Judges 11:29-40
Is there something you want that blazes in your heart like an ever-burning fire? You think about it all the time, and it takes all the faith you have to wait for it patiently. You’d do almost anything to have it; and though God has already promised to give you the desires of your heart (see Ps. 37:4), you feel like you need to go the extra mile to motivate God to give it to you. So you offer God a deal you believe He can’t refuse.
This is the way Jephthah’s tragedy began. As war with the Ammonites loomed ahead of him, a passion for victory burned in his heart. He pleaded with God in Judges 11:30-31, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
Even though Jephthah knew that the territory the Ammonites wanted rightfully belonged to Israel – and though he realized that God would protect the inheritance He had given them (see Judg. 11:15-24) – it seems that Jephthah still doubted. And whether it was to show his devotion to the Lord, or to move God to act in Israel’s favor, Jephthah made the vow that he would soon deeply regret – without consulting God whether he should make the vow or not.
Doubt makes us do many things that are not God’s will for us. Jephthah learned this the hard way. When he returned home from successfully defeating the Ammonites, Judges 11:34 tells us, “There was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child.” What a sad and horrible day. Although Jephthah had gotten the victory, he would have to sacrifice his only child in order to fulfill his vow – and he knew he couldn’t go back on his word to God (see Num. 30:2).
The question remains: Was it really necessary?
In fact, the answer is most definitely no! Jephthah’s sacrifice wasn’t necessary. God desires obedience rather than sacrifice (see 1 Sam. 15:22). The Lord promised, “If you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your god… the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth… The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face” (Deut. 28:1,7). God was going to give Jephthah the triumph anyway, but because of his doubt in God, he paid a great price.
Understand that God does what He wants to (see Ps. 115:3, 135:6) – your vows do not move Him. Your epic acts of sacrifice will not cause Him to adjust His timetable. And, in fact, your pledges may be evidence to Him that your faith still isn’t mature enough for what He wants to give you.
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne… But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matt. 5:33-34, 37).
Friend, don’t fall into the trap of the evil one – thinking that you can convince God through vows to give you the desire of your heart – because that road only leads to heartache. Rather, obey God, count on His promises, and express your faith that He will do as He says. He will most certainly fulfill His promises to you above and beyond what you can imagine (see Josh. 23:14; Eph. 3:20). Because, as Jephthah learned, the consequences of living any other way are far too great.
Thoughts-of-Mine
While reading Jephthah’s story, I was reminded of the story of little mermaid. I’m not talking about the Little Mermaid of Disney (we all know that Disney’s fairy tales always end with: and-they-live-happily-ever-after ending) but the original story of Little Mermaid (Den lille havfrue) which was written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837. When little mermaid turned 15, she swam into the surface of the world, above the underwater kingdom that they lived in. She then found a prince, and fell madly in love with him that she was willing to lose her tail, and made a vow with the Sea Witch. However, the prince married another girl, so the little mermaid, brokenhearted, dissolved into foam and she turned into a spirit, a daughter of the air.
The original story isn’t really a happy ending, though the little mermaid turned into a spirit instead of becoming a sea foam and cease to exist. Based on the story, we know that she got what she wanted, which are legs, but ended up frustrated, being not able to marry the man she loves.
At some point of our life, we may be like Jephthah and the little mermaid. We are so desperate about something, that our heart will explode if we can’t have it, and that we will do anything just to get that thing or to achieve something. We don’t even consult God whether we need that particular thing or not. And most of the time, we ended up frustrated and regretful that we thought to ourselves, “I shouldn’t have done that.” or “If only I could turn back time.” This kind of practice only shows that we don’t really trust God, that we don’t believe that He will fulfill all of His promises to us. It also shows how immature we are with our faith. Increasing our faith isn’t the solution to comply with God’s instruction, but having a genuine faith. Just like in books, it’s not about the thickness of the book, but it’s about the content.
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