Jephthah = Rejection – Victory – And Disaster - All In The One Cup - Part 2 Series

JEPHTHAH = REJECTION – VICTORY – AND DISASTER - ALL IN THE ONE CUP - PART 2

Read PART 1 before reading this second part. It will then make a lot more sense.

MAN’S EVIL LAID BARE – GOING BACK TO FIRST BASE

{{Judges 11:7 Then Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house, so why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?”}}

He had them well worked out. They came crawling like insincere men, making out that nothing was wrong, but Jephthah realised well, and had their measure – they were in trouble. Jephthah was correct to challenge them for they were wrong and so was Gilead his father, if he was still alive at that time. It is likely that many more than just Gilead’s family were involved in Jephthah’s expulsion. The elders may have had a hand in it. “Pretend righteousness” does not win the day for discerning men, but many are fooled by it. Their reply was non–committal and non-revealing – {{Judges 11:8 and the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “For this reason we have now returned to you, that you may go with us and fight with the sons of Ammon and become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead,” Judges 11:9 so Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD gives them up to me, will I become your head?”}}

He well understood human deceitfulness. The elders – were they prepared to dump Jephthah after things quietened down and the fight had been won? Society works like this, public service and politics. Their policy is “Use and Discard” when it is in their interests to do so. Hypocrites. I have seen much in my life, and the corruption and deceitfulness in the Public Service is beyond belief. Human nature is corrupt, devious and lying. There is a saying that you can’t trust politicians and that has been proven over and over again. Even when politicians try to be honest they become the victims of the Public Service that uses them like puppets.

Jephthah was right to question their pledge. Their reply was – {{Judges 11:10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is witness between us. Surely we will do as you have said.”}} – which is a reply of convenience. They had no time for the Lord and that is why the nation was under judgement. In our studies in the Minor Prophets, we have seen many centuries after this incident, that the people and rulers made oaths with the Lord’s name but did not keep those oaths. They were covenant breakers.

THE JUDGE’S RELATION WITH THE LORD – IT SEEMS TO HAVE HAD UNDERSTANDING

In verse 9, his trust seems to be with the Lord “and the LORD gives them up to me” and in verse 11, he spoke all his words before the Lord. It seems he had an understanding of God and I think that came when he was in exile from his father’s family. Moses learned of God in exile from Egypt for 40 years, and Saul/Paul learned of the Lord in the three years he was in Arabia. That does not mean all God’s children are perfect, and Jephthah certainly was not as we shall see. Jephthah was made the head of the armies of Israel but he tried to avoid conflict and we will read a lengthy passage -

{{Judges 11:12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What is between you and me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” Judges 11:13 and the king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan. Therefore, return them peaceably now.”}} (Verse 13 seems reasonable on a human level, and a logical pagan/heathen like those in the Greens Party would rush to give it back, but it was God who gave this land, and it was God’s will. No man has the authority to change God’s decrees.)

{{Judges 11:14 Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon, Judges 11:15 and they said to him, “Thus says Jephthah, ‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the sons of Ammon, Judges 11:16 for when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh, Judges 11:17 then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let us pass through your land,” but the king of Edom would not listen, and they also sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent, so Israel remained at Kadesh. Judges 11:18 Then they went through the wilderness and around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came to the east side of the land of Moab, and they camped beyond the Arnon but they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. Judges 11:19 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, “Please let us pass through your land to our place.” Judges 11:20 but Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory, so Sihon gathered all his people and camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel, Judges 11:21 and the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them, so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. Judges 11:22 They possessed all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness as far as the Jordan. Judges 11:23 Since now the LORD, the God of Israel, drove out the Amorites from before His people Israel, are you then to possess it? Judges 11:24 Do you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? so whatever the LORD our God has driven out before us, we will possess it.”}} (This is good reasoning as well. Whether this came from Jephthah or someone advising him, the accuracy could not be disputed.)