Subject: Rejection Is Not Your Final Destination
Text: Judges 11:1-11 “Now Jephthah of Gilead was a great warrior. He was the son of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute. Gilead’s wife also had several sons, and when these half-brothers grew up, they chased Jephthah off the land. “You will not get any of our father’s inheritance,” they said, “for you are the son of a prostitute.” So, Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Soon he had a band of worthless rebels following him. At about this time, the Ammonites began their war against Israel. When the Ammonites attacked, the elders of Gilead sent for Jephthah in the land of Tob. The elders said, “Come and be our commander! Help us fight the Ammonites!” But Jephthah said to them, “Aren’t you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now when you’re in trouble?” “Because we need you,” the elders replied. “If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead.” Jephthah said to the elders, “Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the Lord gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?” “The Lord is our witness,” the elders replied. “We promise to do whatever you say.” So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their ruler and commander of the army. At Mizpah, in the presence of the Lord, Jephthah repeated what he had said to the elders.”
Introduction: It Has been said, “Rejection Is Direction, so Rejection does not have the Final say! Not everyone will be on your side or will accept your work or whatever you have in a positive way. While rejection is painful, its purpose is planned. God often uses man's rejection to redirect his people back into his will for their lives. God uses adversity, affliction and rejection to get our attention, so that we can hear his voice when he says, “This is the way; walk in it” Rejection is disappointing, painful, and costly, but it is not final. Just Because You Have Been Rejected, You Are Not a Reject! Judges 11:1–11 introduce Jephthah as the unlikely answer to the dilemma of the previous chapter (Judges 10:17–18). Jephthah is a warrior called to lead Gilead against the Ammonites. Though he had been driven from Gilead by his people, he agrees to return if the elders will make him their leader. The story of Jephthah is one of the most interesting in the Old Testament. It is really told from Judges 10:6 - 12:7. And I believe this story has a definite message for all of us today, but especially, those who believe and know they have been call to a higher purpose in life even though they have experienced rejection. The one prayer request I hear most often is, "pray that I will be all that God has called me to be."
Sometimes we are placed in a position in life where we know that God has something special planned for our lives, but no one seems to appreciate it but you. Then we suffer rejection. Whether it was not being picked for the kickball game by the kids in the neighborhood, not making the football team, or the cheerleading squad, not going to the prom with the person you knew you would, or getting into the college you wanted, not getting the job you hoped for, not marrying the person you thought you would marry ever since you were 10 years old, not getting the credit card, or having a marriage that you poured every fiber of your being into and have it destroyed in a moment of lust, by a person you thought was a gift from God.
In some form or fashion, we all have experienced rejection and felt the that it brings with it and will continue to feel them for many years to come. African Americans still feel the effects of being rejected as equal human beings and the results of slavery, Jewish Americans still feel the effects of an attempt to eliminate a race of people by what is called the Holocaust, everyone has felt rejection and suffered from the results of it. Rejection is a part of life that affects each of us at some point and it’s not limited to only one instance. One can only imagine how it feels to be raised in an orphanage or group home. Even in the body of Christ, it is almost impossible to calculate the damage wrought by rejection in the church. Whether it is real or imaginary, the effect is the same. Why do people get rejected? What is the cause of rejection?
1. The Reason for Rejection is Your Difference - Men will reject you because you are different. God made you different! First, Jephthah was an outsider; he was different. His father’s name was Gilead, a respected member of the community, but his mother was a prostitute. His daddy was sowing his wild oats and there was a crop called Jephthah. Unplanned, unwanted, and unloved, Jephthah was treated like a second-class person. Second, Jephthah was an outcast. Once people are placed in that different category, it is easy to discard them as having less value. When Jeththah was old enough to fend for himself, his (30) half-brothers drove him away because they had no intentions of sharing any of their inheritance with him. In those times the eldest son inherited a double portion, the rest divided equally between all the brothers. These brothers made sure their portions would be as large as possible.
Third, Jephthah became an outlaw. No surprises here, lost men do lost things. Jephthah felt unloved and was angry. He became a streetwise kid with a flair for attracting others to him. Jephthah became the leader of a gang of outcasts. He became the first “Robin Hood” – except he stole from the rich and kept it for himself and his friends. When people are treated like outsider, they will begin to feel like an outcast. When they feel like outcast, they will usually become outlaws. When people are treated like outsiders in the Church, they leave the church and many times instead of building up the reputation of the church, they try to destroy the reputation of the church.
2. The Purpose of Rejection Is To Rob You of Your True Identity - Why does Satan send rejection? (To Rob Us) - Judges 11:1 “Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.”
Satan recognizes our hidden potential. (Jeththah was a mighty man of Valor) Satan’s goal is to blind us from seeing our true potential. Satan recognizes that the true power of our gift is realized as we use it to benefit others. Satan’s goal is to cause you to draw back or withhold your gift and make you think you are a reject! Just because you have been rejected, you are not a reject! The label people put on you does not determine the value God put in you. If God calls you a mighty man of valor, that’s who you are! Satan recognizes your importance, so he seeks to hide your identity. When you discover your identity, you discover the power to change your life and the power to preserve others. The power of any person begins with the realization of who they are and what they can do. If Satan can cause people to feel like rejects, he can defeat any people. The name Jeththah means breakthrough or opener. If Jeththah had been allowed to remain in Gilead and use his gift, not only would he have experienced personal breakthrough, but those around him would have benefited from his gift. Yet, his story teaches that it is never too late to be use by God. God called Jephthah an opener, a way maker and God never changed His mind.
3. The Pain of Rejection Is Your Isolation and Separation - God has created us for meaningful relationships. Our heart longs for a place to belong, a place to be valued and a place to be accepted. Our Lead character, Jephthah who name means opener or break through, the son of Gilead by a (innkeeper) harlot, a hired prostitute. He grew up in his father’s house. As a child he grew up in Gilead’s house as Ishmael grew up in the house of Abraham. But as soon as Gilead's wife bear him other children; Jeththah lost his father’s favor. Jeththah had probably helped to rear his young brothers, taught them to hunt and fish, taught them to read and write and the like. After his father had other sons, and Jeththah half-brothers were grown up, Jeththah had outlived his usefulness. They thrust Jephthah out of his father's house and denied him his portion of his inheritance because he was the son a strange woman. Then the elders in the land agreed with his half-brothers and thrust Jephthah out of the land. He finds himself in a strange land doing strange things. His plight was like that of Ishmael driven from Abraham’s house to grow up in the wilderness, or like David fleeing from King Saul, then he became a leader of a band of outlaws. These men knew in their heart that there were seeds of greatness within them. They cannot explain it, nor does they understand it all, but they all felt that they were created for more. No matter where they went, their leadership ability came out. Jeththah became the leader of those who were discontented, unemployed, poor, underclass and he was known as the fighting son of a harlot. His skills developed, his success soared, and his reputation grew!
4. Rejection Has Dangers to be Avoided and Blessings to be Embraced. Rejection has some dangerous pitfalls. Isolation (1) We often build walls around us trying to protect ourselves from feeling such pain ever again (2) Anger - We get angry with those who rejected us, and sometimes get angry with God. The reason we get angry with God is because we feel that he has rejected us when he does not operate within our expectations of him (3) Rebellion - We begin to rebel against leadership, their Laws and their God. (4) Disgruntle – constantly complaining. (5) Discouragement (6) Doubt and fear. We become doubtful when we feel that we will never get out of this situation. We spend our time fortifying our protective walls. There are reason for rejection, purpose for rejection, dangers of rejection, there are also blessings in rejection.
There may be hidden blessings in rejection. In rejection we find a place called Tob. The word Tob means good or goodness. It seems ironic, but God can show us good in the place of rejection and isolation. Moses found God on a deserted mountain; Jacob found God in his Isolation; Joseph found his reason for being in Egypt and Jephthah found his reason for being in Tob. Yes, when we lose our creature comforts (1) we discover who we really are. We are mighty men of valor (2) We discover who God is for ourselves. God has favored me. I am a survivor! (3) We learn to perfect our skills. Although you learn to fight at home, we learn to lead in Tob. (4) In Tob, you find temporary acceptance, a place of value and a place to belong. Some men could not stay in their first relationship, struggled to hold a job, pay their bills and accept responsibility, but they are still here. It was God’s grace! They make it this far by the grace of God.
5. There is a Remedy for Rejection. The road to acceptance and appreciation may seem strange. This story takes a sharp turn toward God. The land of Gilead was attacked by the Ammonites and the best fighter in the land was sought. It was Jephthah. Jephthah made a living of raiding the villages of Ammon. Now he was skilled and feared by all. I realize that you can’t make people accept you or like you, but God will create a slot that only you can fill. You may have been rejected, but you are not a reject! Your gift will make room for you and bring you before great men.
The road to acceptance and appreciation may seem strange, but do not allow present desperation to stop you from necessary negotiation. When your opportunity comes, you can make some demands and set some boundaries! The men of Gilead wanted a captain to fight them, Jephthah wanted respect and a Governorship. They wanted a temporary visit; Jephthah wanted a home. When God opens the door, do not settle for anything less than God’s best!
Jephthah uttered his words before the Lord. Promotion does not come from men, it come from the Lord. God may use men in the process but keep looking to the Lord and He will open a way. Men promises are good, but men are fickle. Put your trust in God. Psalms 75:6-7 “This I know: the favor that brings promotion and power doesn't come from anywhere on earth, for no one exalts a person but God, the true judge of all. He alone determines where favor rests. He anoints one for greatness and brings another down to his knees.”
Jephthah's plight parallels the plight of many in America. Everyone seems to keep statistics on every race, creed and color. People are never allowed to forget that the odds against them. There are statistics on crime, the number in prison, the number in College, the number who abandoned their families, the number murdered, the number on drugs, the number dying from diseases and the list go on.
Jephthah's was in a position of failure and hopelessness. He lacked self-esteem, he had little self-worth. Sometimes, we can be down so long that we may lose sight on who we really are. Sometimes we may feel like our day is never going to come because you were not the first choice, you may see many chosen before us who are less qualified. You see people who you have blessed, become our enemy and try to curse you. Now, you feel that you have been left out so long that you feel forgotten. You have been left to yourself and like Jephthah, you find yourself in a strange place surrounded by strange people doing strange things. It happened to the prodigal son in a far country; It happened to David while living among the Philistines in Gath.
The good news of this text is, rejection does not have the final say. God will bring you home again, your day will come even If God allows a crisis and give you the only solution. God can cause your chief enemies to realize your true value. God knows how to reach way down and pick you up. Psalms 40:2, David Said, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings.”
Jephthah was not alone in being thrust out. Joseph, Moses, David and many others were pushed down and cast out, but they were not alone. Joseph was sold by brethren, imprisoned by his owner, but he was promoted by Pharoah. Moses was rejected by his brethren, pursued by Pharaoh but was promoted by God in front of a burning bush. David was rejected by the King he served and was denied the throne for 20 years. Yet in a single day, God promoted him to the throne of Israel. But if God could bring Joseph from the prison to the palace; If God could bring Moses from Midian to The Promised Land; If God could bring David from the Cave of Adullam to the throne in Hebron; If God could bring Jephthah from being a gangster in the land of Tob to being the Governor in Gilead, your day will come. Although Jephthah had many disadvantages as a son of a harlot, a vagabond, no inheritance, his dreams had been suppressed but his character sustains him. Jephthah was a God-fearing man, with a high sense of justice and fair play. He was a man of his word. He realized that he had great potential and potential for greatness. He recognized a golden opportunity when he saw one. Everyone else saw only problems, he saw opportunities. He recognized that it was time for a change. He had been living a lawless lifestyle, breaking all the rules, being unruly, misbehaving and he could not change the past. He could create a new future, a new path forward.
Jesus is the best example for overcoming the pitfalls of rejection. Isaiah 53:3 says, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Rejection was a part of His journey, but it was not His destination. Jesus offering the gift of salvation and eternal life to all who will believe. All are free to accept or reject Him. When people reject the Lord’s offer, they join the crucifying crowd and reject the only way, truth and life. Men reject him when they do not accept or keep his commandments. Yet, God so loves the world that He always deals mercifully and gracious with us, in spite of how often we reject him. God never fell into a pitfall of rejection; although, he was and still is rejected more than anyone. He still calls out whosoever will let him come. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give rest!” Rejection is not your destination. In Christ, you can find your identity, discover your true value, and embrace your new opportunities.
I know people are waiting for the results of the general election. Many are placing their hope in the election results. The winners will be celebrated, and the losers will feel like rejects. Yet Psalms 75:6-7, reminds “This I know: the favor that brings promotion and power doesn't come from anywhere on earth, for no one exalts a person but God, the true judge of all. He alone determines where favor rests. He anoints one for greatness and brings another down to his knees.”
Just know, we must trust the Lord, who is our shepherd and guide. Our security is in Him. Amen.
