Jephthah, Mighty Man of Valor (Judges 11:1-3)

have you ever wondered why certain people do what they do in other words what motivates them to do the things that they do and to save the things that they say and to go the places that they go I'm gonna make a point here with this have you noticed yet in the book of Judges that virtually every time a judge dies the people begin to engage in sinful activities the best answer I know to give is that more often than not people are not converted to the truth they're converted to a person and when that person leaves whether by death or other circumstances some individuals just throw in the towel and quit they just stop they give up let me show you what I mean from the book of Judges open your Bibles with me to the book of Judges and let's start back in Chapter two and let's walk it forward to where we'll be tonight look with me in judges two and verse number nineteen we probably won't read all these verses but just get the idea judges 2 and verse 19 and it came to pass when the judge was dead that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down unto them they ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way now look in chapter 3 verses 11 and 12 and the land had rest forty years and off kneel the son of King has died there's a judge now look at what happens in the next verse and the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord are you beginning to see a pattern look at chapter 4 and verse 1 and the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord when Bible says when he had was dead who was he had a judge look at chapter 6 and verse 1 implied is that some time before this Deborah died and Deborah was a judge and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord you begin to see a pattern here look at chapter 8 in verse 33 and it came to pass now do you miss this as soon as Gideon was dead that the children of Israel turned again and went a whoring after Balaam and made bail be Ruth their God now look with me in chapter 10 verse number five watch what happens and junior died now it seems that there was a period of peace perhaps between this these two previous judges but junior judge died and was buried and Kaman the next verse and the children of Israel did evil again in the side of the Lord and serve not counting Balaam and Ashtaroth and the gods of Syria and the gods of Zion and the gods of Moab and the gods of the children of Ammon and the gods of the Flitz teens and look at all those ends forsook the Lord and served not him surely you see a pattern don't you surely already we see a pattern but recall that sin leads to servitude doesn't it in the book of Judges look at verse number 7 and the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel why look at God's plural that there certainly false gods and he the Lord sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon and that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel 18 years all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan and the land of the amorite switch is in Gilead now sin leaves to serve the servitude doesn't it and it seems here from Judges chapter 10 that the Lord tests Israel's resolved that is he's going to see what they're really made of look at verse number 13 of Judges 10 you have forsaken me and served other gods wherefore I will deliver you no more meaning you have hid now that's that's something that we don't like to think about religiously do we we don't think that the Lord has a limit yes he does and he tells them plainly right here I'm done with you now it seems that he's saying that to see how serious they really are I will deliver you no more verse 14 go and crying to the gods which he have chosen that is go to those amirite gods go to chemo go back to the babies go crying to them and see how many times they'll deliver you zero because they're not even real let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation well recall that sin leads to servitude and servitude leads to supplication that's exactly what happens here verse number 15 and the children of israel said unto the lord we have sinned and admit it we have sinned Lord you haven't done anything against us we've done it to you we have sinned to do thou unto us whatsoever seen it good unto thee deliver us only we pray thee this day and they put away the strange gods from among them and serve the Lord and his soul that is the Lord has feelings too by the way where do we get our feelings we got him from the Lord his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel and what does that supplication always lead to it always leads in the book of Judges to salvation that is physical deliverance from worldly oppression which bleeds us directly into jephta who we're going to talk about tonight jephta was a mighty man of Valor let's discuss Jephthah tonight four things were going to observe about jetha and the first one is pretty plain jephta was a man of Valor we're gonna look at pieces and parts here judges 11 verses 1 through 11 we won't try to give an explanation and then an evaluation we're gonna try to evaluate ourselves and our spiritual lives in the light of Jethro so first let's get it an explanation look at me in judges 11 verses 1 through 3 Bible says now Jephthah the gileadite was a mighty valor and he was the son of an harlot and Gilead begat Jeff they it seems that Jeff this daddy's name literally was Gilead even though he was a Gilead I will talk more about that moving forward and Gilead 's wife bear him sons and his wife's sons grulla and they thrust out jetta and said unto him thou shalt not inherit in our father's house for thou art the son of a strange woman a harlot strange woman unauthorised meaning they understood this is wrong but their mistreating Jeff anyway then Jeff the fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of table and there were gathered vain men to jephthah and went out with him now as used regarding Jeff the Valor seems to indicate fighting prowess or strength and despite being a mighty man of Valor Jeff there was a social outcast why because he was the son of an harlot and it would seem that after his father died Jeff his own relatives forced him away from them they threw him out and the text teaches that now observed that Jephthah had to live somehow he had to continue existing somehow and perhaps Jephthah survived is what we would consider a mercenary while in the land of top meaning that you have a problem there are people oppressing you in the land of top called Jeff then he'll get rid of them but Jeff that doesn't work for free he has to eat too now in the King James uses the phrase vain men 9 has a translation Marcus says worthless meaning that perhaps those people who were like Jeff though who had been outcast from whatever section of society they had been in they had to live somehow so perhaps they would have been what we considered mercenaries but look at judges 11 and verse number 4 and it came to pass in process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel now who they gonna go get and it was so that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel the elders of Gilead went Jephthah out of the land of time and they make him an offer and they said unto Jeff that come and be our captain that we may fight with the children of Ammon now they knew who could help Jeff is the one who could help but Jeff is not stupid himself y'all done throwed me out once now horse wants to make me think that now when I come and what's the problem solved only just saying we'll turn around throw me back out like you did before well I can see where he's coming from kidding you so Jeff there was no dummy look at what he does beginning in verse nine and Jeff has said unto the elders of Gilead if you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon and the Lord and now notice notice Jephthah's attitude here and the Lord delivered them before me shall I be your head are you gonna put me in charge if I do this verse number 10 and the elders of Gilead said unto Jeff though the Lord be witness between us if we do not so according to thy words that's a pretty strong statement verse 11 then Jeff that went with the elders of Gilead and the people made him head and captain over them now notice notice the language of the Bible here and Jeff the uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpah now I understand from one perspective everything that we do every thought that we think is before the Lord but when you begin to run this phrase down it brings two ideas the first one is public Jephthah did what he did in public but you'll notice that at this time the idea is probably before the Lord meant before the Ark of the Covenant so that tells us that the tabernacle at this time was most likely in Misbah now even in the patriarchal age men individuals came before the Lord well what does that indicate they probably were worshipping God publicly so it has to do with public things but in this context it probably has to do with being before the Ark of the cut which probably tells us right there is where the tabernacle was because we called the temple was not built at this time now let me give you an evaluation every member of the Lord's Church must have and here's where we need to evaluate ourselves courage we must have courage we're to have courage spiritually now Jeff that was a mighty man of Valor meaning that he's probably pretty tough well guess what that aspect does apply to us not that we're gonna go out and get into a liberal battle with anyone but we need to have spiritual courage hence first Timothy 6:12 fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and has professed a good profession before many witnesses so Jeff there was a man of battle but second Jeff though was a man of virtue and judges 11 verses 12 through 28 again it's going to be the same way explanation and then in the valuation look at me and judges 11 verses 12 and 13 and Jeff has sent messengers under the king of the children of Ammon saying what hast thou to do with me that thou art come against me to fight in my land what's this all about why are you gonna pick a fight now you can get some answer and the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of jephta because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt from Arnon even unto Jabbok those are two rivers and unto Jordan now therefore restore those lands again peaceably now realize even strongmen must have sense enough not fight first and ask questions later need to ask questions first why Jeff is really confused and he obviously sends messengers and asks legitimate questions Jephthah realized that confrontation on the battlefield was the last resort not the first but did you notice what the king of the children of Ammon did he brings up the past and he in principle demands their old land to be returned to them now what happens in the verses that follow is Jeff that gives them a history lesson and that history lesson is based upon numbers chapters 20 and 21 after leaving Egypt the children of Israel desired to pass through Edom and were refused but there was no fighting they desired to pass through Moab and they were refused but there was no fighting the same thing happened in Ammon let us pass through and Ammon said no and my fact we're gonna kill you while we're at it so there was a battle and guess what happened the ammonites were defeated and were defeated soundly now look at what jephthah says in verses 23 and 24 so now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the amorite meaning we didn't do it our God dispossessed you now he's the one that did it now he did it through us but the Lord is one that dispossessed the ammonites are amirite rather from before the people Israel and should us now possess it now watch wilt not thou possess that which ki Marsh thy God giveth thee to possess meaning if very simple our God has given us this land why don't you go take the land your God gives you just go take whatever it is that ki Marx gives you why don't you go take it what's the problem with that Keep Watch says na ki ma she's not going to give anyone anything and Jephthah's getting in a little jab where he can their so whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us them will we possess now look at verse 26 if all that wasn't enough here's the point verse 26 while Israel dwelt in heshbon and her towns and in our o'er and her towns and in all the cities that belong by the coasts of Ornan how long three years now think about that the king of ammon is bringing up something that happened 300 years ago and now all of a sudden it's a big deal now look what jessalyn says why therefore did you not recover them within that time meaning what have you been doing what have you been thinking about the last 300 years if you had a problem with it why didn't you handle it before today now don't you see that people bring up the past and bring up listen at the first moment that people don't get their way listen you don't know how far back they'll go here is proof that the king of the children of ammon is going back 300 years why are you coming to fight us now because of something happened 300 years ago and Jeff the same the Lord is the one that did this he's our God why don't you go over here with your God and take whatever he gives you well they had sense enough no because he's not real now history repeated itself right there as we move forward and we'll see what happens let me give you the evaluation every member of the Lord's Church must be committed to knowing the past why is that so because when we're ignorant of the past we're liable to commit the same sins as others you understand that 1st Corinthians 10 11 now all these things that happen unto them were foreign samples or examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come why would we even read anything about anything from the Old Testament because friend history has sometimes the ability to repeat itself now we're going to see that happen here with the ammonites they're not going to accept Jephthah's answer they got start 300 years ago what you think it's gonna happen now they're gonna get stomped again now we need to realize we don't need to make mistakes that other people have made and God has given us the Bible with one purpose if you don't make these same mistakes that these people may now third Jeff there was a man of victories we'll look at judges 11 verses 32 and 33 in them briefly at chapter 12 verses 1 through 7 look at judges 11 and verse 28 now Jeff has laid it out it's difficult to argue with the things that Jeff has said howbeit the king of the children of ammon hearken not that means he didn't listen under the words of Jetha which he sent him then verse number 29 actually let's skip down to verse 32 we'll come back to verse 29 so Jeff the passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them and what happened the Lord delivered them into his hands and he smoked them from our lower even till thou come to men ahthe even 20 cities and under the plain of the vineyards with a very great slaughter thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel now Jeff this history lesson went unheeded and guess what happened history repeated itself the Lord delivered the children of Ammon into Israel's hands now let's get forward with me to Judges chapter 12 judges 12 verses 1 through 7 what's going on the men of Gilead now who were who were the men of Gilead it probably would have included the tribes of Reuben GAD and the half tribe of Manasseh those who were on the east side of Jordan either in whole or in part now the men of Gilead are going to defeat the Midianites or the rather the Ephraim Ives who were probably making a big deal out of nothing now watch these are this is more infighting here among the children of Israel judges 12 and verse 1 and the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and went northward and said unto Jephthah wherefore passed us thou over to fight against the children of an and did not call us to go with thee meaning how did you go up here and whip these people why didn't you ask us to go with you now this is this is something to fight about right look what they tell him we will burn thine house upon fire meaning you didn't call us to go to fight we'll see that Jephthah probably did but there look at this when people want to make a big deal about something they'll strain it in that they will find something to fight about won't they that's exactly what the Ephraim ayats are doing here and there's mad about it they're threatening to burn his house upon him with fire verse number 2 and jephthah said unto them I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon now look at this and when I called you you delivered me not out of their hands now the only record the Bible gives us says Jephthah's word here that Jeff has said I told you now you read through there and they didn't stand up and say you're alive so it seems that probably what the truth is is Jeff the said let's go and they're like now we're busy now that there's been a great victory and they don't have any part of it now they're mad about it well then that sound like people then that sound just like people they're gonna be mad if you win they're mad if you lose they're mad if they go and they're mad if they don't go they're just mad now it gets a little serious right here look at verse 6 and we're just skipping through it for the sake of time but you can read back through these on your own here was Jeff this solution it seems then said they unto Him say now Shibboleth and he said simple s DC in the and this apparently the ephraim acts couldn't couldn't say that they couldn't make that sound for he could not frame to pronounce it right then they took him and slew him at the passages of jordan and there fell now look at this this is sad and there fell at that time of the ephraim is 40 and 2000 over what over what over what the fact that they didn't apparently respond to Jeff the scone now that's worth dining overridden but you see how some people are now let's give an evaluation every member of the Lord's Church must stand firm in conflict now when problems arise from within the church what are we going to do rather than I'm gonna tell you what we have to do we're gonna have to deal with it that's not start pulling out swords and stabbing people to death cutting their heads off literally 42,000 people died but we do have to stand firm in conflict James 1:19 and 20 is a good principle wherefore my beloved brethren let every man be swift to hear means you need to listen sometimes slow to speak slow to wrath for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God the from acts were not quick to hear were they they wanted to fight and it didn't work out in their favor did it number 4 jephta was a man who kept his vows let's go back to judges 11 and look at verses 29 through 31 and then we'll skip ahead to verses 34 through 40 again we'll give an explanation and then evaluation judges 11 beginning verse 29 then the Spirit of the Lord came upon jephta that seems to be Bible language to indicate that Jephthah at least at times was an inspired man whether it was miraculous knowledge supernatural ability something along those lines it was supernatural then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jeff then he passed over Gilead and Manasseh and passed over mists of Gilead and from misra of Gilead he he passed over unto the children of Ammon now watch and Jeff the vowed a vow unto the Lord before I read another word take this piece of advice from a dummy if in your speech to God Almighty you use the if and then you're gonna be in trouble that there is no reason really and I'm not saying Jeff the sin but we're going talk about something difficult right here there is no reason for a faithful child of God to use Lord if you'll do this then I'll do that there is no reason for no reason at all whatsoever and you're gonna get a Bible illustration here of what happens when we open our mouths under the Lord okay verse 13 Jeff the vowed a vow unto the Lord and said if thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands then shall 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 lords and I will offer it up for a burnt offering alright skip down to verse 34 and jephthah came to Mizpah unto his house now we've already read Jeff there's a man of victories he's the Lord's already given him the victory right you know what's gonna happen don't you Jeff that came to misma into his house and behold his daughter his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances she's excited dad's won a battle and look what the Bible tells us she was his only child beside her he had neither son nor daughter that means that is Jeff this bloodline right there he's got one daughter he's re open his mouth when he didn't have to he didn't have to do that but he did it did if then now it seems to me based on everything else that we've read about Jeff the that was the furthest thing from his mind is that his only daughter is going to be the first thing first person whatever it is to come out and meet him now what do we do he said it hadn't now you reckon he's gonna be a man who keeps his vows he is a man that's gonna keep his vows verse 35 and it came to pass when he saw her that here in his clothes that's a Jewish sign of great grief would you be the same way and said alas my daughter thou has brought me very low and thou are one of them that troubled me for I have opened my mouth and to the Lord and I cannot go back that's commendable it really is verse number 36 this gives us some insight into his daughter and who taught her Jephthah had for sure for sure if nobody else Jeff had told her something and she said in him my father if thou hadst open thy mouth unto the Lord do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth for as much as the Lord had taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies even of the children of ammon and she said unto her father let this thing be done for me i watch let me alone two months that I may go up and down upon the mountains and balelo my virginity I and my fellows and he said go and he sent her away for two months and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains verse 39 and it came to pass at the end of two months that she returned unto her father now how do I know Jeff as a man who keeps his balance who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed and she knew no man and it was a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jeff of the gileadite for days in a year there are two primary schools of thought about what we just read and I'm going to present both of them to you and both of them cannot be right number one is that Jeff then I don't know what other words used butchered his daughter as position number one is that Jeff the butchered of his daughter now go back with me and look quickly at verse number 31 the latter part there and I will offer it up for a burnt offering now I want you to turn with me to the Book of Leviticus chapter 1 and just in case you've forgotten you need to see some of the specifics that occurred with burnt offerings so before you take the position that Jephthah offered his daughter as a burnt offer you need to understand what was entailed with a burnt offering okay I think that's fair now welcome in judges 1 beginning in verse 3 this is with regard to the various offerings under the law of Moses or under the Old Covenant if you'd like to look at it that way if it's offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd let him offer a meal now that's number one a male without blemish now what Jeff they have just had a daughter right but what was the instruction of the Lord a male without blemish he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord look at verse 6 and he shall flee the burnt offering and cut it into his pieces now we want to take this position the Jeff that just killed his daughter know if he did that literally he chopped her up bread and I don't know how bright could it end in his pieces and I won't type everything else he had to have priests involved with this - if that if we're going to take the position that he literally burnt-offering says burnt offering and a burnt offering as a burnt offering well let's read what a burnt offering let's read what happened ok and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar and lay the wood in order upon the fire and the priests Aaron's sons shall lay the parts the head he had to chop her head off if we're going to take the literal position and the fat in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar but his inwards and I do you understand do you see this but his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water and the priest shall burn all on the altar to be a burnt sacrifice and offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the Lord now it seems to me that was quite a lot of work involved with the burnt offering what and so if Jephthah now what what is irrefutable is jephthah kept his bow he kept his value position number one is let's take it literally he said burnt offering he kept his vow there they butchered that one girl whatever she was however I would like to suggest an alternative viewpoint that is this Jetha devoted or consecrated his virgin daughter to the Lord and thus his seed line was eliminated from all the face of the earth now go with me back to Judges 11 I will point out a few phrases that what what is the significance of them what is the significance of these phrases bewailing her virginity why doesn't it say she went and bewailed her life she went and bewailed her virginity and why is it made clear she knew no man while the emphasis on her virginity look back in verse number 38 and she went with her companions and did what it doesn't say Sheba weld her laugh it says Sheba weld her virginity is that what the Bible says that's what the Bible says now look at verse number 39 there's no doubt Jephthah did with her according to his vow which he had found and she knew no man so Jephthah kept his but kept his vow and his daughter knew no man that's bible language for she remained a virgin again go with me back to the Book of Leviticus and let me show you something that perhaps you don't get to read all the time look this time in Leviticus chapter 27 now remember what polled um preacher up here suggested to you if you use if and then in your language to God don't just don't just okay just don't make my hair not turn white so fast don't use that okay look at Leviticus 27 and this is my position is that Jephthah offered his daughter as a perpetual virgin to the service of the Lord and obviously there's no one alive use of the seed of Jeff because they died out he had no other daughter he had no other son he had no other daughter in Leviticus 27 1 and the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them when a man shall make a singular Val my Bible has a translation mark for extraordinary that is going above and beyond what the Lord has expected and that's what Jephthah did he used that if-then and he made a vow unto the Lord when a man shall make a singular vowel the persons shall be for the Lord by thy estimation I believe that's exactly what Jephthah did and that says this is how he kept his vows now continuing on and the estimation shall be of the male from 20 years old even to 60 years old even though a summation shall be 50 shekels of silver after the shekel of the sanctuary and if it be a female then the estimation shall be 30 shekels I believe Jeff the paid the money he sent his daughter and she lived as a perpetual virgin at the time of NACO or I'm totally wrong and he chopped her head off he cut her guts out and he got a Levi to go burner on the altar now you pick your poison alright I'm going to pick my poison and say this is what Jephthah did with his daughter now let's give an evaluation every member of the Lord's Church must meet all the conditions of the New Testament brethren are we aware what actually occurs when we confess openly and freely that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God are we fully aware at what happens when we do that are you aware that that confession is a form of a bow it is a form of an oath and it simply means this once we stand up before the people and the preacher however he words it says do you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and we said yes we have said whatever the Lord teaches that's what I'm going to do you understand that that is a form of a bow now what did jephthah do Jephthah said didn't go back so you know what I know what I said but I ain't doing that now do you see the integrity of Jephthah whatever he did he kept his vow to the Lord how many of us state members of the church do you know do you realize what they have done they have broken their vow to the Lord they have said yes Lord as I know better I'll do better but then they know better and they're not doing it better they have broken their vows 2nd Corinthians 6 17 and 18 let me give you part of the New Testament we all need to take the heart wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty don't we want God to be our Father yes then we have to meet all the conditions of the New Testament we got to hear it believe it repent of sin confess Jesus Christ to be the son of God be immersed in water for the remission of sins but brethren we have to be faithful and remain faithful unto death no matter what it costs the Bible says that Jeff the judged Israel six years and then he died and was buried in judges 12 and verse 7 but you are also aware that that is not the last time that we read Jephthah's name in the Bible his name is in Hebrews 11 and verse 32 let me tell you plainly since his name is in Hebrews 11 verse 32 whatever he did with his daughter that is not why he was there other then he kept his vow to the Lord however he kept it like it or not physical death of the second coming of Christ is on everyone's agenda are you ready every sermon has one central idea one central theme in mind to get everybody who's at the age of accountability and of honest and good heart to be right in the Lord's eyes are you right here the truth acts 18:8 believe the truth acts 16:31 repent of sin acts 17:30 confess Jesus Christ to be the Son of God acts 8:37 be immersed in water for the remission of sins acts 2:38 and brethren when we sin as Christians acts 8:22 is still in the Bible we have to repent and pray wherever you are coming as together we stand and as we sing a song of encouragement

Channel: Lexington Church of Christ

Views: 2,164

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Brock Shanks, Sermon, Lexington church of Christ, Jephthah, Mighty Man of Valor

Id: JQ9_7SwcKc8

Length: 37min 29sec (2249 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 06 2017