Jephthah a Judge Whose Words Mattered
“When the Ammonites made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. They said to him, “Come, be our commander, and let’s fight against the Ammonites.”
Judges 11:5-6 HCSB
Judge #10 Jephthah
Jephthah is an interesting judge. First, he was kicked out of the family because he was the son of a prostitute. But then he was called upon because of his military might. He reasoned with the king who was fighting against Israel. He made a vow that ended in the death of his only daughter. Then he fought against Ephraim, a tribe in Israel, and killed them based on their accent.
“Gilead’s wife bore him sons, and when they grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You will have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”
“Jephthah the Gileadite was a great warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.”
“Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against me in my land? ””
“Jephthah made this vow to the Lord: “If You will hand over the Ammonites to me, whatever comes out of the doors of my house to greet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites will belong to the Lord, and I will offer it as a burnt offering.” When Jephthah went to his home in Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no other son or daughter besides her. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have devastated me! You have brought great misery on me. I have given my word to the Lord and cannot take it back.”
Judges 11:30-31, 34-35 HCSB
“Then Jephthah gathered all of the men of Gilead. They fought and defeated Ephraim, because Ephraim had said, “You Gileadites are Ephraimite fugitives in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.” The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim. Whenever a fugitive from Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite? ” If he answered, “No,” they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 from Ephraim died.”
Judges 12:4-6 HCSB
But Jephthah also spoke all his words in front of God.
“So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. The people put him over themselves as leader and commander, and Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the Lord at Mizpah.”
“Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.”
Judges 11:11 NASB1995
So he made his words count. He was not foolish in his words before kings and God. What he meant he said and he fulfilled all his promises and vows.
What do our words mean to the people around us? When we speak do people automatically reject them because they know we a just full of hot air? Do we speak words that bring life into our relationships? Do people hang on to every word as of it is the absolute truth?
“But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.”
“I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:36-37 HCSB
In the end, how will God view your words?
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