Jephthah:
The Vow, the Victory, and the Virgin

After instigating a terrible sex scandal in the Oval Office, President Bill Clinton declared to the country, "Don't judge me for the one mistake I have made, but on the ninety-nine good things I have done." History will one day look back and make a judgment on the life and impact of this United States president. How will a conclusion be reached? Some will look at just the good accomplishments. Others will wade into the negative issues. Still others will look at both sides.

As we look at the life of one of the most unusual judges of Israel, a man named Jephthah, we are faced with a difficulty reaching certain conclusions about the man. The main reason involves a vow that Jephthah made in the midst of a crisis. It was a vow to sacrifice something as a burnt offering. The something, as it later happened, was his daughter!

We will look at Jephthah's life and see the lessons we can learn along the way. For:

...the holy Scriptures, ... are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, NIV)

Scripture Passage: Judges 11:1-40

Outline:

A forgettable past (Judges 11:1-3).
An opportunity in the present (Judges 11:4-11).
An intractable crisis (Judges 11:12-28).
A divine victory (Judges 11:29-33).
A desperate future (Judges 34-40).

1. A forgettable past (Judges 11:1-3).

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. Gilead's wife bore sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, "You shall have no inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman." Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him. (Judges 11:1-3, NKJV)

Jephthah had a past he probably wished he could forget. His father and his home were named "Gilead." This was an area across the Jordan from Jerusalem and to the north. It has achieved some fame for the aromatic resin of a Balsam tree that grew in that area which was used for medicinal purposes, the balm of Gilead (Jeremiah 22:8, NKJV).

Jephthah's mother, however, was infamous. She was a prostitute (Judges 11:1). This made Jephthah what we call today an "illegitimate" child. What an unfortunate label since the child had no part in the immorality that resulted in his birth. As someone once said, "There are no illegitimate children, just illegitimate parents."

His father had other sons by his wife and this set the stage for a tumultuous childhood. The sons were greedy and cruel. When they were older, they drove Jephthah from home so they could claim all their father's inheritance. Jephthah obviously learned to fight throughout his childhood.

This was a past worth forgetting. Jephthah left and associated with wicked men, choosing the life of a bandit. Proverbs warns us about associating with people whose heart is set on evil:

My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. ... For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners. (Proverbs 1:10,16-19, NKJV)

It appears that Jephthah saw his past as the defining point in his life. This led him into untold heartache and misery. Such an attitude will lead you and I into the same heartache and misery. This past is past; it cannot be changed nor can it be improved. It can be overcome.

If you have a sordid past because of personal sin, then renounce it, confess it to God, and seek His cleansing through the blood of our LORD Jesus Christ. God is gracious and will "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, NKJV).

If -- like Jephthah -- your past is heartbreaking through no fault of your own, look at it from God's vantage point. He has not forgotten you, ignored you, nor abandoned you. There was never a time in your past that God did not have you on His mind. That He did not intervene in your past in the way that you wished does not in any way cast doubt upon His righteousness. Remember, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28, NKJV). So look at how your experience has shaped your life and how God can use you as a result.

Jephthah learned to fight and became a mighty warrior used by God to defeat Israel's enemies. How might God use your past to do great things in the future?

2.An opportunity in the present (Judges 11:4-11).

It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel. And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. Then they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon." So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?" And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "That is why we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." (Judges 11:4-8, NKJV)

That "it came to pass" is a good reminder that things do pass, even difficult times. Even if they do not pass quickly, God is good and will be with you through it all (Hebrews 13:5-6). Here the tide has turned for Jephthah. The elders of his homeland want him to lead them into battle against their enemies. In return, Jephthah will become their king.

The elders apparently did not engage in a time of prayer for the LORD's help. Though the Ammonites were at war with them, God just did not seem to be the right answer. They looked instead at "Soldiers of Fortune" magazine (the Hebrew edition :-). Apparently the "A-Team" was booked so they called Jephthah.

It was opportunistic for Jephthah to return home yet it did provide him some level of "redemption" from his past. Now they accepted Jephthah because they needed him. Jephthah overcomes whatever suspicion or resentment he may otherwise have felt and became the new leader of Gilead.

Note that Jephthah "spoke all his words before the LORD" (Judges 11:11, NKJV). It appears that the LORD is indeed working in Jephthah's life and Jephthah is responding. This is the way God works. He reaches out to us with the riches of His grace (Ephesians 2:7) and the revelation of His will (Psalm 19:1-4; John 16:8-13). For this reason, our "free-will" to believe in Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior must be understood as a response to what God has done for us, not what we have done for God. Salvation is in God's hands, not ours. You do not choose to be saved but God offers it to you. That is grace at work.

Jephthah responded to the grace of our LORD, wooing him to faith. Have you responded to the work of the LORD in your life?

3. An intractable crisis (Judges 11:12-28).

Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, "What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?" (And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably." ... Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the LORD, the Judge, render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.'" (Judges 11:12-13,27, NKJV)

Israel and Ammon were in an intractable position. Each side had a position that would not be changed or moved. And the two positions were in complete opposition to one another. There was a stretch of land that both sides claimed as their own.

Does this sound like today's news? The king of Ammon demanded land for peace. He thought the land belonged to him. Jephthah's response demonstrated that it was not his land:

Years ago the Israelites were "just passing through...keep on truckin'!"
But the kings of the Edomites, Moabites, and Amorites would not let them pass through peaceably.
They rose up to fight against Israel.
God delivered them into the hands of Israel.

Jephthah is careful to build his case on the LORD's work in the past. he has indeed learned something about dealing with his past. Six times Jephthah mentions the LORD at work (Judges 11:9,11,21,23,24,27). He combines his excellent knowledge of Israel's history with careful credit to the LORD who gave them victory over their enemies. The word of God was the basis of his appeal.

Today, there is only one way to deal with conflicting positions. People must be encouraged to act with grace and kindness. This may or may not happen. But the only way to move an intractable position forward is to build a case on what God's word has to say. That is where you and I must take our stand. God's word is objective truth, declared by our Creator for all people to hear and obey.

As in Jephthah's case, people may ignore what God has clearly revealed: "However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him" (Judges 11:28, NKJV). They will be accountable to God for this rebellion, just like the Ammonites. The issue is not what "they" do but what YOU do. Keep that in mind as you deal with people who oppose you, who persecute you, or who spitefully use you. The test is will YOU be faithful to the word of God.

4. A divine victory (Judges 11:29-33).

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon. And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering." So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands. And he defeated them from Aroer as far as Minnith; twenty cities; and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. (Judges 11:29-31, NKJV)

Now Jephthah is in for a treat. The Holy Spirit has come upon Jephthah to empower him as the judge of Israel. The Holy Spirit anointed Jephthah to lead the army of Israel, the army of God, to victory or Israel's enemies, the enemies of God. This was the primary purpose of the judges.

After the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, he making a vow to offer a sacrifice to the LORD out of gratitude for the LORD's deliverance of His people, Israel. And the LORD indeed delivered Israel from their enemies. God, as always, is faithful to help His children who seek His help.

Verses 30-31 present a most difficult passage to interpret. Much has been written about the meaning of Jephthah's vow. Most of the controversy about the meaning of the vow is really centered on the fulfillment of that vow, not the actual text of verses 30-31. The vow is pretty straightforward: in the face of victory, Jephthah promised to devote to the LORD the first thing which came out of his house when he returned home. The "whatever" that came out of his house he would "offer it up as a burnt offering" (Judges 11:31, NKJV) to the LORD. At this point, there is no controversy. The controversy comes in later as we shall see in verses 34-40.

As a note, Scripture warns against making vows. If you make a promise to the LORD, He expects you to keep it (ref. Genesis 31:13; Numbers 6:21; Deuteronomy 23:21). The writer of Ecclesiastes summed up the issue of vows this way:

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed; Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God. (Ecclesiastes 5:4-7, NKJV)

5. A desperate future (Judges 34-40).

When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it."

So here the controversy erupts: did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter as a burnt offering to the LORD? Depending on the answer to this question, commentators go back to the vow Jephthah made and either soften the meaning or firm it up.

If Jephthah did not sacrifice his daughter, why was he so heartbroken? Commentators with this viewpoint reckon that Jephthah simply devoted his daughter to the LORD for work in God's tabernacle. She would remain a virgin for the rest of her life. Jephthah's family line would end. For a patriarchal society, this would indeed be tragic. Support for this position is found in verse 39 where she is noted to have "known no man." Also, it seems odd that Jephthah would have allowed his daughter to be gone for the last two months of her life rather than spend it with him. Finally, it is inconceivable that Jephthah would think it acceptable to offer human sacrifice to the LORD God of Israel, based on his obvious knowledge of Israel's history.

Opposing commentators argue that Jephthah did indeed sacrifice his daughter. They base this on the obvious meaning of the vow and the heart-wrenching reaction of Jephthah to the sight of his daughter coming our of his house. Clearly he was deeply grieved over the thought of sacrificing his daughter. The support for this view comes primarily from the historical context that "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6; 21:25). Jephthah was simply doing what was right to him living in a pagan land. These commentators then reflect a very negative, cynical view of everything that Jephthah does in chapters 11 and 12.

Note that if Jephthah did sacrifice his daughter, it seems to imply acceptance by God since Jephthah remained a judge of Israel. He was not rebuked in any way by the LORD. There were no consequences to him revealed by Scripture. At such a radical departure from the faith, shouldn't God have offered swift judgment? Consider also the historical context offered by the writer of Hebrews in the "faith hall of fame:"

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions... And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. (Hebrews 11:32-33,39-40, NKJV)

The resolution to this would be that Jephthah did indeed intend to devote something to the LORD as a burnt offering. When his daughter came out of the house, Jephthah was in an impossible situation. His mouth had indeed caused his flesh to sin (Ecclesiastes 5:6). If he sacrificed his daughter he would sin. If he broke his vow he would sin. He was in trouble either way.

I believe Jephthah gave his daughter to the LORD in fulfillment of his vow. But he did not sacrifice her as a burnt offering that he must have known would offend a holy God. Instead his offering of his only daughter to service in the Tabernacle as a lifelong virgin was sacrifice enough. This preserves both the narrative in Judges and the assessment of Jephthah's life in the New Testament.

As the saying goes, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. They are not entitled to their own facts." Opposing commentators may disagree with this conclusion but to do so they must rework the narrative with a "negative" bias. They also bring the holiness of the LORD God into question by His silent commentary on a hideous act and open endorsement of Jephthah as a man of faith. None of these conclusions are acceptable.

Jephthah made a vow that was both unnecessary and, in the end, dangerous. it serves as clear warning to you and I today to be very careful about open-ended promises. God remembers.

Reflect on YOUR Life:

And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in among the cities of Gilead. (Judges 12:7, NKJV)

We learn from Jephthah's life much about conquering kingdoms but, more importantly, about conquering the past. God can use you no matter what your past may say. Seek His help, seek His will, and follow His lead. Be careful to do what you say but be careful what you promise to God. God will never fail to be faithful to His promises. So if we count on His promises, our vows need be no more than a personal commitment of our life to following Him. That commitment will surely result in a sweet victory for the LORD.