Read: Judges 11;1-12:15; John 1:1-28; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 14:13-14
Jephthah is the story with many twists. He was the rejected son of Gilead who was born of a prostitute. His father’s sons, born of his wife chased Jephthah off and told him he would get none of his father’s inheritance. He went to live in the land of Tob until the Ammonites waged war against Israel and attacked Gilead. Now, the brothers wanted their fearless step-brother back. They went to get him bribing him with leadership - talk about a restored inheritance!
He agreed and came back to lead them in battle. Jephthah met with the king of Ammon. The king of Ammon told him that the land they lived on had been stolen from them 300 years ago and they wanted it back. Jephthah told him exactly what had really happened back then and ended with “you keep whatever your god Chemosh gives you, and we will keep whatever the Lord our God gives us.” Good answer.
As wise as that was, the next thing Jepthah did was so unwise. He vowed that if God would give him victory he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of his door when he got home…thinking it would be an animal. God gave him the victory and his one and only daughter came out of the door with a tambourine dancing for joy over their victory. She, as a type of Jesus, laid down her life for her father. Jephthah was distraught, but she encouraged him. All she wanted was two months to mourn the fact that she would never be married or have children. Then she came back and gave herself to the sacrifice. What a picture of Jesus!
Once they won, Ephraim got mad that Jephthah didn’t invite them to the battle. They wanted to share in the victory and the plunder. He reminded them that he did invite them and they refused to come. This started a civil war and Jephthah won capturing the land where Ephraim used to cross the Jordan River. He killed every Ephraimite that tried to cross deceitfully.
After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem judge Israel. In an effort to promote unity within the tribes, he had his 30 daughters marry men outside his clan and he brought 30 young women from outside his clan to marry is sons.
Elon was the eleventh judge of Israel and Abdon the twelfth.
We start John today and I love to read this out loud. It reads like music. John introduces Jesus and explains who Jesus will be - the Word of God in the flesh. Then he explains who he, John, is not. He is not the Messiah, Elijah or The Prophet; he is merely a voice announcing his coming. That is what we are - we are a voice proclaiming the coming of the Lord.
Lord, may proclaim your coming. May we lay down our lives for you so that others know that you are the hope of mankind.
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