Read Judges
10-11 & Luke
9:1-36
To discover:
As you read consider what should be commended and critiqued
about Jephthah.
To ponder:
God uses Tola and then Jair to lead Israel.
The prosperity and peace Jair’s sons enjoyed in ruling the “Gilead” region is
noted to contrast the illegitimacy and poverty of Jephthah (11v1-2) as the one God
chose to lead. This patterns his choice of Jesus, who was also born in shame
and poverty. God does things his way, and salvation comes by the equipping of
his Spirit not by human privilege.
As Israel
“again” turn from the LORD, their idolatry broadens to include not just the
Baals and Ashtoreths, but the gods of the surrounding nations. Again then, God
sells them into the hands of their enemies – and on both sides of the Jordan.
And again, they “cry out” to him. But this time God refuses to save, urging
them to seek salvation from the gods they have “chosen.” It reminds us that we
cannot presume God’s deliverance from the enticements of this world, if we
choose to give ourselves to them. However, Israel
persist in their pleas until God “could bear Israel’s
misery no longer.” We can be sure then, he takes no pleasure in his judgement
or discipline.
Jephthah
the “Gileadite” is already known as a “mighty warrior,” around whom a “group of
adventurers” have gathered. So when the Ammonites make war on Israel
and camp in Gilead, it is no surprise the elders ask him
to command them. However his mother was a prostitute, so his brothers had
driven him away so he wouldn’t share in their inheritance. Jephthah
understandably points this out. And it warns us against rejecting the Lord’s
anointed, as we will one day need him to deliver us.
The elders
promise Jephthah will be “head” which is repeated twice with appeal to God as
witness and then in his presence (11v10-11). Jephthah then dialogues with the
Ammonite king. The land in question had once been Moab’s,
before being lost to the Amorites and then to Israel.
It seems the Ammonites had now taken Moab
and so laid claim to their old lands too. Jephthah points out Israel
have taken nothing from the Ammonites, and because God had given this
particular land to Israel
the Ammonites have no right to take it. Indeed, the king of Moab
didn’t oppose Israel
when she first took the land, nor have the Ammonites for the past 300 years Israel
have occupied them (the time since Joshua). So the Ammonites should take what
their god gives them, not what the LORD has given Israel.
This suggests the contest is between these two gods. And Jephthah is in no
doubt who is the true God, ending: “Let the LORD, the judge (or ruler), decide
the dispute this day.” It is because the LORD has decided we are to receive our
inheritance that it is so certain.
Of course
the Ammonites paid no attention, and as with other judges, “the Spirit of the
LORD came upon Jephthah,” and he advanced. Yet, although his speech displayed
leadership skill appropriate to rule Israel,
he immediately showed himself a sinner. Rather than simply trust God, he made a
hasty vow to broach a deal with him. And when the LORD gave the enemy into his
hands, this was forfeit. The vow many not have entailed Jephthah sacrificing
his delightful and only daughter (11v34), but dedicating her to a life serving
the LORD (Lev 27v1-2). This makes the daughter’s submission to the vow commendable
– and perhaps Jephthah’s too. It also explains the threefold emphasis on her never
marrying, meaning Jephthah would have no descendent to inherit (11v37-39). The
lesson is that God does not need persuasion or coercion to act, just faith.
Indeed, bargaining with him may lead to unfortunate consequences.
Praying it home:
Praise God that he has compassion even amidst his judgement
and discipline. Pray that we would simply trust him and never presume to
bargain with him.
Thinking further: Jephthah’s vow
The NIV reads 11v31 as a foolish vow from Jephthah that
“whatever comes out of my door will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice
it as a burnt offering.” However, this could read “whatever comes out of my
door will be the LORD’s, or I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” So
if it was an animal that was appropriate as an offering, it would be sacrificed,
but if not, whatever appeared would be given to God’s service. Commentators
differ on this, but in my view a number of factors favour the second
interpretation: First, this reflects the two possibilities of Leviticus 27v1-13
– the vow that dedicates a person to the LORD (Lev 27v1-8), or the vowing of an
animal to be sacrificed or given to God’s service (Lev 27v9-13). Jephthah is
certainly using this “vow” terminology. Second, this gives better explanation
of the threefold stress on his daughter being a virgin (11v37-39). This would
be odd if she was just being killed, but not if she was being given to a life
in which she could never marry. Indeed, if she is about to be sacrificed, why
is she not lamenting her coming death? Third, the idea of “dedication” to the
LORD is a big theme in the coming events (13v5-7, 17v3,1 Sam 1v22). Fourth,
Gideon’s sins were condemned (8v27), so one would expect the writer to do the
same with such a serious sin as child sacrifice in Jephthah (Deut 18v10). Fifth,
child sacrifice warranted the death penalty (Lev 20v2), so it is hard to
explain why God instead has Jephthah lead Israel.
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