Daily Devotional
Jephthah
“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, ‘If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering’ ” (Judges 11:30, 31).
Have you ever made a promise you later regretted? Many have, and often the promise is not kept. God’s Word says that we should hate lying (see Proverbs 13:5).
Jephthah’s early life was difficult. His mother was a prostitute and because they didn’t want to share the inheritance with him, his half-brothers disowned him. The rejected young man went to the land of Tob, “and worth- less men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him” (Judges 11:3). During this time, he became known as a mighty man of valour.
When the people of Ammon challenged the Israelites, elders from Jephthah’s hometown went in search of him and begged him to lead their army. Before going into battle, Jephthah made a rash vow that if God gave him victory, he would sacrifice as a burnt offering whatever came out of the doors of his house when he returned home.
After winning the battle, he went home and out came his daughter, his only child. Crushed by his own words, he confessed his error to his daughter, who agreed he should keep his vow. She asked for a delay, however, so she could first spend two months in the mountains with friends.
The Bible says that when she returned, “he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man” (Judges 11:39). Because this passage is so brief, it’s impossible to know for sure exactly what happened. Did Jephthah literally burn his daughter as a sacrifice, something forbidden by God? Or was she simply set apart for the Lord, with no hope of having a family?
One thing is for certain. Before speaking, it’s best to carefully con- sider all the consequences our words might have, especially when others are involved.
Dear Lord, give me wisdom to think carefully before I speak and to avoid promising what I cannot give.
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