Reading: Hebrews chapter 11 verses 32-34.
• Hebrews chapter 11 is God’s hall of fame;
• It is a list of people who are honoured because of the faith.
• As you read the chapter what surprises you is who is left out and who is included!
• In verse 32 we are introduced to a man called Jephthah.
• Most Bible readers would probably say; “Who?”
• Jephthah he was the 9th judge, leader of Israel.
• He controlled the destiny of that nation for six years.
• Jephthah is the story of a man;
• Who went from being a zero, in the eyes of many, to becoming a hero.
• It is a ‘Cinderella’ type story.
• Somebody despised and rejected;
• Who will eventually be elevated to a position of honour and authority.
• Only this story doesn’t end, “…and the lived happily ever after”,
• As we will see, Jephthah’s story actually finishes on a tragic note.
• I want to split his story up under three headings:
• The first heading will give us the background, the times into which he was born.
(1). A Nation in decay (Judges 10: 1-18)
• Sadly we are used to reading headlines in our newspapers like:
• FAMILY FEUD LEAVES 69 BROTHERS DEAD!
• POWERFUL GOVERNMENT LEADER CAUGHT IN "LOVE NEST."
• GANG RAPE LEADS TO VICTIM'S DEATH AND DISMEMBERMENT.
• GIRLS AT PARTY KIDNAPPED AND FORCED TO MARRY STRANGERS.
• WOMAN JUDGE SAYS TRAVELERS NO LONGER SAFE ON HIGHWAYS.
• Sensational headlines like these are usually found on the front page of the tabloids,
• But these headlines actually describe the times, the events in the Book of Judges.
• What a contrast they are to the closing chapters of the Book of Joshua,
• Where you see a nation resting from war;
• And enjoying the riches God had given them in the Promised Land.
• But in the Book of Judges the picture dramatically changes for the nation of Israel;
• Instead of peace they are constantly invaded,
• Instead of freedom they are at times enslaved,
• Instead of a land of milk and honey they experience poverty;
• Instead of being a united country they were experiencing civil war.
Question: What happened, what brought about this dramatic change?
Answer: Decay!
Ill:
Life ought to teach us, that deterioration is never sudden:
• No garden is suddenly overgrown with weeds,
• No building suddenly crumbles,
• No church suddenly splits,
• No tree suddenly falls,
• No marriage suddenly breaks down,
• No person suddenly becomes base,
The nation of Israel quickly decayed over a period of time:
• The old generation died off;
• And a new generation of Israelites were born and took over;
• This new generation did not know their former leader Joshua (he was history);
• And even worse they did not know Joshua’s God.
• Very soon apathy towards spiritual things began to take over.
• Instead of obeying the Lord, the people moved into apostasy.
• Instead of law and order ruling the nation,
• The land was soon filled with anarchy!
Quote:
• One of the key verses from the book of Judges is chapter 21 verse 25:
• “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”
• Message: “… People did whatever they felt like doing.”
• KJB: “… every man did that which was right in his own eyes”.
ill:
• There are two sides to a sheet of flypaper,
• And it makes a big difference to the fly which side he chooses.
• Sadly the nation made the wrong choices;
• And decay and failure marked the nation.
(2). A leader in demand (Judges 11: 1-33)
Ill:
• England’s most famous outlaw, has to be the legendary hero of the 12th-century;
• The courteous, swashbuckling outlaw Robin Hood.
• Who, in modern versions of the legend,
• Is famous for his robbing the rich to feed the poor & fighting against injustice & tyranny.
• He operates with his "seven score"
• (140 strong) group of fellow outlawed yeomen;
• Named the Merry Men for their famed jollity
• Who were based in hideouts in Sherwood Forest and Barnsdale Forest.
• The chief nemesis of the Merry Men is the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham;
• Who is overtaxing the people into poverty,
• And in some tales the villain is Prince John,
• Based on Prince John of England.
• Robin is the hero who comes always at the right time;
• To rescue those individuals or villages in distress.
Jephthah has been described as an Eastern Robin Hood:
• Because of no fault of his own he too was rejected;
• Verse 3 tells us that like Robin Hood he had his gang of merry men.
“So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him”.
• Verse 1 informs us that Jephthah already had a reputation as "a mighty warrior".
• And he had no trouble gathering to himself a group of fighting men.
Question: What kind of man was Jephthah?
Answer: Scan the passage for the answer.
(a). The unwanted brother (vs 1).
• Jephthah wasn't to blame for the circumstances that surrounded his birth.
• His father Gilead had sex with a prostitute and she became pregnant and produced a son.
• Gilead to his credit at least he acknowledged the boy as his;
• And took him into his home,
• But his other sons didn't accept this illegitimate, son of a prostitute,
• And they disown him calling him the "son of a strange woman."
• When Gilead died the others sons took their revenge;
• When the inheritance was to be divided, the legitimate sons drove Jephthah away.
• Little did they realize;
• They were rejecting a future great warrior and also a future judge of Israel.
Ill:
Many great people have grown up out of unfortunate circumstances:
• Anne Mansfield Sullivan had a host of folks telling her:
• That the blind 7 year old brat she was teaching was just not worth it.
• Up to that time Helen Keller’s family had let her live like an animal,
• Walking around the family table;
• Just grabbing food off their plates and shoving it in her mouth.
• There was no discipline, no control, and no efforts to teach or train her.
• But Anne Sullivan gave her time, her love, and her heart to train and nurture this girl.
• Anne persisted in spite of:
• Temper tantrums, physical abuse, meal time madness & even thankless parents.
• In her heart she knew it was worth the pain:
• Within 2 years the girl was able to read and write in Braille.
• She ultimately graduated from Radcliffe college,
• Where Anne Sullivan had spelled each lecture into her hand.
• The name of that pupil was 'Helen Keller':
• Who then devoted the rest of her life to aiding the deaf and the blind.
• In fact she travelled worldwide speaking with Anne Sullivan,
• And raised millions of dollars for the American Association for the Blind.
• One thing this book teaches us is this:
• No-one’s background – whatever deal they have been dealt;
• Need not be a barrier to them knowing God or being used of God in the future!
(b). The unopposed leader (vs 4-11).
• Jephthah 's brothers didn't want him,
• But the elders of Israel needed him!
• An acute crisis arose when the Ammonites threatened Jephthah 's people with invasion;
• Jephthah 's people were lacking in leadership;
• They scoured the land for a competent warrior and Jephthah fitted the bill.
• To them he was the perfect man to lead their army into battle and defeat their enemies!
• So badly did they want him;
• That they sent a deputation eighty miles to the land of Tob to ask him to take charge.
Notice:
• If you take time out to reread this passage;
• Notice how Jephthah emphasized the Lord in all his negotiations with the leaders of Israel.
• The leaders were looking to him for victory;
• For them God is not even in the equation – he has been long forgotten!
But Jephthah 's reply to them puts the Lord central in any plan for victory!
• In verse 9: Jephthah reminds them;
• That it was the Lord who would give the victory and not Jephthah!
• And again in verse 11 any agreement between him and the elders;
• Must be ratified before the Lord at Mizpah.
• There is a spiritual awareness to Jephthah that the other people had long forgotten.
• Note: Jephthah didn't see this challenge as a political opportunity for himself,
• But as an occasion for trusting the Lord and serving Him.
• Ill: In addition, the writer of Hebrews makes it clear that Jephthah was a man of faith,
• Not simply an opportunist (Hebrews chapter 11 verse 32).
• Any man or woman included there on that ‘faith’ list;
• Were without exception distinguished graduates of the school of faith!
(c). The unsuccessful diplomat (vs 12-28).
• Before declaring war,
• Jephthah tried peaceful negotiations with the Ammonites,
• Jephthah appears to be a wise man;
• Who appreciated the value of the diplomatic approach;
• He was not was not a hothead who was looking for a fight.
• Rather he was careful to try pacific and courteous settlement to his aggressive enemies.
• Being a military man himself,
• Jephthah knew that a war could result in thousands of Jewish men being killed;
• And he wanted to avoid that if at all possible.
• Sadly the King of Ammon rejected Jephthah’s arrangement;
• If he could not have his way then it was war for the king of Ammon.
• Jephthah hadn't declared war on Ammon;
• It was Ammon that declared war on Jephthah & his people.
• What the king of Amon hadn’t realised is;
• In declaring war on Jephthah he was also declaring war against Jephthah’s God;
• And that could only mean disaster and defeat for Ammon.
• Jephthah had tried to reason with the King of Ammon, but he wouldn't listen!
(d). The undefeated warrior (vs 29-33).
• Empowered by the Spirit of God,
• Ill: O.T. Holy Spirit came for a short period to enable his people and then left.
• So empowered by the Spirit of God,
• Jephthah called for volunteers (12:1-2) and mustered his army.
• In order to be certain of victory, he foolishly made a bargain with God,
• Foolish bargain in that God does not operate that way ill: You don’t have to twist his arm
• God operates by us obeying and trusting him;
• And not by trying to bargain with him!
• The Lord gave him victory over the Ammonites,
• And he captured twenty of their strongholds as he pursued the fleeing enemy army.
• This would guarantee freedom and safety for the Jews for another 50 years;
• As they travelled in the Gilead territory.
(3). A father in despair (Ch 11:30-31 |& 34-40)
• The book of Hebrews marks out Jephthah for his faith;
• Faith that he demonstrated in leading his people over a six year period.
• Ill: Thomas is always called doubting Thomas despite his successes;
• So Jephthah is mainly known to Bible readers because he made a foolish vow.
• While going out to battle, Jephthah made a vow (a promise) to the Lord.
• Ill: Elvis wore star of David, a cross and the symbol ‘Chai’ – for luck.
The Vow (32&34):
30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD : "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break."
• Now making a vow was not a problem;
• Jewish people were given instructions in the O.T. on the practicalities of doing just that.
• God never required or forced people to make vows;
• Making a vow was always to be voluntary,
• But once made God expected the vow-maker to fulfil their promise.
• It was a sin to make a vow and then break it.
Question: everyone asks is did Jephthah kill his daughter?
Answer:
• A casual reading of the passage would suggest he did kill her;
• But a more reflective reading might help us come up with another solution.
Notice: Jephthah’s vow was all wrong for a number of reasons:
(a).
• Jephthah ‘s vow was really a bargain with the Lord:
• Jephthah basically said;
“If God would give the Israelites victory over the Ammonites, then he would sacrifice to the Lord the first thing that came out of his house when he returned home”.
• We with hindsight and a full completed Bible know that you cannot bargain with God;
• God does not work on that basis.
• Jephthah was granted victory in battle because of his faith, his trust in the Lord;
• Not because he pulled off a clever deal with God!
(a). Jephthah 's vow was really a bargain with the Lord:
(b). Jephthah 's vow was wrong because he promised more than he could deliver.
• He could have simply said,
"Lord, if You help me defeat the enemy, when I get home,
I'll offer you a generous burnt offering."
• But for reasons known only to himself;
• Jephthah couched his vow in ambiguous terms.
(a). Jephthah 's vow was really a bargain with the Lord:
(b). Jephthah 's vow was wrong because he promised more than he could deliver.
(c). Jephthah 's vow was wrong because;
He did not know who or what would come out of the door of his house?
• e.g. What if the first thing to greet him happened to be an unclean animal;
• Only certain types of animals could be used in sacrifices.
• If the wrong type of animal ran out to meet him then he could not fulfil his vow!
• No matter how much he wanted to.
(a). Jephthah 's vow was really a bargain with the Lord:
(b). Jephthah 's vow was wrong because he promised more than he could deliver.
(c). Jephthah 's vow was wrong because;
He did not know who or what would come out of the door of his house?
(d). Jephthah 's vow was wrong because; it went against the character of God.
• The Hebrew word translated "whatever" is masculine;
• This would suggest that Jephthah expected to meet a person not an animal!
• But again that raises a number of difficulties:
• e.g. What if that person turned out to be a neighbour's child or a total stranger?
• What right did Jephthah have to take either away their lives;
• Also Jephthah must have known that the God of the Bible;
• Did not approve of or accept human sacrifices.
• Jephthah gave evidence he was familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures,
• Unlike the other nations around them Israel was forbidden to offer human sacrifices!
Ill:
• In 1 Samuel chapter 14 verses 24-26;
• King Saul tried to sacrifice his son Jonathan but his own soldiers would not let him!
• Surely Jephthah’s men would react in a similar manner.
Note:
• Also there is the problem of the place of the sacrifice;
• God only accepted sacrifices only at the tabernacle altar (Leviticus chapter 17 verses 1-9),
• And the sacrifice had to be offered by the levitical priests and not just anybody;
• And no priest would ever offer such a sacrifice.
So as we examine Jephthah’s vow:
• It raises more questions and difficulties than it solves;
• What seems straight forward and simple turns out to be very complicated.
Solutions.
• I don’t think God would take seriously a vow that violated both human rights;
• And his divine law!
• Also would a man filled with the Spirit of God (Judges chapter 11 verse 29),
• Fulfil a promise that was so against what God stood for or taught?
• The more you ponder these questions,
• The more perplexing his vow becomes;
• And the more convinced I am that Jephthah didn't promise to;
• Offer any human sacrifice to the Lord and he did not kill his own daughter.
Note:
• The little word "and" in the phrase "and I will offer it up" (chapter 11 verse 31);
• It can also be translated "or".
• If we take this understanding, then Jephthah’s vow was twofold:
• Whatever met him when he returned home would be dedicated to the Lord (if a person);
• Or sacrificed to the Lord (if an animal).
• Since he was met by his daughter,
• Many scholars believe Jephthah he gave her to the Lord to serve Him at the tabernacle
• (Ex. 38:8; 1 Sam. 2:22).
• That meant she remained a virgin,
• Which meant that she would not know the joys of motherhood;
• And not be able to perpetuate her father's inheritance in Israel.
• This would be reason enough for her and her friends to spend two months grieving,
• For every woman wanted a family;
• And every father wanted grand-children to maintain the family inheritance.
• And nowhere in the text are we told that Jephthah actually killed his daughter,
• Nor do we find anybody bewailing the girl's death.
In conclusion:
• Jephthah was a man who started out badly,
• Lived a life which contained a number of successes and failures,
• And died without grandchildren to carry on his lineage.
• For me verse 29 is the key verse:
• “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah”.
• Question: Why? Answer: “By faith”.
Notice:
• The New Testament doesn’t even mention the many flaws of Jephthah.
• But it does dwell on his faith!
• “Because without faith it is impossible to please God”
• Therefore the opposite must be true:
• “A life lived with faith in God is well pleasing to God”.
