2020-08-23 Judges 11
Notes
Transcript
1 Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.
2 Gilead’s wife bore him sons, and when they grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You will have no inheritance in our father’s family, because you are the son of another woman.”
3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Then some worthless men joined Jephthah and went on raids with him.
4 Some time later, the Ammonites fought against Israel.
5 When the Ammonites made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6 They said to him, “Come, be our commander, and let’s fight the Ammonites.”
7 Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me out of my father’s family? Why then have you come to me now when you’re in trouble?”
8 They answered Jephthah, “That’s true. But now we turn to you. Come with us, fight the Ammonites, and you will become leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
9 So Jephthah said to them, “If you are bringing me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, I will be your leader.”
10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord is our witness if we don’t do as you say.”
11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander, and Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the Lord at Mizpah.
I. Israel was desperate.
I. Israel was desperate.
1 Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.
2 Gilead’s wife bore him sons, and when they grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You will have no inheritance in our father’s family, because you are the son of another woman.”
3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Then some worthless men joined Jephthah and went on raids with him.
A. Let’s begin in understanding what Jephthah’s family really thought of him.
A. Let’s begin in understanding what Jephthah’s family really thought of him.
2 Gilead’s wife bore him sons, and when they grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You will have no inheritance in our father’s family, because you are the son of another woman.”
3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Then some worthless men joined Jephthah and went on raids with him.
Illus: Let’s put it out there Jepthah was not a bad person because he was the son of a prostitute.
How often do we judge people based on their up bringing? Whether we want to admit it or not, we will discount a person based on their parents or the circumstances they were rased under.
Jephthah was an outcast to his own family. He was a throwaway person to them.
It is essential in understanding what Jephthah’s brothers really thought of to then see how desperate they got to come back to him.
As a pastor I have noticed often how the people of God treat the Jephthah’s in their midst. You know the people who don’t look as pretty and well put together as you do.
Probabaly the easiest place to see this is at church socials. When you have a church social people always go to their groups. Inevitably there are the those who don’t fit the pedigree of others who end up sitting at a table by themselves.
Here me friends, scripture is filled with Jephthahs who don’t live up to others standard. In fact most of the great heroes of our faith were probably people that would would not normally interact with.
Yet… Jesus’ bloodline is filled with Jephthahs to show how God works through broken people for his glory.
1 An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
2 Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram,
4 Aram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon,
5 Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse,
6 and Jesse fathered King David. David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife,
B. The people of Israel realized they were down to those they considered worthless.
B. The people of Israel realized they were down to those they considered worthless.
5 When the Ammonites made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6 They said to him, “Come, be our commander, and let’s fight the Ammonites.”
Illus: Let’s be truthful, more often than not we don’t tend to go to God until all the options we thought we could depend on are taken away from us.
We are more likely to trust in our money first over trusting in God.
We are more likely to trust in politics first over trusting in God.
We are more likely to trust in our own strength first over trusting in God.
We are more likely to trust in what we could control first over trusting in God.
God might very well be kicking your legs out from underneath you so that you realize you need to turn to him.
Even Jephthah was Israel grasping for straws to regain power when they should have been turning to God.
Here is the big question for your life: what do you genuinely trust?
5 For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake.
6 For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.
II. Israel wanted to use Jephthah and...
II. Israel wanted to use Jephthah and...
6 They said to him, “Come, be our commander, and let’s fight the Ammonites.”
7 Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me out of my father’s family? Why then have you come to me now when you’re in trouble?”
8 They answered Jephthah, “That’s true. But now we turn to you. Come with us, fight the Ammonites, and you will become leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
A. Don’t be a user of God. Or of His people.
A. Don’t be a user of God. Or of His people.
6 They said to him, “Come, be our commander, and let’s fight the Ammonites.”
7 Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me out of my father’s family? Why then have you come to me now when you’re in trouble?”
8 They answered Jephthah, “That’s true. But now we turn to you. Come with us, fight the Ammonites, and you will become leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Illus: There is a parallel in chapters 10 and chapter 11.
In chapter 10 people go to God in an attempt to manipulate him for their own ends. IN Chapter 11 they do the same to Jephthah. Both passages show God and Jephthah calling their foolishness.
I do believe that we view God much like a genie in a lamp. We live our lives the way we want, and then quickly pull out lamp, rub it and make our wishes to God.
He is there when we need him, but in large part does not direct our lives from day to day.
Funny thing about genies, they are the servant of whoever holds the bottle.
God is not a genie in the lamp. He does not exist to be your servant.
God reigns. He rules.
He is either the king of creation and boss of your life or nothing.
What does that mean practically? It means you don’t live your life your way and ask God to intervene when you go off the rails or need him.
God directs your life, leads your life, is the very reason for your exsistence.
We are all going to serve something in our lives, and if the true God is not the worthy focus of your life, then don’t attempt to manipulate him when life turns sour.
9 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim. Israel was greatly oppressed,
10 so they cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you. We have abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals.”
11 The Lord said to the Israelites, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines,
12 Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, did I not deliver you from them?
13 But you have abandoned me and worshiped other gods. Therefore, I will not deliver you again.
14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them deliver you whenever you are oppressed.”
B. God brought Israel to a point of humiliation.
B. God brought Israel to a point of humiliation.
7 Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me out of my father’s family? Why then have you come to me now when you’re in trouble?”
8 They answered Jephthah, “That’s true. But now we turn to you. Come with us, fight the Ammonites, and you will become leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Illus: We need to get over the idea that God exists for your worldly temporary happiness.
God works through our pain and he works through our joy for our eternal good.
God was just a present in the people of Israel in their brokeness as he was when they were strong.
God took Israel to a point where they had no other solutions to help them see their own emptiness.
Perhaps as you have walked through the past month you have embraced the “What’s next 2020 attitude.” I mean wev’e got two major storms coming our way next.
What if this was God bringing us to brokenness over and over? Instead of looking for the quick relief it is time to turn to God and seek his face and lordship again.
We need to let him be the peace and portion of our lives again.
19 Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison.
20 I continually remember them and have become depressed.
21 Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!
24 I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.”
III. Jephthah knew who was in charge.
III. Jephthah knew who was in charge.
9 So Jephthah said to them, “If you are bringing me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, I will be your leader.”
A. God brings the victory.
A. God brings the victory.
Illus: God is always at work bringing victory to His plan. Perhaps the reason we do not experience His victory is that we are not accomplishing His plan. We are too busy doing our own thing and then wondering why God is not advancing us.
I love the faith of Jephthah in that he places himself in the hands of God. If God wills then I will lead.
Faith is more than trusting God for salvation, or trusting him to take care of your issues. Faith is the bold step of releasing control of your life and your plans. It is the bold step of saying, I will follow God even if it costs me everything.
That is the faith God calls you to. To say, I trust him, his death on the cross, and that his plan for my life is better than any of the plans we could ever make.
It is the willful choice of releasing control of your life completely into the hands of God.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.