Jephthah was an illegitimate child in whom his father Gilead begat of a harlot. When his father died, the sons of Gilead’s wife, as the Bible says, “thrust out Jephthah”, not wanting him to inherit of his father’s house. Jephthah fled from his people and dwelt in the land of Tod. In the book of Judges where this story is found in the Scriptures, in chapter 11, verse 1, it tells us that Jephthah “was a mighty man of valour”. This information of fact plays an important part in his life and the life of his own people of Israel.
As “it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.” Judges 11:4. The fact that Jephthah “was a mighty man of valour” “the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:” note verse 5 of chapter 11 in Judges. This must have been a bit of a slap in the face for Jephthah. However, it shows how the people of Israel must have been of great need of a leader to get them through this war.
Judges 11:6, explains, “they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.” Yet “Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? Verse 7. In verse 8 “the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Note in verse 9 what “Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead,” “If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?” The elders of Gilead response unto Jephthah was, “The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.” Judges 11:10.
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh. Judges 11:11.
For our biblical Gem today, we are going to look at the gems that comes from this first part of the story of Jephthah. Surely, we noticed that they did not care for Jephthah until they needed help outside themselves. And then, and only then, were they willing to take him on as their head, their leader.
Here we see an unwanted man by his own people even though he “was a mighty man of valour”.
Jephthah is a type of Christ in this story. How many times have people reject Christ even though He is our Saviour. Sadly, we are all guilty of this very thing. God wants us to come to Him through His Son Jesus. However, will we let God lead us once He has saved us out of our destress.
I have heard stories how people have called upon God, with promise to serve Him, if He saved them through their troubles that they were going through, only to forget the promise after their prayer was answered. They forgot God and kept being their own leader of their life, forgetting their promise to serve God if He but save them.
I’ve also heard stories where people truly did keep their promise under such circumstances, and did a full turn-around, by truly giving their life to God through Christ our Saviour. Truly allowing Christ the lead them with all sincerity of heart.
There are many ways we can reject God and the Gift He gave through His own Son. There are many things we desire what God offers and yet refuse to walk with Him to receive the blessings.
After watching a short story about a medical doctor, who was injecting himself with growth hormones that he may live longer, to have, as they called it, eternal youth, I was left saddened. He had a young wife over 50+ years younger than himself. They had a child in his 90’s, yet it was not his child, the child was by IVF donation. He was 93 years old at the time of the story and was longing to live longer, to at least the age of 105. This may have been a sweet story for some, but the reality was quite sad.
It is hard to believe that people want eternal life, yet do not want the one who gave the gift of eternal life. What is the point of living a little longer on this earth, only to face the same fate in the end without hope? Everyone has the desire for eternal youth. Yet sadly, many are not willing to take hold of “The One” who has gifted the promise of eternal life. Many will not let Christ Jesus, be their head; so much so that they reject Him, to lead themselves, or choose a human being to lead them.
Read the following scripture. As you read, think on how the first part of the story of Jephthah, think of our own relationship with our Saviour Christ Jesus. Do we desire Christ to lead us, do we desire Him to be our Head in our life? Do we treat Christ the same as Jephthah was treated by his family? Not wanting Christ to be part of His inheritance, which is you, me, we, us. Only going to Him when we ourselves cannot fight the enemies around us.
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:1-12.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46.
We can truly hope that after reading the above scriptures, that we all would desire Christ to be our Head, our Captain; to fully accept the Gift He gave us, that He may receive His inheritance of treasure He found in the field of sin. Christ sought out goodly pearls, in which He found, us. Yes, we were of great price, the treasure, the pearl He found, to Him was worth that Great price. Yes, Christ paid a great price with His life, that He may have His inheritance with Him in Heaven, with Him for eternity. We obtain “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven.” 1 Peter 1:4. He gave up all, to save us, that we may have all. This is what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. That we may “…know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Ephesians 3:19. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1 John 4:9-11. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:15-17.
God said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
Study the following scriptures.
Romans 8:12-39; Ephesians 6:10-24; James 2.
Open The Light Studies 