Statement of Intent
I will explain the story of Jephthah's life according to the account in the eleventh chapter of Judges. Due to circumstances beyond his control, Jephthah was an outcast. However, God used Jephthah. Additionally, I will show how vows made to God should be taken seriously. We should communicate with God through prayer. The prayer of a wise man has powerful results, but wise men think before they speak.
JEPHTHAH (Jehf' thuh) Personal name meaning, "he will open." One of Israel's judges about 1100 B.C. (Judg. 11:1-12:7). A Gileadite, he was driven from his home because he was "the son of an harlot" (Judg. 11:1). He lived and raided in the land of Tob with a band of outlaws, becoming known as a "mighty warrior." When the Ammonites moved against Israel, Jephthah's people asked him to return and lead them. His victory over the Ammonites came about because of a vow he made to offer as a burnt offering the first living thing he saw upon his return from the battle. Although it was his daughter who greeted him, Jephthah did fulfill his vow. Considered as one of Yahweh's "chief" deliverers of his people (1 Sam. 12:11), Jephthah is hailed by the author of Hebrews as a hero of faith (Heb. 11:32).
JEPHTHAE (Jehf' thee) KJV transliteration of Greek for Jephthah (Heb. 11:32).
Chronological Summary
I. His Career
A. The Despised Child
1. He was raised up in Gilead, the land east of the Jordan River (Judg. 11:1).
2. His mother was a prostitute (Judg. 11:1).
3. He was driven from his home by his own half brothers because of his harlot mother (Judg. 11:2).
B. The Successful Soldier
1. He settled in the land of Tob (located in northeast Syria), where he gathered a group of mercenary troops (Judg. 11:3).
2. The elders of Gilead later looked to Jephthah for help when their land was threatened by the Ammonites (Judg. 11:4-5).
3. Jephthah was at first reluctant, remembering past injustices, but then, upon being promised to become head of the Gileadites, agreed to fight the Ammonites (Judg. 11:6-10).
4. His treaty with the elders was ratified during a ceremony in Mizpeh (Judg. 11:11).
5. On assuming command, Jephthah attempted to come to terms with the enemy by peaceful means (Judg. 11:12).
6. The Ammonites responded by claiming Joshua had stolen the land in question during his march to Canaan (Judg. 11:13).
7. Jephthah attempted to show them that historically this was not the case. To the contrary, Israel had peacefully occupied the land for the past 300 years and their settlements had never been disputed (Judg. 11:14-27).
8. However, the Ammonites refused to listen and Jephthah prepared to attack (Judg. 11:28-29).
II. His Costly Vow
A. The Holy Spirit now came upon Jephthah (Judg. 11:29).
B. On the eve of battle, he made a rash vow promising that if God gave him the victory, upon his return to Mizpeh he would offer up the first thing that came out of his door as a burnt sacrifice (Judg. 11:30-31).
III. His Victory--Jephthah defeated the enemy.
A. 20 towns were devastated (Judg. 11:32-33).
IV. His Vexation
A. The Agony
1. Upon his return, the first person to greet him was his only daughter (Judg. 11:34).
2. The heartbroken Jephthah determined to keep his vow regardless (Judg. 11:35).
B. The Agreement
1. The daughter agreed, but requested two months to lament her virginity (Judg. 11:36-38).
2. After this period she returned and Jephthah fulfilled his vow (Judg. 11:39).
C. The Annual Event--This event instigated a special yearly four-day commemoration by the young women of Israel to the memory of Jephthah's daughter (Judg. 11:39-40).
Theological Summary
I. Samuel used Jephthah as an example of God's power to deliver (1 Sam. 12:11).
II. Hebrews refers to his faith (Heb. 11:32).
Statistics
Mother: Unnamed prostitute (Judg. 11:1)
Daughter: Unnamed virgin daughter (Judg. 11:34, 37)
First mention: Judges 11:1
Final mention: Hebrews 11:32
Meaning of his name: "Opposer"
Frequency of his name: Referred to 28 times
Biblical books mentioning him: Three books (Judges, 1 Samuel, Hebrews)
Occupation: Professional soldier (Judg. 11:3-11)
Important fact about his life: He made a rash vow which he later bitterly regretted (Judg. 11:30-40).
Jephthah, an illegitimate son of Gilead, was chased out of the country by his half brothers. He suffered as a result of another's decision and not for any wrong he had done. Yet in spite of his brothers' rejection, God used him. If you are suffering from unfair rejection, don't blame others and become discouraged. Remember how God used Jephthah despite his unjust circumstances, and realize that He is able to use you as well. Jephthah's response in verse 27 indicates that he trusted God and had faith. Even though our circumstances can get us down, don't lose faith in God. Remain faithful and God will use you.
Circumstances beyond his control forced Jephthah away from his people and into life as an outcast. Today, both believers and nonbelievers may drive away those who do not fit the norms dictated by our society, neighborhoods, or churches. Often, as in Jephthah's case, great potential is wasted because of prejudice--a refusal to look beyond ill-conceived stereotypes. Look around you to see if there are potential Jephthahs being kept out due to factors beyond their control. As a Christian you know that everyone can have a place in God's family. Is there anything you can do to help these people gain acceptance for their character and abilities?
Remember that Jesus did not come to heal the well or seek the saved. He came to heal the hurting and seek who was lost. He was drawn to the outcasts. Jesus wanted to teach the people that would listen, regardless of their socioeconomic status, reputation, skin color or family heritage.
How many times have you given up on someone who didn't fit your concept of a Christian? God doesn't give up on anyone. We should follow His model. Take a liberal man like Dennis Rodman. He has tatoos, body piercings and colored hair. He's posed as a naked model. Imagine if God saved Him. He could be a powerful witness for Jesus Christ to this lost world. Keep the seemingly hopeless people in prayer. God can do anything.
Matthew 9:12-13 "But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Matthew 18:14 "Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."
Jephthah sent a dispatch to the king of Ammon wanting to know why the Israelites in
the land of Gilead were being attached (11:12). The king replied that Israel had stolen this land and he wanted it back (11:13).
Jepthath's first move was to talk. In the war with the Ammonites, his strategy was negotiation. He clarified the issues so that everyone knew the cause of the conflict. His opponent's response determined his next action. This is a good way to handle any conflict. When we take time to explain our thoughts and feelings, we can avoid unnecessary conflicts. Poor communication has been linked to the rise in divorce, mistakes made in the workplace, and several other unnecessary setbacks.
Jephthah sent another message o the king (11:14-27). In it he gave three arguments against the king's claim: (1) Gilead was never the king's land in the first place (11:16-22) because Israel took it from the Amorites, not the Ammonites; (2) God gave Israel this land--it was part of His purpose (11:23-25); (3) no one had contested Israel's ownership of the land since its conquest 300 years earlier (11:26).
To Jephthah's credit, he tried to solve the problem without bloodshed. But the king of Ammon ignored his message and prepared his troops for battle.
Over the years, Israel had many judges to lead them. But Jephthah recognized God as the people's true Judge, the only One who could really led them and help them conquer the invading enemies.
The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah as he did with many of the Old Testament judges, kings, and prophets. Generally when the Spirit came upon a person in the Old Testament, it referred to a special empowering of the Holy Spirit for a specific task or mission. It wasn't until Pentecost (Acts 2) that God sent the Holy Spirit to live permanently in the lives of all those who believe in Jesus Christ.
In God's law, a vow was a promise to God that should not be broken. It carried as much force as a written contract. Many people made vows in biblical times. Some, like Jephthah's, were very foolish.
Numbers 30:1, 2 "And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded. If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth."
Jephthah made a rash vow to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house. We can learn several things from this. In the heat of emotion or personal turmoil it is easier to make foolish promises to God. These promises may sound very spiritual when we make them, but they may produce only guilt and frustration when we are forced to fulfill them. Making spiritual "deals" only brings disappointment. God does not want empty promises for the future, but obedience for today. If we ever make a promise to God, we better keep it. God does not forget, and He takes promises seriously.
As for the daughter and her obedience, she did what Jephthah wanted. It is always good to obey God. Even if it costs us our life, we should obey the one who knows more than we do and created us for His perfect purpose. If we have salvation through Jesus Christ, we cannot lose our eternal life. Death cannot separate us from Him and an eternal existence in Heaven. It is better to die on earth and live in Heaven, than to disobey God and live on earth.
A saying goes, "We don't get what we deserve, we get what we negotiate." Before her sacrificial death, Jephthah's daughter negotiated with him and received two months with her girl friends. In James 4:2b and 3 it reads, "You have not because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." I am amazed by how much I've been given. A preacher came to my church over a year ago. He asked us to pray a certain prayer for 30 days. It goes like this, "Bless me, increase my ministry, lay Your hand on me and keep me from evil." I prayed this for a month. During this time, my ministry increased. I was invited to preach a weekly message at a recovery home called Christianity In Action. This was a blessing! Soon after I began preaching, I made thousands of gospel tracts. I handed these out to vendors and put them on cars. I also gave them to the people at C.I.A. and they handed them out. I was blessed by God through my parents. They gave me hundreds of dollars ($100 a week) and paid for my rent, car and college tuition. God empowered me. I learned songs to play on the guitar. I preached better and better. I do not know all of the ways I was kept from evil, but I did not fall into repetitious sin. I was tempted and resisted with God's help. This prayer was so effective that I have continued to pray it for over a year. God has given me so much, I cannot list everything. There is nothing magical about the words of this prayer. But when you pray with a sincere heart, God will answer.
A person's background does not prevent God from working powerfully in his or her life. In the Old and New Testaments, people have committed great sins, but went on to do great works for God. Moses killed a man, but wrote several books of the Old Testament and did several miracles. David sinned greatly, but wrote the Psalms and was a man after God's own heart. Paul persecuted Christians, but was converted on the road to Damascus. He then wrote numerous letters to the early churches. His writings compose a large portion of the New Testament. When God looks at a person, He sees their potential for service, not merely their past or current situation. We should do the same.
Bibliography
A Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 2 "Joshua to Esther," by Matthew Henry, World Bible Publishers, Iowa Falls, Iowa.
Eerdman's Handbook to the Bible, by David and Pat Alexander, Oxford, England, 1983.
Holman Bible Dictionary, Parsons Technology, 1992-1996.
The Life Application Bible, Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois, 1988.
PC Bible Atlas for Windows, Parsons Technology, 1993.
Quick Verse for Windows, Version 4.0, Parsons Technology, KJV and NIV Bibles, Matthew Henry Commentary, Strong's Concordance, 1992-1996.
Wilmington's Complete Guide to Old Testament People, Parsons Technology, 1992-1996.
