Not all great men, or not so great men, of God come from the finest stock. Jephthah was the son of Gilead and a prostitute who was shunned by his brothers, and driven away where he gathered a band of men, probably from other circumstances of ill-repute; a band of adventurers and a leader who was zealous for God and his people.
They must have had a reputation, because the elders of Gilead persuaded Jephthah and his men to go after the Amorites who were pestering them. Jephthah and the Amorites have an ongoing discussion as to who is entitled to possess the land, with Jephthah's argument being the most convincing."Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the LORD our God has given us, we will possess. - Judges 11: 23-24 NIV
It didn't matter to the Amorites, they went to war, and because God was on their side, Jephthah was successful. That is where the story gets interesting. As a thanks offering, Jephthah promises to sacrifice the first thing he sees upon his return and it turns out to be his only child, his beautiful, vibrant, young daughter. What a dilemma, but Jephthah had made a vow to God, and he kept it. What is this story all about? What is the price we must pay when, those of us born out of sinful circumstances choose God? Will anything but our most precious possession be enough to sacrifice?
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