How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. Hebrews 11:32
Jephthah is a fascinating example of a hero of faith! He’s almost like an anti-faith story. Why did the writer of Hebrews choose these four as examples of the Judges? Why not choose Gideon and Samson and substitute Deborah and Jephthah for Joshua and Caleb? Now that’s a better, stronger set of faith heroes:-
- Joshua
- Caleb
- Gideon
- Samson
I have said this before and I will say it again. The Bible is unique among literature of the Ancient Near East [ANE] in that it tells the story warts and all. God doesn’t gloss over human foibles or shortcomings. His Story is told in shocking detail and honesty. I can’t help but think that is why we have the four judges listed included in the heroes of faith accounts. Oops, the heroes and heroines of faith. I intend to make clear in the following Gem what the writer of Hebrews has done in giving us Gideon, Deborah, Samson and Jephthah as those chosen to represent the time of the Judges.
I told you in the previous Gem that Jephthah was the ninth judge of Israel; Samson was the 13th and last Judge. The author of Hebrews has strategically chosen these four and reordered them. I will also deal with the reordering in the following Gem. Let’s for now investigate this last example of Jephthah. His name comes from the root word [pathahh] which means ‘to open’, ‘to loose’ or ‘set free’. When this child was born he was given the name “he who will set free and liberate’. Now that is significant. This name was given to Jephthah before he had done anything. There is no birth narrative for Jephthah as we had for Samson. We don’t have a repetitive listing of the number of angelic encounters Jephthah’s parents had, nor any heavenly indication that he was to be named thus. Rather Jephthah is given a very inauspicious beginning to his story. We are told he was the son of Gilead and the result of his father’s union with a prostitute. The text appears to distinguish Jephthah’s mother from Gilead’s wife. There is debate among the commentators as to whether Gilead is the name of the father or the name for the land. To the extent that some think there is a mythical connection with the land, but the saner of the commentators conclude that Gilead was both the name for the land and the father of Jephthah. The name means ‘perpetual fountain’.
Clearly there is a distinction between Jephthah and his half-brothers to the point where they drive him away due to the fact Jephthah’s mother was a prostitute. Much is made of this in the text. Eight verses are used to highlight the debate as to whether Jephthah was worthy to be a judge or not (11:1-3, 6-10). Leaving Jephthah himself to emphasise the point by saying to the elders of Gilead,
“Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the LORD gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?”
Judges 11:9
There is an added element in the text which highlights the lack of esteem for Jephthah in which we are told that he fled to Tob, an area on the border of Syria where a band of worthless rebels followed him. Really! This man was the chosen one to lead Israel against the Ammonites? One can only suppose that the elders of Gilead included at least some of Jephthah’s half-brothers. It is an inauspicious beginning to say the least for one of the judges of Israel. The judges were primarily warrior leaders who led Israel to victory in times of war. I have told you already Jephthah led those from Manasseh and Gilead (Gad) against the Ammonites. Gad and Reuben were not involved at the time of Deborah, but in the time of Jephthah, they join his band of worthless rebels. Who were the Ammonites? None other than the descendants of Lot, relatives of Abraham. I think a map would help you at this point.
‘Today you will cross the border of Moab at Ar and enter the land of the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot. But do not bother them or start a war with them. I have given the land of Ammon to them as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’
Deuteronomy 2:18-19
The battle scene in this story of Jephthah is only three verses in length (11:29. 32-33). The bulk of the encounter with the Ammonites concerns their historical claims against Israel, insisting the Israelites had taken their land from them. Seventeen verses (Judges 11:12-28) are given over to the dispute and only three set aside for the war (as above). Note particularly these two verses.
‘You keep whatever your god Chemosh gives you, and we will keep whatever the LORD our God gives us. . . Let the LORD, who is judge, decide today which of us is right—Israel or Ammon.’
Judges 11:24, 27
It appears Jephthah was more of a diplomat than a warrior, but a warrior nonetheless when he needed to be. Jephthah presented a sound case to the Ammonite king spelling out what happened in the time of King Sihon of Ammon. You can read the seventeen verses for yourself, but to summarise Jephthah let the Ammonites know Israel (the 12 tribes) had complied with the LORD’s command to them to leave the land of Lot’s descendants intact. What is notable is that Gad and Reuben, the two southern most of the Trans-Jordan tribes, refused to get involved in the time of Deborah.
The other fascinating feature of Jephthah’s story that begs comment is the reaction of the Ephraimites and Jephthah’s rash vow made to the LORD. Why is everyone losing their ability to reason? Just read it for yourself to spot the irony in the story and not the refrains which come through. The Ephraimites were offended that they were not part of the victory over the Ammonites. But Jephthah let them know it was their own fault because they didn’t respond when he first asked them for help. During Deborah’s time as judge a group came down from Ephraim to attack Israel. They threatened to burn down Jephthah’s house with him in it. These people groups love burning others’ houses with the people in them. So in the end there is a brief war between Ephraim and Israel and the former are defeated. Following which we have the funny little anecdotal account of the way they screened the Ephraimites after the skirmishes. They simply got them to say the word ‘Shibboleth’ meaning a ‘stream’ or a ‘flood’. If they couldn’t pronounce the shin [sh] and used a samech [s] instead that betrayed the fact they were Ephraimites and they were put to death. Forty two thousand Ephraimites died when the Israelites used that test.
The saddest outcome of the war was the loss of Jephthah’s daughter as a result of her father’s foolish vow in Judges 11:30-31. “Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. He said, “If you give me victory over the Ammonites I will give to the LORD whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice her as a burnt offering.” Why on earth would Jephthah make such a vow? What was he expecting to come out of his house to meet him? Rather it would be more rational to think it would be a ‘who’ that came out of his house to greet him. It appears that the inclusion of this story of both the Ephraimites and Jephthah himself was to emphasise the foolishness of the heart of the people at this time. In keeping with the refrain that “everyone did was right in their own eyes”. However, I also think there is a link here to Abraham, the father of faith. Abraham was asked to make the ultimate sacrifice, so Jephthah decided he would show God what he was willing to do. I will confirm my suspicions when I can ask him.
All of which makes us want to ask, ‘What then was the mark of Jephthah’s ‘faith’?’ He was faithful to the covenant of the LORD and ensured that the terms of the division of the promised land was fulfilled. Making sure that the Ammonites didn’t seize that which the LORD had not intended for them to have. To do that he was willing to present a solid case and to fight for it if needed. In other words to put his faith on the line through his actions. Despite the fact that he had been despised within his family and even in the wider context of the tribes. Eventually those who had the most to gain joined him and his motley crew of worthless rebels to repel the interests of the Ammonites. The latter should have known better and were only interested in extending their kingdom at the expense of the two southern Trans-Jordan tribes.
A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go. “Which of the two obeyed his father?” Jesus
Matthew 21:28-31
You will never learn FAITH in comfortable surroundings.
Ribka Yusuf Wijaya
You may have weaknesses, but God has strength. You may have sin, but God has grace. You may fail, but God remains faithful!
Pinterest
Faith is relationship with Christ; it’s trusting that God means what He says and says what He means. How well do you know Him?
Ian