Judges 11-13

God’s message to me: Do not bargain with God. God desires our worship, love and obedience, not trade. Jephthah bargained that he would give up the first thing that came to him from home as a burnt offering if God gave him victory. God placed him in position to lead. God would have accepted tests like Gideon gave him. He would have sent him to victory regardless. His bargaining was a promise to God which he could not take back.

Promises: God will deliver you from oppression. The people of Israel were oppressed for their sin and God was mad enough to tell them they should try asking the false gods they had ignored Him for to rescue them. Even so, when they turned from their sin, God could not bear the misery of His chosen people and sent Jephthah to rescue them.

Commands: Say it with me folks. “I Am My Brother’s Keeper.” This concept is basic to the Special forces of the US Military. It goes along with “No Man Left Behind.” The law of God handed down by Moses includes a bunch of rules for being helpful and generous with fellow Israelites. When the Tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh settled on the other side of the Jordan they did so under the provision that they would stand with the other tribes in battle to take the promised land.

Not only did the people of Ephraim fail to stand with the other tribes in opposing their enemy, they turned against the other tribes for passing through their land in the battle. This disloyal show of ingratitude was well beyond reason. It not only showed the people of Ephraim wouldn’t stand with their brothers, it showed they wanted to disown them.

Timeless principles: God can use anybody. Whether it is the brave spy like Joshua or the trained generals he commanded, the farm boy from the weakest tribe who leads a tiny task force against impossible odds or the son of a harlot who lives as a raider and bandit in the mountains and has his home restored when he leads the army of Israel. God can and will use anybody to accomplish his purpose. A willing heart is all God requires for us to profit by being used by Him.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: Never judge a person on their past when God is ready to use them. Never believe your own past make it impossible for you to be used. DON’T BARGAIN WITH GOD, JUST OBEY HIM.

more to learn for in-depth study: Jephthah is a favorite because he reminds me of the Scorpion king. A long haired wild man with his own private army of raiders living in caves in the mountains until others realize he is the best man to lead a war. He is also one of the more difficult studies.

The sacrifice of His daughter as a result of bargaining is difficult to reconcile. Detailed study of the nations that were wiped out in apparent genocide makes it clear they were associated with Nephilim. The bloodline tainted by fallen angels resulted in the destruction of the flood and of a great many nations after the flood. Those wars appear in the mythology of almost every nation including the Native American tribes. The death of Jephthah’s daughter has no apparent connection and the fact that God did not interfere as He did with Jacob is something I can’t explain.

Jephthah also fought a war against another tribe of Israel. Ephraim refused to help in the war against the Ammonites and when Jephthah attacked the Ammonites he went through Ephraim territory to do it. Acting as though they were an independent country the people of Ephraim took offense at the Jephthah leading the other tribes across their territory. (sounds a little like France when the US attacks sponsors of terror) The not only complained about his actions but turned on their fellow Israelites and attacked them for going through their tribal territory without permission. Jephthah led the army that had just defeated Ammon into battle against the people of Ephraim and with similar success.

The people of Ephraim should never have turned on their brothers and, given that they refused to fight for themselves and the other Israelites, they showed how ungrateful they were by attacking the folks that had just freed them from the Ammonite oppression.

For those without a study bible, the word Shibboleth was used as a test of dialect. People from the tribe of Ephraim had an accent that caused them to pronounce the word in a specific way that was recognizable. The Soldiers of Jephthah’s army used this test to determine whether the person in front of them was an innocent traveler or an escaping soldier for the attacking army.

Jephthah Judged Israel for 6 years followed by Ibzan who had 30 sons and 30 daughters. Ibzan found wives for all his sons and gave his 30 daughters in marriage. He judged Israel for 7 years. After Ibzan came Elon who judged Israel for 10 years. Then came Abdon who judged Israel 8 years. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons riding 70 young donkeys (reminiscent of Gideon).

After him the Israelites returned to their sin and were given to oppression from the Philistines for 40 years before God began to raise Samson as their defender. One of the most famous Judges, Samson is believed by some to be the inspiration for the legends of Hercules.

tomorrow: Judges 14-17