Return to God’s Ways

July 31, 2011


Background Scripture: Judges 10:6 – 11:33; 21:25
Lesson Passage: Judges 10:10 – 18; 11:4 – 6, 32, 33

Sometimes we get off track. Mostly it is a result of trying to live according to our own desires rather than seeking God’s will for us but nevertheless when it happens, we need help to get back on track. God always send a servant to warn us about the outcome of our actions, pronounce judgment against our actions, or provide reassurance of deliverance from our situation. As has been the theme of the book of Judges, Israel had again committed evil as a nation and God had allowed their enemy to oppress them because of it. The oppression of the enemy was more than Israel wanted to endure so they cried out to God for help. They repented and admitted their sins of omission and sins of commission had led to their situation of vexation. God again provided a deliverer in their midst. This deliverer was a social outcast. He was the son of a harlot. Moreover, he was rejected by his father’s legitimate sons. They refused to allow him to inherit part of their father’s estate. His name was Jephthah. In the process of time the Ammonites began to oppress Israel on the east side of the Jordan in the land of Gilead and they even invaded their ranks in some areas on the west side in the land of Canaan. It was at this time that the leaders of Israel in the land of Gilead sent word for Jephthah to come in lead them into battle against the Ammonites. Jephthah expressed resentment towards them for rejecting him when things were going well and calling upon him to lead them when times were tough. Only after a deal was struck whereby Jephthah would be accepted as the leader of Israel in Gilead after the war with Ammon was over did Jephthah agree to go with Israel’s leaders to be the commander-in-chief over their army. Jephthah inquired of the Ammonite king what reason did he have to war against Israel. The king replied that Israel had taken their land after they came out of Egypt and therefore Ammon was merely fighting to restore the land back to their ownership. Fortunately, Jephthah knew the history of Israel’s dealings with the Moabites and the Ammonites. All of it was honorable and Israel had indeed respected the territory of Ammon and Moab as God had directed them to do. However the land of the Amorites was the land possessed by Israel after they had subdued the Amorites. Jephthah went on to declare that whenever God allowed Israel to dispossess a people from a land, the land then belonged to Israel and not another. In fact, if not for this guideline that sees Israel as an instrument used by God to determine possession of land, Israel would have no land at all. Jephthah stated that Israel had possessed the land for three hundred years and its ownership had not been questioned during all of those years. In other words, why is ownership of the land coming into question now? Ammon still refused to hear Jephthah and God delivered the Ammonites into Israel’s hands under Jephthah’s leadership. Jephthah was well versed in the history of Israel and God’s dealings with them. He used this knowledge to lead Israel back to God’s ways. As a result of Jephthah’s faith in action, today we know the name of this once social outcast of Israel but his brothers who were the legitimate sons of their father, their names remain anonymous.

Robert C. Hudson
July 25, 2011