• Old Testament – Christ in Prophecy
• Gospels – Christ in History
• Acts – Christ in the Church
• Epistles – Christ in Experience
• Apocalypse – Christ in coming Glory
• Gospels – Christ in History
• Acts – Christ in the Church
• Epistles – Christ in Experience
• Apocalypse – Christ in coming Glory
Judges: ""
Written by: Unknown (some think Samuel)
Chapters:21
Verses:618
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Jephthah's promise to God (Child Sacrifice?)
This is one of the most troubling passages to me, alone with the cannibalism when Israel was under seize.
(Found in 2 kings 6:26-29)
In fact this was the trigger point in my life that really got me to a point that I realized it was time to dig deeper in God's Word. Eventually this led me to create this blog to have a place to organize my notes.
(Found in 2 kings 6:26-29)
In fact this was the trigger point in my life that really got me to a point that I realized it was time to dig deeper in God's Word. Eventually this led me to create this blog to have a place to organize my notes.
Jephthah promises God that if God would help them win the battle (against Bene-Ammon) that when Jephthah went back home, the first thing(or person) that walked out of the threshold would be offered up as a burnt offering to God. Little did he know that his only daughter would be the first to come out singing, to great him.
What?? God is allowing human sacrifice unto Himself ?? Yeah that was my first reaction when I read this passage for the first time. This troubled me for over a year (and to an extent it still does). I placed it on the back burner of my mind to let my thought on this simmer.
Went through several commentaries, asked several people, and ended up going through Bible a few times(literally) before I came to understand this section a little better.
Many commentaries and people say that the sacrifice Jephthah made was that his daughter was to stay a virgin the rest of her life, a life of celibacy (v.39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, v.40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year).
I tend to lean more to what the Bible says literally here in this passage, That he did sacrifice her.
- First understand that child sacrifice was/is a common pagan practice.("is" because of abortion these days)
- He made a promise to "worship God" with a pagan practice.
- If you make a vow to God, you better pay - Ecclesiastes 5:4 ( however I believe if he would have gone to God asking for forgiveness of his error God would have forgave him, and his daughter would not have been an offering ) One more thing to note here is that if he made this vow know to any of his warriors at the battle field and then did not come back and do what he said, his reputation and respect would then be on the line.
- He was not obeying the Word of God, Passing you sons and daughters through the fire was/is an abomination unto the Lord - Deuteronomy 18:9-12
- In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes
v. 31
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Eclesiastes 5:4
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Deuteronomy 18:9-12
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25
The Bible is truth, but in one way it is like a news paper in that you have neat stories, funny stories, romantic stories, war stories, but you also have the obituaries. This section to me is one of those that should cause us to reflect on our relationship with Him. There are several applications in this passage, here are just a few:
- Study, do, and don't forget what the word of God says,
- Don't make a vow to God that you might regret,
- Don't worship God the same way the pagans do.
- Make sure you have the King [Jesus] in your life. So that you are not prong to wander.
