Deborah and Yael

I've always been interested in the story of Deborah and Yael, two women in the Hebrew Bible whose lives intersect in a way that changes history.

Allow me to quote from Wikipedia, which (believe it or not ;)) does a good job of paraphrasing the story from the Book of Judges:

"God told Deborah (a prophetess and leader) that she would deliver Israel from Jabin. Deborah called Barak to make up an army to lead into battle against Jabin on the plain of Esdraelon. But Barak demanded that Deborah would accompany him into the battle. Deborah agreed but prophesied that the honour of the killing of the other army's captain would be given to a woman. Jabin's army was led by Sisera (Judg. 4:2), who fled the battle after all was lost.

Yael received the fleeing Sisera at the settlement of Heber on the plain of Zaanaim. Yael welcomed him into her tent with apparent hospitality. She 'gave him milk' 'in a lordly dish'. Having drunk the refreshing beverage, he lay down and soon sank into the sleep of the weary. While he lay asleep Yael crept stealthily up to him, holding a tent peg and a mallet. She drove it through his temples with such force that it entered into the ground below. And 'at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead'.

As a result of the killing of Sisera, God gave the victory to Israel. Yael is considered "blessed", according to the text, because of her action."

Driving a tent peg through someone's head is a gruesome act, and while it may give us pause, Deborah sings a song to celebrate it in the biblical narrative.

Rather than focusing on that part of the story, though, I'm more interested in the personalities of Deborah and Yael, and how they complement each other.

Deborah is associated with the sun and exterior spaces. She sits under a palm tree, a powerful position:

"Under a palm-tree Deborah sat and judged Israel."

She is a woman of action who speaks loudly and people listen. She has a direct connection to God, and she leads people into war.

Yael, however, is associated with an interior space -- the tent -- a place of mystery. She speaks in low tones, and calls no attention to herself. While Deborah issues proclamations and battle cries, Yael works in secret. Yet both are necessary for the defeat of Sisera.

I find it interesting that the glory of the victory goes to Yael. Deborah doesn't claim it for herself, and neither does Barak. Why?

Perhaps because opening her tent makes Yael the most vulnerable of anyone. She doesn't seek glory, and no one sees her perform her task. In the biblical worldview, such actions are considered devotional and are worthy of the highest praise.

While the narrative portrays Deborah and Yael as two distinct individuals, and it is interesting to think about their relationship, I like to see them as dimensions of the same woman. We all have aspects of us that are open and hidden, sun and shadow, and we have to decide how to use them in constructive ways. Sometimes we need to lead people into battle, and sometimes we need to withdraw. I believe that there are blessings in figuring out the balance.