Jephthah is illegitimate, and he is driven from home. However, when the Ammonites go to war against Gilead, his family comes calling. They agree that he will be their ruler if he is victorious. As acting head, he reaches out to the king of the Ammonites to find out why they are attacking. They claim that Israel attacked first, but Jephthah gives them a history lesson. When they refuse to back down, the Spirit of the Lord comes on him and he defeats them. Unfortunately, he makes an ill-advised vow.
Some think that Jephthah didn’t really sacrifice his daughter, and that her weeping and statement meant that she was a virgin who served at the temple for the rest of her life. However, the tenor of the text argues against that: “I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” If he did the former rather than the later it would be to his credit, since oaths or vows that violate a moral law of God should not be kept.
Thought for the day: Vows in general are problematic. We always need to be careful what we say and what we promise.
Matthew 5:33-37 (WEB) “Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.”
