This week’s reading is in the book of Judges. As I read the stories, it is easy to view them as happening in quick succession. As though they happen one right after the other. We can tend towards such an instant grits mentality - expecting that God will work according to our microwave schedule, which is usually one minute thirty seconds! Instead, Scripture tells us “and he judged Israel six years.” “Seven years”. “Ten years”. “Twenty years.” The overwhelming majority of those years are not recorded in detail in Scripture - just a story here and there…and the fact of “6,7,10, 20 years.” Reading those words this week caused me to ask the Lord for patience in my prayers. Things I am wanting Him to “fix” seem to take longer than I prefer. So I am asking Him to not only increase my patience but also my trust in knowing that He IS at work. On my behalf. And, just like I can’t see all that was taking place in the time of the Judges, I can’t see what He is doing in my time either.
Lord, thank you for being my rock in the times where I can’t see. For being faithful even when I don’t know “the rest of the story”. Help me to be faithful in not only the times where the story is visible and worthy of being recorded but also in the times of seeming insignificance.
One of the characters stood out to me this week. I suppose it has to do with the backdrop of the times we are living in but Jephthah leapt off the pages for me this time. Now, to be sure, some of his story gives me great pause. And I don’t have the end part concerning his daughter figured out. God has chosen to be a bit vague about the particulars of her story. Whew. That’s not the part that stood out to me this week - all I’ll say about that is my heart has convinced my mind that what was sacrificed was her chance to marry. And while that is bad enough (especially in Jewish culture!), it sits better with me than taking her life!
What I want to focus on today is another aspect of Jep’s story. Chapter 11. Verses 1-23. Read that again and see what stands out to you.
Jephthah had just become the leader of the Gileadites. He began to take action for the people of God. And his first move in this role was to stand up to the Ammonites who were not only encroaching more and more upon their territory but had already already afflicted the Israelites for 18 years. (v. 8). It was time to stand up to them. It was time to defend what was theirs. It was time to fight.
And Jephthah was the man.
Carefully read vs. 12-23 to see his approach.
The first step was not to annihilate them (although that did come later! V. 33).
No, the first step was instead to stand on the TRUTH. The Ammonites were claiming that they were right to fight against Israel and possess this particular land. They accused Israel of taking their land years ago and must now return it to the descendants. Note carefully what Jephthah does in v. 15 - ‘Israel did not take away the land of the sons of Ammon’. HE KNEW THE TRUTH AND HE STOOD ON IT FIRMLY. He corrected the accusation and gave the FACTS of history. When Israel first captured the land generations before, it belonged to the Amorites, not the Ammonites. Jephthah refused to let them rewrite history and stake a claim based on untruths.
This changed everything. Because he knew the truth, he could refute their accusations. He could righteously defend his actions and courageously advance. He did not have to cower before them; he did not have to feel guilty or consider their feelings or change his mind about what God had said to do. He knew the truth and he was brave enough to call the opposition out on their lies.
And the result was victory. The opposition was silenced (ok, slaughtered!) and peace to the Gileadites was restored.
What implication does this have for us today?
I’ll let the Holy Spirit personalize it for you individually but I’ll say that for me, it was a clear message to stand for truth. Truth about God. Truth about history. Truth about what is right and just. Truth about what might appear to be “fair” but is actually an unjust lie.