And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tellof Jephthae." Hebrews 11:32
Gideon was a farmer. Barak was a soldier. Samson was a Nazarite. David
was the youngest of Jesses sons and was despised by his brothers. Samuel was
the first used by God while he was still a child. Our great God delights to use
weak, insignificant, despised instruments to accomplish his greatest works in
this world (1 Cor. 1:26-29).
This fact is never more demonstrably illustrated than in the case of
Jephthah. Jephthah was born in shame, the bastard son of a harlot (Jud. 11:1,
2). As such, he bore all his life the pain and shame of his mothers base,
bestial immorality. He was by law excluded from the congregation of the Israel
(Deut. 23:2). But Jephthah was beloved of God, chosen in Christ, and ordained
as an instrument by whose hand he would save his people.
The Lord God poured out his Spirit upon Jephthah and exalted him to the
highest dignity and usefulness among his people. Jephthah was one of Gods
elect. As such, he was prospered in all that he did. No outward condition, be
it ever so base, can hinder Gods purpose, or thwart his grace.
Jephthah feared God (Jud. 11:9-10) and believed his Word (Jud.
11:14-27). His faith was evident in ascribing Israels conquests to the Lord
(Jud. 11: 21, 23). He called on the God of all truth to judge between Israel
and Ammon (Jud. 11 27).
The Lord God honored the faith that honored him by delivering the
Ammonites into Jehpthahs hand. Jephthahs fidelity and perseverance in the
faith is seen in the keeping of his vow (Jud. 11:30-32). He had no idea that
the one who would come out of his house and be the first to meet him would be
his only child. But when he saw her, though his vow caused him great pain, he
kept it. He said, I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back (Jud. 11:35). In accordance
with his oath, he offered his only child as a burnt-offering to God, banning
her to continual virginity.
Let us follow
noble Jephthahs example of faith. In our baptism we publicly avowed ourselves
Gods forever, willing burnt-offerings to our God (Rom. 6:4-6). Let us live as
those who are Gods. When we united with Gods people in church membership, we
publicly wed ourselves to Gods saints in that local assembly. Let us live for
the good of and serve the interests and needs of that local assembly into which
God has placed us. Brothers and sisters in the household of faith serve one
another in love. They seek not to be served, but to serve.