So it seems that Gideon had even more than the 70 sons that Abimelech (one of his sons) had killed?! First their was Jotham who managed to hide from his brother. Today, we encounter Jephthah, the son of a prosititue. Jephthah had been run out of his father's house when he grew up so that he would not take part of his father's inheritance. After all, with 70 brothers, how much inheritance would there be? Best to get rid of one or two of them? That had been Abimelech plan, too...
Anyway, here is that brother who has been run out of the tribe and now they want him back to fix things for them... I can relate. Not wanted when everyone is having fun, but when the good times backfire, all of a sudden you're wanted and even needed to help fix things!
I'm not too sure about what kind of mindset Jephthah has that he would make an oath to the LORD that he would offer up as as a burnt offering the first thing that came to meet him when he got home, if the LORD would make him victorious. He had to know that it would be a person, someone from his own household that would greet him. Now I've foolishly tried to bargain with God a few times, but never would I agree to give the life of another in attempts to get God to do what I wanted. I might bargain to give my own life for another, but not someone else's for my life or future. Some of these heroes of the Old Testament just baffle me...
Anyway, here is that brother who has been run out of the tribe and now they want him back to fix things for them... I can relate. Not wanted when everyone is having fun, but when the good times backfire, all of a sudden you're wanted and even needed to help fix things!
I'm not too sure about what kind of mindset Jephthah has that he would make an oath to the LORD that he would offer up as as a burnt offering the first thing that came to meet him when he got home, if the LORD would make him victorious. He had to know that it would be a person, someone from his own household that would greet him. Now I've foolishly tried to bargain with God a few times, but never would I agree to give the life of another in attempts to get God to do what I wanted. I might bargain to give my own life for another, but not someone else's for my life or future. Some of these heroes of the Old Testament just baffle me...
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