near the Kishon River, where Sisera fled and was later killed by Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. It belongs to Deborah and Barak's victory over the Canaanites and to the account of Sisera's defeat. That defeat is cited as an example of victory associated with leaders taking the lead and the people offering themselves willingly. That victory was one of two great victories associated with Megiddo, the Old Testament battlefield where major conflicts took place between Israel and its enemies.
Through Barak and Deborah's victory the Israelites first gained possession of the strategically important plain of Jezreel. That plain was a crossroads for major trade and travel routes, which made it a continual cause of strife. Deborah and Barak's battle at Megiddo serves as an object lesson connected with the gathering of the nations at Armageddon under the sixth plague. The request for water and the giving of milk in the verse itself are not otherwise explained.
Women and Courage
The giving of drink and covering to the captain of the enemy bands when he was delivered into her hands shows the courage of Jael and stands among the good works of women recorded in the Bible. That same act shows her fearlessness and courage. She stands alongside Deborah leading the hosts of God in war and Dorcas making coats for the poor and needy, showing how God has honored woman in all ages and placed her as a beacon-light in every avenue of life.
The account shows the honor the Father has bestowed on women and proves that the silence enjoined on women in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:12-15 concerns ruling and governmental matters in the church, not taking part in the worship of God and public service. Man and woman are equal with different spheres, and man is given the ruling position as the stronger. Humble, modest, faithful women who do not assume to rule or control win and hold and mold hearts by godly life and modest demeanor.
Deborahs and Jaels are not needed today on the field of worldly strife but in the home. It is in the home that the greatest battle of the universe is being waged, the war against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. Mothers are to have the fearlessness and courage of Jael to strike the death-blow to sin in the home.