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.)
The reply that came from Jephthah was an excellent one and shows that he was possibly a man of faith – {{Judges 11:27 I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon,’” Judges 11:28 but the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded the message which Jephthah sent him.}}
It seemed Jephthah is standing on faith, and if this was so, then God honours faith, especially public and open faith.
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS JEPHTHAH’S POWER – THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S
{{Judges 11:29 “Now the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh. Then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead, he went on to the sons of Ammon.”}}
A man led by the Holy Spirit is only then able to do God’s work. “Not by might, nor by strength, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord. This expression “the Spirit of the Lord came on . . .” may not mean the man was wholly sold out to the Lord. God selected people for specific purposes and under the power of the Spirit that work was done, then the Spirit departed. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit did not reside always with the righteous people of God. In the New Testament the Lord said, “He will abide with you forever,” when speaking of the Spirit – {{John 14:16-17 “and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you FOREVER - that is, the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”}}
SELF CONTROL IS ESSENTIAL – DON’T STEP OUTSIDE OF IT - RASHNESS OF HEART AND MIND COMES NOT FROM GOD
Now we enter a very sad, and almost unbelievable part of this bible account. We may call what Jephthah did stupid, irrational, rash, even moronic if you like. Paul uses a very important word found in these verses in capital letters – {{1Thessalonians 5:8 “but since we are of the day, let us be SOBER, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”}} {{1Corinthians 15:34 “Become SOBER-MINDED as you ought, and stop sinning for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.”}} Peter puts it even more clearly for our Judges story – {{1Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be of sound judgment and SOBER SPIRIT for the purpose of prayer.”}}
Consider this next portion from Judges and see how the stupidity of Jephthah played out -
{{Judges 11:30 “Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, Judg 11:31 then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”}}
It would seem quite an irrational thing for this man to do, obviously right off the top of his head. What a stupid, unreasoned action from a man whom we expected to have had a bit more moderation to him. Balance comes from moderation, and moderation is developed through the Spirit of God. In fact, it is so stupid to make casually, a far reaching vow, and Jephthah was one to keep his vows. Even an idiot would know that what comes out of the door of a house is people, so he is saying he is going to sacrifice someone. God must have hated that.
Being a child of God does not make you immune to stupid decisions, and so often the Lord delivers us out of our stupidity, but we must also face the consequences of them. Those who are the Lord’s, must walk by the Spirit of the Lord, guided by Him in a patient dependence on Him. In fact, there was no need for Jephthah to make any vow at all here, but perhaps making a promise to God may have registered in Jephthah’s mind as a stronger commitment to God, and God would honour him. Maybe he was currying favour with the Lord by showing his determination. This aside, God gave the victory over the Ammonites, and now Jephthah would have to face his own defeat.
LIVING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES – JEPHTHAH BROUGHT LOW THROUGH HIS INSANE STUPIDITY
{{Judges 11:34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. Judges 11:35 It came about when he saw her, that he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me, for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.”}}
Stupidity can be so very costly. We slip up in ways we don’t foresee, and all that is because our walk is not close enough to the Lord. However rashness and poor decision making can also touch the ones who belong to the Lord, and our families, and affect them to a greater or lesser extent. In verse 35, Jephthah seems to think it is his daughter troubling him, trying to blame her, the weasel of a man, but it was of his own making; ALL his own making. It was not his daughter’s fault, but his alone.
That rash vow ended in a most terrible way. Beware of rashness. Don’t make promises lightly. Be extra careful if you are thinking of making vows to God. Personally, I do not like the idea of making vows to God. Our understanding is too limited and our sinful natures can be unreliable even though we belong to the Lord. Seek the leading of the Holy Spirit in all your promises and plans. Matthew Henry has written, [[“We need to be very well-advised in making vows, lest we entangle ourselves. What we have solemnly vowed to God, we must perform, if it be possible and lawful, though it be difficult and grievous to us.”]]
Matthew Henry mentions “if it be possible and lawful”. I can’t see that the sacrifice (murder) of a loving and innocent daughter is lawful in any way. I can’t see how God would ever sanction that.
There may be a hint in the urgency and seriousness of the situation confronting Jephthah before the battle, and the uneasiness with his own elders who proved to be traitors and worthless men. This came to a head AFTER the battle not before. Look at these verses – {{Judges 12:1 Then the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the sons of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you,” Judges 12:2 and Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon. WHEN I CALLED YOU, YOU DID NOT DELIVER ME FROM THEIR HAND, Judges 12:3 and when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and the LORD gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?”}}
Those of Ephraim were ungrateful, evil and despicable men. They were of Satan and it is a wonder God did not leave them to the ravages of the Ammonites. Wicked wretches!
Strife and pressure were playing a part in a stressful situation, and defeat and death may have looked close at hand. Jephthah knew the elders were unfaithful and evil men, and he was caught between them and the army of Ammon. It is in those situations we can make decisions that are not balanced, not thought through properly. I think this might have been the case, and Jephthah was unsettled in himself.
THE BLESSING IS CUT SHORT – FOOLISHNESS DESTROYS GOD’S VICTORIES
The daughter’s name is not even mentioned. I trust she is with the Lord today. I believe she is. I think she trusted the Lord. Her words show her to be a woman of faith but the whole story is really horrible – {{Judges 11:36 She said to him, “My father, you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon,” Judges 11:37 and she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me. Let me alone two months, that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions.” Judges 11:38 Then he said, “Go,” so he sent her away for two months and she left with her companions and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. Judg 11:39 It came about at the end of two months that she returned to her father who did to her according to the vow which he had made and she had no relations with a man. Thus it became a custom in Israel Judg 11:40 that the daughters of Israel went yearly to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.”}}
I have said all I want to say about that. The honour of the daughter contrasted with the utter and complete disgrace of her father.
{{Judges 12:7 “Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.”}}
There are three men in the bible I have a problem with. They are Lot, Solomon and Jephthah. All three make me question their standing with God, but I am not a judge of them. One verse in the New Testament in the heroes of faith chapter makes it even harder for me – {{Hebrews 11:32 “What more shall I say for time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,”}}
God bless you all
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
