Jephthah, Faith When Everyone Else Doesn’t Want It (Hebrews 11)
Jephthah, Faith When Everyone Else Doesn’t Want It (Hebrews 11)
For what?
Now we are continuing our reading and reflections on the book of Hebrews. Chapter 11 invites us to imitate the faith of ordinary people who have had a remarkable attitude of faith in the Lord.
Among them, Judge Jephthah is named. And I take this opportunity to focus on this biblical character, whose life is little known.
32 And what more shall I say?
For I would not have time to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.
33 By faith they overcame kingdoms,
exercised justice,
achieved the fulfillment of promises,
shut the lion’s mouth,
34 extinguishes the power of fire,
escaped the edge of the sword,
regained strength after an illness,
been valiant in war,
put to flight foreign armies.
Jephthah known only for one event
In a common way, all that is remembered about Jephthah is that he was a raging madman who burned his daughter following an ill-considered wish.
Jephthah disturbs
But that doesn’t add up because the Epistle of the Hebrews cites him as an example.
An OT text always in the light of the NT
A text from the Old Testament must always be understood in the light of the accomplishment of Jesus (incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension) and, therefore, of the Words of Jesus and the epistles.
So if an epistle tells us that he is an example, it is up to us not to trust the rumors but what the Bible says about him.
Development Plan
In order not to be obsessed with the subject of Jephthah’s vow, I suggest that we first read the text that raises the question and then observe how.
Jephthah demonstrates extraordinary faith when not everyone wants it
Landmarks on the Period of the Judges
Before reading the passage in chapter 10 of the book of Judges, let’s consider some reference points about the particular period of Judges, which is situated between.
The end of the conquest of Canaan (Joshua)
The beginning of the first kings in Israel (Saul)
The period of the Judges alternates between infidelity and a return to the Eternal. The general attitude of the people of Israel is not good. Indeed, the exploits of the conquest of Canaan (like Jericho), under the leadership of Joshua, were meant to be completed by the 12 tribes of Israel. Instead, the tribes preferred assimilation with the peoples they were supposed to conquer, falling into the idolatry of Canaanite religions.
Contract – Judgment
The Lord, keeping the terms of the contract made with Israel, confronts them with judgment for their abandonment of God and their idolatry.
Cycles in the Book of Judges
This is followed for 400-450 years by cycles where: Idolatry leads to judgment through domination and oppression by foreign nations (here the Philistines, Ammonites, Amorites for 18 years: (Judges 10:6-9); Israel calls upon the Lord (here Judges 10:10-16); The Lord raises a judge (here, it is not through the elders of Gilead: Judges 10:17 to 11:1-11); The judge, with the help of the Eternal, delivers Israel from oppression and reestablishes the link with God (here Judges 11:12-33); A period of peace follows during the lifetime of the judge (here Judges 12:7).
What is Known of Jephthah
This is the context of life in which the story of Jephthah takes place.
She had not had relations with a man.
Two pieces of evidence:
It is evident that, unlike the other judges, Jephthah was a judge without descendants. The repercussions of his victory are minimized by an aspect noted by almost all the judges.
Following the story of Jephthah
After the episode of Jephthah, several judges are mentioned about whom little is known. The only detail provided is that they had many descendants.
3 After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel for twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons, who rode on thirty donkeys and possessed thirty cities, which are called to this day « Jair’s towns » in the land of Gilead.
Ibzan of Bethlehem had 30 sons.
Abdon, the son of Hillel the Pirathonite, was a judge in Israel. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons.
It is clear that Jephthah did not burn his daughter. Several things indicate that she was not sacrificed in that way.
The literary context in which the vow is made is imbued with the idea of pleasing God, and sacrificing someone in religious practice is abhorrent to the Eternal. It would not be right.
God would never have given victory over such a vow.
Jephthah’s daughter mourned her virginity for two months, not the fact that she would be killed.
Following this, a lasting holiday was established in Israel. A commemoration like this would never have been based on an idolatrous or tragic event.
We have a similar case later with Saul, who made a vow that anyone who ate before the end of the day would die. Unfortunately, his son Jonathan ate, and Saul was about to eliminate him, but all of Israel opposed Saul, leading him to change his mind (1 Samuel 14:24-46). This likely would have been the case if Jephthah had gone in that direction.
Finally, the New Testament, in the epistle to the Hebrews, would never have taken an example of faith from a pagan practice that God considers abominable.
The word “Holocaust”
So, what should we understand from the word « Holocaust, » which unsettles us in the text?
In Greek
This term in our reading has disturbed us because of its usage in its Greek origin. Indeed, « holocaust » in Greek means « to burn everything. »
It is certainly through this root that the terrible holocaust of the Jews in the concentration camps during World War II was described.
The text is in Hebrew: “To go up »
However, the original text concerning Jephthah was not written in Greek but in Hebrew. The root of the Hebrew word expresses the idea of « to go up. »
In the following chapters, in the story of Samson, when his parents make a « burnt offering » sacrifice (Judges 13:16):
19 Then Manoah took the young goat and the offering and offered it to the LORD on the rock. And a marvelous thing happened as Manoah and his wife looked on:
20 As the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD went up in the flame.
The idea here is that the offering rises towards the sky, toward the Eternal.
Even for burnt offerings: « to go up »
Moreover, even for burnt offerings, holocausts, and sacrifices, the central point is that a pleasing odor « rises » to God.
Jephthah wants to offer something of value: « to go up »
It is in this sense that the term is used here. In immense faith and immense piety, Jephthah, even before the battle, offers his adoration to God.
Worship that costs
This is a worship that will necessarily cost him, as it involves dedicating someone from his household entirely to God. It is believed that this person was dedicated to service in the Tabernacle, much like Samuel.
His daughter was devoted entirely to God.
A great cost
The cost to Jephthah was to have no descendants. By making this vow, Jephthah became a judge without descendants. Perhaps it was in memory of this consecration that a feast was established in Israel, to remember this total devotion.
In the face of everyone’s opposition, faith
For this sermon, a title had to be found, and I proposed:
#Jephthah,#
#### Faith when not everyone wants it ####
Jephthah is rejected by his family and his tribe.
Jephthah is rejected:
– By his family
– Then officially by the people of Israel
He must live like David when he was hunted by Saul. Finally, the elders of Israel come to him to lead the troops against the invader.
He wants to be a leader but with the Eternal
What is remarkable about his attitude is that he does not seek revenge against fate. He accepts this responsibility, but only if it is with the Eternal. Furthermore, he is placed in his new role in the presence of the Eternal.
He knows the history of Israel very well
Another notable aspect, and one that is a testament to his faith, is his excellent knowledge of Israel’s history. He uses this knowledge for diplomacy: rather than rushing to battle, he tries to reason with Israel’s enemies, who refuse to listen. A battle follows, which he wins with the support of God.
Judges 11:29 and 32-33
Dialogue with Ephraim
After returning from battle, the tribe of Ephraim becomes upset, claiming Jephthah did not summon them to join the troops—though this is false. They waited to see how things would turn out. Once again, Jephthah attempts to reason with them.
Civil War
Unfortunately, they do not listen, and a battle ensues between the tribes of Israel.
This passage reveals a lot about the state of the tribes:
– Bloodthirsty to kill each other
– Cowardly and assimilated when faced with the enemy
Jephthah: A reference to faith
Jephthah demonstrates strong faith at a time when what should be God’s people do not, in a context of opposition:
– Family
– National
– International
Jephthah shows us that he waits on the Lord to make decisions and to act. In the face of God’s greatness, Jephthah offers a worship that costs him.
And for us?
How should this text reach us now, in 2024? That is why it was recorded in the Bible…
Reaction to Family Injustice
When our own family wrongs us and the situation is reversed, do we show ourselves as intractable, or do we let our faith in God be expressed? Do we offer grace rather than harboring resentment?
– « Yes, but you don’t know what they did to me. »
It’s true!
But Jephthah was:
– Denied
– Disinherited
– Driven out of his country, with legal support
Yet, he turned to God when the situation became favorable to him.
When God’s people defend their assimilation
The tribes of Israel were more concerned with defending their comfort. Do we seek to reflect true faith in the face of those who should reflect God but are far from it? Or are we so assimilated that we oppose what is clearly marked in the Bible? This is evident in life choices. Many so-called « progressive » aspects of life are, in fact, not progressive at all—they are simply a return to ancestral practices.
When confronted with these ideas, do we try to assimilate them, or worse, include them in our faith practices?
Jephthah took a stand
Jephthah had to oppose:
– The people who imposed a vision of life that the Eternal does not tolerate
– The people of Israel who had assimilated to that vision
And us?
And our faith—are we swayed by all the trends, or is it anchored in God, by what He tells us in the Bible?
# Commitment to God #
#### is not just another hobby in our busy schedule ####
Commitment is not just another hobby
Jephthah’s commitment cost him dearly, especially on the family level. And what does our faith cost us?
I increasingly feel that we are okay with God:
– When we have time
– When we’ve finished devoting ourselves and funding our projects (which are always growing more numerous)!
Above all, my commitment is certain:
When it doesn’t disturb
– my hedonism
– My comfort
– My hobbies
– My family
# Commitment to God #
#### is not a spiritual hobby in addition to other hobbies ####
Bernadette Chirac was able to do great things with the yellow coins—the small change we didn’t want.
God also works with the « yellow coins » of what we leave Him in:
– Attention
– Time
– Means
“Faith is fine, but it mustn’t cost me too much…”
I now understand much better why God cites Jephthah as an example of faith to imitate