ADULT LESSON 175 JEPHTHAH’S VOW AND VICTORY

After Abimelech’s conspiracy in the previous lesson, God raised Tola and Jair to judge Israel and the nation was peaceful for forty-five years. This peace was terminated by their descent into idolatry due to wilful disobedience to divine instructions to wipe out idolatrous nations around them, teach their children the way of the Lord, separate from other nations and watch against the sedative power of prosperity. Consequently, Israel was subdued by enemy nations. For eighteen years, the children of Israel were oppressed by the Ammorites. In their distress, they cried unto God who had compassion on them. Jephthah, the illegitimate son of Gilead, became the ninth judge of Israel who delivered God’s people from enslavement by the Ammorites. Apart from his victory, Jephthah is well- known for his vow involving his daughter (Judges 11:31).

JUDGES RAISED TO DELIVER ISRAEL (Judges 10:1- 18; Leviticus 26:1,14-21; Proverbs 26:2; Hebrews 12:15- 17; Deuteronomy 28:57-62; Job 15:20; Jeremiah 15:21; Luke 15:20; 19:8,9; Isaiah 55:7)

In the text, God raised judges to deliver and rule Israel. He raised Tola as a judge and he defended Israel for twenty-three years. Nothing significant was recorded of Jair who led Israel after Tola except that he appointed his thirty sons to rule with him for a period of twenty- two years and there was peace and rest in Israel. This is a challenge for Christian parents to emulate in bringing up their children in the way of the Lord. However, after the death of Tola and Jair, Israel returned to their besetting sin of idolatry and “forsook the LORD, and served not him… and the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel…” and He forsook them to be oppressed by enemy nations (Judges 10:6,7). Sin is the chief source of humanity’s misery (Psalm 107:17; Proverbs 13:15).

God’s disposition to sin has not changed; He is angry with the evildoers everyday (Psalm 7:11). To Israel’s initial request for deliverance, God recounted their spiritual inconsistencies and said, “I will deliver you no more” (Judges 10:11-13). He directed them to go to their gods to deliver them out of their troubles. Believers should not think that they can exit and re-enter the kingdom of God at will. God is not a respecter of anyone. When God saw genuine repentance on the part of Israel who said, “We have sinned… And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD… his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel” (Judges 10:15,16). A changed heart must be accompanied by change of attitude and behaviour.

JEPHTHAH’S REJECTION, VOW AND VICTORY (Judges 11:1-40; Genesis 28:20-22; Numbers 30:1-16; Deuteronomy 23:21-23; Ecclesiastes 5:4-6; Psalm 132:1,2; Jonah 2:9; Exodus 14:13,14,26-31; 23:27; 2 Samuel 5:24,25; 2 Chronicles 20:29; 32:8,21-23)

“Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of a harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah” (Judges 11:1). The stigma of his birth was that he was born out of wedlock by his mother who was a harlot. This made his father’s sons to ostracise him. He suffered rejection like Joseph, Moses, and even our Lord Jesus Christ. From his birth, we learn that negative effects of the sinful lives of parents can affect their children, physically, socially and spiritually, the same way their righteous lifestyles can positively impact them.

Children must, however, be careful not to follow the bad examples of any parent or guardian so that they can escape God’s wrath (Exodus 20:5,6; 1 Samuel 2:31-36; 2 Samuel 21:1-9; 2 Kings 8:19; Matthew 27:24,25; Ezekiel 18:19,20). “And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel… the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob” (Judges 11:4,5). In distress, the Gileadites remembered their rejected kinsman and chose to woo him to be their captain and political leader. While away from home, Jephthah used that opportunity to improve his martial genius. This is a lesson to those who are suffering from similar ill-treatment to avoid giving in to discouragement, rebellion, murmuring and backsliding but be patient while improving skills for future opportunities (Psalm 27:13; James 1:2-4). Jephthah remonstrated with them over the ill- treatment he suffered in their hands, but forgave and accepted to lead them: an offer that was sealed by an oath (verses 9,10) – (an Old Testament practice). Like Jephthah, who acknowledged God as the Source of victory and started his campaign against the Ammonites with prayer, we must commit all our ways unto the Lord. The prompt response of Jephthah to the call of God through the elders is the way believers should respond to the Great Commission to save perishing souls.

Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon to ask the reason for their violation of Israel’s territorial integrity (Deuteronomy 20:10-12). The Ammonites, descendants of Lot by his younger daughter, once allied with the Amalekites and Eglon the king of Moab to smite Israel (Genesis 19:38; Judges 3:13). The response of the king of Ammon was that “Israel took away [our] land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan” and demand for Israel to “restore those lands again peaceably” (verse 13). With great historical accuracy, Jephthah gave a full and satisfactory answer to the king of the children of Ammon, showing that his demand was unjust and unreasonable (verses 14-27). This answer one, that Israel took neither the land of Moab nor that highlights, of the children of Ammon. They were ordered by God not to contend with them in battle for their land and they did not even force a passage when they were denied the privilege (verses 17,18; Deuteronomy 2:9,19). Two, that the children of Ammon had lost the land to the Amorites from whom Israel had acquired it by right of conquest (verses 19-22; Numbers 21:26; Joshua 13:25). Three, that having received a grant of those lands from the Lord, they were entitled to maintain their right. Four, that by a lapse of 300 years of undisputed possession, Israel had now established a prescription right to the occupation of the land (verses 25,26).

The conclusion of Jephthah was, “Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me” (verse 27). When the king of Ammon rejected the reasonable explanation for peaceful coexistence, “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah…” to empower him for the battle (Judges 11:29). Many saints in the Bible, like Moses, the seventy elders of Israel, Othniel, Gideon, Samson, David, Elisha, Zechariah, the early disciples and Paul were filled with the Spirit of God to do exploits (Numbers 11:17,25-28; Judges 3:10; 6:34; 14:6,19; 15:14; 1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Kings 2:9-15; 2 Chronicles 24:20; Acts 13:1-11). There is little a believer in Christ can do without the help of the Holy Spirit. A vow is a solemn promise or pledge to perform an act or pay something. Vows are voluntary (Deuteronomy 23:21-23) ; but once made, the individual is under obligation to fulfil them. With the sovereignty of Israel and the glory of God at stake, Jephthah knew that it is only by divine intervention that they could obtain victory, and he was ready to make any personal sacrifice for it. He then vowed to sacrifice whatever first came out of his house to welcome him in the event of victory. Jacob, Hannah, Elkanah, David, Jonah and Paul all made vows in the Scripture (1 Samuel 1:11,27,28; 1 Samuel 1:21; Psalm 132:2; Jonah 2:9; Acts 18:18). Empowered by the Spirit of God, “Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands” (Judges 11:32). Victory has always been the portion of God’s people when they obey His word.

Abraham conquered the confederacy of kings that took Lot captive (Genesis 14:12-16); Moses defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan (Numbers 21:24; Deuteronomy 3:2,3); David conquered all the enemies that rose against him (Psalm 18:37). Also, God raised judges to deliver Israel from oppression whenever they repented and turned to Him (Judges 1:4; 2:18; 3:10). Having obtained victory for us through His death and resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ commands us to go in the strength of the Spirit to all the world to preach the gospel. After the conquest of the children of Ammon, the first person Jephthah met on his return was his daughter, “…his only child” (Judges 11:34,35). Since human sacrifice was never approved by God, Jephthah gave his daughter to be a perpetual virgin in the service of Jehovah (Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Exodus 13:12,13; Leviticus 27:1-8). Jephthah was faithful to his vow like Hannah (1 Samuel 1:24-28; Ecclesiastes 5:4,5). His attitude and action mirror the essence of consecration that is expected of every believer. The psalmist puts it aptly: “He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not” (Psalm 15:4). Believers are under divine obligation to pay their vows in monetary terms or by offering themselves for God’s service. Note, however, that they are not commanded to make vows as condition for receiving divine favours; only absolute faith in God’s promises bring divine intervention and empower us to do exploits (Acts 27:25; Daniel 11:32).

JEPHTHAH’S RESPONSE ΤΟ INTERNAL AGGRESSION, HIS DEATH AND SUCCESSORS (Judges 12:1-15; 8:1; Luke 14:31,32; Matthew 26:52; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16,17)

Jephthah’s victory generated a negative reaction from the men of Ephraim. They gathered together and went northward for an unprovoked assault on Jephthah, threatening to “burn down” his house on the spurious allegation that he did not call them to the battle against the children of Ammon, reminiscent of the way they chided with Gideon for not calling them to fight against the Midianites (Judges 8:1). This precipitated an avoidable inter-tribal conflict, which eventually left about fortytwo thousand people dead.

The underlying motivation for the action of the men of Ephraim against Jephthah stemmed from their envy, pride and an undue desire to share in the glory, triumph and spoils of war from the defeat of the Ammonites. The Ephramites were hypocritical in their claims because they had earlier declined to assist in the war. Jephthah’s military action to the threat of the Ephraimites is not an example for present-day Christians. Internal strife and division open up cracks for the enemy’s attack and affliction (Matthew 12:25). Thus, we should be “slow to anger”, even in the face of provocation (Proverbs 16:32; 15:1; 1 Peter 3:11; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Luke 9:51-56). After the strife with Ephraim, Jephthah lived and judged Israel six years. He is listed among saints who did exploits through faith (Hebrews 11:1,2,32); Immediately after him, Ibzan the Bethlehemite judged Israel for seven years but he was busy with the issue of marriage of his sixty children. All he achieved, worthy of mention in the Scripture, apart from maintaining peace in Israel, was sending thirty daughters out in exchange for thirty wives for his sons. Elon, the Zebulonite, who judged Israel for ten years after him had zero record of achievement. Abdon, the Pirathonite of extravagance, amusement, wealth acquisition, filthy stepped in to judge Israel for eight years. His was a life of extravagance, amusement, wealth acquisition, filthy lucre and vanity of “forty sons and thirty nephews that rode on threescore and ten ass colts” (verse 14).

Their lives of vain pursuit were to the detriment of military and civilian exploits. Thus, Jephthah’s successors merely existed without vision or passion for great service for God’s glory (Isaiah 64:7; Daniel 11:32). This ugly trend calls for commitment to the training of future successors in the family and church (2 Timothy 2:2).

Questions for review:

1. Why were the Israelites oppressed?
2. How did God respond to their call for deliverance, and what are the lessons from this?
3. Highlight useful lessons from Jephthah’s birth, rejection and rise to leadership.
4. What does Jephthah’s faithfulness to his vow, in spite of the distasteful consequence, teach believers?
5. State the secrets of Jephthah’s victory over the Ammonites.
6. How should believers and their leaders conduct themselves in the church of God?
7. Why is training of future successors indispensable?