If you look at the stories from Gideon to Samson, you’ll notice the judges get worse one by one until they hit rock bottom with Samson.
Jephthah was a mighty warrior, but also led a band of worthless men who raided their neighbors (Judges 11:1-3).
When the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to the only powerful figure they knew, Jephthah. Previously, they had rejected him because of the status of his birth. They knew he was a the leader of a band of criminals, but he was also the most powerful fighter they knew.
They came to him and said, *”Come, be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites”” (Judges 11:6).
They knew what kind of character Jephthah possessed, but they came to him anyway. How many times throughout history have people chosen dishonest and dangerous leaders because they felt they had no other options?
When I grew up in Southeast Missouri, we had “yellow dog Democrats.” Today, we still have people who would prefer to vote for a yellow dog and the candidate of the opposite party, but now they are known as “yellow dog Republicans.”
What if we chose leaders not by the “D” or “R” by their name? Instead, what if we prayerfully sought God’s will with regard to leaders?
The good citizens of Gilead chose a renegade who inflicted harm on those whom he raided. Nowhere in the story do we find that they asked God who should lead them.
Jephthah the Negotiator
When asked to lead the people against the Ammonites, he negotiated the terms of his service. He later attempted to negotiate with the king of Ammon.
Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”
The elders of Gilead said to him, “Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be head over all of us who live in Gilead.”
Jephthah answered, “Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your head?”
The elders of Gilead replied, “The LORD is our witness; we will certainly do as you say.”
So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah (Judges 11:7-11).
Think with me about political advertising. In it we find two main features: (1) attacks on their opponent, and (2) promises to give the public what they want.
Promises of lower prices, higher wages, and better governmental services are the kind of promises that have been made for years. Voters respond to these promises according to self-interest.
Self-interest was what motivated the Israelites to make Jephthah their leader. They accepted his flaws because they believed he could assemble an army and provide them security against the Ammonites.
Self-interest is a theme that highlights Israel’s downfall during the time of the Judges. When self-interest drives a leader’s choice, it ultimately leads to the downfall of any society.
Jephthah tried to talk things out with the Ammonites, but it didn’t work. When talking didn’t solve the problem, the next step was going to war. I’ll write more about this in tomorrow’s blog post.
Reflections
Generations of politicians dot the landscape of my family’s genealogy. Political discussions were frequent topics at our dinner table. I’m interested in politics, and probably the honest statement is that I’m too interested.
I recently read John 13-17, which chronicles Jesus’ last days on earth. He knows his destiny is to be crucified and experience the punishment for sin for every human past, present, and future who has lived on the earth.
The disciples are anxious about what they fear will happen and ask Jesus many questions.
Instead of answering their questions, Jesus gives them seven promises concerning prayer. He encourages their unity and tells them that the world will recognize that they are his disciples if they love one another.
I was taken aback by the number of times Jesus reminded his followers to love.
With this in mind, the story of Jephthah reminds me of two things.
(1) God must always be consulted before we make decisions of any kind.
(2) Jesus has different priorities than political thinkers would have us embrace. Self-interest will never achieve the purposes of God, but loving God and others will.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed the story of Jephthah on YouTube today.
Real Voices 