After two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin. (Judges 11:39)
I will admit it - I find the story of Jephthah and the sacrifice of his daughter shocking and deeply troubling. Any person who believes in the sanctity of human life would be rattled by the awful terror of it. That it is in our bible - the word of God - is difficult to comprehend. Jephthah is even mentioned favorably in the roll call of men and women of faith in Hebrews 11.33. But Jephthah was a blood on his hands adventurer (v.3) who celebrated victory over Israel's enemies by sacrificing his one and only virginal (in the scriptures, innocent) daughter to God. Why? Especially when generations before God has made clear to Israel the his abhorrence of the common ancient practice of human sacrifice. 'You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshipping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.' (Deut 12:31)
Answers to these complex questions can begin to be found in the context of the story. Israel was spiralling out of control. They were giving themselves over to all the tribal gods (10:6). They were completely immersed in the pagan culture of their time and place. They had all but forgotten Yahweh and his decrees. Compounding this, Jephthah had been marginalized by his community as the son of a prostitute. In effect he had been cut off from any civilizing influence from being rooted in a stable community offers. But Jephthah was still God's man - indeed the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah and he became God's appointed judge/deliverer of Israel.
Perhaps the most shocking part of the story, other than Jephthah following through on his vow, is that his vow was made after the Spirit of God came on him. But make the vow he did. God did not ask him to make it and did not require it of him. Nothing in the text suggests that it was because of his vow that God delivered Israel. No, it was a tragic promise made by a spiritually confused man.
How many times do I make big and rash promises to God? Often. Often they are promises I fail to follow through with. Sometimes they are promises that God is not seeking, nor requires me to make. Making a promise to God should be cause for solemn and prayerful reflection well before the vow is made. My yes should be yes and my no, no. The Spirit of God dwells in me, but I am still a spiritual work in progress. I can listen to the voice of my own sinfulness, the surrounding pagan culture or I can listen to the Spirit of God. Help me Lord to be attuned more and more to what your Spirit is saying, and to act only on what you call me to do. And thank you God that you still use men and women who make stupid, sometimes tragic promises.
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