Passage
Judges 11:29-40 (ESV)
Preparing to Meet the Lord
Exodus 19:7-25
Key Verse: 19:10
Jephthah's Foolish Vow
Date: Nov. 17, 2017
Daily Bread
Key Verse: 11:29a,32b
Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.
1. Victory by God's Spirit (29-33)
The Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah to subdue Ammon. But before the battle he made a rash vow: if the Lord gave him victory, he would sacrifice as a burnt offering whatever greeted him. Perhaps he was expecting a sheep or goat. It was a vow he shouldn't have made nor needed to make. The Lord gave 20 towns of Ammon into his hands.
2. "Oh no, my daughter!" (34-40)
When Jephthah returned home, to his dismay he was greeted by his only child, a daughter, dancing to timbrels. His foolish oath required a terrible obedience, which they both felt he had to keep. His daughter wept for 2 months, for she would never marry and have a family. Some interpret this that she had to serve the Lord as a virgin. But the plain meaning is that she became a burnt offering, something forbidden by God (Dt 12:31). God doesn't require strange oaths. He desires obedience that comes from faith.
Prayer: Lord, give me the faith and the presence and power of your Spirit to do what you want me to do, as a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ.
One Word: Victory by faith and the Spirit of God
