Did Jephthah sacrifice his one and only daughter? There are some who belive that Jepthah didn't actually go through with the act of sacrificing his daughter. Those who hold to that view believe that Jephthah only actually vowed his daughters virginity to the Lord (which would mean no marriage and no children) and not her physical life. I see several problems with this interpretation:
1. First, he makes a vow to burn up as a sacrifice whatever (or whoever) comes out of his house (Judges 11:30). So a plain rendering of the text finds Jephthah make the vow and to add to that he says, "I cannot take back my vow (Judges 11:35)." Then to make it even more crystal it says in Judges 11:39 that, "(he did with her) . . . according to the vow that he made." So it seems that common sense points to Jephthah following through with his tragic (and unneccesary vow).
2. Second, context is a great help when coming to exegetical conclusions. Someone who argues that Jephthah did not follow through with his vow is going against the natural regression of each Judge. Each Judge to some extent reveals more wickedness not righteousness. Those who argue that Jephthah didn't sacrifice the life of his daughther (but only consecrated her to the Lord as what ammount to a eunoch) argue along the lines that it doesn't seem clear enough (i.e., we don't see the blood on his hand). However, that's a very weak arguement especially when the logic of the text and regressional nature of each Judge points to this sacrificial abomination.
3. Third, there are going to be some who argue that Jephthah didn't sacrifice his daughter on the grounds of Hebrews 11:32, but if you look at the list of people in Hebrews 11 what you soon find is that the text is pointing out that people who have faith in God's promises are not without grievous sin.
So did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter? My conclusion is that he did. He was as most were in Israel in those days, "without a King and doing what was right in his own eyes." But there was grace for Jephthah and there is grace for us because another virgin was sacrificed; who was slaughtered on the altar of the Cross.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Identifying with the Fallen Condition of Judges
As you study the word of God you should try to develop an eye for the gross sin that is being perpetrated in the text (and identify with that sin), but you should also be looking for the redemptive hope that is likewise seen. Just examine Judges 10:6-18:
6 The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the LORD and did not serve him. 7 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites,8 and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.9 And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.10 And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals."11 And the LORD said to the people of Israel, "Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines?12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more.14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress."15 And the people of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day."16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.17 Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah.18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, "Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."
1. The people did evil by serving other gods (ironically they served all the gods that were not gods to the exclusion of the only True God). The way we identify with that passage is by asking: how have I been serving other gods (great excesses with food, drink, materialism).
2. The other thing that we see is that result of their sin ends in the people being crushed, oppressed, and distressed. How has our serving of a false master led us to our misery today? Or this past week? Or this season that we have been in?
3. One of the redemptive aspects of this passage stems from the fact that God "became impatient over the misery of Israel." Now agitation doesn't sound like redemption it sounds like annoyance (and it is to some extent). But ultimately the misery of Israel points out their greatist need their need of a King who can remedy their misery forever (King Jesus).
4. Everything in this passage is pointing to a savior, but the savior will be someone that nobody really wants. Jephthah is a man who is rejected by his brothers and his countrymen, he lives with worthless fellows because the helped his cause, and he lived in a place that was considered the wrong side of the tracks (sound familiar?). You'd have to be pretty desperate to want that savior. However, Jesus is just as unwanted as Jephthah. You'd have to be pretty desperate to want Christ . . . praise God! I'm pretty desperate.
6 The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the LORD and did not serve him. 7 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites,8 and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.9 And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.10 And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals."11 And the LORD said to the people of Israel, "Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines?12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more.14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress."15 And the people of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day."16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.17 Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah.18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, "Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."
1. The people did evil by serving other gods (ironically they served all the gods that were not gods to the exclusion of the only True God). The way we identify with that passage is by asking: how have I been serving other gods (great excesses with food, drink, materialism).
2. The other thing that we see is that result of their sin ends in the people being crushed, oppressed, and distressed. How has our serving of a false master led us to our misery today? Or this past week? Or this season that we have been in?
3. One of the redemptive aspects of this passage stems from the fact that God "became impatient over the misery of Israel." Now agitation doesn't sound like redemption it sounds like annoyance (and it is to some extent). But ultimately the misery of Israel points out their greatist need their need of a King who can remedy their misery forever (King Jesus).
4. Everything in this passage is pointing to a savior, but the savior will be someone that nobody really wants. Jephthah is a man who is rejected by his brothers and his countrymen, he lives with worthless fellows because the helped his cause, and he lived in a place that was considered the wrong side of the tracks (sound familiar?). You'd have to be pretty desperate to want that savior. However, Jesus is just as unwanted as Jephthah. You'd have to be pretty desperate to want Christ . . . praise God! I'm pretty desperate.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Jesus and Judges
I've been preaching through the book of the Judges. It's been very intriguing on so many levels. There is the macro-level story of redemption that is being told and there is the micro-level story being told about the individual judges and the children of Israel.
The faithfulness of God stands out most as look at each narrative. Though Israel "does what is right in their own eye" to the neglect of God's eyes . . . salvation is being brought forth.
One of my efforts as a pastor and student of God's word is seeing the relationship of a given passage in light of the whole story of redemption (what we could call Biblical Theology). Here are some of the things I have learned to make that connection in the book of Judges.
1. Israel's faithfulness to the Covenant points towards a need of a better Covenant (in the blood of Christ).
2. "In those days there was no King in Israel," but in fact YHWY was the King, but His people rejected Him. (Not the first time Israel rejected their true King).
3. The Judges may be able to save from temporal calamity, but they have no remedy for the sins of the people or of their own sin (there is a need for a perfect remedy the blood of Jesus).
4. Ehud "the Left-handed Bathroom Assasin" is a seen as a weak savior who strikes down King Eglon (Christ was also seen as a weak savior when He defeated the prince of the power of the air at Calvary)
5. Jael brought victory to Israel by sending a "Nail Like Tent Peg" into the head of General Sisera (Christ had a nail shot through Him that ultimately found its way into the head of a snake).
More to come . . .
The faithfulness of God stands out most as look at each narrative. Though Israel "does what is right in their own eye" to the neglect of God's eyes . . . salvation is being brought forth.
One of my efforts as a pastor and student of God's word is seeing the relationship of a given passage in light of the whole story of redemption (what we could call Biblical Theology). Here are some of the things I have learned to make that connection in the book of Judges.
1. Israel's faithfulness to the Covenant points towards a need of a better Covenant (in the blood of Christ).
2. "In those days there was no King in Israel," but in fact YHWY was the King, but His people rejected Him. (Not the first time Israel rejected their true King).
3. The Judges may be able to save from temporal calamity, but they have no remedy for the sins of the people or of their own sin (there is a need for a perfect remedy the blood of Jesus).
4. Ehud "the Left-handed Bathroom Assasin" is a seen as a weak savior who strikes down King Eglon (Christ was also seen as a weak savior when He defeated the prince of the power of the air at Calvary)
5. Jael brought victory to Israel by sending a "Nail Like Tent Peg" into the head of General Sisera (Christ had a nail shot through Him that ultimately found its way into the head of a snake).
More to come . . .
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