It’s too bad that Jephthah wasn’t present to hear Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus specifically addressed why humans should not make vows to the Lord.
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” (Matthew 5:33-37).
I think Jephthah’s vow indicated his attempt to manipulate God to get a favorable outcome.
I am sad to write that I know some of my vows to God have come from less than honorable intentions. Rather than filling a prayer with an abundance of words, I simply could have said “Yes” or “No”, as Jesus counseled.
Israel’s Battle and Jephthah’s Vow
Judges reserves two verses to describe the battle against the Ammonites (verses 32-33). The central focus of Judges 11 is on Jephthah’s vow and what took place after winning the war.
And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands,
Whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering” (Judges 11:30-31).
Scholars think Jephthah expected his brother’s children to be the first to meet him. His brothers had turned against him, and he might have wanted revenge by sacrificing one of their children to honor his vow to God.
In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross mentions that God never asked for human sacrifice as a sign of obedience.
In a sad and unexpected twist, instead of his brother’s children coming out to meet Jephthah, his own daughter appeared.
When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter.
When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break” (Judges 11:34-35).
A close reading of the book of Judges reveals that self-interest leads to the downfall of both individuals and nations.
Notice how Jephthah, instead of mourning his daughter’s loss, focuses on his own pain. He says, “You brought me down, and I am devastated,” without considering the impact on his daughter, who will lose her life because of a vow he should never have made.
Reflections
When we compare Jephthah’s vow with Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, some things become clear.
(1) It’s never wise to try to manipulate God with a vow. Many people have probably done it in some way, but it’s best to follow Jesus’ advice: Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”.
I think when we first start our journey with God, we often try to use that relationship to get what we want in life. I’m thankful that God is gracious and we don’t face the same misfortunes as Jephthah did.
However, as soon as we mature and deal honestly and faithfully with God, we’ll be in a much better place.
(2) Motives are important. In Matthew 5, Jesus focuses on the heart of our motives.
Jephthah had bad intentions when he made a vow to God, leading to a terrible outcome.
God looks at our hearts and wants to improve our motives through the power of His Word and the Holy Spirit working in us. Let’s make it a goal to always cooperate with Him.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Jephthah in detail on today’s YouTube video.
Real Voices 