No Compromises

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We live in a world of compromise. It seems like every interaction we have with other people includes some kind of compromise.

Even how children are raised now is full of compromise. Parents will compromise with their children to get them to behave.

My daughter who lived with us for a while would constantly do that with my granddaughter. My daughter would want her to do something she didn’t want to do.

So, my daughter would try to compromise. She would say if you’ll do this we can go get some ice cream. Or we will get that toy you wanted.

The problem with that is our children learn they have power in compromise. They realize they hold all the cards. Children realize they don’t have to compromise until they get whatever they want.

And that’s the reality of compromise. Those who refuse to compromise are the ones who hold all the cards. And we have a tendency to want to hold all the cards.

Until consequences become to hard for us to handle. Then we reeeeaaally want to compromise.

We are going to cover another lengthy set of passages again today. We are going to cover two more chapters from Judges 10:6-12:15 today.

Again I’m not going to read the full passage due to time constraints, but will highlight sections of the passage in context. As we cover these sections we’re going to see three aspects of compromise.

Compromise Happens When We Are Out of Options

Compromise Happens When We are Fearful and Uncertain

Compromise Doesn’t Happen When We are Prideful

God just saved Israel from themselves. Israel was destroying themselves with civil wars and intraIsrael tribal wars.

They didn’t ask God to save them. In-fact they didn’t even realize they needed to be saved. Two judges Tola and Jair reduced the heat of Israel’s civil unrest.

The wars between the tribes of Israel are no longer at the boiling point. But we will see a little later that they are still simmering on the burner.

However, Israel is once again whoring after the gods of the people living around them. And once again they find themselves living under oppression.

Israel is out of options so they try to compromise with God.

Compromise Happens When We are Out of Options

Let’s look at Judges 10:6-16

Judges 10:6–16 NKJV

6 Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. 7 So the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the people of Ammon. 8 From that year they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years—all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, in Gilead. 9 Moreover the people of Ammon crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah also, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed. 10 And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!” 11 So the Lord said to the children of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines? 12 Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.” 15 And the children of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.

To understand how bad this truly was. All the gods mentioned in the passage are of geological importance. The list corresponds to the list of Canaanite nations in Deut 7:1.

It emphasizes Israel’s complete and total spiritual corruption. That fact is bolstered by the statement, “they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him.”

The consequences once again are oppression. Israel cries out to God again to save them. God’s response is nope, I have saved you many times and you keep rejecting me.

Go cry to the other gods you chose and let them deliver you. Then comes the first compromise.

Do whatever you want to us, we’re begging you please just deliver us. Look we put away those other gods and we’re worshipping You.

I’m sure none of us have ever tried that sort of compromise. We have never said anything like, “God I’ll never do that again, just help me out.”

We all try to compromise with God. We say, “God, I’ll do this if you will just do that.”

God’s character moves Him to save Israel. And I love how He does it.

Compromise Happens When We are Fearful and Uncertain

Look at Judges 11:1-10

Judges 11:1–10 ESV

1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 And Gilead’s wife also bore him sons. And when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him. 4 After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. 5 And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 And they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites.” 7 But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head.” 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will be witness between us, if we do not do as you say.”

Compromise is born from desire. We compromise to get what we want. The same can be said for our leadership.

We choose the leaders that will give us the desires we want. And we reject the leaders we need.

Jephthah may have been Gilead’s child from a prostitute, but he was the one God chose to lead the nation. He was a great man of valor.

Israel rejected him because he didn’t fit the perfect mold we want in our leaders. Now, with the Ammonites army gathered and ready to attack, Israel’s desperation again causes them to compromise.

In their fear of the Ammonites and their army gathered with nobody to lead, they turn to the one they rejected. The one they need.

Jephthah is the one who now holds all the cards. He’s like why should I risk my life and lead an army of people who have rejected me?

The elders of Gilead are ready to compromise out of fear. So they say well we will make you the head of our army.

That’s a pretty good compromise, right? From outcast to head of the entire army.

Jephthah says, I think if I am going to lead the Army. If God delivers the Ammonites into my hand, then I should be the head of all of Gilead.

The elders in desperate need and in fear of the Ammonites give in to his demand and compromise. They promise to make him head over all of Gilead.

Now Jephthah isn’t any better. He might be a mighty man of valor. A fancy way of saying a fierce and strong warrior. But, he too tries to compromise with God.

Look at verses 29-32

Judges 11:29–32 NKJV

29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” 32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands.

Lord, if you will just do this one thing for me then I’ll give this up for You.

We’re all guilty of it.

When I was a young man. Looonng before I knew Jesus Christ. I started drinking really heavy.

Too many times in those early years I would end the night kneeling before the porcelain throne of the god of my desires.

While I’m waiting for my shoes to come out of my mouth I begin trying to compromise with God. A God I’m not even sure exists.

“God, I’m not sure I’m going to live through it this time. If you will just get me through this I swear I’ll never drink again.” A shallow compromise I never intended to keep.

Now, you might not have had the same experience I did. But there is something where you have done the exact same kind of compromise with God.

Jephthah is in the same boat. He comes upon the Ammonite army and as he’s facing the consequences of Israel’s continued idolatry.

He’s not sure he will live through this. It’s a complete lack of faith. So he tries to compromise with God. I’ll give You Lord the first thing that comes out of my house.

He didn’t need to compromise. The Spirit of the Lord was already upon him. He was guaranteed victory.

He forgets, as we all too often forget ourselves, that it already belongs to God. Everything in his house, including the house itself, already belong to God.

He’s trying to bargain with God using bargaining chips he doesn’t even have. And what’s more is God doesn’t even want the promised compromise.

You see, during the time of Jephthah, the Israelites would not have kept or even allowed animals in their homes. That means there could have been only one type of sacrifice Jephthah was offering to God.

God doesn’t save because of our compromises. God doesn’t work in compromise. God gave the Ammonites into the hands of Jephthah because He faithfully preserves His people.

But God also teaches lessons in our lack of faith. Trying to compromise with God will cost us far more than we could ever imagine.

Let’s look at Judges 11:34-35

Judges 11:34–35 NKJV

34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot go back on it.”

I cannot even imagine how much God wept over the bargain Jephthah made with Him. It’s beyond naive. It is completely outside of the will and character of God.

The Spirit of God was already on Jephthah. God is already with him and for him. There’s absolutely nothing Jephthah can offer God in return for victory.

Salvation can’t be bought. Especially with unholy vows that go against the will and character of God.

The vow cost Jephthah more than he bargained for. God didn’t want the sacrifice and Jephthah should not have followed through.

He shouldn’t have tried compromising with God in the first place. God’s not one of our peers. He’s not a business partner.

We all to often forget the true nature of our relationship with God. We would do good to heed the reminder Paul gives in Rom 11:34-35

Romans 11:34–35 NKJV

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?”

Which brings us to pride.

Compromise Doesn’t Happen When We are Prideful

Look at Judges 12:1-7

Judges 12:1–7 NKJV

1 Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. 3 So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” 4 Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.” 5 The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 6 then they would say to him, “Then say, ‘Shibboleth’!” And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites. 7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead.

Here comes the tribe of Ephraim again. They are a prideful and greedy people. Why didn’t you call us to help you fight?

Ephraim thought they were powerful and they were greedy. There was an ulterior motive for their desire to help fight. It wasn’t to help save Israel.

They wanted to share in the spoils of the victory. When that fact was called out by Jephthah they got angry and threatened to destroy Gilead.

Jephthah himself was prideful after the victory and instead of trying to compromise with Ephraim he simply gathered the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim.

Isn’t it interesting how God’s people are less loving towards each other than they are to the world. Sometimes even to sin itself.

Let’s look at the words of Paul one more time, but let’s add in verse 36.

Romans 11:34–36 NKJV

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

There must be some compromise between us and the world, without compromising God’s character in our lives. Those who don’t know Christ are going to act in ways that go against God’s character.

We can’t expect them to act like a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit. The compromise is that we will not intrude on their free will. We won’t try to force them to believe.

That goes against God’s character as well. But we should and need to insist that they give us the same respect in return. We must seek God in prayer for those who are seeking.

Our compromise with each other should be one of compassion and grace. It should be one of love. Jesus said in Jn 13:35

John 13:35 NKJV

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love is full of grace. But love is also correcting, teaching, and even in severe cases rebuking, for the unselfish purpose, of improving or reconciling another’s relationship with God.

Churches fight over the spoils of ministry. Churches are in a civil war. They verbally assault each other and try to discredit anything other churches teach.

That doesn’t sound like the disciples Jesus talks about. We must do better. The only way is to keep ourselves saturated in Christ.

Keep our relationship with God so strong that we mimic His character. We must understand our relationship with God.

You see there is only one compromise with God. We must fully and completely surrender to God. He wants our entire lives surrendered to Him.

I’ll leave you with the words Paul says in,

Romans 11:36 NKJV

36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.