Sat.’s Devo - Jephthah

Read: Judges 11:1-12:15; John 1:1-28; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 14:13-14 Israel needed a brave warrior to lead them into battle against the Ammonites. There was a man named Jephthah which means “he will open”. He was the son of a prostitute and his half brothers had run him out of town. Now they came looking for him to be their commander. They promised he would be the nation’s leader if he won. Jephthah agreed to help them if they would be faithful to their promise and sent a letter to the king of Ammon giving him their history with them. They had not let Israel pass through their land when they were coming out of Egypt into Canaan, so they had gone around. The king of Moab also refused to let them pass through their land. King Sihon of the Ammonites had attacked Israel and God had given them the victory and their land. They had now lived in that land for 300 years. He told them that God had given them their land; they could keep whatever their god Chemosh have them and they would keep whatever their God gave them. He reminded them what happened to Balak when he tried to take back their land. The king of Ammon ignored Jephthah’s message. Jephthah went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh and gathered an army to go against the Ammonites. Jephthah vowed to the Lord to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house if He would give them the victory. God did give Jephthah a great victory and when he returned home, his daughter was the first thing that came out of his house. He was devastated because she was his only child. She told her father he had to fulfill his vow, she just wanted 2 months to go up in the mountains and mourn the fact that she would never love a man or have children. Then she came home and he fulfilled his vow. Child sacrifice was common among the heathen nations and even in Israel when they worshipped Molech and Baal. So as horrific as this practice is to us, it was not looked at it the same to them. The men of Ephraim got mad that Jephthah didn’t ask them to fight just like they got mad a Gideon for not inviting them. Jephthah responded that he did ask them to fight and they refused. They seemed to make excuses for not fighting often then acted offended later. Jephthah’s men attacked the Ephraimites and killed them then took command of the main crossing of the Jordan. They tested everyone who crossed by asking them to pronounce Shibboleth. The Ephramites had a speech impediment and couldn’t pronounce their “sh’s”. If they couldn’t pronounce it, they were killed. They killed 42,000 there. Jephthah judged Israel for six years, then Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel for seven. Elon was next from Zebulun and when he died Abdon from Ephraim judged Israel for eight years. John was the book to the Church and opens like Genesis. It takes us back to the beginning of time when Jesus and God created the world. Jesus is called The Word because everything was created with words. God created everything through Him. John the Baptist was sent to testify about the light of Jesus. He was the true light that when God spoke, ‘Let there be light’ it was Jesus he was referring to. Jesus came as a man into the world that he created to be a human and relate to his creatures. Sadly, the world didn’t recognize him and his own people rejected him, but anyone who did believe in had the privilege of becoming his child. Jesus was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. Moses brought us the law, but Jesus brought love and heart. When John was questioned by the priests and men from the Temple, he told them that he was not the Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet, but he was to prepare the people’s heart for the Messiah. John was a voice. He baptized with water but there was one standing among them who that was preferred above him. The leaders of the law believed that Elijah would appear in bodily form before the Messiah came. They also believed that a prophet would come which was mentioned in De 18:15. They weren’t sure if the prophet was the Messiah or a separate person. John came in the spirit of Elijah and was a prophet. Jesus was Prophet, Priest and King. Lord, thank you for your loving kindness. Thank you for being a kind and loving creator and Father. Thank you that we are your children.