Judges

Judges 11:1-3

We are left with idea that God was both unhappy with Israel but also moved by their misery.  God spoke to them when they cried out to Him, but now He seems silent.  Jephthah steps on the scene.  We are left to wonder is this man God's deliverer?  A chosen one?  Did God choose to remain quiet in their deliverance as a test to see if they would glorify Him and be thankful to Him?

Jephthah was an outcast.  He was the illegitimate son cast out from the family by the legitimate sons.  They would not share his inheritance with him, he was undeserving.  Jephthah was no mighty warrior in their eyes prior to these events.  He was a fighter though.  He fought to survive and knew what it was like for his own people to turn their back on him.  God knew the spiritual harlotry of the people.  Jephthah was treated with the same arrogance born of idolatry. 

Jephthah fled from his family and lived in Tob, west of Gilead.  There he became the leader of a gang of thugs, others cast out of society.  The 'worthless' is that society saw them as having no value; and maybe they believed that about themselves.  These are the empty, corrupt and morally reprehensible.  They would adopt the values of the one who offered the most.  They would follow the one who gives them purpose.  This is the same description of the men hired by Abimelech to assassinate Gideon's sons.  As leader of these men, we can see Jephthah's character.  He led these men on raids.

Judges 11:4-11

The Ammonite oppression continued.  They came against Israel and they suffered even more.  God's words must have rung in their ears, "I will deliver you no more.  Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress."  The elders of Gilead knew they needed help.  The pain of oppression must have overcome their pride.  They went to Jephthah to ask for help. 

The elders of Gilead were desperate for leadership.  They came and sought out Jephthah as someone to lead them.  I wonder if they were just looking for someone crazy enough or dumb enough to put in the front to lead a nation that was beat down by oppression.  Courage of conviction and bravery often looks like insanity to those in fear or under oppression.  The elders of Gilead were desperate for someone to do the heavy lifting so they wouldn't have to.  

Jephthah was the help they had cast out, the warrior they needed, the deliverer they longed for.  This is the greatest indication this man was God's chosen because he stood in a similar place as the Lord.  God had brought them low to break their pride and sincerely seek the deliverer.  However, if they sought for hope in Jephthah apart from God, he would also become an idol.

The elders of Gilead are shown that they are their own worst enemy, in arrogance, distancing themselves from those who could save them.  They were offering another chance.  A chance for him to work for them, submit to them and rule over the people as their military leader.  They needed Jephthah, he had no need of them.  This is exactly how they treated God.  They allowed Him to serve them at their will instead of serving Him and making Him Lord of all.  In verse nine Jephthah offered his terms.  If he went to fight for them and the Lord delivered them, he would be their head, their leader.  He would become a king. 

The elders of Gilead enter a formal covenant agreement with Jephthah.  Beware of men who use the Lord's name for business but give the Lord no place in their business.  This covenant is an agreement between questionable men.  The 'worthless' who don't honor moral obligations or civil law entering into agreement with leaders who don't honor covenant and don't lead.  In spite of all that, Jephthah was installed as the commander over them.

Judges 11:12-22

Jephthah did not assume war was imminent.  He opened talks of diplomacy in an attempt to avert war.  The right to possession of the land was the question.  These disputes were not resolved by determining who was there first, but that their presence was determined by God.  If both concluded their deity gave them thee land, then war would determine who's god was greater. 

The king of Ammon wrongly proclaimed that Israel took the land when God brought them from Egypt.  This is fake news, revised history and Jephthah shows his knowledge of those things by setting the record straight (see Joshua 13:8-10).  This land was the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites.  If Ammon ever had possession, it was prior to the Amorites.  Yahweh had taken the land from the Amorites and given it to Israel.  This happened when the Amorites attacked Israel as Moses led them to the Promised Land. 

Judges 11:23-28

Jephthah gave credit to God for His work in providing the land for Israel.  Then in verse 24 he makes a statement that bothers many because they feel he legitimized Chemosh.  There are two things to consider.

1. Jephthah was saying, we are doing no more than what you are doing.
   1. He may have been pointing out that their god had not given them anything.  Their god was deaf, dumb and mute.  Their god was no god at all.
2. He wasn't legitimizing their god because their god was Molech; Chemosh was the most recognized God of Ammon.
   1. This may have been a mistake or deliberate insult.
   2. At one time, the Ammonites possessed parts of Moab, possibly taking Chemosh as another god in their divine repertoire. 

Jephthah likens the Ammonite leader to Balak the Moabite king who sought to curse Israel through Balaam (Numbers 22).  Every attempt brought a new blessing from God.  Finally, Jephthah asked them why they had not attempted to reclaim the land previously?  Why now?  It has been a long time. 

Jephthah brings his argument to conclusion in verse 27.  He had presented his case. 

• The facts of history
• The land was granted by the Lord
• They had 3 centuries of occupation
• They were fighting against God.

Israel had not wronged Ammon but Ammon, in their fight against Israel were wrong.  He called upon Yahweh to establish who was right by judging between the nations.  This may have made a few Israelites uncomfortable when they knew Yahweh was angry with them for their idolatry.

Judges 11:29-33

Negotiations had failed.  The Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah.  This shows that God was in this battle.  God was using Jephthah.  In the Spirit of the Lord Jephthah passed through these lands to war with their oppressor. 

Then Jephthah did the most confusing thing.  He made a vow.  All indications are that he had a human sacrifice in mind.  Some think he was talking about animals because they lived in the house with people.  But animals didn't come out the door to meet a military hero.  Whatever came out the door, he offered as a burnt offering to the Lord.

The Spirit of the Lord had already come on Jephthah.  The Lord did not ask for any sacrifice.  A victory could not be purchased from God by a sacrifice.  This may have been spurred by fear and brief lack of faith.  Self-preservation makes us do goofy stuff at times.

The battle was fought and Ammon was defeated with little detail given over the battle.  There were twenty cities involved.  It was a widespread slaughter of Ammon; a referendum victory of Yahweh over any other god.

Judges 11:34-35

Jephthah returned home and his daughter ran out to meet him.  Vows were serious business.  But at no time has God requested a human sacrifice; he only requests human loyalty and belief.  He asks us to die of self.  What an awful moment.  She was celebrating, he was tearing his clothes in grief.  He had delivered Israel by God's hand, but in his foolishness and faithlessness he brought himself to unbearable grief.  And it is made worse by not relenting.

1. He assumed keeping this foolish vow is more important than the life of his daughter.
2. He assumed God required him to keep such a vow.  He didn't inquire of God.
3. If the Ammonites threatened his child, would he not fight to the death?  As he had become a threat, why had he not offered himself in place of his child. 
4. This is further proof of the damage done by the sin of apostasy. 

How foolish Jephthah's vow was.  How could he do such a thing.  

Judges 11:36-40

His daughter did not resist him but acknowledged the vow and went willingly (very Christlike).  He acknowledgement that his word was important, we can hear a similarity with Christ in "not my will but Thy will be done."  She asked for time to mourn; she would never be married and have children. 

She returned and Jephthah carried out the vow.  His mourning and tearing his clothes, along with her 2 months of mourning aren't consistent with thinking she was going off to serve at the tabernacle.  There is no biblical evidence of a woman ever taking a vow of celibacy and serving at the tabernacle.  The scripture spares us the horror of how this was done, further leading us to believe he did this awful thing. 

A custom was adopted to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah by mourning for four days every year.  If they did this, the remembrance would far exceed their ability to remember all the Lord had done for them. 

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What can we say about this man?

1. While Jephthah was cancelled by his people, God had not disqualified him.
   1. He was Christlike in his rejection by his brothers. 
2. Jephthah is listed in Hebrews Hall of fame (Hebrews 11:32) between Samson and David. 
3. Jephthah was a spiritual man, though flawed, used by God. 
4. Israel had acted in harlotry toward the Lord; the Lord delivered them by the son of a prophet.
5. He sold his daughter for a victory God that had already granted for a people that despised and rejected him.  They used him only for their benefit. 

God had made a similar vow to benefit a people who warred against Him, hated Him and used Him only for the good things He might give them.  He would send His son and allow Him to become a sacrifice on their behalf.  He was rejected by His brothers, like Jephthah.  They yelled, "Crucify Him!" and He was, in love, for them.  He was raised again in three days, overcoming sin and death, in love, for them.   For you and I.

Sin is ugly, it is serious and it leads to death and destruction.  As awful as this is, the cycle of apostasy will continue.  As brutal and awful as the crucifixion of Jesus was, we still sin.  This is the nature and plight of mankind we need delivered from.

© 2015, 2022 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater