Still They Speak; Jael and Benaiah

Jul 05, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: A Tent Peg in the Hands of the Unlikely

Jael’s story defies expectations. A non-Israelite woman, she crushed the enemy commander Sisera with a tent peg, fulfilling Deborah’s prophecy. Her courage came not from military strength but from conviction in God’s justice. The Canaanites never saw her coming—their refuge became their ruin. This mirrors how God still works: victories emerge from unexpected places, through ordinary people willing to act. Trusting God’s timing means embracing His surprising methods. [56:41]

“She reached for a tent peg and a hammer. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground while he was sleeping. So he died.”
(Judges 4:21, CSB)

Reflection: Where have you doubted God’s ability to work through unlikely means? What “tent peg” might He be placing in your hand today?

Day 2: The Cross as Satan’s Crushing Blow

Satan thought the cross was his triumph. Instead, Jesus’ death became the enemy’s defeat, fulfilling Genesis 3:15. Like Sisera fleeing to Jael’s tent, evil’s apparent escape routes lead to divine judgment. The resurrection proves no enemy—spiritual or earthly—can outwit God. When darkness seems overwhelming, remember: the decisive battle has already been won. [01:02:04]

“None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
(1 Corinthians 2:8, CSB)

Reflection: What situation feels hopeless to you? How does the cross’s victory reframe your perspective on that struggle?

Day 3: Lions, Spears, and Snowy Pits

Benaiah fought a lion in a pit during a snowstorm. He disarmed a giant with his own spear. These weren’t random acts of bravery—they were steps of obedience. God’s call often leads into intimidating battles, but His presence turns underdogs into overcomers. Courage isn’t the absence of fear but faithfulness despite it. [01:06:10]

“Benaiah struck down a huge Egyptian. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.”
(2 Samuel 23:21, CSB)

Reflection: What “lion in a pit” has God called you to face? How can trusting His strength shift your response to that challenge?

Day 4: Faithfulness in the Unseen

Benaiah’s early exploits prepared him to lead armies. Jesus modeled this, obeying in obscurity before His exaltation. Spiritual growth happens in small, daily yeses—prayers whispered, kindnesses shown, integrity maintained. God multiplies hidden faithfulness into eternal impact. [01:16:56]

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.’”
(Matthew 25:21, CSB)

Reflection: What mundane act of faithfulness feels insignificant? How might God use it to shape your character or bless others?

Day 5: Promotion Belongs to God

Benaiah became commander not by self-promotion but by serving faithfully. Jesus refused to grasp glory, trusting the Father’s timing. In a world obsessed with visibility, kingdom work thrives in quiet obedience. True honor comes not from platforms but from surrendered hearts. [01:21:42]

“Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand so that He may exalt you at the proper time.”
(1 Peter 5:6, CSB)

Reflection: Where are you tempted to seek recognition? How can releasing that desire deepen your trust in God’s timing?

Sermon Summary

The call to courage stands up as conviction that acts even when fear sits heavy. Judges says a generation forgot the Lord and the cycle of compromise, oppression, mercy, and deliverance spun on repeat. Deborah rises as Israel’s judge and prophet, calls Barak to battle, and speaks the word that Sisera will be given into the hand of a woman. Jael then steps into the story. The tent becomes the stage, milk becomes a sedative, and a hammer with a peg becomes judgment. Deborah’s song blesses Jael among women for crushing the oppressor’s head. God’s victory often comes in ways his enemies least expect. Sisera thinks a peace treaty gives him cover. The Lord places courage in an unexpected heart and ends twenty years of terror in a quiet tent.

The cross stands as the truer tent. Satan schemes, stirs lies, and rides the moment to crucifixion, thinking the refuge of death will hold the Son of God. The cross instead becomes the place where the serpent’s head is crushed, just as Genesis 3 foretold. The rulers of this age, seen and unseen, never would have crucified the Lord of glory if they had understood the wisdom of God. Sovereignty cannot be outwitted. What looks like loss in human eyes becomes the hinge of history where Christ wins forever.

Benaiah then steps forward as a picture of courage that trusts. A pit, a snowy day, and a lion do not look like favorable odds. Two mighty Moabites and a towering Egyptian with a spear do not read like easy fights. Faith meets them anyway. Trust steps into the battles God puts in front of a person, not because the odds look good but because the Lord is faithful. Jesus shows the truer and better way, committing himself to the Father who judges righteously, saying in Gethsemane, not my will but yours.

Faithfulness with little opens doors to much. Small, hidden obediences stack up over a lifetime until a man can be trusted to guard a king and later to command an army. Jesus walks this path perfectly, obeying in every small thing and receiving the name above every name.

Humility refuses to self-promote and leaves exaltation in the Father’s hands. Joab schemes, Adonijah grasps, but Benaiah stays steady. Christ, who is God, does not grasp at status but is appointed by the Father. The church is called into that same posture. Let light shine, but let the Father receive the glory.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s victory surprises his enemies God delights to overturn evil where it feels most secure. Sisera sleeps under a blanket and dies under a hammer. Satan nails Christ to a cross and loses his crown. Sovereignty writes endings no enemy sees coming. [60:21]
2. Trust steps into hard battles Benaiah fights when outmatched because calling, not comfort, sets the agenda. Trust looks past odds to the character of God. Jesus models this trust all the way to the garden and the cross. [71:07]
3. Faithfulness with little invites more Hidden obediences form sturdy souls. God loves to promote those who have first stewarded small tasks with integrity. Jesus embodies this perfectly and is exalted above every name. [76:56]
4. Humility leaves promotion to God Self-promotion rots the heart and distorts community. Benaiah serves without grabbing, and God lifts him in due time. Jesus refuses to honor himself and receives honor from the Father. [81:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[45:12] - Series intro: So They Speak
[45:36] - All history points to Christ
[46:30] - The call to courage
[48:54] - The Judges cycle explained
[51:34] - Deborah, Barak, and the prophecy
[56:25] - Jael drives the tent peg
[58:40] - Deborah’s song blesses Jael
[60:21] - God’s victory in unexpected ways
[62:04] - The cross as the fatal tent
[63:50] - Not flesh and blood enemies
[65:15] - Meet Benaiah, mighty man
[69:03] - Step into God-given battles
[73:35] - Faithful with little leads to more
[77:38] - Leave promotion in God’s hands

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Judges 4:17-22 (ESV)
17 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 blanket. 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. 22 And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.

Observation Questions

In Judges 4:21, Jael uses a tent peg and hammer to defeat Sisera. What details in the story highlight God’s unexpected methods? ([56:25])
How does Deborah’s song in Judges 5:24-26 emphasize Jael’s role in God’s victory? ([58:40])
What three battles did Benaiah face in 2 Samuel 23:20-23, and why do these victories defy human expectations? ([01:09:03])
According to Philippians 2:5-11, how did Jesus model humility and trust in God’s plan?

Interpretation Questions

Why might God choose to use Jael—a non-Israelite woman—to defeat Sisera, rather than a trained soldier? What does this reveal about His priorities? ([59:27])
Benaiah fought a lion in a pit on a snowy day (2 Samuel 23:20). How does this illustrate the relationship between faith, calling, and unfavorable circumstances? ([01:09:21])
The sermon connects Jesus’ crucifixion to Satan’s defeat. How does 1 Corinthians 2:8 (“the rulers of this age… would not have crucified the Lord of glory”) deepen this idea? ([01:02:42])
Philippians 2:9-11 says God exalted Jesus after His obedience. How does this contrast with worldly views of success and promotion?

Application Questions

The sermon says, “God’s victory often comes in ways his enemies least expect” ([01:00:21]). When have you seen God work through an unexpected person or situation in your life? How can this truth shape your perspective in current struggles?
Benaiah stepped into battles despite unfavorable odds ([01:09:03]). What “battle” (relational, spiritual, or practical) is God calling you to trust Him with right now? What fears or excuses might hold you back?
Faithfulness in small tasks prepares us for greater responsibilities ([01:16:56]). What “little” area (e.g., daily habits, unseen acts of service) do you need to prioritize with integrity this week?
The sermon warns against self-promotion ([01:21:42]). How can you actively practice humility in your relationships or work? What would it look like to let God—not others—validate your worth?
Jesus’ crucifixion seemed like defeat but crushed Satan’s power ([01:02:04]). How does this truth encourage you when evil appears to triumph in the world or your personal life?

Sermon Clips

67s

#ServeInSecret

“And then finally, the last thing is don't seek recognition. Don't. Leave it in God's hands. Our world, brothers and sisters, constantly tells us promote yourself. I mean, social media is just taking that to the next level. All we do is promote ourselves all the time. And whenever want to know we accomplished this. Hey, look at me. Look at what I did. Self promotion. Pat me on the back and tell me how awesome I am. That's what we want. But that's not the way the kingdom of god works. God says, and do this and do it in secret and your father who sees what's done in secret will reward you. Let God be the one who rewards you. And so if he chooses to give you a platform to speak from, then praise God. But if he chooses to keep you hidden until the day you're to go to be with him, then praise God. Because he sees it. He is the one who sees it and he's the one who will promote you in the end. Amen? Amen.”

56s

#VictoryWhereLeastExpected

“And so what does Giles witness speak to us today? Because it does. And here's what it's speech. You know, write this in your notes. It's this, and I could have chosen a lot of different points, but this is the one the Lord put on my heart the most. God's victory often comes in ways his enemies least expect. God's victory comes in ways his enemies least expect. Cicera, he believed with all of his heart that he had found safety. Man, he made it to the tent of the family that had a peace treaty with his king. He's like, I'm safe in here and that would have been true except for Jael. He didn't know what was going on in Jael's heart and mind. He thought he was safe. He never imagined that the place where I thought I would find refuge would become the place of my defeat.”

54s

#GodWinsWhenItLooksHopeless

“Jael is saying, god's victory is gonna come in a way that his enemies and even you least expect. So when everything around us seems dark, when evil appears to be winning, when we have no idea what God is doing, because usually we don't, just remember there is someone, somewhere that God has placed with a tent peg to deal with enemies, to deal with those spiritual forces that you think are winning in the world and they're not. Our god is greater. And ultimately, remember the cross that Satan's head has been crushed. He is a defeated enemy. He is not a winning enemy. He has been defeated. We're not waiting to see who wins in the end. It's dealt with. Don't forget that.”

62s

#TrustLikeJesus

“Step into battles. And I see Jesus as the truer and better Banaya. Why? Because Jesus always stepped into battle. the greatest way possible, he left heaven and came to Earth. Why did he do it? Because he trusted his father. That's why Jesus left heaven and came to the earth because he trusted his father completely. Dad, if you say to do it, I'm going. Do you remember when Jesus prayed in the garden? What did he say? Not my will be done. Your will be done, father. Why could Jesus say that? Because he had a 100% trust that his father's will is perfect. So, if this is the battle you've called me to, father, I'm going. Let's go. If I die, I die. Your will be done. Jesus did it perfectly.”

69s

#MessiahCrushesEvil

“``And here's what's incredible because our god works that way. He defeats his enemies in ways they could never have imagined. And the best example of that is the truer and better Jael who is Jesus. How is Jesus the truer and better Jael? Because he too crushes the head of an enemy, doesn't he? There was a prophecy in Genesis chapter three. You will crush that he says, and this, you know, this serpent will strike his heel but he will crush his head referring to the Messiah. So, let's think about how these stories relate. Satan thought that he had Jesus beat. Everything was going according to Satan's quote unquote plan. Jesus is being he's lying about Jesus. He's getting people to get angry about him, false accusations, arrested, beaten, mocked, and finally crucified, and Satan's like, I got him. This is my victory. Only then to have his own head crushed by the very death that he was orchestrating.”

74s

#SovereignOverDefeat

“Those rulers, those are people. If they had really known who Jesus was, the son of god, perhaps they would not have crucified him but I think this verse also refers to spiritual rulers. If they knew that Jesus on the cross would be the end of them, would be the destruction of them, they never would have done it. They thought they were gonna inherit the vineyard so to speak. Kill the owners, kill the owner's son who comes to the vineyard and we get to keep the vineyard for ourself like the parable. That's not what happened. They killed the owner's son and then he took over everything because of it. When he rose again from the dead. Praise god and as the church, we have to trust in that wisdom. We have to trust in god's wisdom because he is sovereign. You know what that means? He can't be outwitted. He can't be outplayed. He'll never be defeated ever. And his ways are not our ways. So what we think looks like defeat was God's victory.”

67s

#ConvictionOverFear

“When you think back to the beginning of our nation, those 13 colonies, the people that lived in them, can you imagine the kind of courage it took to stand up against the greatest military in the world at the time without an organized military of your own? The kind of courage that takes. And it made me think about, well, what is courage? Because we know that courage isn't the absence of fear. We know this. Everyone is afraid at some point. Courage is simply acting on a conviction that you have in spite of the fear. You have a conviction and you act on it even though you're afraid. That doesn't matter. It's because you have this conviction that you have to you have to do something about it and you do. That's courage. And as Christians, our greatest conviction should come from this, our faith in god and the truth of his word. That's our greatest conviction and we act on that.”

58s

#TrustGodInEveryBattle

“So, in your life, I'm thinking, what if that battle right now is you need to forgive somebody that has hurt you and that's a battle You think if I forgive them, then they're going to use that to hurt me or who knows what you're you're thinking? Forgive them. Trust god to step into that battle and forgive. In your marriage, trust god to step into that. Don't run away from it. Be faithful in it. In your parenting, trust god to step into that battle and do it with patience and love. How about when you need to have integrity and nobody else sees? Do you trust god to step into that and have integrity? Even it means it's gonna cost you something. Speak the truth when you know that it might cost you something. Trust god to step into that.”

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Still They Speak; Jael and Benaiah

Devotional

Day 1: A Tent Peg in the Hands of the Unlikely

Day 2: The Cross as Satan’s Crushing Blow

Day 3: Lions, Spears, and Snowy Pits

Day 4: Faithfulness in the Unseen

Day 5: Promotion Belongs to God

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Still They Speak; Jael and Benaiah

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