No Longer An Outcast

NO LONGER AN OUTCAST

"1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” Judges 11:1-2.

There is a rumor spreading fast like wildfire in the town of Gilead. It is said that a respectable, married man had become entangled in an illicit sexual affair with a harlot. Indeed no one could confirm the rumor but months later it became evident that the it was true. Gilead, named after the place of his birth, was expecting a child from a woman he was not married to. The Bible refer to the woman as a "harlot." But we must note that the word "harlot" used here could mean a hostess or an inn keeper who was not an Israelite. Furthermore, in verse 2, we are told that Jephthah's mother was a “strange woman,” which means she was another woman besides the legal wife. Hence Jephthah was born out of wedlock. But Gilead acknowledged and took care of him. However, the other children weren’t quite as pleased. As soon as Gilead was dead and buried, they drove Jephthah out of the house. He became an outcast. Jephthah was rejected. Even the elders of Gilead shunned him. The society stigmatized him. Forced out of town, Jephthah fled to Tob. He was forced to live on the street.

Imagine the trauma Jephthah must have had as a child growing up. How do you think he replied other children when they asked what his mother did for a living? Jephthah was not to blame for the circumstances surrounding his birth. But he suffered for it. Yet he did not allowed it to put him down. Though he was a product of an entanglement, Jephthah did not allowed it to make him bitter or hinder his divine assignment. He refused to be a slave to his circumstances. In spite of this mistreatment, Jephthah trusted in the Lord. In the end, he became the leader of his people. The Lord used him to deliver Israel from eighteen years of Ammonite oppression. The unwanted son of a harlot became Israel's judge and deliverer.

"14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” Genesis 21:14-18.

Sarai wanted a child. So she arranged for her husband to father a child through her maid. Hagar would bear the child and look after it, but it would be accepted as the child of Sarai and Abram. Just as she had planned. Hagar conceived. She gave birth to a child called Ishmael, meaning, "God Will Hear." For years, Ishmael grew up in the home of Abram. For years, Abram treated Ishmael as his only son. For years, Ishmael was seen as the scion of Abraham. Until, Sarah had a baby. They named him Isaac meaning "laughter." One day, Ishmael laughed at Isaac and Sarah saw it. She went to Abraham and decided Hagar and Ismael had to go. So Abraham sent them out! They became outcasts. Ismael was chased out of the place he had called home for years. They moved around in the wilderness without a purpose or direction.

Do you identify with Hagar and Ismael? Have you been hurt by the ones whom you thought would protect and care for you? Has your spouse or parent walked out on you? Abandonment and single motherhood is a global issue. Often such victims of abandonment are left feeling alone, burdened, depressed, and not sure of whether perhaps even God has abandoned them. But let me tell you today, when you have been abandoned, God is there to help you. He is aware of your plight. Jesus knows what it means to be abandoned. He was rejected by all, including the Father because of our sins. "He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." Isaiah 53:3. He became an outcast to bring us closer to God. You've been adopted into His family. He's Your Father. You're God’s child. You're no longer an outcast. When your spouse is nowhere to be found, He is there to help you. When the ones who brought you into the world abandons you, God accepted you as His and going to help you. He is El Roi, The God Who Sees! God cares about single mothers and abandoned children. When you hurt, He feels it! He knows your loneliness, pain and stigma. He is Your Comforter. God can heal your broken heart and restore your wounded soul. Just as He helped Jephthah and Ismael, God will help you. He is the same yesterday, today and forever! Matthew 10:29-31.