November 08, 2025
Last week we witnessed as Israel sank further and further into the spin.
Through Yahweh’s power, Gideon had successfully banished the Midianite army. He declined the offer of kingship, but he made and set-up an Ephod. The people worshipped this idol and it became a snare to his family.
As the spin deepened, Israel began to turn on itself - briefly experimenting with kingship, only to see it fail in open revolt and war 3 years later.
Yet, Israel was at peace for 40 years – as long as Gideon lived.
That brings us to Tola “worm” (10:1-2)
Tola was of the tribe of Issachar, but he lived in the hill country of Ephraim. He rose up to save Israel and led them for 23 years. He died and was buried at Shamir
Next up Jair “may God enlighten” (10:3-5)
Jair lived on the east side of the Jordan – in Gilead. He led Israel for 22 years. He had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys and controlled 30 towns in Gilead. He died and was buried at Kamon.
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Judges 10:6 - Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines….
So, not only was Israel worshipping “the Baal and the Ashtoreths” they expanded their worship to include:
• Hadad (god of storms, rain and fertility) – chief baal “lord” of Aram, whose worship included fertility rites, male and female temple prostitutes and bestiality.
• Eshmun (god of healing) – chief god of Sidon
• Chemosh (god of war and destruction) – chief god of Moab whose, worship included human sacrifice
• Moloch/Milcom (god of war, fertility and the afterlife) – chief god of Ammon, whose worship included child sacrifice
• Dagon (god of grain, agriculture and fertility) – Chief god of the Philistines
Israel seemed to be incapable of learning from their past troubles and now 2 nations will come against them at the same time – the Philistines and Ammonites.
That year the Ammonites shattered and crushed the people on the east side of the Jordan and oppressed them for 18 years. They also crossed the Jordan and fought against Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim.
The people cried, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals."
Yahweh replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites (Midianites) oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!"
The Israelites responded, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now."
Then the people got rid of their idols and Served Yahweh and he could bear their misery no longer.
When the Ammonite army camped at Gilead, the Israelites assembled at Mizpah.
The Israelite leaders said, "Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all those living in Gilead."
That brings us to Jephthah “he opens or to open” (10:6-12:7)
Tribe: “the land of Gilead” (east of the Jordan River – either Gad or Manasseh)
Enemies: Ammonites, Ephraimites (18 years of oppression)
Jephthah’s father was Gilead, his mother, a prostitute.
Jephthah’s father was also married and had sons by his wife. After the father died, the sons kicked Jephthah out of the family, claiming he had no right to any inheritance because he was the son of a woman other than their mother.
He fled to the land of Tob (southern Syria) where he became a mighty warrior and gathered around himself a group of “adventurers.”
Sometime later, the Ammonites made war on Israel and the elders of Gilead hurried off to Tob to find Jephthah.
Elders: Come and be our commander so we can fight against the Ammonites.
Jephthah: You shunned me and drove me out from my father’s house. Yet, now that you’re in trouble you want my help?
Elders: Let’s not dwell on the past ---- we’re here now. Help us fight the Ammonites and we will make you leader of all who live in Gilead.
Jephthah: Let me get this straight…. If I fight the Ammonites, and Yahweh gives me the victory, you’ll make me your leader?
Elders: Correct.
Jephthah first tried diplomacy – he was the ONLY judge to do so. He sent a message to the king of the Ammonites:
“What issue do you have with me that would cause you to make war against my land?”
The Ammonite king replied: “Israel took my land when they came up from Egypt. I want it back. Restore it peacefully & nobody gets hurt.”
After a significant history lesson, Jephthah concluded the diplomacy phase of this story with these words: “I have not sinned against you. You are the one who is doing wrong by making war against me. Let Yahweh, the Judge settle the dispute between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
The Ammonite king paid no attention to Jephthah’s message. He chose conflict over peace.
Up to this point, the story is all too familiar. Definitely a “been there, done that” moment, but then the story takes a unexpected turn. Jephthah did something none of the other “Judges” did – he made a vow to God:
Judges 11:30-31- …. “If indeed you will give the Ammonites into my hand, whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from the Ammonites will be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it as a burnt offering.”
Right away, this feels to me like Jephthah is mixing the worship of God with the worship of the gods of other nations. Because none of the sacrifices in the Levitical system were meant to be used as a bargaining chip – “If you do this then I’ll do that,” which is what Jephthah was doing.
In the Levitical System, The Burnt Offering reflected the worshipper’s acknowledgement of God’s holiness and was a means of expressing worship, gratitude and atonement for sin.
There were a couple of important rules regarding Burnt Offerings:
The offering was voluntary
The offering had to be made at the Tabernacle
The offering had to be male.
The worshipper laid his hands on the head of the animal and it became a substitute onto which the sinfulness of the worshipper was transferred.
The offering was entirely consumed by fire symbolizing total surrender and complete dedication to God.
Jephthah went to fight the Ammonites and Yahweh gave them into his hands.
We now come to the “Elephant in the Room.” That part of Jephthah’s story that makes us exceedingly uncomfortable.
…. When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, who should be the first one to meet him? The dog? Nope. The cat? Ah-ah. His favorite goat? You wish. Out the door came Jephthah’s daughter with tambourines and dancing – she was his only child.
The moment he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Ah! My daughter, you have caused me to bow down, and you have become my trouble. I made an oath to Yahweh, and I cannot take it back.”
There is an important caveat in this story. God did not ask for a sacrifice be it animal or human. Jephthah vowed to sacrifice the 1st things that came out the door – as a bribe to ensure his own safety – but the question remains – would God have accepted human sacrifice?
On one hand, God takes vow making very seriously:
Deuteronomy 23:21 - If you make a vow to Yahweh your God, do not be slow to pay it, for Yahweh your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.
On the other hand, He hates human sacrifice – He destroyed entire nations because they did that very thing:
Deuteronomy 12:29–31 - When Yahweh your God has cut off the nations whom you are about to go to, to dispossess them before you, and you have dispossessed them, and you live in their land, 30 take care so that you are not ensnared into imitating them after their being destroyed from before you, and so that you not enquire concerning their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods, and thus I myself want to do also.’ 31 You must not do so toward Yahweh your God, because of every detestable thing they have done for their gods Yahweh hates, for even their sons and their daughters they would burn in the fire to their gods.
Including the Ammonites, whom Jephthah had just defeated.
So, we have a problem. One that continues to be debated amongst biblical scholars – did he or didn’t he?
There are 2 major positions:
He literally sacrificed her.
He dedicated her to the life-long service of Yahweh in the Sanctuary.
For better or for worse, here is my position……
I don’t think Jephthah sacrificed his daughter as a literal burnt offering, but that she went into the service of God for the remainder of her life.
1st – Jephthah is not condemned for what he did.
Judges repeatedly provides details of the sins of Israel and the consequences they experienced. Even the Judges were not immune to such critique (8:24-27 and 6:20). You would think that child sacrifice, which God has said he hates, would call for the strongest condemnation, but the Bible is silent and the story is never mentioned again.
2nd – Jephthah is accorded a place of honor in both 1st Samuel 12:11 and Hebrews 11:32-34
Do we really think that God would destroy nations, including Ammon, because of child-sacrifice and then include someone who did the exact same thing - in His name - amongst the Heroes of Faith in Hebrews 11?
NOT. A. CHANCE.
3rd – One of the points scripture makes is that his daughter went into the hill country for 2 months to mourn her virginity or that she would never marry – not that her short life was about to come to an unexpected end.
Scripture also tells us that after Jephthah fulfilled his vow, she had no relations with a man – she remained a virgin. This fact would be irrelevant had he taken her life.
Either position is speculation, depending on how one chooses to interpret the information and so the question mark remains. One thing is certain however, it is a cautionary tale of the dangers of making rash promises:
Proverbs 20:25 - It is dangerous to make a rash promise to God before counting the cost.
The story of Jephthah does not end just yet.
The men of Ephraim showed up on Jephthah’s door. In the story of Gideon, they were merely upset that Gideon had not called them to join in the fight against the Midianites. Now, they are so angry that Jephthah had not called them to fight the Ammonites that they threaten to burn his house down around his ears.
Jephthah answered, "I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn't save me out of their hands. When I saw that you wouldn't help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and Yahweh gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come to fight me?"
And the Gileadites fought against the Ephraimites – 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.
Jephthah led Israel 6 years. He died and was buried in a town in Gilead.
The next 3 Judges receive little attention and no details are given regarding their leadership or the state of the nation during this time.
First up, Ibzan “illustrious or splendid”
Ibzan was from Bethlehem (either in Judah - not mentioned in Joshua 15 or Zebulun – Joshua 19:1-15). He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He gave his daughters in marriage to men outside his clan and brought 30 young women from outside his clan to marry his sons. He led Israel for 7 years. He died and was buried in Bethlehem.
Next up, Elon “oak tree”
Elon was from the tribe of Zebulun and he led Israel for 10 years. He died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
Finally, Abdon “to work or to serv”
Abdon was from Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. He led Israel for 8 years. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons, who rode on 70 donkeys. He died and was buried at Pirathon.
Until Next Time…………..
