Judges 11:1 – 11 “Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father. And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”
So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him. Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”
Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? So why then have you come to me now when you are in distress?”
They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.”
But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?” And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.” So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.”
Poor Jephthah! Through no fault of his own, Jephthah was the son of a prostitute, even though Gilead was his father. When it came time to divide up his father’s estate, Jephthah’s half – brothers drove him away, so that they could get more wealth. Those brothers may even have threatened Jephthah’s life; why else would he have left the land of Gilead completely? With no inheritance, Jephthah had to go to a different land and become the head of a roaming group of “worthless men.” The actual meaning of this term does not necessarily imply bad or evil men, but rather poor persons without property or employment. Jephthah and his band may have operated much as David did later, protecting towns and villages and only raiding the enemies of Israel. The area in which Jephthah was living was in modern day Syria just beyond the eastern border of Israel. Yes, Jephthah was an outcast. But then came the Ammonites.
Jephthah’s brothers might have been greedy, but they were not military leaders. One of the elders suddenly had the bright idea to invite Jephthah back to help them. When Jephthah questioned the elders’ sincerity, they made big promises. To protect himself, Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the Lord so that later on those same elders couldn’t renege. (The term “Mizpah” means “Watch,” and implies that God was watching as the Israelites made their promises to Jephthah.
APPLICATION: Have you ever been used, only to be discarded when your usefulness ended? There are few feelings more horrible than that of giving your best to a situation, only to find that the same people who begged you to come are now pushing you out the door after getting your help.
Ironically, it is possible that had Jephthah remained in Gilead, he might not have ever found his true identity as a military commander. Jephthah might have accepted whatever meager resources the family would have allotted to him just so that he could remain as part of the family. It was Jephthah’s isolation that brought out his abilities as a commander.
In those days, family was everything. Men without families had no inheritance and little chance of finding wives and having families of their own. Cutting someone off from their family could practically constitute a death sentence. No, the elders of Gilead had graphically demonstrated that they were only interested in money.
As we read the story of Jephthah, several things stand out:
1. God was not worried about Jephthah’s low status as the son of a prostitute. God gave Jephthah courage and the ability to lead in battle. We can take heart from this story, knowing that it is God who empowers us and that our worth as human beings does not come from men.
2. God created the opportunity for Jephthah to be received back into his father’s family. Reading the account, you can almost see these elders wringing their hands and glancing at one another out of the corners of their eyes. Jephthah was probably the very last person the family wanted to ask for help, but they were desperate.
3. You have the feeling – as did Jephthah – that the elders were hoping to renege on their promises as soon as the Ammonites were defeated. That’s why Jephthah repeated his terms in the presence of the Lord. Jephthah trusted the Lord, even if the elders had no regard for Him.
4. God was using the elders of Gilead to call Jephthah into the role God had already designed for him, that of military commander. Many times, God may use people to bring us into His perfect will for our lives, even though the motives of that group may be anything but pure. In the end, it is God who calls and who acts sovereignly.
What if you are used and then discarded? If God has called you into a certain position, God will sustain you and God will guide you. If those who once claimed they needed you attempt to throw you away, God will open new avenues of opportunity. Trust people? No way! Trust God? Absolutely!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You love us, that You care for us and that You will never leave us or forsake us. Thank You that Your promises are sure. Help all who feel that they have been used and abused to look to You for their guidance and support. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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