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The Faith of Jephthah
The Faith of Jephthah By Derek Long
Jephthah, whom God used to deliver Israel from the Ammonites (1 Samuel 12:11), is mentioned in the book of Hebrews as an example of faith. Hebrews 11:32 says, “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.” How does Jephthah serve as an example of faith for us today?
Jephthah was the son of a man named Gilead whom he had by a harlot (Judges 11:1). As his half brothers, who were sons of Gilead’s wife, grew up they drove Jephthah away (Judges 11:2). Eventually the children of Israel become oppressed by the Ammonites, who were descendants of Lot by his younger daughter (Genesis 19:36-38). The Israelites call upon Jephthah to come and deliver them from the Ammonites. Jephthah is willing to come and deliver them if they will make him their head (Judges 11:9). Jephthah begins by asking the Ammonites why they were fighting against the Israelites (Judges 11:12). The Ammonites respond it is because Israel had taken away the land of the Ammonites (Judges 11:13). However, Jephthah reminds the Ammonites of the accurate history. Israel had not taken away Ammonite territory on their way from Egypt to Canaan. In fact, God specifically tells them not to take land from the Ammonites. Deuteronomy 2:19 says, “And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.” Despite Jephthah’s efforts to reason with the king of Ammon, Judges 11:28 says, “However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him.” Jephthah goes out to fight against the people of Ammon. He makes a promise to God that whatever first comes out of the door of his house when he returns, if God will give him victory, will be offered up as a burnt offering. Jephthah is successful. When he returns home his only daughter comes out to meet him and he fulfills his vow. The Ephraimites were upset with Jephthah for not being called to battle but Jephthah gathers men and they deal with this problem.
• Jephthah makes several statements showing he was relying on God to be victorious against the Ammonites. Judges 11:9 says, “So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, ‘If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?’” Judges 11:30 says, “And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, ‘If you will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands.” The result of Jephthah putting his trust in God was, “So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his
hands” (Judges 11:32). When Ephraim challenges Jephthah’s actions he responds by saying, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and
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when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” (Judges 12:2-3). Jephthah credited the Lord with his victory over the Ammonites.
Jephthah saw God’s actions as accounting for Israel’s blessings throughout their history. In recounting Israel’s defeat of Sihon he said, “And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country” (Judges 11:21). He challenges the Ammonites to be content with what Chemosh gives them and Israel will possess what the Lord give them (Judges 11:24). Jephthah’s faith in God seems to be strengthened by thinking about what God had done on Israel’s behalf in the past. Our faith should be strengthened as we read and study what God has done in the past as well (Romans 15:4).
Jephthah being a man of faith does not mean all he did was acceptable and pleasing to God. God did not desire people to offer their children to him as a burnt offering. Jephthah’s vow does not appear to have been thought through as well as it should have been. Jephthah here probably serves as an example of the need to think seriously about what we vow to God before making such commitments (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7).
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