READ: Judges
10 & 11
Judges 10 gives us the vague history of two minor
judges and then launches into a depressing description of Israel’s continued
apostasy. The nation has forsaken the Lord and turned to a host of other gods.
This is really bad – not only have the people adopted the major Canaanite gods,
but they have embraced the gods of every nation they’ve come into contact with!
From time to time we read that Israel “whored after” other gods – the word
gives a gross but accurate depiction of Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord.
They had entered into a covenant with
Yahweh – He was to be their God, they were to be His people – but like an
unfaithful spouse, they prostituted their hearts to other gods who were not
worthy of their affection. Verses 10-16 teach us something about repentance: it
is not enough to confess our sin to the Lord – to admit that we are doing wrong; God wants that we would make effort
to turn away from our sin! Israel admitted their sin but did nothing to
turn from it (v 10) and received a solid rebuke from the Lord. Only once they
“put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord” (v 16) did God “become
impatient with the misery of Israel”. We are shown the incredible
long-suffering love and faithfulness of the Lord, who desires all people to
come to Him for salvation.
Israel is under the hand of the Ammonites and the
Philistines, and in chapter 11 the Ammonites encamp at Gilead to fight against
the Israelites there. The Gileadites call for their half-brother, Jephthah, to
come and fight against the enemy. If he does this, they say, they will make him
their leader. Until now, God has always been the One to raise up a deliverer
for Israel, but this is the first time that we see the people themselves
choosing a judge from among them – another sign of how far they have walked
from the Lord. Jephthah’s story is a controversial one, the thought that he
actually fulfilled his vow being very hard to swallow. There are different
views on the matter: some believe that Jephthah did not literally sacrifice his
daughter, knowing that child sacrifice was an abomination to God (Le 20:2; Dt
12:31); rather, she was being offered for permanent religious duty, never to
marry and never to have children. This would have been terribly tragic for Jephthah,
as his daughter was his only child and his only hope of future descendants. But
many believe that the clearest conclusion of the text is that Jephthah did
indeed sacrifice his daughter as a burnt offering. Considering the spiritual
condition of Israel, it would not be shocking to believe that he committed such
an act, though if he did, the offering was entirely unacceptable to the Lord who considered such acts an abomination
(remember – Judges is descriptive but
not prescriptive). Either way, Jephthah
was foolish to make such a rash vow. It is unnecessary and unwise to make deals
with the Lord. He is sovereign and trustworthy and we do not need to negotiate a
trade with Him. What God desires is our obedience.
Jephthah is most remembered throughout history for
his rash vow, yet Scripture remembers Him for another reason. Hebrews 11 is
what is known as the “Hall of Faith”, listing the names of men and women
throughout biblical history who portrayed strong faith. Jephthah’s name is
among them, listed in Hebrews 11:32-34: “And
what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about
Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and
Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered
kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the
mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the
edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became
powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.” Though Jephthah was not
entirely to be admired for his actions, he evidentially was a man of great
faith, and this is a quality we can admire.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. It’s easy to make quick commitments only to find
out later that you really don’t want to, or don’t even plan to, follow through.
Whether the commitment is to God or to man, broken or rash commitments show a
lack of integrity. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart for rash
commitments or ways that you have not followed through on your word. Jephthah
would have done well to consult God before sacrificing his daughter! Spend some
time asking God what He wants you to do in light of what He has revealed to
you.
2. With Hebrews 11:32-34 in mind, glance over
Jephthah’s story again, looking for examples of his faith. What do you notice?
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you a situation in
which you need greater faith. What will this require? What will you need to set
aside so that you can depend fully on God? Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the
power to obey any steps God gives you by stepping out in faith, even if you feel
weak.
