19. Jephthah’s Faith

Hymns: RHC 441 Faith Is the Victory, 450 To the Work!, 401 Yield Not to Temptation

 Hebrews 11:32d (KJV)

 ³²  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Jephthah …

 Jephthah’s Faith

OUTLINE

(1) Put God’s Work Before Self

 

INTRODUCTION

Jephthah means “He doth open or set free”. He was described as a Mighty Man of Valour (Judges 11:1).

Judges 11:1 (KJV) ¹ Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.

The first time this term “mighty man of valour” is used was on Gideon in Judges 6:12, describing a man of courage, boldness and bravery, a Spirit-filled man (Judges 11:29). The terminology used here is not just military in nature but can refer to a person of repute or one who has standing in the community – a responsible person. In this context, however, it is likely his reputation built on his military success.

But Jephthah was the outcast. An Illegitimate son driven from his father’s household (Judges 11:2), the son of a harlot.

Carl McIntire said well, “God is no respecter of persons, and faith is not restricted to legitimate children. Regardless of the nature or place of one’s birth, that man through attending the Word of God may become, as Jephthah did, “a mighty of valour”. God’s grace abounds. Faith removes inequality and inferiority complexes.”[1]

Judges 11:2 (KJV) ² And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

It should be noted that it was not any family shame or humiliation that resulted Jephthah’s being driven out. With existence of temple prostitutes and polygamy it would be fairly common for children of different mothers to be in the same household.

Here the text makes clear that it was an inheritance that motivated expulsion, though the background of his mother was the open reason given here – “for thou art the son of a strange woman.” Whether Jephthah, as first born, had rights to a double portion, or whether they were dividing equally, elimination of one party would increase the shares of others. He is a Gileadite, of the land of Gilead.

Jephthah, as a result of the persecution, fled from his brethren to land of Tob.

Judges 11:3 (KJV) ³ Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

Judges 11:4 (KJV) ⁴ And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

The Ammonites made war with Israel (Judges 11:4). The land of Ammon is the portion on the right side of the River Jordan with the square boxes showing Ammonite fortresses.

Jephthah was enlisted by the elders of Gilead to defend Israel against Ammonite oppression (Judges 11:5-6).

Judges 11:5-6 (KJV) ⁵ And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: 

⁶  And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

The elders of in Israel could find no more suitable commander to lead them against the invading Ammonite army than Jephthah (Judges 11:7-11, Hebrews 11:32d). He has proven himself as a mighty military commander leading a band of men in Tob. He was offered the position as the leader to lead Israel to battle.

Judges 11:7-11 (KJV) ⁷ And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? ⁸And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. ⁹ And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

Indeed, Jephthah asked a legimitate question to the elders of Israel. If they would use him and they will have victory, will they throw him aside again as they did previously?

The elders of Gilead gave their word that they would not!

(1) Put God’s Work Before Self

¹⁰ And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words. ¹¹ Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them:and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

They gave their word to honour him as their captain after their victory.

Carl McIntire observed well, “When Jephthah saw that his brethren were genuinely sincere, he in faith forgave them their sin against him, and join ed them to lead the battle. It was not easy to forgive such injustices. Christianity alone makes such reconciliation and faith possible”.[2]

He further added, “Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.” Here we see the deeper side of Jephthah. He was prepared to lead, but he was also spiritually qualified. He talked with God. His confidence was in the Lord of hosts. He had been abused, mistreated, driven from his home, but God had prospered him in his faith, and now, having been appointed captain, he turned to Christ – a captain for Christ. Men of faith become leaders.”[3]

He was able to put God’s Work before self. He was able to overlook all the wrong he experienced – Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

He sought the Lord’s help to fight the Lord’s battle. He was the man of the hour. A man endued with faith for the victory!

Jephthah first negotiated the territorial dispute (Judges 11:12-13) with the Ammonite to debunk their claim of the land. He was able to cite the Scripture record of Israel’s encounter with the Ammonite to lay legimitate claim for the sovereign ownership of the land.

Judges 11:29 (KJV) ²⁹ Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

God was with Jephthah. The Spirit of God came mighty to lead and guide him to victory in the battle field. He was a man attuned to the voice of God and His instruction to finally claim victory. He was successful in driving the Ammonites and secured the land for the Israelites (Judges 11:33).

Judges 11:32-33 (KJV) ³² So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. ³³ And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Jephthah, however, while he is described as a “mighty man of valour” and one whom “the Spirit of the Lord” descended, he is conspicuous as a man who in all sincerity made a rash vow.

The Matter of Jephthah’s Vow

(1) A Rash Vow – Careless and Heedless

It is interesting that immediately after the record of the filling of the Holy Spirit upon Jephthah that he had a vow that he would later lived to regret. How a man can fall at the epitome of his strength is the warning here for each one of us. What made him vow such a ridiculous vow without due consideration of the consequence of his vow! It was a carelessly and heedlessly made vow. God fulfilled His part of the vow, Jephathah had to fulfill his.

This is an excellent definition of a “vow” given in the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, “The vow is a pledge or oath of a religious character, and a transaction between man and God, in which man dedicates himself or his service or something valuable to God.” Jephthah vowed as a sacrifice to God whatever should first meet him on his return if God would grant him victory over the Ammonites, and who in grief offered his only child who so met him (Judges 11:34-40).

Would the LORD have granted Israel victory even if Jephthah had not vowed?

Deuteronomy 23:22 “But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.” In this case, Jephthah made the vow therefore he had to pay the vow. It was a rash vow. He vowed a vow to be fulfilled if the Lord would deliver the Ammonites to him. As a thanksgiving to God, he said he would offer whatever came out of his house at his return from battle.

(2) A Redundant Vow

Jephthah makes a rash and redundant (Judges 11:30), as if more were needed to secure victory, although God’s Spirit had already come upon him for the battle with Ammon (Judges 11:29). The one who had been so calculating in his self-interest ended up destroying that which he counted most dear, his only child (Judges 11:34-40).

(3) Dire Consequences

Jephthah defeated the Ammonites and on his return, his daughter, an only child, came out to meet him. He told her of his vow and declared he could not go back upon his word.

The daughter begged for two months’ respite in order to go away and bewail her virginity. On her return, her father fulfilled the vow.

Carl McIntire insightfully observed, “There is, however, some dispute as to whether Jephthah actually did offer up his daughter as a burnt offering. If he did, he sinned, for God commanded that no one should cause his son or daughter to pass through the fire; or to make a human burnt offering. The question as to what Jephthah did depends upon the promise that whatever came out of the doors of his house “shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.” This promise says first that it should “surely be the Lord’s”, and second, “I will ofer it up for a burnt-offering.” Now the “and” which connects these two Old Testament to be “or”. So this passage may read, Shall surely be the Lord’s, or I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” For instance, in Exodus 20:4, the “or’s” are the same Hebrew latter used as “and” in this promise “Thou shaly not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any things that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” If this is the way the promise should be translated, then is is perfectly clear, in view of what happened to the girl, that she was not made a burnt offering. The daughter accepted the promise, and after, she had been sent away for tow months, “she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man.” The words “she knew no man” indicated that she was not sacrificed. This seems to point out clearly that she remained a virgin all the days of her life, and was in this matter separate unto the Lord. The daughters of Israel bewailed her virginity. It was indeed a deep reproach for any woman not to have children.”

He further added, “Though this may be the proper interpretation of this difficult passage, nevertheless Jephthah should never have made the vow. It was rashly taken, and involed in a way that inflicted undue restrictions upon her life. Oaths and vows must be solemnly kept when they do not involve sin. All lawful vows must be solemnly kept. This weakness in Jephthah illustrates the vital necessity of a thoroughly knowledge of the teaching of Scripture to keep us from goin astray on any single act. Though Bible has set forth Jephthah’s victorious faith, it also tells us of his weakness.”

Judges 11:40 “That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.”

May we learn from this lesson that we be very careful in making vows. We are to consider carefully if we are able to pay the vow that we vow, may we not be rash in committing ourselves. What are the vows that we take for the modern-day Christian? One good example is the marriage vow.

CONCLUSION

Despite his weakness, Jephthah, by the Spirit of God, led Israel to victory to bring glory and honour to His Name and advance His purpose on earth for His chosen nation. Amen.

[1] Carl McIntire, A Cloud of Witnesses, Christian Beacon Press, 1980, 182.

[2] Ibid., 186.

[3] Ibid.