March 18 Daily Devotional

Judges 10–12

At Gilead, east of the Jordan, there lived a man whose name was Jephthah. His brothers turned away from him, so he left his father’s home and lived in the land of Tob. There a number of men admired his strength and followed him. At this time the Israelites again began to worship the idols of the Canaanites and were given into the hands of their enemies. The Ammonites held rule over the tribes east of the Jordan. They threatened to take away the homes of the people and to drive them out of their country. After suffering for eighteen years under the rule of their enemy, they cried to God for help. But at that time God said, “Go and cry to the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you.”

Now they became very sorry for their sins. They saw that the idols they were serving could not help them. At that time they tore down the strange gods and began to serve the Lord. And he was grieved for the misery of Israel. So he chose Jephthah the Gileadite to deliver them out of the hands of the Ammonites. When the elders came to Jephthah, he hesitated. After they promised to return him to his family, he became their captain.

Before Jephthah went to battle he vowed a vow unto the Lord and said, “If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” This was not a wise promise, for Jephthah did not know what it would involve. The Ammonites sent a message to the Israelites at Mizpeh and wanted them to give up all the land east of the Jordan river, saying, The land belonged to them first. But Jephthah replied that God would be the judge.

So the battle took place, and the Lord delivered the Ammonites into Jephthah’s hands. The enemies were driven out of the land. News of the victory came to Jephthah’s home, before he returned. When he arrived, his daughter, his only child, came to meet him, singing for joy, to welcome his return. But her joy ended when her father called out, “Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low … for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and. I cannot go back.” After he had explained, she said, “My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceedeth out of thy mouth.” She added, “Let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.” Jephthah consented. And she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. When she returned to her father, he did with her according to his vow. He offered her as a burnt sacrifice.