Reason #698
I'll be honest. Sometimes I have a hard time reading the old testament. I just don't get it. Some of the events that took place blow my mind. I mean really, some pretty gruesome and graphic things happen and I just don't like that. I am a peace oriented person, and so I don't like reading passages filled with war and massacres. I came across a really disturbing story in Judges that I hadn't recalled reading before. The details broke my heart, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. Asking for victory over his enemies, he promised God that if He would grant him victory, Jephthah would give to God the first thing to greet him when he got home. A little bargain-promise-making. We're all guilty of this at one time of another. Making a deal with God for something we really want. "God, if you'll give me this promotion, I promise I'll double my tithe." "God, if you'll heal me from the illness, I promise I'll never miss another Sunday again." "God, if you'll let me have this thing, I promise I'll never take what you've give me for granted." And so Jephthath asked for one thing and promised another. But more than just promising to give God whatever happened to greet him, he promised to present it as a burnt offering. I've wondered why he didn't just ask God for victory, period. Was he making this promise to ensure his victory? Was He, in a way, trying to make sure he would win by trying to sway God's help? I don't know. But I do know that God is always faithful to keep His promises to us, and if we don't intend to do the same, we'd be wise not to make them.
God gave Jephthah victory over his enemies. Don't you know he was on cloud 9 as he headed home. Glad to be alive and glad to have won. I have to imagine he felt like he was on top of the world. And as he arrived, his daughter, who was his only child, ran out to greet him. Excited her dad was home. Had she been watching out the window for him? Counting down the time until he was there? Joy filled her face as she ran towards her father to embrace him, and as he saw her running his way, his heart began to break into a million pieces.
Talk about a tragedy in the making. This was the last thing he had expected. All of the sudden he is ruthlessly knocked down from elation straight to devastation as he realizes what this means. Because if Jephthah is going to be a man of his word, it's going to cost his daughter her life. He is going to have to kill his only child as the sacrifice of thanksgiving for overcoming his enemies. This was what he had promised God he would do, and the thing about making promises to God is that He not only takes them seriously, but He doesn't forget about them.
Jephthah had a choice here. Honor his word or don't. He could be a man of character by following through with his promises, but it wasn't going to be easy. And don't you know he wondered over and over again why he had made such a specific vow? Why hadn't he thought a little longer before spouting off such a big promise? Yet, even though it was going to cost her her life, even though she was going to die young and not get to experience the joys of growing old, Jephthah's daughter encouraged him to do the right thing. Talk about incredible faith on both of their parts. Because facing the end of your life and ending someone else's life is not an easy thing to do. But he kept his promise, being a man of his word, and Jephthah's daughter died a sacrificial death.
I really wanted God to pull out the whole Abraham/Isaac scene here and allow this girl to live. I wanted God to swoop in right before she dies and save her life. But God allows Jephthah the opportunity to fulfill his promise. And maybe we think, "Well that's plain mean and cruel," didn't the same thing happen to God's Son? Didn't a bunch of empty promises from the world land Him on the cross to die for those who were the promise breakers?
People of our words, doing what we say we're going to do because He is a God of His word. Never letting us down, never backing out, or never changing his mind when it becomes "inconvenient" or "hard." God honors His vows, and we should honor ours, too. I am so grateful that God kept His promise to send a redeemer. That He kept His word when He said salvation would come for all. And I am grateful for Jesus and for His sacrificial death. He said He would come to die for us, and I am grateful that He kept his word. And so we get to live in the era of peace. The era of repentance and forgiveness rather than burnt offerings. Because Jesus was our perfect sacrifice of thanksgiving who overcame. The one who brought us victory, and the one who willing lost His life so ours could be saved.
#698 - Because He is a promise keeper!
"Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High." - Psalm 50:14
Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. Asking for victory over his enemies, he promised God that if He would grant him victory, Jephthah would give to God the first thing to greet him when he got home. A little bargain-promise-making. We're all guilty of this at one time of another. Making a deal with God for something we really want. "God, if you'll give me this promotion, I promise I'll double my tithe." "God, if you'll heal me from the illness, I promise I'll never miss another Sunday again." "God, if you'll let me have this thing, I promise I'll never take what you've give me for granted." And so Jephthath asked for one thing and promised another. But more than just promising to give God whatever happened to greet him, he promised to present it as a burnt offering. I've wondered why he didn't just ask God for victory, period. Was he making this promise to ensure his victory? Was He, in a way, trying to make sure he would win by trying to sway God's help? I don't know. But I do know that God is always faithful to keep His promises to us, and if we don't intend to do the same, we'd be wise not to make them.
God gave Jephthah victory over his enemies. Don't you know he was on cloud 9 as he headed home. Glad to be alive and glad to have won. I have to imagine he felt like he was on top of the world. And as he arrived, his daughter, who was his only child, ran out to greet him. Excited her dad was home. Had she been watching out the window for him? Counting down the time until he was there? Joy filled her face as she ran towards her father to embrace him, and as he saw her running his way, his heart began to break into a million pieces.
Talk about a tragedy in the making. This was the last thing he had expected. All of the sudden he is ruthlessly knocked down from elation straight to devastation as he realizes what this means. Because if Jephthah is going to be a man of his word, it's going to cost his daughter her life. He is going to have to kill his only child as the sacrifice of thanksgiving for overcoming his enemies. This was what he had promised God he would do, and the thing about making promises to God is that He not only takes them seriously, but He doesn't forget about them.
Jephthah had a choice here. Honor his word or don't. He could be a man of character by following through with his promises, but it wasn't going to be easy. And don't you know he wondered over and over again why he had made such a specific vow? Why hadn't he thought a little longer before spouting off such a big promise? Yet, even though it was going to cost her her life, even though she was going to die young and not get to experience the joys of growing old, Jephthah's daughter encouraged him to do the right thing. Talk about incredible faith on both of their parts. Because facing the end of your life and ending someone else's life is not an easy thing to do. But he kept his promise, being a man of his word, and Jephthah's daughter died a sacrificial death.
I really wanted God to pull out the whole Abraham/Isaac scene here and allow this girl to live. I wanted God to swoop in right before she dies and save her life. But God allows Jephthah the opportunity to fulfill his promise. And maybe we think, "Well that's plain mean and cruel," didn't the same thing happen to God's Son? Didn't a bunch of empty promises from the world land Him on the cross to die for those who were the promise breakers?
People of our words, doing what we say we're going to do because He is a God of His word. Never letting us down, never backing out, or never changing his mind when it becomes "inconvenient" or "hard." God honors His vows, and we should honor ours, too. I am so grateful that God kept His promise to send a redeemer. That He kept His word when He said salvation would come for all. And I am grateful for Jesus and for His sacrificial death. He said He would come to die for us, and I am grateful that He kept his word. And so we get to live in the era of peace. The era of repentance and forgiveness rather than burnt offerings. Because Jesus was our perfect sacrifice of thanksgiving who overcame. The one who brought us victory, and the one who willing lost His life so ours could be saved.
#698 - Because He is a promise keeper!
"Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High." - Psalm 50:14