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