This bittersweet chapter contains the account of Jephthah, the next in line to deliver Israel.
“Then the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah… And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.’ …and the Lord gave them into his hand. … So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. Then Jephthah came to his home… And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child… And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Alas, my daughter! … I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.’ ” (v29-35 abr)
Jephthah, an outcast from his own people, is called by the elders to lead and deliver them from the Ammonite oppression. He agrees to do so, and makes a tragic vow with God. He vows to make a burnt offering to the Lord, not realizing this vow would cost him his only daughter/child. Tragically, he follows through on his vow because God fulfilled His part.
This is an example of why attempting to barter with God when under pressure isn’t usually a good idea. Making a vow to God, if done wisely, can be a very powerful thing – for example vowing to make Jesus your King and follow Him all of your remaining days. Making a vow, if done poorly, can result in terrible consequences, leaving someone in a “lose-lose” scenario. Jephthah’s “lose-lose” scenario was to sacrifice his only child, or break his vow to God who kept up His end of the deal.
My encouragement today is to make vows wisely. This includes any major commitment – a marriage, a mortgage, a lease, and which god we will serve. God does not take our vows lightly, and neither should we. Vows should never be made in a rushed fashion, nor should they be made under duress.
Right now, in our current world situation, it may be very tempting to make a bartering-style vow with God – for example “Lord, please spare my family from the virus and I will __________. As good as that may seem at first glance, please be careful about the commitments you make. I have personally made some poor commitments in my life – most of them were made on the spot, and all of them were made without consulting God first. Let’s seek the Spirit’s guidance for any commitments we make, lest we find ourselves in a “rock-and-a-hard-place” scenario with consequences we don’t wish to bear.
Father God, our gracious and merciful King, holy is Your powerful name. We praise and worship You O Lord God almighty. Spirit, please guide us throughout these difficult times. Please help us to rely on the wisdom You provide, and not solely follow in the wisdom of this world. There are many who are acting rashly and impulsively, so Spirit please help us to follow Your lead, not theirs. Please help us to make our decisions and commitments wisely, and prayerfully. Father we know that our word is very important to You, and You value integrity, so please help us to only make commitments that You would want us to keep. Jesus, thank you for showing us the way through how You lived Your life. In Your righteous and holy name we ask this, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training