Israel did evil in the eyes of the
lord by serving Baal and Ashtoreth, and gods of Aram. They also served other
gods like the god of Sidon, the god of Moab, the god of Ammonites and the gods
of the Philistines, the Lord became angry with them and sold them into the
hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites.
Jephtah was a Gileadite. He was a
warrior, his father was Gilead and his mother was a prostitute. Jephthah’s
siblings drove him away saying, you are not going to get any inheritance in our
family, because you are son of another woman.
Jephthah left his father’s house
and settled in the land of Tob, where he gathered followers.
The elders of Gilead went to Jephthah, said to him come and
be our commander, so that we can fight the Ammonites because they waged war against them, Jephthah
answered the elders saying “you hated me
so much that you drove me out of my father’s house’, why do you come to me now
that you are in trouble. Jephthah said if I go with you and the Lord gives me
victory I will be your ruler and the
elders agreed. So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead and they made him
their ruler and at Mizpah in the presence of the Lord he stated his terms.
Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon with the
question “what do you have against us that you have attacked our country” the
king answered and said to Jephthah’s messengers saying “when Israel came out of
Egypt, they took away my land from the river Ammon to the river Jabbok and the
river Jordan, Jephthah sent messengers back to the king saying it is not true
that Israel took away the land of Moab or the land of Ammon and he explained
his reasons. But the king of Ammon paid no attention to the message of
Jephthah. The spirit of the Lord came
upon Jephthah , he crossed Gilead, Manasseh, passed through Mizpah in Gilead
and went on to Ammon, he made a
vows to the Lord saying if you give me
victory over Ammon I will sacrifice as a burnt offering whatever that comes from my house to meet me
on the return of my triumphant victory over the Ammonites. The Lord gave
Jephthah great victory over the Ammonites.
When Jephthah went back home his daughter who was the only
child came, dancing and playing tamburine to meet him .When Jephthah saw his
daughter he tore his clothes in sorrow and said “oh, my daughter you have made
me miserable and wretched because I have a vow and will not break it. Jephthah
killed his daughter and offered her as a burnt offering onto the Lord. Jepthah
also fought with the men of Ephraim and defeated them.
He led Israel for six years and died and was buried in his
home town Gilead
STRENGHTS
He was a brave man, he feared the Lord and he was a warrior
ACCOMPLISHMENT
He defeated the Ammonites.
He defeated the
Ephraimites.
He ruled Israel for
six generations (The first man to offer human sacrifice onto the Lord].
WEAKNESS
He had no children.
LESSONS
We should fear the Lord.
We should fulfill our
vows we make unto the Lord.
We should be courageous.
We should have God’s
leading in everything we are doing.
OCCUPATOIN: Judge
REALATIVE: Gilead
(father)
The story of Jephthah can be found in Judges 11; 12: 1-9
