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“Unlikely Sources And Uncommon
Faith” • 8.24.14 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Chapter 11
is built on a profound point of repentance in the heart of the nation of
Israel. When God saw it, the picture is painted of a Father who could not wait
to deliver them.
- Who would He call? Where would He look? In
our minds, these Bible characters are men that we would have chosen. We
shouldn't be so quick to think that way!
- It seems that it has always been the case.
God chooses people that are most likely to be rejected by the people they are
called to lead! It's just His way!
- Today, were going to see again that God calls
out the 8th deliverer, a judge that would have been an unlikely pick, but who
showed uncommon faith!
Text
• Judges 11:1-3 : "Now
Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a
harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons
grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, 'You shall have no
inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.' Then Jephthah fled from his
brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with
Jephthah and went out raiding with him." : In
the wake of Israel's repentance, God raised Jephthah, meaning "He
opens," to deliver them.
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Jephthah is a Gileadite, a man from Manasseh East. In chapter 10, it was noted that Jair was also a
Gileadite. One can never tell what our example will inspire in others!
-
Samuel offers that he was a "mighty man of valor," a brave warrior, a
man efficient in war. He's the perfect candidate to lead a battle, but there is
a sticky issue.
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Jephthah's Father was the tribal leader, Gilead, but his Mother was a harlot.
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He had two strikes against him at birth and when Gilead's legitimate sons, his
step-brothers grew up, they made sure that he did not receive any of Gilead's
inheritance.
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Resentment, jealousy, fear and anger abound and sadly, they let their prejudice
alienate their eventual best hope!
-
This was not the first time, as Jacob's children rejected Joseph and later, the
people of Israel rejected their Messiah on similar grounds!
-
We would be wise to reconsider our standards when it comes to leadership and
recognize that God's calling is not limited to those with a celebrated pedigree
or a coveted degree!
-
Jephthah's prowess in battle threatened the sons of Gilead, but his rejection
was a matter of preparation. He went out into the land of Tob, which was akin
to a border town in the old west.
-
These "worthless" men were likely unemployed. It's been suggested
that their raids were similar to those made by David and his men, as they kept
law and order in the land.
•
Judges 11:4-11 : "It came to pass after a time that
the people of Ammon made war against Israel. And so it was, when the people of
Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah
from the land of Tob. Then they said to Jephthah, 'Come and be our commander, that we
may fight against the people of Ammon.' So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, 'Did you not hate
me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you
are in distress?' And the
elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, 'That is why we have turned again to you
now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be our
head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.' So
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, 'If you take me back home to fight
against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?' And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, 'The Lord will be a witness
between us, if we do not do according to your words.' Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the
people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words
before the Lord
in Mizpah." : It took some time and God had to
order some circumstances, but soon, the choice was clear and unavoidable!
-
The threat Ammon posed was deeper than their pride. They are now begging Jephthah
to return in order to save them. What would you have said? How would you have
felt?
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Jephthah, with the promise of leadership in hand, took the job and began to lead
the people of Gilead against the Ammonites, but without the pretense that he
was the one leading.
-
Jephthah knew that if there was going to be deliverance, it was going to come
from God's hand and not his, a vital lesson for each of us to understand.
-
We can effect nothing spiritually in another person or in a place. Unless the
Lord builds and fights and moves, we will simply be spinning our wheels! He is
the only One who delivers!
•
Judges 11:12-13 : "Now Jephthah sent messengers to the
king of the people of Ammon, saying, 'What do you have against me, that you
have come to fight against me in my land?' And the king of the people of Ammon
answered the messengers of Jephthah, 'Because Israel took away my land when
they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and to the
Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.'" : Jephthah is seeking to understand Ammon's hostility against
them and discovers quickly that some has not read the book of Numbers!
-
Ammon's King accused the people of Israel of stealing their land. He now wants
it back.
-
This action shows us that Jephthah is not simply a muscleheaded militia man. He
shows great wisdom in seeking a peaceful resolution.
•
Judges 11:14-22 : "So Jephthah again sent messengers
to the king of the people of Ammon, and said to him, 'Thus says Jephthah: ‘Israel did not take away
the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon; for when Israel came up from Egypt,
they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. Then Israel sent messengers to the
king of Edom, saying, 'Please let me pass through your land.' But the king of
Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the king of Moab, but he
would not consent. So Israel remained in Kadesh. And they went along through the
wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came to the east
side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. But they
did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. Then Israel sent messengers to
Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, 'Please
let us pass through your land into our place.' But Sihon did not trust Israel to
pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped
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 defeated them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the
land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. They took possession of all the
territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness
to the Jordan." : Jephthah informs the King
of Ammon of the history found in Numbers
21:10-35. He is well versed. Israel had simply asked permission to pass
through.
-
Israel was not to harass or take land from Moab or Ammon, as is recorded in Deuteronomy 2:9 and 2:19. Israel was never called to be an
invasion force.
-
The land had belonged to the Amorites, not the Ammonites, when God gave it to
Israel.
-
When Sihon came out against Israel, God defeated them and their land was now in
the possession of Israel. As Wiersbe says, they had not stolen, but captured
it. Big difference.
-
The King's claim was neither true, nor legal. He had no right to the land at
all.
•
Judges 11:23-28 : "And now the Lord God of Israel has dispossessed the
Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it? Will you not possess whatever
Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the Lord our God takes possession of before
us, we will possess. And now, are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king
of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel? Did he ever fight against them? While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and
its villages, in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks
of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that
time? Therefore
I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May
the Lord, the Judge, render judgment this
day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.’ However, the king of the people of
Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him." : Jephthah gives the credit to the Lord. Israel had not sought
this land greedily. God had given it to them.
-
"Wouldn't you do the same if Chemosh gave you a land to possess!?"
Jephthah acknowledges that he would have done the same, though Chemosh is not a
real deity.
-
Chemosh, whose name means "One who subdues," is responsible for the
type of societal woes prohibited in Leviticus
18.
-
Jephthah's warning is simple: Balak had been a stronger King, who worshipped
the same gods and the Lord dispossessed them. How much more would He do that to
the Ammonites now?
-
Notice also the time marker given to us here. It's been 300 years and they have
only now made noise about this? Jephthah is very kind in giving his warning,
but Ammon didn't listen to him.
-
He has done all that he could do to live at peace with Ammon. It's Ammon that
will hear nothing of it! In Israel's history, it's been the case that their
enemies have refused peace!
•
Judges 11:29-33 : "Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed
through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from
Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon. And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, 'If You will indeed
deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes
out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people
of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.' So Jephthah advanced toward the
people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. And he defeated them from Aroer as
far as Minnith—twenty cities—and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter.
Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel." : The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. The mention of God's
Spirit will total 7 times in the book of Judges and this is the third mention.
-
In these dark times, the men that were raised up to deliver Israel did not do
so by their power or might, but by the power of His Holy Spirit coming upon
them!
-
As Jephthah advanced against Ammon, he made a vow in his zeal to the Lord
promising to offer the first thing to come out of his house as a burnt offering
if he gave him victory.
-
It's unfortunate that this is the actual turning point of Jephthah's story. He
is making a deal with God. Perhaps it's the adrenaline or the heat of the
moment consuming him.
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Carefully read the passage there: Whatever meets him, shall surely be the
Lord's, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering. These words will be a
source of regret later on.
-
Jephthah got his victory, defeating the people of Ammon, taking 20 cities from
their hands and ironically, the ones who worshipped the "Subduer"
were in fact, subdued!
•
Judges 11:34,35 : "When Jephthah came to his house at
Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and
dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor
daughter. And it
came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, 'Alas, my
daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For
I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot go back on it.'" : Jephthah triumphantly returns to the sound of music,
orchestrated out the front door by his only child, his unnamed daughter!
-
One can only imagine the deep heart sickness that accompanied this moment,
especially given the heights which preceded it!
-
He tore his clothes in mourning and explained to his confused daughter that he
had made a vow to God which would have profound ramifications for her.
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You and I might not think much of our own word or even what God thinks about
it. Jephthah had made a vow in the heat of the moment and then God effectively
delivered a victory.
-
Scriptural precedent had already been laid in the book of Numbers, which specifically addressed the mandatory payment of
vows. (Numbers 30:2)
-
Later in history, Solomon will rightly pen the words of Ecclesiastes 5:2-6, which solemnly warns God's people not to vow at
all if they have no intention of paying it!
-
His faith demands that he follow through with his vow unto the Lord. It would
cost him greatly.
•
Judges 11:36-40 : "So she said to him, 'My father, if
you have given your word to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because
the Lord has avenged you of your enemies,
the people of Ammon.' Then she said to her father, 'Let this thing be done for me: let
me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail
my virginity, my friends and I.' So he said, 'Go.' And he sent her away for two months; and
she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains. And it was so at the end of two months that she returned
to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew
no man. And it became a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to
lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite." : Jephthah's daughter understood and readily encouraged her Dad
to keep his word. It's one thing to be determined in your faith. It's another
to confirm it when it hurts!
-
Her request was simply that she would be allowed to "bewail her
virginity" with her friends for two months. When she returned, Jephthah
fulfilled his oath!
-
Did he actually kill her? Did Jephthah actually sacrifice his only daughter?
Would God have required such a thing? There are some who believe that he did!
-
They point to the growing influence of the nations around the people of Israel,
coupled with their continual moral downward spiral away from the Lord. That's a
good point, but unnecessary here.
-
Jephthah did not sacrifice his only daughter. Let me give you some reasons.
-
First, Jephthah is a man of God's Word, demonstrated earlier by his ready
recollection. Consequently, he'd have known of God's prohibition of human
sacrifice.
-
A person who worshipped Chemosh or Molech would have sacrificed their children.
This is why it was detestable to God and specifically, repeatedly restricted.
-
We don't have time to examine them all, but note that this is repeated four
times in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. (Leviticus 18:21, 20:2-5,
Deuteronomy 12:31 & 18:10)
-
He's a man filled with the Spirit and God's Spirit will never contradict God's
Word!
-
Even if he had tried, God would have stopped him, as He stopped Abraham in Genesis 22! Sacrificing his only
daughter would certainly have cost him the spot he has in Hebrews 11!
-
Second, Jephthah's daughter willingly complies and offers to commemorate,
bewail, not her life, but her virginity! Her life is now fully consecrated to
God. She would die childless.
-
This is why the daughters of Israel could go up to "lament" or
"recount" with sobriety, the decision that Jephthah's daughter had
made.
-
What were they recounting? Her decision to maintain her virginity. That is the
explanation of the phrase, "She knew no man!" It's not referring to
before the vow, but after the vow!
-
She had consecrated herself to God and let go of any ambition to be married, to
have children of her own. Her "life" was lost in the Lord, though she
lived.
-
Leviticus 27, for those who were
with us, notes that if a person consecrates another person, they could be
redeemed with certain amounts, in the case of a female, 30 shekels! (Leviticus 27:4)
-
Much is made of Jephthah's honor to keep his vow, but Jephthah's daughter is
deserving of the greater honor don't you think? She actually performed it!
-
When she heard of her Father's vow, she didn't respond with rebellion. She
immediately, albeit after a two month absence, gave her consent, and willfully
offered herself, her life to the Lord.
-
"Big deal! So she didn't get married or have kids!" In that day, this
was a woman's hope and security in life! Making a decision not to be married
was profound!
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Jephthah's daughter and Isaac, Abraham's son, willingly went where their
Father's faith took them. Neither gave their life, but how great and noble
would it have ben had they indeed done so?
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This leads to my final reason for not believing that Jephthah sacrificed his
only daughter.
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God wants to be the only One who can say that He actually went through with
sacrificing His One and only Son, not for a temporary victory, but an eternal
one!
-
If Isaac is great for his willingness to lay down his life and Jephthah's daughter
is great because she gave up the best of her life, how much greater is Jesus
Christ for following through!
-
His Father gave the command. Jesus checked and there was no other way to redeem
mankind except through the Cross!
-
And for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame,
knowing that it brought the greatest benefit to the most needy of people:
Sinners without a Savior!
Conclusion
Let's pray
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