Juízes 11

Juízes 11

Constable - Jephthah's reference to 300 years is an important benchmark in biblical chronology. It had been approximately 300 years since the Israelites had defeated Sihon and captured Heshbon (in 1406 B.C.). Shortly after Jephthah spoke these words he defeated the Ammonites (Jdg 11:33; about 1106 B.C.) and ended the 18 year Ammonite oppression (Jdg 10:8). The Philistine oppression of Israel began at the same time as the Ammonite oppression (Jdg 10:7; in 1124 B.C.). The Philistines harassed Israel for 40 years (Jdg 13:1; ca. 1124-1084 B.C.). The dates of the Philistine oppression are important because they provide a framework for the ministries of Eli and Samuel as well as Samson. This time reference along with the one in 1 Kings 6:1 indicates that the Exodus took place about 1446 B.C. rather than about 1280 B.C. (Judges 11) A R Fausset - While Israel dwelt [quoted from Nu 21:25, 31] in Heshbon and her [dependent] towns, and in Aroer [facing Rabbah of Ammon; ‘built,’ i.e., restored and enlarged by Gad (Nu 32:34; Josh. 13:25): distinct from the Aroer of Reuben (Josh. 13:9, 10), which was one of “the cities that belong to Arnon”] and her towns, and in all the cities that (be) along by the coasts [sides: i.e., along the course] of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover (them) within that time? [If Ammon had any right to them, the claim ought to have been made in Moses’ time, 300 years ago: it is too late now, otherwise no length of time could give a prescriptive title (see, on the 300 years, remarks on Judges 2-3 “Chronology of Judges”)]. (Judges 11 Commentary) Judges 11:27 'I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me; may the LORD, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'" the Judge: Ge 18:25 1Sa 2:10 Job 9:15 23:7 Ps 7:11 50:6 75:7 82:8 Ps 94:2 98:9 Ec 11:9 12:14 Joh 5:22,23 Ro 14:10-12 2Co 5:10 2Ti 4:8 Heb 12:23 judge (shaphat): Ge 16:5 31:53 1Sa 24:12,15 Ps 7:8,9 2Co 11:11 Judges 11 Resources See excellent map of Jephthah and the Ammonites JEPHTHAH'S CONCLUSION AND APPEAL THE JUDGE OF ALL MEN I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me; may the LORD, the Judge, judge (shaphat) today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon - Jephthah as a clear conscience. He has given the adversary an opportunity to arrive at a peaceful settlement. Here he sees conflict as inevitable (unlike Neville Chamberlain after his last visit with the liar Hitler). And so in a sense he calls on Yahweh Who he recognizes as Judge of all mankind, to be the judge in this regional war. He does not ask for Yahweh to give them victory, but he is so clear on his theology that he knows the "verdict" will fall in favor of Israel not Ammon! That's a real-time faith that trusts in a faithful God. May his tribe increase! George Bush - The Lord, the Judge, be judge this day. Not by pronouncing sentence verbally, like human judges, but by awarding the victory to the side which he sees to be in the right. In this way he leaves the controversy to be decided. When we have justice and truth on our side, we may confidently appeal to the God of truth for a decision in our favor. (Judges 11 Commentary) A R Fausset - Therefore I [Israel represented by Jephthah] have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD [JEHOVAH] the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon [Gen. 16:5, 31:53]. (Judges 11 Commentary) Judge (08199) shaphat is a verb that means to judge or govern. While it frequently translated judge, this is somewhat misleading as shaphat is not typical of the modern concept of judge (as in a court of law), but is much more inclusive -- to function as ruler or governor - individuals (Jdg. 16:31; 1 Sa 7:16), king (1 Ki. 3:9); even God Himself (Ps. 50:6; 75:7) because He is the source of authority and will eventually conduct all judgments (Ps. 96:13). In a judicial sense shaphat could refer to the arbitration of civil, domestic, and religious disputes (Dt. 25:1), fulfilled by the congregation (Nu 35:24), by individual judges (Ex 18:16; Dt. 1:16), by the king (1 Sa 8:5, 6, 20) or by God Himself (Ge 16:5; 1 Sa 24:12, 15). The Septuagint (LXX) uses the Greek krites = Judges or krino meaning to judge. Uses of shaphat in Judges - Jdg. 2:16; Jdg. 2:17; Jdg. 2:18; Jdg. 2:19; Jdg. 3:10; Jdg. 4:4; Jdg. 10:2; Jdg. 10:3; Jdg. 11:27; Jdg. 12:7; Jdg. 12:8; Jdg. 12:9; Jdg. 12:11; Jdg. 12:13; Jdg. 12:14; Jdg. 15:20; Jdg. 16:31 Judges 11:28 But the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded the message which Jephthah sent him. 2Ki 14:11 Pr 16:18 Judges 11 Resources JEPHTHAH'S BIBLICAL ARGUMENT REFUSED But - This term of contrast would mark 180 degree turn -- the 18 years of Ammonite oppression would be brought to an abrupt end. The king of the sons of Ammon disregarded the message which Jephthah sent him - As with many despots over the centuries, this king was stubbornly, and resolutely set on satisfying his desire for more land. His desire would dictate his demise! Barry Webb - "His (Jephthah's) negotiations with the elders, his diplomacy with the Ammonites, and his vow, have all amply displayed Jephthah's facility with words. Jephthah, we know, is good at opening his mouth. (How ironical that his name means literally 'he opens'!). What has precipitated the crisis with his daughter is that he has opened his mouth to Yahweh, that is, he has tried to conduct his relationship with God in the same way that he has conducted his relationships with men. He has debased religion (a vow, an offering) into politics." Judges 11:29 Now the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon. the Spirit: Jdg 3:10 6:34 13:25 Nu 11:25 1Sa 10:10 16:13-15 1Ch 12:18 over Mizpah: Jdg 10:17 Judges 11 Resources Judges 11:29-33 THE COMMITMENT MADE WITH PROSPECT OF GREAT VICTORY (Judges 11::29) Boldness of Jephthah – prompted by the Spirit of God (Judges 11:30-31) Bargaining of Jephthah – prompted by faith mixed with presumption (Judges 11:32-33) Blessing Upon Jephthah – prompted by the grace of God Ramoth-Gilead = Mizpah-Gilead (Source) Now the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah - When God calls a man to serve Him, He always enables him for the task (cp Paul 1Ti 1:12-14). Study the Spirit of the LORD came - 7 verses - Jdg 3:10; Jdg 6:34; Jdg 11:29; Jdg 14:6; Jdg 14:19; Jdg. 15:14; 1Sa 16:13, 2Chr. 20:14. Cf related phrase Spirit of God came - 7 verses - Nu 24:2; 1Sa 10:10; 1Sa 11:6; 1Sa 19:20; 1Sa 19:23; 2Chr. 15:1; 2Chr. 24:20 So that - Expresses purpose. In this case the purpose of the Spirit's empowerment. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon - Jephthah is not under the control and guidance of the Spirit. God gave His Spirit to Jephthah, providing direction and empowerment. God's Spirit does not replace our personality and thus does not necessarily prevent a person from acting rashly and wrongly for later we see Jephthah's later vow is almost like a "bribe" -- "if" you do such and such, I will repay with my vow. If he had truly believed in God's ability at this point the test would have said "when" not "if". IVP Background Commentary - the Spirit of the Lord in Judges. When the Spirit of the Lord is attached to any activity in Judges, it is usually to the calling up of an army. In a tribal society with no centralized government, it was difficult to get other tribes to stand with one or two that might be facing problems. The measure of a leader in such situations was his ability to compel others to follow even though he had no office of command over them. In Israel this was a mark of the power of Yahweh, for it was he alone who had the authority to call out the armies of the tribes. Yahweh was the only central authority. It was therefore a clear indication of the Lord’s authority at work in someone when they exercised authority that was only Yahweh’s by calling out the armies (see Judg 11:29; 1 Sam 11:6–8). This was one of the distinguishing features of the Judges of Israel. (See context [scroll down] in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament) George Bush - The Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Endowing him in an extraordinary manner for the work before him, and thus giving him convincing testimony that his cause was good. He ‘passed through’ for the purpose of collecting recruits and increasing his forces to the utmost. (Judges 11 Commentary) A R Fausset - Then the Spirit of the LORD [JEHOVAH] came upon Jephthah [with supernatural influence upon his human spirit (Judges 3:10). Thus the victory was to be, not by might, nor by power of man, but by Jehovah’s Spirit (Zech. 4:6). The Gileadites already had chosen him: God now, by imparting His Spirit, shows His appointment of Jephthah as judge to all Israel. The Spirit consecrated to the office of Judge, and also qualified for it. Type of the inauguration of Messiah, the grand antitype (Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18, 21; Matt. 3:16], and he passed over [through] Gilead [the part of it between the Arnon and the Jabbok; the land of Reuben and Gad] and Manasseh [i.e., the land of the half tribe of Manasseh, comprising northern Gilead and Bashan], and passed over [the Jabbok, ON TO] Mizpeh of Gilead [he raised new forces in Gilead and Bashan, and then with them marched to Mizpeh to join the army he had left at his camp there (Judges 10:17)], and [with his combined forces] from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over (unto) [to attack] the children of Ammon. (Judges 11 Commentary) Related Resources: The Holy Spirit-Walking Like Jesus Walked! Discussion of the Need for the Holy Spirit to obey NT commands (or "How to Keep All 1642 Commandments in the NT!") Filled with His Spirit/Richly Indwelt with His Word - Chart Comparing Gary Inrig - It is not until this point that it becomes clear that this very horizontal process of the emergence of Jephthah also has a vertical dimension. The Ammonite king was not prepared to listen to truth, so the time had come to stop talking and to start fighting. At that moment, Jephthah received the mysterious empowering of the Spirit of God, and he carried out the battle in that power. For all of his experience in war, it was not Jephthah’s skill that brought victory, it was God. “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah . . . and the Lord gave them into his hands” (v. 32). Jephthah was led and controlled by the Spirit. But that leading was not a quiet inactivity. Jephthah did not sit down and passively observe while God accomplished His will. He traveled through the region to gather troops; he organized them; he developed strategy; he led the attack. To be led by the Spirit is always to be led into activity and into the battle for God. The result was a major victory. Whatever our strengths and weaknesses, the secret of our usefulness is our availability to our God. Gideon was a weak man who was transformed by God into a fearless warrior. Jephthah was a valiant warrior. Because of his tragic family life, he had become strong to survive. The story of his life is of God’s taking a strong man, and, by His Spirit, turning him into a usable man. Whatever our strengths and weaknesses, the secret of our usefulness is our availability to our God. God’s grace had taken Jephthah from the scrap heap of Israel and transformed him into the liberator of his people. We would have seen nothing that God could use in Jephthah, an illegitimate outcast with a graduate degree in violence and survival. But the Lord took him and transformed him into His agent. Jephthah had been rejected by people but accepted in heaven. The Lord delights to do that. No one is so “worthless” that God cannot use him or her for His glory. Your past may not be as sordid as Jephthah’s nor your gifts so unusual, but the God who used Him will use you as you trust Him. (Borrow Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay) Keith Krell - Scene 4: Jephthah makes a rash vow (Judges 11:29–40). The battle between Israel and Ammon is set to begin. Therefore, the author informs us that the “Spirit of the LORD” comes upon Jephthah as he makes his way to the battle line (Judges 11:29). (Note: Barry Davis, “How could Jephthah make such a foolish vow if the Spirit of the Lord had come upon him? Under normal circumstances, even though the Holy Spirit may have guided an individual, that individual still had the freedom either to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading or to reject it. Jephthah here, apparently, chose to act on his own. Thus, in his own exuberance (albeit misplaced), he made an unwise vow (Pr 20:25; Ec 5:2-4). Furthermore, the guidance of Jephthah by the Holy Spirit may have related solely to Jephthah’s activities as a judge (e.g., leading God’s people into battle—Jdg 11:29, 32-33) and not to his private life (Jdg 11:30-31).) In Judges 11:30–31, we read that “Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, ‘If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” (Note: Kaiser says that Jephthah could have had only people in mind when he made the vow. “What then did Jephthah vow? Some have tried to soften the vow by translating what was vowed as whatever comes out. However, if the Hebrew text intended this neuter idea (which would have allowed for anything including Jephthah’s animals), it should have used a different gender here (neuter in the Hebrew would have been signalled [sic] by the feminine form of the word). Since the masculine form is used, and the verb is to come out, it must refer (as it does in every other context) only to persons and not to animals or anything else.” See Walter C. Kaiser Jr., “Jephthah Did with Her as He Had Vowed,” in Hard Sayings of the Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1988), 103; italics his). Howard is more specific regarding the feminine gender required for animals. “That is because things with no specified gender—abstracts or neuters—are expressed in Hebrew by the feminine… ‘Whatever’ is an inclusive form that would fall into this category.” David M. Howard Jr., An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books (Chicago: Moody, 1993), 116.) Jephthah seeks to manipulate the Lord Himself with his rash vow. This vow is totally unnecessary, but Jeff needs God to come through big so that he has the allegiance of his people. (Note: In contrast to Caleb, who brought blessing on his daughter Jdg 1:12–15, Jephthah’s foolishness brought a curse on his daughter.) So he opens his big mouth and makes what turns out to be an awful mistake. In Judges 11:32–33, God gives Jeff the victory. It is clear that God would have done this with or without the vow, but Jeff didn’t believe that simple faith was sufficient. Yet, the Bible declares that simple faith is all that is required for salvation and the Christian life. The issue is not the amount of faith a person has; what is critical is the object of a person’s faith. If a believer has Jesus Christ as the object of his or her faith, even the faith of a mustard seed is more than enough. In Judges 11:34–40, we come upon one of the most tragic sections of Scripture. As you read these verses, make sure you read them aloud, with emotion. Feel Jeff’s agony and the horrible loss of his unnamed daughter. “When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.’ So she said to him, ‘My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon.’ She said to her father, ‘Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions.’ Then he said, ‘Go.’ So he sent her away for two months; and she left with her companions, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her according to the vow which he had made;19 and she had no relations with a man. Thus it became a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.” Now, I must acknowledge that this is one of the most disputed accounts in the Old Testament. There are two primary views on how this passage should be understood: (1) Jeff offered his daughter as a human sacrifice or (2) Jeff offered his daughter as a living sacrifice (see Rom 12:1). Godly men and women disagree on which of these views is correct.20 In fact, some scholars believe that this issue won’t be settled until Jesus returns. Nevertheless, this past week my twelve-year-old son, Joshua, settled this debate for me. (I say this facetiously.) After we read this account out loud together, I said, “Joshua, what do you think happened to Jeff’s daughter?” Joshua said, “Dad, that’s easy. Judges 11:39a reads that Jeff ‘did to her according to the vow which he had made.’ Jeff killed his daughter and offered her as a human sacrifice!” From the mouth of babes! Since Joshua wasn’t familiar with the theological debate, he just accepted what appears to be the plain meaning of the text. One of the reasons I believe that Bible students struggle with this account is that they cannot grasp how a supposedly godly man could offer his daughter as a burnt offering. Many people claim Heb 11:32 and point out that Jephthah is included in the “Hall of Faith.” This is true, but Jephthah is included alongside Gideon and Samson. Like Jephthah, these two men are not exactly stalwarts of the faith. I would argue that all three of these men failed to finish well. Thus, it is important to understand that the author of Hebrews takes snapshots of Old Testament examples of faith. He is not suggesting that these individuals are to be imitated in every area of their lives. Many careful Bible students also observe the emphasis upon the virginity of Jephthah’s daughter (Judges 11:37, 38, 39). It is argued that if Jephthah offered his daughter as a human sacrifice, virginity would not be emphasized. This appears to be a rather convincing argument. However, the author of Judges emphasizes the theme of family throughout the book. In the case of Jephthah, he seems to be emphasizing that this father forfeited a lasting legacy. Consequently, God had to raise up other judges to carry on the generations. This is one of the primary points of the secondary judges in 12:8–15. Ibzan had thirty sons and daughters (Judges 12:8–10) and Abdon had forty sons and thirty grandsons (Judges 12:14–15). The principle is: There is no lasting success apart from godly generations. Going back to the Jephthah account in Judges, I think it is clear that Jephthah was influenced by the culture around him. If you recall, Israel has been worshiping seven different gods (Jdg 10:6). Some of the nations that worshiped these gods offered human sacrifices (Ammon = Milcom/Molech: Lev 18:21; 20:2–5). Apparently, Jephthah was guilty of going with the spiritual flow in Israel. He may have assumed that he was obligated to fulfill his vow (see Nu 30:1–2). Yet, would God take seriously a vow that violated both human rights and divine law? The sixth of the Ten Commandments forbids murder. God does not want a vow that violates His Law and is abhorrent to Him.23 Furthermore, Lev 27:1–8 provided a way out. As a successful soldier who had just returned from looting the enemy, Jephthah could easily have paid the redemption price to redeem his daughter. Jephthah knew his Old Testament, but he chose not to obey. A biblical mind is a terrible thing to waste. Like Jephthah, perhaps God has given you success in your job and ministry. Praise God! But I have a few questions: Are you listening to the Lord in every area of your life? Are you applying your knowledge of God’s Word in all the circumstances of your life? Specifically, have you focused on your family and your subsequent generations? The danger that you and I face is a failure to apply God’s Word in the difficult circumstances of our lives. Generally, it’s not that we don’t know what to do. We know the Word… we just fail to apply it. Today, will you be a doer of the Word and not merely a hearer (Jas 1:22)? Will you spend time alone in God’s Word on a daily basis? Will you make a commitment today that you will spend five to ten minutes a day five days a week reading God’s Word and praying with your children? This simple discipline will not only change your own life, but it will impact your children and their children. There are no easy answers, quick fixes, or guarantees in parenting, but parents who read God’s Word to their children and pray with them typically experience amazing results. Will you focus on your family and raise up a godly line of believers who will transfer truth of next generation? (Failure in the Family) Phil Newton - Triumph to tragedy, Judges 11:29-40 While Jephthah has shined up to this point, he does something so unnecessary, so rash, so foolish, that it robs him of any satisfaction in triumph. A fateful vow, Judges 11:29-33 Was it not enough that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him so that his ability to rally troops gave clear evidence of God's hand? The issue he faced was trusting the Lord. Arthur Cundall (TDOT, 146), "he showed his lack of appreciation of the character and requirements of the Lord, and also a lack of confidence in the divine enablement by seeking to secure the favor of God by his rash vow." Here he sought to bargain with God as though the Lord needed whatever he offered in sacrifice. He treated the Lord in virtually a superstitious way. A vow of service or obedience is one thing but he added to it a dimension that reeked of the superstitions of Canaan. Perhaps the years of Israel's waywardness was taking a toll in Jephthah's well-meaning vow. Vows are not wrong. But they are to be taken seriously, Ecclesiastes 5:4-5. Some attempt to tone this down by saying he thought an animal would emerge first from his house: God had prescribed acceptable sacrifices - sheep, goats, bulls, birds Jephthah likely had many servants and thought that one of them was expendable for his vow Cundall states that the language of v. 31 "must refer to an intended human sacrifice" (146) We cannot attribute more piety to Jephthah than the text reveals. He knew much about Yahweh, "But that does not mean Jephthah observed the law he knew" (Davis 148). Plus his companionship with "worthless fellows" "hardly enhanced social graces or nourished personal ethics," as Davis states (148). Yet he made a vow - which he intended to keep A dance of death, Judges 11:34-40 Jephthah's daughter came through the door in true Israelite fashion to acknowledge the victor. But the joy of victory was short-lived for Jephthah. There are some strange happenings here but useful lessons. Be careful what you vow. God is not manipulated by grandiose vows. He is the sovereign Lord who calls for our obedience and trust. Human sacrifice is never acceptable to God. It is condemned throughout the Old Testament (e.g. Leviticus 18:21, 20:2-5; Deuteronomy 12:31, 18:10; Exodus 20:13). The sanctity of human life should have overridden his foolish vow (Wilcock, BST, 120). But he chose the path of death for one who should not have died. Yet we must acknowledge on the other hand a sense of honor and integrity when it came to a vow. Both Jephthah and his daughter put this above their own comfort. In a day that treats vows tritely - from marriage to business to public office - it would do us well to have this same spirit shown in this tragic setting. It is ironic that in an act that the Lord forbids, we still learn a lesson of the deepest honor. It is also commendable that his daughter holds this sense of honoring a vow with a most charitable spirit (Judges 11:36). Michael Wilcock expresses it well: "What he did (the sacrifice of his daughter) is a thing all Scripture condemns; why he did it (in order to keep his word) is a thing all Scripture commends" (120). SO THAT: this "term of conclusion" and the subsequent action he takes would support the fact that Jephthah in fact knew that the SPIRIT had come upon him. As in the case of Gideon (Judges 6:34), the Spirit of the Lord empowered Jephthah in preparation for battle. Strengthened by this divine designation, he traveled north through Transjordan, gathering troops from the tribes of Gad and Manasseh. These two tribes actually split Gilead between them (Josh 13:25, 31), with Gad receiving the larger share. F B