13. Staying on Higher Ground: Jephthah – The Matter of Vows

Jephthah – The Matter of Vows

Judges 11:29-40

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering… And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back…And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. (Judges 11:30-31, 34-35, 39-40)

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. ³⁰ And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, ³¹ Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. 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. ³⁴ And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. ³⁵ And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. ³⁶ And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. ³⁷ And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. ³⁸ And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. ³⁹ And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, ⁴⁰ That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. (Jdg. 11:29-40 KJV)

INTRODUCTION

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

Judges 11:1 (KJV) 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. 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. 

Judges 11:2 (KJV) 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.

Jephthah – the outcast. An Illegitimate son driven from his father’s household (Judges 11:2), the son of an harlot. 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, take note of land of Gilead in the map below.

Jephthah – fled from his brethren to land of Tob (see map below).

Judges 11:3-4 (KJV) 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. And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

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

Judges 11:5-6 (KJV) 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: And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

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

Judges 11:7-11 (KJV) 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? And 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. 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? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words. 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.

Jephthah – made leader of Israel’s army (Judges 11:7-11, Hebrews 11:32). 

Hebrews 11:32 (KJV) And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

He was probably the leader of a renegade band of courageous men who proved his worth as a military leader. His reputation in Tob was well known to his people in Gilead. The position offered by the elders would have set Jephthah up as the military governor of Gilead.

Judges 11:12-13 (KJV) And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.

Jephthah – negotiating territorial dispute (Judges 11:12-13). Jephthah attempted to negotiate a peaceful settlement with the king of the children of Ammon to the sovereign ownership of the land. 

Judges 11:14-23 (KJV) And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon: And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place. But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?

Jephthah – His claims (Judges 11:14-23). The Israelites had taken the land from the Amorites, not the Ammonites. Though the Ammonites might be able to claim that the Amorites had taken the land from them, Jephthah’s point would be that Jahweh had taken the land away from the Amorites and given it to Israel.

Observe that the territory of Gad and East Manasseh formed the territory that belongs to the Ammonites given in the first map. Any prior claims the Ammonites may have had were nullified by the amount of time that Israel has been in possession of the land with no claim having been made. At the time of the Israelite entrance under Moses, the territory was occupied by the Amorites and Moabites. Sihon, the king, would not let the Israelites pass through their land, which resulted in warfare that ended with the land in the possession of the Israelites (Numbers 21). The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh did not want to cross over the Jordan with the other tribes, as the Trans-Jordan territory appealed to them. Moses agreed to give them the land after exacting a promise that they would first help the other tribes subdue the land west of Jordan, a promise they fulfilled (Joshua 22).

During the period of the early settlement the tribes East of Jordan enjoyed a measure of security and did not even come to help their kinsmen west of the Jordan in their struggle of Sisera (Judges 5:17). During the time of the Judges, the Ammonites oppressed the people of Israel in Gilead as part of their attempt to expand their land. The people chose Jephthah, an outcast Gileadite and mighty warrior, as their leader to deliver them. Chemosh is best known as the national god of the Moabites (Judges 11:24).

Judges 11:33 (KJV) 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 was successful in driving the Ammonites and secured the land for the Israelites (Judges 11:33). 

Jephthah – His vow (Judges 11:29-40). However, while he is described as a “mighty man of valour” and one from whom “the Spirit of the Lord” descended, he is conspicuous as a man who in all sincerity made a rash vow. 

Teachings regarding Vows in the Old Testament

The word “vow” is a masculine noun. The word is found 25 times on the Old Testament and basically means a solemn promise to God or thing promised. 

Several times, the word refers to specific words given in a vow. The first instance, Jacob vowed that the Lord would be his God and he would give Him a tenth of everything the Lord gave him (Genesis 28:20, 31:13). 

Genesis 28:20 (KJV) And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

Genesis 31:13 (KJV) I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

Then there is the vow that Israel made in Numbers 21:1-23 “And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them, prisoners. And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.”

The third instance is that of Jephthah in Judges 11:30 which we are studying.

In the Mosaic Law, the LORD’S teaching regarding vows. 

Numbers 30:2 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.

Numbers 30:3-5 If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father’s house in her youth; And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.”

Numbers 30:6-8 “And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.”

Numbers 30:9-15 “But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her. And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her. Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them. But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.”

Once made, a vow had to be paid by the one who made it, for if he or she did not pay, it was considered a sin as taught in Deuteronomy 23:21-23 “When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.” 

Proverbs 20:25 warned against making a vow before carefully considering the wisdom of doing so, “It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.”

Jephthah made a rash vow without considering its implications and suffered greatly for it (Judges 11:30, 39).

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 live 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, Jephthah had to fulfil 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). 

(2) 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. Jephthah’s vow caused him dearly, the life of his daughter. In those twilight, uncivilized times there was the practice of the sacrifice of human beings at times of special stress. Judges 11:40 “That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.” A time was specially set aside by the women of Israel to remember the sad plight of this innocent girl, a victim of her father’s rash action. 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.

I have here the pledge that a couple would make on the day of their marriage in the sight of God and men. 

The Pledge

Wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?

Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?

The Vows

I, _______________ , take thee, ___________________, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer,  in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge you my word.  

I, ______________, take thee, ______________________, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, to cherish and to obey, till death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge you my word.

Exchange of Rings

With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee honour, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

The marriage vow is the lifetime consecration between a man and a woman till death “do us part”. This is a solemn promise before God. Hence, it behooves us to consider carefully before committing ourselves to marriage. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:22 “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” And also Proverbs 31:10 “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” Marriage is the oldest institution in the world and God intended it to be a happy one. At the point of decision, a couple is at the door of Heaven or the gates of Hell. The new life they are entering can be a life of sublime happiness but it may be a life of sheer boredom and misery. 

A Christian lady testified, “I remember my mother saying before Bill and I were married, “Be sure you love him. It is hard enough to live with a man you love. Living with one you did not love would be hell on earth.”  Next to our conversion, marriage is probably the most important step we will ever take. But, to look around and see the misery and unhappiness in so many homes make us realize how frivolous so many girls are when it comes to marriage. Many fail to consider the seriousness of it and plunge into it carelessly and heedlessly.

I realize that many a girl, fearing she might be an old maid, marries the first fellow who comes along to save herself from this predicament, only to live in regret the rest of her life. Others, living in an unhappy home caused by fussing or perhaps poverty, feel they can marry and get away from this. But they find instead of stepping into a life of sublime happiness they have only jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Marriage in itself does not make happiness. Just because you are a good Christian does not mean you will have a happy marriage – not even if the man you marry is a good Christian. And just as your parents are happily married does not guarantee your marriage will be happy. 

Happiness in marriage is something that must be worked for in order to be achieved. It is something that must be earned. How much better it would be “in the Lord.” Marriage is so important, it should never be misused or abused. Yet of all institutions, it seems to be the most misunderstood (Adapted from The Right Romance in Marriage by Cathy Rice). This book was given to be whilst preparing for my marriage.

Here is a testimony of Rosaline Goforth, the wife of the missionary to China Jonathan Goforth.

Many details in this record can be better understood after knowing something of the author, who for forty-nine years was Jonathan Goforth’s closest companion and the mother of his eleven children.

I was born near Kensington Gardens, London, England, on May 6, 1864, coming to Montreal, Canada with my parents three years later. From my earliest childhood, much time was spent beside the easel of my artist-father, who thought that I should be an artist. My education, apart from art, was received chiefly in private schools or from my own mother. In May 1885, I graduated from the Toronto School of Art and began preparing to leave in the autumn for London to complete my art studies. 

When I was twelve years old, I heard Mr Alfred Sandham speak on John 3:16 at a revival meeting. As he fervently presented the love of God, I yielded myself absolutely to the Lord Jesus and stood up among others, publicly confessing Him as my Master. On the way home from the meeting, I was told again and again how foolish it was for me to think I could be sure Christ had received me. So early the next morning, I got my Bible and turning the pages over and over, I prayed that I might get some word which would assure me Christ had really received me. At last, I came to John 6:27, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

Then I was told I was too young to be received, and again I went to my Bible. I came, after searching a long time, to these words, “Those that seek me early shall find me” (Proverbs 8:17).  I have never doubted since then that I was the Lord’s child.

When I was nineteen I began to pray that if the Lord wanted me to marry, He would lead me one wholly given up to Him and to His service. I wanted no other. One Sunday in June, of that year, a stranger took the place of our Bible-class teacher. He was introduced to me, the organist, as Mr Henry O’Brien. Three days later, two large parties were crossing the lake on the same boat, one, an artists’ picnic, bound for the Niagara Falls, the other, bound for the Niagara-on-the –Lake Bible Conference. I was with the former group, but my heart was with the others. That evening, both groups returning on the same boat, I was sitting in the artist circle beside my brother when Mr O’Brien touched me, saying, “Why, you are my organist of Sunday last! You are the very one I want to join us in the Mission next Saturday. We are to have a workers’ meeting and tea, and I would like you to meet them all.” I was on the point of saying this was impossible when my brother whispered, “You have no time. You are going to England.” Partly, to show him I could do as I pleased, I said to O’Brien, “Very well; expect me on Saturday.”

As Mr O’Brien turned to leave, he called to a very shabby fellow whom he introduced as “Jonathan Goforth, our city missionary.” I forgot the shabbiness of his clothes, however, for the wonderful challenge in his eyes!

The following Saturday found me in the large, square workers’ room of the Toronto Mission Union. Just as the meeting was about to begin Jonathan Goforth was called out of the room. As he rose, he placed his Bible on the chair. Something happened then that I could never explain, nor try to excuse. Suddenly, I stepped past four or five people, took up his Bible and returned to my seat. Rapidly I turned the leaves and found the book worn almost to shreds in parts and marked from cover to cover. I quickly returned it to the chair and returning to my seat, I tried to look very innocent. As I sat there, I said to myself, “That is the man I would like to marry!”

That very day, I was chosen as one of a committee with Jonathan Goforth to open a new mission. In the weeks that followed, I had many opportunities to glimpse his inner greatness. So when, in that autumn he asked, “Will you join your life with mine for China?” my answer was, “Yes,” without a moment’s hesitation. But a few days later he said, “Will you give me your promise that always you will allow me to put my Lord and His work first, even before you?”

CONCLUSION

May we learn from the lesson of Jephthah on the matter of vows that we may not make rash, careless, heedless vows that we will live to regret for a lifetime. Such is the gravity of the matter. May we, therefore, consider carefully before we vow, may the Lord help us through much prayer and waiting upon the Lord, and be assured that it is God’s will for us before we commit ourselves.