Topic: Sunday Sermon Series; Living By Faith
Text: Hebrews 11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. – NIV
Title: Foolhardy Faith of Jephthah (Part 1)
Proposition: God honor’s faith, even though at times it is exercised in a somewhat short-sighted, impulsive, rash, and venturesome way. But if we do so, it is never without consequences! The story of Jephthah reminds us of that.
Intro: Each person mentioned in the “Hall of Faith” outside of Abel and Enoch, because so little is really said about them in the bible, is displayed as people flaws! Although they displayed an obedient faith, it did have “holes’ in it!
Noah became drunk, and due to his drunkenness allowed himself to be uncovered, and because his youngest son saw his nakedness – he uttered over his life a curse:
Genesis 9:25b“Cursed be Canaan, the lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”
Abraham and Sarah had a lapse in faith and produced an Ishmael
Genesis 16:12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.
Isaac wanted to give his blessing to Esau verses Jacob, Jacob deceived his father to obtain it, Joseph arrogantly shared his dream with his brothers, Moses killed an Egyptian, lost his temper struck the rock, and was excluded from the promised land…
The point is that the bible paints a picture of these characters, warts and all!
And perhaps there is no one that we’ve looked at thus far that this statement is more indicative of. A man named Jephthah, the ninth judge recorded in the book of Judges, whose name is placed in the hall of faith, but not because it was a perfect one, but in fact was one that had holes within it.
And that is why I’ve entitled today’s message…
The Foolhardy Faith of Jephthah!
By fool-hardy I mean, one that is a bit rash, reckless, impulsive, thoughtless and venturesome.
It accomplish things for God, what verse 33 states, it conquered kingdoms, and what verse 34 states was powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. – And yet it was not without cost! A painful price, an unnecessary cost!
And so - My proposition to you from the scripture passages that record Jephthah’s life is that unfortunately he wil not always be remembered for the faith he had shown, but rather for the fool-hardy, rash, vow had had made that had attached to it dire consequences!
So let’s begin by looking at first of all…
I. A Profile of Jephthah from Judges 11.
It is very short but poignant…he is introduced to us in scripture with these words…
A) His Personality.
Judges 11:1a Jephthah – ???????? - Yiphtach – “he opens"
Keith Krell - Jephthah’s name means “he opens,” and he is quite good at opening his mouth and speaking. Unfortunately, his mouth ends up getting him in a lot of trouble.
B) His People?
1. Tribe?
Judges 11:1b the Gileadite – an inhabitant of Gilead
a) Gilead - a branch of the tribe of Manasseh, of which Gilead is a descendant of.
C) His Profession?
Judges 11:1c was a mighty warrior.
ISRV- A valiant soldier
KJV- A mighty man of valor,
1. Mighty -?????? (?a·yil) a) strong, powerful, able
2. Warrior -????????? (gib·bo·wr) a) brave, efficient in battle, a mighty kind of man
The third thing that is introduced to us about this man, that make not mistake about it is meant to be a…
D) His Parents?
Judges 11:1d His father was Gilead;
a) His father Gilead was the offspring of Manasseh through an unnamed Aramean concubine.
1 Chronicles 7:14 The descendants of Manasseh through his Aramean concubine included Asriel. She also bore Makir, the father of Gilead. – NLT
Judges 11:1e his (Jephthah’s) mother was a prostitute.
1. Prostitute -??????? - zo·w·nah
a) Someone who commits adultery, and idolatry.
b) The Targum (ancient Aramaic paraphrase or interpretation of the Hebrew Bible) says, she may have been a concubine, which was considered no better than an harlot.
c) She was very probably a Canaanite, because she is called in,
Judges 11:2, a strange woman -KJV
E) Point?
1. Jephthah was not born with a “silver spoon” within his mouth.
a) He was born into less than ideal conditions!
Matthew Henry- Men ought not to be blamed for their parentage, so long as they by their personal merits roll away any reproach.
F) His Problem?
Judges 11:2a Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away.
a) Reason?
Judges 11:2b “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” ‘
KJV- thou art the son of a strange woman.
1. You are the son by an illegitimate wife, therefore you have no right to our father’s inheritance.
G) Produce?
Judges 11:3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a gang of scoundrels gathered around him and followed him.
ESV- worthless fellows
KJV- vain men - Idle persons, who desired rather to get their living by spoil and rapine, than by honest labor!
NKJV- Worthless or empty men
Adam Clarke- They were persons destitute of good sense, and profligate in their manners. The word may, however, mean in this place poor persons, without property, and without employment. The versions in general consider them as plunderers.
Gary Inrig - He (Jephthah) became a kind of Hebrew Robin Hood, a leader of a military band who functioned as an unofficial police force. He skillfully brought together this refugee band, and, for a price, they protected the Hebrews and attacked the enemy.
The Critical and Practical Notes on the Book of Judges [Published In 1852] -Jephthah, being without any inheritance or family connections to afford him a subsistence, and being expelled from his native place, became an adventurer, and his character having brought around him a number of brave but idle men, perhaps similarly circumstanced, he made predatory incursions into the neighboring countries. This is what is meant by ‘going out with him,’ a phrase frequently applied to warlike and plundering inroads upon an enemy’s territory.
II. The Predicament that raised up Jephthah: (the difficult, or unpleasant, situation that caused him to go from being a zero to a hero!)
A) Remember the Judges Cycle?
1. Departure
Judges 10: 6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer served him,
2. Discipline?
Judges 10:7 he [The Lord] became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, 8 who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. 9 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim; Israel was in great distress.
3. Distress!
Judges 10:10 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”
Judges 10:11 The Lord replied, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? 13 But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” 15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.
4. Deliverer?
a) At this time there is no mention of God raising up a deliverer (judge).
b) So the Leaders of Gilead took matters into their own hands.
Judges 10: 17 When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. 18 The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, “Whoever will take the lead in attacking the Ammonites will be head over all who live in Gilead.”
Judges 11:4 Some time later, when the Ammonites were fighting against Israel,
Judges 11:5 the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites.”
B) Response?
Judges 11:7 Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”
1. Jephthah recounts their past attitude towards him.
2. He reminds him that they were the ones who asked him to leave; now they want him to come back and be their commander!
C) Request?
Judges 11:8 The elders of Gilead said to him, “Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be head over all of us who live in Gilead.”
1. You will not only be a military commander
2. We are also offering you the rulership of Gilead!
D) Reply?
Judges 11:9 Jephthah answered, “Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me—will I really be your head?”
1. Shall I be your head? Not only our leader in this war, but a permanent judge and chief magistrate over you?
2. Will I really rule over you?
Gary Inrig- There must have been a huge sense of vindication when Jephthah heard the leaders of the people who had rejected him urging him to be the commander of the Israelite forces.
Gary Inrig - There is something to be learned, however, from Jephthah’s emergence. This was not a position for which he had applied or worked or to which he aspired. But, in God’s own time, a door opened, and Jephthah was elevated to the position God had purposed for him.
E) Result?
Judges 11:10 The elders of Gilead replied, “The Lord is our witness; we will certainly do as you say.” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.
James Ellicot –It probably means that he took some oath as to the condition of his government.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary- Their offer being accompanied by the most solemn oath
1. He took an oath of office?
a) He made a vow?
2. Oath - A solemn appeal to a deity, or to some revered person or thing, to witness one's determination to speak the truth, to keep a promise, etc.
F) Another rendition of - he repeated all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.
1. He prayed?
“That is, upon his elevation, he immediately retired to his devotion, and in prayer spread the whole matter before God”.
Thomas Coke -Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord— It is evident from these words, that Jephthah was a man of true religion, and had a serious regard for God; since, though the people had done all that was necessary on their part, he would undertake nothing without God's approbation.
Bruce Hurst – Though he appears to be motivated somewhat by self-interest. Nevertheless, one cannot help but appreciate the way Jephthah emphasized the Lord in all his negotiations with the leaders of Israel. It was the Lord who would give the ultimate victory, not Jephthah
III. The Politicalization (to become political) of Jephthah?
How did he go about this appointment to leadership? Well first he tried:
A) He first tried - Diplomacy:
Judges 11:12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: “What do you have against me that you have attacked my country?”
1. Try peace first – “Give peace a chance”
Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.- NKV
Deuteronomy 20:10 "As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace. -NLT
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. - KJV
a) How does the king of Ammonites respond?
Judges 11:13 The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”
G.Bush - “One who seeks a pretext for a quarrel will never be at a loss to find one!”
G. Bush - If the Ammonites had been conscious of a valid claim, their demand should have been published before invading Israel.
b) The king of the Ammonites alleges that Israel took away their land.
B) Jephthah then tried revisiting – History!
Judges 11:14 Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king, 15 saying:“This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.
1. You’re antagonism toward us is not based on accurate history!
Judges 11:16 But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea[a] and on to Kadesh. 17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Give us permission to go through your country,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab, and he refused. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.
Judges 11:18 “Next they traveled through the wilderness, skirted the lands of Edom and Moab, passed along the eastern side of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon. They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border.
Judges 11:19 “Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Let us pass through your country to our own place.’ 20 Sihon, king of the Amorites however, did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He mustered all his troops and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.
Numbers 21: 23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he fought with Israel. 24 Israel, however, put him to the sword and took over his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only as far as the Ammonites, because their border was fortified. 25 Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding settlements
2. History records that we took the land of the Amorites not the Ammonites!
C) Jephthah then used – Theology!
Judges 11:21 “Then the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and his whole army into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, 22 capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan.
Judges 11:23 “Now since the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over?
Judges 11:24 Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the Lord our God has given us, we will possess.
Judges 11:25 Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them?
1. If Chemosh is your god, be satisfied with what he give you!.
D) Finally Jephthah then tried - Rationality!
1. Rationality - the state or quality of being rational, reasonable, and sensible!
Judges 11:26 For three hundred years Israel occupied Heshbon, Aroer, the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn’t you retake them during that time?
2. This happened 300 years ago – You’re going to make it an issue – NOW?
3. He then says something very powerful!
Judges 11:27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
G.Bush – Let the Lord, the Judge, be judge this day. Not by pronouncing sentence verbally, like human judges, but by awarding the victory to the side which he sees to be in the right.
John Wesley- Let him determine this controversy by the success of this day and war.
Peter Pett - These were not the words of some frightened leader trying to bolster up his own courage, these were the words of a man of iron, who was unafraid, who was aware that Yahweh was on his side and would act for him, who was righteously indignant and who had no fear of Ammon.
4. Unfortunately…
Judges 11:28 The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.
IV. The Power of Jephthah!
Judges 11: 29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
A) Point?
1. When God calls a man to serve Him, He always enables him for the task!
IVP Background Commentary -When the Spirit of the Lord is attached to any activity in Judges, it is usually to the calling up of an army.
2. Ok now were are getting to the heart of the matter, why I call his faith a foolhardy one:
V. The Peccancy of Jephthah!
A) Peccancy - Violation of a rule, principle, or established practice, a sin, or a moral offense!
Judges 11:30a And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord:
B) Problem?
1. I think of a nursery rhyme we teach or children:
Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say,
Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.
There’s a Father up above looking down in love,
Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say
Proverbs 21:23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue, Keeps his soul from troubles.
1. Vows?
a) Aren’t vows in the bible?
Psalm 50:14 “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,
Psalm 56:12 I am under vows to you, my God; I will present my thank offerings to you.
Psalm 66:13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you—14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
Psalm 76:11 Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared.
b) Vows were very common under the Mosaic dispensation.
c) There are about 30 biblical references to vows, most of which are from the Old Testament.
d) In the New Testament there is mention of Paul making one:
Act 18:18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.
C) Precaution!!
1. The bible teaches that there are dire consequences for breaking vows, especially vows to God!
Ecclesiastes 5:1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
Q: What does Solomon mean?
Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?
Deuteronomy 23:21 When you make a vow to the Lord your God you must not delay in fulfilling it, for otherwise he will surely hold you accountable as a sinner. 21a If you refrain from making a vow, it will not be sinful
Q: What did Jesus teach about vows?
Matthew 5: 33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ 34a But I say, do not make any vows! -NLT
Matthew 5: 34b Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’
because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.-NLT
Q: How about his half-brother James what did he teach about vows?
James 5: 12 My brothers and sisters [?fellow believers], above all, do not ·use an oath when you make a promise [swear; take a vow]. Don’t use the name of heaven, earth, or anything else to prove what you say. ·When you mean yes, say only yes, and when you mean no, say only no [?Let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no] so you will not be ·judged guilty [condemned]. –EXB
Q: Solomon?
Proverbs 20:25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one's vows. – NIV
D) Point?
1. That is exactly what happens in Jephthah’s life!
2. Here is what he said:
Judges 11:30b “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 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.”
E) My plea to you!
1. Never to say to God, “if you will, I will!”
Q: Why?
E) Principle:
1. Because He will hold you to it!
2. Because it is an insult to Him - God is not a deal maker!
Ben Edwards of the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary -There’s a problem when we try to barter with God. He doesn’t lack or need anything! The truth that God does not need anything is part of a larger truth of God’s self-sufficiency or aseity. This means that God’s existence comes from Himself, thus He is not dependent on anyone or anything else. We as humans derive our existence from God and live continually in dependence on Him, but God exists in Himself and needs nothing.
Ben Edwards of the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary - Most pagan gods respond to the barter system. You offer sacrifices to a god, and he responds to help you in the way that he can. The Christian God is nothing like these pagan gods, which means we have nothing to offer God that would make Him respond by giving us a favor.
Ben Edwards of the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary – Then why does it matter whether or not we can barter with God? Because if we can’t barter with Him, that means we have to accept His terms. We can’t entice Him with our offers. We can only accept His offers.
1. THEREFORE NEVER SAY TO GOD, “IF YOU WILL I WILL,” SAY RATHER, ”NOT MY WILL - THY WILL!”
2. God’s Will for Jephthah?
a) Defeat the enemy!
b) That is why His Spirit came upon Jephthah!
F) Proof!
Judges 11:32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands.
1. No expanded explanation of the battle – it is brief and to the point!
Judges 11:33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.
2. It doesn’t tell you how, just that he did! DECISIVELY!
NLT-He crushed the Ammonite
NASB -He struck them with a very great slaughter
BSB-With a great blow he devastated
