Chapter 15
Jephthah
Do I need to give more examples? I do not have time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.
— Hebrews 11:32 NCV
James Braddock was down on his luck. A once successful amateur-turned-professional boxer, a broken hand and the stock market crash of 1926 left Braddock destitute—struggling just to keep food on the table for his young family. Then, all of a sudden, Braddock’s luck began to change. Thanks to a last minute cancellation by another boxer, Braddock got a second chance. Out of shape and past his prime, Braddock was pitted against the number two contender in the world by promoters who saw Braddock as nothing more than a punching bag. Then, in one the greatest upsets in boxing history, Braddock stunned both experts and fans with a third round knockout of his formidable opponent. Fighting with permanent injuries to his hands, Braddock continued to win and before long he came to represent the hopes and aspirations of the American public coping with the Great Depression.
On June 13, 1935, in Long Island City, New York, Braddock, as a 10 to 1 underdog, won the heavyweight championship of the world from the seemingly invincible Max Baer. His fairytale-like rise from a poor local fighter to the heavyweight boxing champion of the world earned James J. Braddock the nickname “Cinderella Man.”
Both life and literature are overflowing with these “Cinderella Stories,” timeless tales about downtrodden, discarded outcasts who eventually go from rags to riches. Whether it’s Abraham Lincoln going from a log cabin to the White House or Michael Jordan who was cut from his high-school basketball team and went on to win six NBA Championships, the story of the triumphant underdog is one that will always be in style. It’s always more fun to root for the little guy, isn’t it? We just like to see losers become winners.
The story of Jephthah is that kind of a story. Once again set against the backdrop of the Israel’s oppression by foreign enemies, the first episode in Jephthah’s historical narrative highlights his…
Childhood
Jephthah had it pretty rough. The Bible says, “Now Jephthah was a great warrior from the land of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute” (Judges 11:1 TLB). Jephthah was what you might call an unplanned pregnancy—a surprise. Jephthah’s father, Gilead, was a fairly prominent member of society—in fact, the town was actually named after him because he and his family were its pioneers and chief residents. So, you can imagine the scandal that must have broken out as result of this little incident.
On the bright side, at least Gilead did the right thing—he acknowledged the boy and raised him in his own house as his own son. Gilead may have been an adulterer, but at least he was a responsible and caring father. The other members of Gilead’s household, however, weren’t quite as open and accepting. Understandably, Jephthah almost certainly reminded Gilead’s wife of his adulterous affair and Jephthah certainly didn’t win the approval of his half brothers and sisters either. Actually, the Bible says, “Gilead had several other sons by his legitimate wife, and when these half brothers grew up, they chased Jephthah out of the country. ‘You son of a whore!’ they said. ‘You’ll not get any of our father’s estate.’ So Jephthah fled from his father’s home and lived in the land of Tob” (vs. 2-3 TLB).
Now, honestly, Jephthah wasn’t to blame for his birth. He had no say over who his mother was. But because of the sins of his father, Jephthah became an outsider, rejected by the very people who should have given him unconditional love and acceptance. Unfortunately, there are a far too many people in this world who know how Jephthah must have felt. One thing we all need to understand is that Jephthah, though unanticipated by his parents, was not an accident—and neither are you! Rick Warren has well said, “While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children.”
Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents my not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it.
Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of you first. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you!
God never makes mistakes and he never does anything accidentally. The Bible says, “You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:15-16 NLT). While evolutionist may assert that you are the result of random chance in the universe, faith assures that God created each and every one of us and he did so for a reason. “Regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a plan in creating you.” Like Jephthah, you are who you are for a reason. You’re a part of God’s intricate plan. But God’s plan for Jephthah’s life would not come to fruition until many years later when “the people of Ammon made war against Israel” (Judges 11:4 NKJV).
The second chapter in the chronicles of Jephthah’s life centers on his…
Command
Though living apart from the rest of society, Jephthah developed quite a reputation as a “mighty man of valor” or a “great warrior.” Soon, the Bible says, “he had quite a band of malcontents as his followers, living off the land as bandits” (vs. 3 TLB). Apparently, Jephthah’s reputation and prowess as a warrior attracted other rejects and lowlifes—the New Living Translations calls them “worthless rebels”—who followed him into the desert. Jephthah led his band of misfits on raids of enemy territory, taking what they needed and living almost like outlaws in the old west. As his following grew and word spread of their daring adventures, Jephthah caught the attention of the elders of his old hometown. The Bible says, “When the Ammonites attacked, the elders of Gilead sent for Jephthah in the land of Tob. The elders said, ‘Come and be our commander! Help us fight the Ammonites!’” (vs. 5-6 NLT).
Jephthah was understandably hesitant and perhaps a bit sarcastic in his reply. “Aren’t you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now when you’re in trouble?” (vs. 7 NLT).
“Because we need you,” the elders replied. “If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead” (vs. 8 NLT).
So after getting their word that he will be given total discretion, Jephthah accepts their offer and is appointed Gilead’s new commander-in-chief. It’s Jephthah’s leadership style, though, that really sets him apart from any of Israel’s previous commanding officers. Upon taking control of Israel’s army, Jephthah sends a letter to the king of the Ammonites saying, “What have you got against Israel? Why have you come to attack our land?” (vs. 12 NCV).
Although the correspondence probably caught him off guard, the Ammonite king replied, “When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they stole my land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River and all the way to the Jordan. Now then, give back the land peaceably” (vs. 13 NLT).
Jephthah then crafted a well thought out and through rejoinder to the king’s demands. His answer contained three primary responses. First, he says that when Israel first came to the borders of the Ammonite king, they requested permission to cross his land. The king at the time, however, refused their request and mounted his troupes for battle. In other words, the Ammonites were the ones who started the fight that resulted in the loss of their land, not the Israelites. Furthermore, Jephthah says that God gave Israel the victory and the land. “You keep whatever your god Chemosh gives you, and we will keep whatever the LORD our God gives us” he said (vs. 24 NLT). Finally, Jephthah points out that the Israelites have inhabited the land now for over three hundred years, yet none of the previous Ammonite kings have made any claim on the land until now.
Unfortunately, Jephthah’s arguments fell on deaf ears, but the point is—Jephthah wasn’t looking to pick a fight. He was very diplomatic and peaceful in his approach. He would have much rather settled their differences without war if at all possible. Although Jephthah was a mighty warrior, he was peacemaker at heart.
I believe there are two kinds of people: thermostat people and thermometer people. A thermometer simply reflects the climate of the room. If the room is cold, it’s cold. If the room is hot, it’s hot. But a thermostat can change the climate of the room. By adjusting its setting, a thermostat can change a cold room into one that is warm, or a hot room into one that is cool. A peacemaker, like Jephthah, is a thermostat person. A peacemaker can change the whole climate of a room when he or she walks in.
Have you ever seen that happen? Have you ever been in a room where everybody is negative, complaining and argumentative? Then a peacemaking person walks in and says something that makes people think, “Gee, I never thought of it like that.” The whole climate changes. God desires peacemakers in his church, in the workplace and in the world. Jesus once said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9 NKJV). The apostle Paul encouraged, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18 NIV).
Regrettably, in Jephthah’s case, it didn’t depend solely on him and it wasn’t possible. So he and his soldiers suited up and prepared for war.
The final storyline in Jephthah’s saga spotlights his…
Character
The Bible says “the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah” as he marched his troops though the dry dusty land of Gilead and Manasseh toward the Ammonite border. But before sounding the charge, Jephthah made a solemn promise to God. He prayed, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering” (vs. 30-31 ESV).
Remember, Jephthah wasn’t commissioned by God to lead this army; he was commissioned by the elders of Gilead. Jephthah obviously had faith in God, but he needed to know that God was in this with him—which, of course, he was. God heard Jephthah’s prayer and promise and he gave Jephthah a devastating victory over the Ammonites.
Now, after the battle was won and Jephthah had returned home, he remembered his promise to the Lord and his heart sank into his stomach when who should come bouncing out to greet him but his own daughter. The Bible says, “When Jephthah returned home his daughter—his only child—ran out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy” (vs. 34 TLB).
When he saw her his heart broke, yet his daughter, with a sweet and tender tone, encourage him, “Father, you must do whatever you promised the Lord, for he has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites. But first let me go up into the hills and roam with my girlfriends for two months, weeping because I’ll never marry” (vs. 36-37 TLB). Jephthah did as she requested and then he kept his vow to God.
This little incident has stirred more than a little controversy. Scholars have argued for centuries about whether or not Jephthah actually sacrificed his daughter. Some believe that he did. Others don’t. I’m one of the latter. Let me explain why.
First, Jephthah has already proven himself to be an intelligent, educated man, well versed in Hebrew history and God’s law. So he undoubtedly knew that God had already declared human sacrifices an abomination detestable in his sight (Leviticus 18:21). Secondly, Jephthah surely knew that the Lord would only accept sacrifices upon the altar of the tabernacle (that was the only place where a sacrifice to God could be made). He also knew that only a priest could perform such a sacrifice, and that no Levitical priest would have ever allowed a human sacrifice to desecrate God’s altar. Third, you’ll notice that Jephthah’s daughter requests time to mourn the fact that she will never marry, not the fact that she was about to die. In fact, the Bible is quick to point out, “Jephthah did to her what he had promised. Jephthah’s daughter never had a husband” (vs. 39 NCV).
Now, the little Hebrew word translated and (vs. 31) is also very important. That particular word can also be translated or, making this a two fold promise—“whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me…shall be the Lord’s, or I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” You see, Jephthah didn’t make a foolish or thoughtless promise. He knew full well that a person, probably a slave, was likely to greet him. That’s why he said whatever comes out of my house, not out of my barn. Had an animal greeted him, he would have offered it as a burnt offering; alternatively, if a person greeted him he would have given that person to God—that is, he would have dedicated them to a life of temple service and celibacy, which was a common practice in ancient Israel (Samuel’s mother, as we’ll see in a couple chapters, makes a similar promise). Jephthah’s only daughter would never marry, never know the joys of motherhood and never bear a child to carry on their family name. What’s important here is that even though it broke his heart, Jephthah was a man of his word. “I made a promise to the Lord,” he said “and I cannot break it!” (vs. 35 NCV).
God always expects his people to be men and women of their word. Jesus said, “Say just a simple ‘Yes, I will’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Your word is enough” (Matthew 5:37 TLB). I certainly don’t recommend making open ended promises—especially to God! But it is important that we always keep the promises we make. If you say, “I’ll be there,” then be there. If you say, “I’ll do it,” then do it. God wants men and women of character and nothing demonstrates our character more than our ability to keep our word.
Jephthah’s Cinderella-like journey from zero to hero was only possible through faith. Faith means realizing that God made each one of us special and unique and that he has a plan for our lives. It means learning to live in peace with other people as much as we possibly can. And it means being willing make the big sacrifices when God calls on us to do so. In reality, each one of us has our own “Cinderella” story. We were all once poor, pitiful and pathetic apart from God. But then, by grace through faith, God reached out and transformed each one of us into heirs of an eternal kingdom—from filthy rags to eternal riches.
