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Jephthah Keeps his Promise - The Book of Judges · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Anjeptha came to Mizpah unto his house, and behold, his
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  Speaker 1: daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances,
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  Speaker 1: and she was his only child. Beside her he had
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  Speaker 1: neither son nor daughter. Judges 11.34 Dear God, today I
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  Speaker 1: will watch what I pledge my allegiance to. I will
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  Speaker 1: be mindful of who is for me and who is
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  Speaker 1: using me. that will not allow my need to be
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  Speaker 1: wanted and affirmed to cause me to partner with the
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  Speaker 1: wrong crowd. Father, help me not to commit to things
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  Speaker 1: that are going to hurt me, but rather let me
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  Speaker 1: learn to commit to those who will uplift and empower
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  Speaker 1: what you have placed inside of me. I will not
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  Speaker 1: be like Jephthah and sacrifice the thing that is closest
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  Speaker 1: to me for people who have walked away from me.
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  Speaker 1: This is my season to partner and lock arms with
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  Speaker 1: those who have decided to partner and lock arms with
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  Speaker 1: your mission for their lives, Lord. I confess that today
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  Speaker 1: I don't need perfect people, just purposeful people. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
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  Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Jephthah keeps his promise.
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  Speaker 3: In the last story, we learned of Israel's desire for
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  Speaker 3: a king and their appointment of Abimelech, Gideon's bastard son.
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  Speaker 3: Abimelech ruled over Israel with a cruel fist. He killed
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  Speaker 3: many innocent Israelites. When he was seeking to burn down
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  Speaker 3: a tower in the middle of a city, a woman
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  Speaker 3: dropped a millstone on his head and crushed him.
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  Speaker 2: In this story, we will learn.
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  Speaker 3: About how the Israelites straying once again and giving themselves
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  Speaker 3: over to every pleasure and idol they could get their
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  Speaker 3: hands on. Soon, they would become oppressed and require deliverance
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  Speaker 3: from the Philistines and Ammonites by Jephthah, the judge, inspired
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  Speaker 3: by the book of Judges.
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  Speaker 4: I'm so glad you joined us on the Bible in
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  Speaker 4: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,
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  Speaker 4: I want you to know that I would absolutely love
• 2:34
  Speaker 4: to send you my daily devotional that will give you
• 2:37
  Speaker 4: fresh encouragement every single morning and day. From the moment
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: we wake up to the moment our head finally hits
• 2:45
  Speaker 4: the pillow, there are thousands of things demanding our attention.
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  Speaker 4: But it's in the midst of all this crush and
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  Speaker 4: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and
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  Speaker 4: truth in God's Word. That's why I want to help
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  Speaker 4: you spend time each day growing in God's life-giving, life-changing
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: Word by sending you my free daily email devotional, PowerPoint Today.
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: So visit jackgram.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
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  Speaker 4: That's jackgram.org, jackgram.org. In yesterday's reading, we heard the tragic
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  Speaker 4: and violent story of Abimelech, the first king of Israel,
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  Speaker 4: who was chosen not by God, but by the people
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  Speaker 4: who did not seek God. We saw the devastation caused
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  Speaker 4: by this evil king and how God did deliver his
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  Speaker 4: people from his hands by one of their own. Today,
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  Speaker 4: we'll find Israel walking away, straying, rebelling once again, giving
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  Speaker 4: in to all kinds of sin. And, as always, this
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  Speaker 4: rebellion will have grave, terrible consequences. The people will once
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  Speaker 4: more be conquered by a foreign nation, this time the
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  Speaker 4: Philistines and the Ammonites. In their hour of need, God
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  Speaker 4: will raise up a man named Jephthah to deliver his
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  Speaker 4: people from oppression. Jephthah would be filled with God's Spirit,
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  Speaker 4: but in his fervor he would make a promise to
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  Speaker 4: God that would cause him great sadness for the rest
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  Speaker 4: of his life. Let's listen now to this powerful story.
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  Speaker 3: It may be hard to discern why the Israelites continued
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  Speaker 3: to stray away from God time and time again. After all,
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  Speaker 3: God had delivered them and shown them His faithfulness more times.
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  Speaker 2: Than they could count.
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  Speaker 3: However, the gods of the Syrians and Ammonites allowed Israel
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  Speaker 3: to seek pleasure, lust, greed, and pride. They did not
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  Speaker 3: hold them to a higher standard or demand they treat
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  Speaker 3: one another well. The gods were human-made. Therefore, they might
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  Speaker 3: as well have been human-worship, So Israel caved to their
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  Speaker 3: desires and spiraled into captivity to their own sin and depravity.
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  Speaker 3: As the Israelites pursued their own gratification, they let their
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  Speaker 3: guard down. Without God by their side fighting for them,
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  Speaker 3: they fell into captivity to the Ammonites and the Philistines.
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  Speaker 3: For eighteen years they were brutally oppressed. Women were raped
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  Speaker 3: and taken as slaves, children grew up with cruel taskmasters,
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  Speaker 3: and men were slaughtered and hung on trees. It was
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  Speaker 3: a dark age for Israel, and cries could be continually
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  Speaker 3: heard from the Jordan River and beyond. Israel, as they
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  Speaker 3: had many times before, cried out to God, Save us!
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  Speaker 3: We have sinned against you, but please do not forsake us.
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  Speaker 2: They prayed.
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  Speaker 3: This time God replied to them. Instead of saving them
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  Speaker 3: right away and sending a judge, as He had done
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  Speaker 3: dozens of times before, He responded, saying, The Egyptians... The Amorites,
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  Speaker 3: the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, the Moanites,
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  Speaker 3: all these nations I have saved you from. You cried
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  Speaker 3: out to me, and I delivered you from their oppressive hands.
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  Speaker 3: Yet you have forsaken me every time. Why don't you
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  Speaker 3: ask your new gods to save you? Sometimes Israel would
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  Speaker 3: forget that God could actually grieve. He loved the people,
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  Speaker 3: and they rejected Him. The Israelites put away their other
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  Speaker 3: gods and served God even.
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  Speaker 2: In the midst of distress and oppression.
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  Speaker 3: This time they worshipped God before he delivered them, not after. Yet,
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  Speaker 3: of course, God would not delay long in saving his people.
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  Speaker 3: In the region of Gilead, there was a mighty warrior
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  Speaker 3: named Jephthah. Jephthah grew up estranged from his family, for
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  Speaker 3: he was a bastard. His father had him with a prostitute.
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  Speaker 3: and therefore Jephthah was hated by the rest of his brothers.
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  Speaker 3: He toiled in his father's field and protected his family's
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  Speaker 3: land with his sword, yet it was never good enough.
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  Speaker 3: Jephthah was despised for where he came from, and his
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  Speaker 3: brothers eventually cast him out, saying, You are a son
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  Speaker 3: of a whore. We will never share our inheritance with
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  Speaker 3: the likes of you. And just like that, Jephthah fled
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  Speaker 3: from his brothers in the land of Tob. While Jephthah
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  Speaker 3: was journeying, He became beloved by other outcasts and forgotten sons.
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  Speaker 3: Together they formed a band of worthless fellows, and their
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  Speaker 3: reputation grew. They were known for their power, skill, and spirit,
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  Speaker 3: and were hired hands for protection. Jephthah was rejected by
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  Speaker 3: his own family, but found great comfort with.
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  Speaker 2: The outsiders that followed him.
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  Speaker 3: Years had passed, and the Ammonites warred against Israel. The
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  Speaker 3: elders of Gilead were distressed and desperate for warriors. They
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  Speaker 3: had heard of Jephthah's skill and exploits across the land
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  Speaker 3: and sought him out.' Come back to us and be
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  Speaker 3: our leader,' the elders begged. Jephthah scowled at them.
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  Speaker 2: How dare they?' he thought to himself.
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  Speaker 3: First they make me an outcast, and now that they
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  Speaker 3: want something from me, they treat me like royalty.' Jephthah
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  Speaker 3: dismissed them and said,' You hated me and drove me
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  Speaker 3: out of my father's house.' And now that you're in need,
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  Speaker 3: you come begging? The elders continued to beg Jephthah.
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  Speaker 2: He sat there in silence.
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  Speaker 3: Jephthah had lived as either an outsider or outcast his
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  Speaker 3: entire life. His greatest fear was that he would succeed
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  Speaker 3: in saving Israel, only to be rejected by them again.
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  Speaker 3: He closed his eyes and released a deep sigh. He
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  Speaker 3: knew what was right, and he knew he could win
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  Speaker 3: against the Ammonites. He opened his eyes and said, I
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  Speaker 3: will be your leader in battle, but only if I
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  Speaker 3: remain your leader afterwards. The elders agreed, and Jephthah marched
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  Speaker 3: with his band of misfit warriors back to his homeland.
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  Speaker 3: Jephthah traveled with the armies of Israel behind him. They
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  Speaker 3: marched across a valley near the Ammonite camp. It was
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  Speaker 3: less than a day before battle, and Jephthah knelt before
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  Speaker 3: God in the cool evening.
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  Speaker 2: He breathed deeply.
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  Speaker 3: His breath could be seen in the winter air. The
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  Speaker 3: Spirit of God was with him. He could feel the
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  Speaker 3: power of God moving upon the land, preparing victory for him. Jephthah,
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  Speaker 3: in a moment of emotion, vowed before God, saying, If
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  Speaker 3: you give us victory tomorrow, I will sacrifice whatever comes
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  Speaker 3: through my doors first to greet me. Jephthah's oath was
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  Speaker 3: not warranted or asked for by God, yet he bound
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  Speaker 3: himself to his word and would live to.
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  Speaker 2: Deeply regret it.
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  Speaker 3: Jephthah, his band of misfit warriors, and the entirety of
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  Speaker 3: Israel's army crossed into Ammonite territory. They stormed the land,
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  Speaker 3: gliding through twenty of their cities with swords and arrows.
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  Speaker 3: First they took the small towns and stormed the largest
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  Speaker 3: cities in great force. Jephthah's unwavering bravery and decisive strategy
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  Speaker 3: led them into victory. The Ammonites were subdued under Israel's
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  Speaker 3: boot and God was glorified. Jephthah returned home glowing from
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  Speaker 3: the victory against the Ammonites. He was smiling, anticipating the
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  Speaker 3: sacrifice he would make to God. Whatever animal from his
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  Speaker 3: land he would see first, he would take and lay
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  Speaker 3: it on the altar for God. He closed his eyes
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  Speaker 3: once again, breathing in the.
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  Speaker 2: Sweet air of hope.
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  Speaker 3: He had finally been able to return.
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  Speaker 2: To his father's land with his family.
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  Speaker 3: A new era of peace would reign under him, and
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  Speaker 3: Jephthah rejoiced over the next chapter of his life. With
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  Speaker 3: his eyes still closed, Jephthah could hear tambourines in the distance.
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  Speaker 3: Oh no, Jephthah thought as he opened his eyes. There
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  Speaker 3: he saw his beautiful daughter dancing in the sunlight. She
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  Speaker 3: had made an entire routine to celebrate her father's victory.
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  Speaker 3: Jephthah's heart sank as he watched her twirl with joy.
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  Speaker 3: She was his only daughter. Besides her, he had no
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  Speaker 3: other child. She was his world and his greatest treasure.
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  Speaker 3: Welcome home, father, she.
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  Speaker 2: Said with glee. Then she wrapped her arms around him.
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  Speaker 2: Jephthah wept.
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  Speaker 3: He tore his clothes in rage. My sweet daughter, I
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  Speaker 3: have vowed to the Lord to sacrifice whatever comes through
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  Speaker 3: my gates first.
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  Speaker 2: The two of them wept together.
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  Speaker 3: Jephthah's daughter wiped her tears and changed her posture. She said,
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  Speaker 3: you have vowed to God. Do to me whatever is necessary,
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  Speaker 3: only allow me to go to the mountains and weep
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  Speaker 3: with my companions over my virginity. For now I will
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  Speaker 3: never be married or be a mother. So she was
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  Speaker 3: sent away for two months to weep and mourn with
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  Speaker 3: her friends.
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  Speaker 2: At the end of the.
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  Speaker 3: Two months, Jephthah's daughter came down from the mountain. Her
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  Speaker 3: father lamented his own victories in life, for he in
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  Speaker 3: his foolishness bound himself to a vow God never asked
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  Speaker 3: him to give. His false sense of honor and obedience
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  Speaker 3: caused him grief. He and the rest of Israel would
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  Speaker 3: remember his vow for the rest of their days. It
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  Speaker 3: became a custom in Israel for the women to lament
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  Speaker 3: over the daughter of Jephthah every year. Legends of Jephthah's
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  Speaker 3: bravery would be drowned out by his foolishness, as many
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  Speaker 3: stories often do. Yet the story of God's faithful hand
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  Speaker 3: of protection over history continues, and his covenant never wavers.
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  Speaker 4: Today's story begins once again with the sinful rebellion of
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  Speaker 4: God's people. Despite the trustworthiness, the faithfulness of God, all
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  Speaker 4: that God had done for them as a people again
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  Speaker 4: and again, they chose not to obey his commands. The
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  Speaker 4: people of Israel turned to false gods, idols, other gods,
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  Speaker 4: which are no gods. This descent into wickedness stirred God's
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  Speaker 4: righteous anger because God is a righteous and holy God
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  Speaker 4: and justice is served. So he removed his hand of
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  Speaker 4: protection and allowed the Philistines and Ammonites to oppress Israel
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  Speaker 4: for 18 long years. God's people endured unspeakable horrors. Men, women,
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  Speaker 4: and children alike until once more they cried out in anguish.
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  Speaker 4: God help us. We know we've done wrong. We know
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  Speaker 4: that we have sinned. Please do not abandon us. Through
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  Speaker 4: the years they had sinned and sinned and sinned again.
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  Speaker 4: But God had taught them that if they turned to
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  Speaker 4: him and trusted in him and repented of their sin,
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  Speaker 4: he would save them. But this time it was going
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  Speaker 4: to be different. He reminded them of all he had
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  Speaker 4: done to save them time and time again. Still, they
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  Speaker 4: insisted on idolatry, worshiping other gods. So God told his
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  Speaker 4: people to run to those gods for help. God was
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  Speaker 4: deeply grieved by the repeated disobedience of his children. Israel
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  Speaker 4: did repent. and the people got rid of the other gods.
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  Speaker 4: They worshiped God and God alone and submitted to His rule,
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  Speaker 4: His sovereignty in their lives. They didn't wait for salvation
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  Speaker 4: to praise God. They worshiped Him even in the midst
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  Speaker 4: of their trials. God heard their worship and resolved to
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  Speaker 4: save them once again. He would do this through a
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  Speaker 4: man who himself had felt the great pain of rejection
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  Speaker 4: by his family. His name was Jephthah. Jephthah was despised
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  Speaker 4: by his own, rejected by his brothers because He was
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  Speaker 4: the illegitimate son of his father. Jephthah left home despondent
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  Speaker 4: and alone until he found company with other outcasts and rejects.
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  Speaker 4: These became valiant fighters, and after many years passed, Jephthah's
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  Speaker 4: people sought him out for help. They wanted him to
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  Speaker 4: lead them in the fight against the Ammonites. Jephthah's response
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  Speaker 4: sounded a lot like God's words to his people in
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  Speaker 4: Judges 11-7. But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead,
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  Speaker 4: Did you not hate me and drive me out of
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  Speaker 4: my father's house? Why have you come to me now
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  Speaker 4: that you are in distress? But they persisted, and he
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  Speaker 4: finally agreed, but on the condition that once he defeated
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  Speaker 4: their enemies, he would continue to lead them. And they
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  Speaker 4: agreed to his terms. So Jephthah gathered Israel's army and
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  Speaker 4: went to fight the Ammonites. Before they faced the enemy,
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  Speaker 4: Jephthah promised he would sacrifice the first thing that greeted
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  Speaker 4: him back home if they were to defeat the Ammonites.
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  Speaker 4: God had not required this of Jephthah. It was an
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  Speaker 4: impulsive and unsolicited decision, but it was binding. Because of
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  Speaker 4: the faithfulness of God, not Jephthah's vow, the Lord gave
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  Speaker 4: Israel victory over the Ammonites. Jephthah returned home a hero.
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  Speaker 4: But when he was greeted first by his daughter, his
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  Speaker 4: joy turned to abject despair. The realization of what his
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  Speaker 4: promise would cost him came crashing down on him. There
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  Speaker 4: was no escaping it in his mind, and he knew it.
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  Speaker 4: And he embraced her and wept bitter tears. He allowed
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  Speaker 4: her to go to the mountains with her friends to
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  Speaker 4: mourn what she was going to lose. And then he
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  Speaker 4: made good on his promise. His story is a reminder
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  Speaker 4: that we must always make decisions not based on our
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  Speaker 4: own imagination, but on God's revelation. In other words, his promises,
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  Speaker 4: not what we think. Jephthah made an unnecessary sacrifice born
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  Speaker 4: out of a rash vow that cost him the child,
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  Speaker 4: but really saved no one. Many years later, God would
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  Speaker 4: make good on his promise born out of love and
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  Speaker 4: sacrifice of his son. But that sacrifice of the Lord
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  Speaker 4: Jesus Christ would not be just for Israelites, but to
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  Speaker 4: the Jew first and also to the Greek, in other words,
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  Speaker 4: to the whole world. These stories are unusual. And sometimes
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  Speaker 4: we listen to these stories and wonder why this happened,
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  Speaker 4: what happened. But remember, this entire message of the Bible
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  Speaker 4: is pointing to the greatest sacrifice of all, the redemption
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  Speaker 4: of salvation through God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Always
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  Speaker 4: see the Savior in the Scriptures. Dear God, thank you
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  Speaker 4: for today's reading, which reminds us to be thoughtful and
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  Speaker 4: careful with our commitments. And thank you, Lord, that you
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  Speaker 4: counted the cost and sent Jesus, your Son, to die
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  Speaker 4: in our place, that though the wages of sin is death,
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  Speaker 4: the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus, our Lord.
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  Speaker 4: And we do pray for those who are seeking you,
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  Speaker 4: who want to know you and have a personal relationship
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  Speaker 4: with you through your son. And we ask for their
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  Speaker 4: salvation in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening to
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  Speaker 4: today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 4: And before we go, I want you to know that
• 17:28
  Speaker 4: I would love to send you my daily devotional to
• 17:31
  Speaker 4: give you fresh encouragement every single day. So visit JackGraham.org
• 17:36
  Speaker 4: to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's JackGraham.org.