He could bear Israel's misery no longer. (Judges 10:16)The story of Jephthah would make a great action adventure movie. Because his father had an affair resulting in Jephthah's birth, Jephthah was alienated from the rest of his family. His brothers didn't want him muddying the waters at inheritance time, so he was sent away - an exile of sorts.
That was all well and good until his brothers got into trouble with Ammon. Then they needed someone who could get things done, and who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty doing it. They lit the bat signal and Jephthah answered. After his initial attempts at diplomacy failed, he made a deal - a terrible deal - with God. He promised God a sacrifice in exhange for victory - whatever met him upon his return home. When he approached the house, his heart broke to see his precious daughter run out to greet him with a welcome home kiss.
The lesson? Be careful what you promise. Or is it? This was such a terrible promise, I seriously doubt God expected him to make it, let alone keep it.
In the above verse, God expresses compassion for Israel his only daughter, who has chased after foreign gods once again. God vowed, I will no longer save you (10:13). Later, however, his compassion moved him to reverse that decision. Why was Jephthah required to kill his only daughter when God spared his?
What lesson is God teaching you in this story?
No comments:
Post a Comment