The Danger of Wavering Faith (Judges 11)
"And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." Judges 11:30-31
Jephthah was a Gileadite, the book of Judges tells us, and his mother was a prostitute. In fact his brothers drove him from the land because of this shortcoming. When crisis struck Israel, and Jephthah's brothers realized that he had a following of men in the land where he was living, they called for him to help them against the Ammonites who were attacking the Israelites. Jephthah then sent mesengers to the Ammonite king telling him all that the Lord had done for Israel in the past and how the Lord would "judge the dispute this day." The Ammonite king did not respond and Jephthah, filled with the Holy Spirit, when to attack the Ammonites. Surely Jephthah had faith that the Lord would deliver the Ammonites into his hands, especially knowing Israel's history. However, sadly, Jephthah's faith wavered in the midst of adverstity.
Jephthah made a vow that if they defeated the Ammonites, whatever came out of his house to meet him he would sacrifice. Well, the Lord kept his promise, despite Jephthah's unbelief and likewise Jephthah decided to keep his promise. "When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out ot meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter." (Judges 11:34) What should have been a welcome homecoming turned into a nightmare for the judge of Israel. His rash vow to the Lord, made in a moment of weakness, was going to cost him the life of his baby girl and only child. He gave her two months to weep with her friends because she would die a virgin and never be married.
What can we learn from Jephthah? Why is his account in the Bible?
1) God uses who he chooses to do His will - Jephthah was the son of a prostitute. He was an unwanted child and in this day and age he may have even been aborted. But, the Lord had a plan for him.
2) God uses history to show us His character - Jephthah knew the history of God's redeeming power for his chosen people. However, "just to be sure" Jephthah made an oath to God and God granted it. We should be careful what we pray to God about because we may indeed receive it.
3) God desires us to have faith at all times - Jephthah was not the only person to ever have lost a firstborn. What grief to know that it was his fault, however, that his daughter had to die. But what joy it is to know that God sacrificed His only son as well. Because of this, we can have eternal lif with our Creator in Heaven. And because God has saved us from our sins through Jesus, He desires for us to have faith in him at all times.
Jephthah was a Gileadite, the book of Judges tells us, and his mother was a prostitute. In fact his brothers drove him from the land because of this shortcoming. When crisis struck Israel, and Jephthah's brothers realized that he had a following of men in the land where he was living, they called for him to help them against the Ammonites who were attacking the Israelites. Jephthah then sent mesengers to the Ammonite king telling him all that the Lord had done for Israel in the past and how the Lord would "judge the dispute this day." The Ammonite king did not respond and Jephthah, filled with the Holy Spirit, when to attack the Ammonites. Surely Jephthah had faith that the Lord would deliver the Ammonites into his hands, especially knowing Israel's history. However, sadly, Jephthah's faith wavered in the midst of adverstity.
Jephthah made a vow that if they defeated the Ammonites, whatever came out of his house to meet him he would sacrifice. Well, the Lord kept his promise, despite Jephthah's unbelief and likewise Jephthah decided to keep his promise. "When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out ot meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter." (Judges 11:34) What should have been a welcome homecoming turned into a nightmare for the judge of Israel. His rash vow to the Lord, made in a moment of weakness, was going to cost him the life of his baby girl and only child. He gave her two months to weep with her friends because she would die a virgin and never be married.
What can we learn from Jephthah? Why is his account in the Bible?
1) God uses who he chooses to do His will - Jephthah was the son of a prostitute. He was an unwanted child and in this day and age he may have even been aborted. But, the Lord had a plan for him.
2) God uses history to show us His character - Jephthah knew the history of God's redeeming power for his chosen people. However, "just to be sure" Jephthah made an oath to God and God granted it. We should be careful what we pray to God about because we may indeed receive it.
3) God desires us to have faith at all times - Jephthah was not the only person to ever have lost a firstborn. What grief to know that it was his fault, however, that his daughter had to die. But what joy it is to know that God sacrificed His only son as well. Because of this, we can have eternal lif with our Creator in Heaven. And because God has saved us from our sins through Jesus, He desires for us to have faith in him at all times.
posted by Charlie Wallace at
10:36 AM
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