True Belief Leads to Obedience
March 13th, 2023 • by Laura Booz
A friend recently asked me, “What does it mean to believe in God? Does it mean you wake up feeling loved by God? Does it mean you think about God? Or does it mean you go to church and try to do what is right?”
Her question made me pause and reflect on this aspect of my life. What does it mean to believe in God? The Bible helps us understand: for starters, it’s like a branch staying in the vine, a sheep walking with her shepherd, and a child trusting her father. In many biblical accounts, “believing in God” is a conscious choice to serve the one true God over other gods.
A Model of Faith
We see this type of belief in Judges 4 and 5 when a woman named Jael drives a tent peg into the head of God’s enemy. Her decision to do this must not have been easy. After all, she is married to Heber the Kenite—a Middianite, not an Israelite. We don’t know Jael’s nationality. Her name is Hebrew, and based on Judges 1:16, I wonder if she is an Israelite. At the very least, she had lived amongst God’s people in Judah before her husband moved them “as far away” as the Oak in Zaanannim near Kedesh. When we meet Jael in Judges 4 she is living in a tent, married to a man who has made an alliance with the king who has been cruelly oppressing God’s people for twenty years.
The story takes off when God raises up Deborah and Barak to rally 10,000 Israelite foot soldiers to fight against military commander Sisera’s trained soldiers and 900 iron chariots. God moves heaven and earth: he sends a torrent to overwhelm the enemy and in a surprising turn of events defeats the enemy. Sisera escapes on foot and flees to Jael’s tent, looking for refuge.
“Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael… for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.” (Judges 4:17)
Jael—like many of us—finds herself between two opposing forces. On one hand is King Jabin and her husband and possibly her whole community, and on the other hand is the God of the Israelites. Who will she serve?
“In many biblical accounts, “believing in God” is a conscious choice to serve the one true God over other gods.”
A Model of Faith
We see this type of belief in Judges 4 and 5 when a woman named Jael drives a tent peg into the head of God’s enemy. Her decision to do this must not have been easy. After all, she is married to Heber the Kenite—a Middianite, not an Israelite. We don’t know Jael’s nationality. Her name is Hebrew, and based on Judges 1:16, I wonder if she is an Israelite. At the very least, she had lived amongst God’s people in Judah before her husband moved them “as far away” as the Oak in Zaanannim near Kedesh. When we meet Jael in Judges 4 she is living in a tent, married to a man who has made an alliance with the king who has been cruelly oppressing God’s people for twenty years.
The story takes off when God raises up Deborah and Barak to rally 10,000 Israelite foot soldiers to fight against military commander Sisera’s trained soldiers and 900 iron chariots. God moves heaven and earth: he sends a torrent to overwhelm the enemy and in a surprising turn of events defeats the enemy. Sisera escapes on foot and flees to Jael’s tent, looking for refuge.
“Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael… for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.” (Judges 4:17)
Jael—like many of us—finds herself between two opposing forces. On one hand is King Jabin and her husband and possibly her whole community, and on the other hand is the God of the Israelites. Who will she serve?
A Moment of Choice
Jael beckons and coaxes Sisera to stay. She comforts him, gives him milk to drink, and covers him with a rug so he may recover in safety. By all appearances, Sisera will get away with this. He’ll return home, stronger than ever.
“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” (Judges 4:21).
A Resolved Belief
When given the choice between God or the commander of the army, Jael chooses God. Her belief determines her words, actions, and the impact she has on other people for God’s glory. I wonder if this was a moment of Spirit-led clarity or if God prepared Jael for this day when Sisera would stumble toward her tent. It seems she was prepared—not just with a tent peg and a hammer—but with resolve that the evil oppressor would not win on her turf. Imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t slain the enemy? She would have given him refreshment and rest. He would have returned stronger and more oppressive than ever. But because she looked to the Lord, she saw the Maker of Heaven and Earth triumph over his enemies and bless his people with 40 years of rest.
Deborah and Barak praise Jael’s choice in their victory song.
“Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed” (Judges 5:24).
“When given the choice between God or the commander of the army, Jael chooses God. Her belief determines her words, actions, and the impact she has on other people for God’s glory. ”
How Do We Believe?
On one hand, we are not like Jael. We live on this side of redemptive history, and we do not express our faith in God by fighting human enemies. In fact, Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. And Ephesians 6 says instead of standing against human kings and iron chariots, we stand against the schemes of the devil and fight against the rulers of the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Our armor is spiritual—the helmet of salvation and the belt of truth. Our weapons are spiritual—the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and prayer.
Despite our differences, Jael’s story helps me think about the areas of my life where I am, in a sense, set in a position of neutrality, surrounded by people who do not believe in Jesus. Because Jael was where she was, she had a unique opportunity to glorify God. Sisera would never have run to Deborah. He ran to Jael. When we find ourselves in positions of neutrality, we may be tempted to be complacent, to compromise, to hide. Or we may invite an unsaved neighbor to our house to comfort and refresh them, but never share God’s life-saving truth with them. Maybe we are afraid of offending them. But if we only pamper someone who is dead in their sin and never tell them the truth about the holy God who made them, loves them, and has provided a propitiation for their sin… are we benefiting them?
What would it look like if we asked God for wisdom, grace, and boldness to know what to do and say when an enemy of God comes to our door? What if we prepared for these opportunities through prayer and faithful Bible study? What if we learned how to speak boldly? We could welcome and befriend our neighbors, meeting their felt needs while never missing an opportunity to use the sword of the Spirit lovingly and effectively.
“Somebody may come to the house today, even as Sisera came to Jael’s tent. May it be our role, not to slay them, but to save them. Let us receive them with great kindness, and bring out the blessed truth of salvation through the Lord Jesus, our great Substitute. Let us press home the command, “Believe and live.” Who knows but some resolute sinner may be slain by the gospel today?” – C. H. Spurgeon
On the other hand, we are like Jael. We are like Sisera, King Jabin, and Heber the Kenite. We were once God’s enemies, engaged in a battle we could not win. But Jesus left his home in heaven and traveled as far away as the tree of Calvary. As we ran our hell-bound race, Jesus came out to meet us and beckoned us to turn aside to him. Then, instead of slaying us as we deserve, he laid down his own life: “He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53: 5). He rose from the grave and sent a torrent of grace over us!
What does it mean to believe in God? Maybe it’s like this: while we exercise our muscle to believe—while we abide in the vine, walk with the Good Shepherd, rest in our Father’s arms, and turn in the direction of our Heavenly Father, day after day—we remember the context in which we do our believing and choosing. For the only reason you and I can choose God is because, given the choice between us and everything else, he chooses us—every time.
Laura Booz is the author of Expect Something Beautiful: Finding God's Good Gifts in Motherhood and the host of the Expect Something Beautiful podcast with Revive Our Hearts. She'll cheer you on, share practical ideas, and point out the beautiful ways God is working in your life. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan, and their six children. Meet her at LauraBooz.com.
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