Who was Jephthah and what was his vow? (Part 2)

[Leonardo Von]

Who was Jephthah and what was his vow? (Part 2)

7 – Jephthah held a grudge against all the elders of Gilead in virtue of his rejection (Jdg 11:5).

8 – Certainly they were until Jephthah, not because of his virtues (character), but for his abilities as mighty warrior (Jdg 11:6,8). They had to suffer tremendously during eighteen years until they can humble before Jephthah.

9 – Jephthah only was to fight against the Ammonites because of his interest in being leader over all Gilead (Jdg 11:9).

10 – Jephthah sought the presence of the Creator specially to guarantee that Gilead’s citizens would fulfill their promise (Jdg 11:11).

11 – Jephthah was someone very circumspect. Instead of starting the fight immediately, he tried to negotiate with the enemies (Jdg 11:12,14). He found out that two of the cities claimed by the king of Ammon belonged to Moab in the past, but was took by Sihon, the king of the Amorites:

•    Num 21:26-29 -> “For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. Therefore the ballad singers say, “Come to Heshbon, let it be built; let the city of Sihon be established. For fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, and swallowed the heights of the Arnon. Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to an Amorite king,”.

When Israel fought at Sihon, they took the lands from Arnon to Jabbok:

•    Num 21:24,25 -> “And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.”. 

So, Israel took no land of the Ammonites. And although these two lands belonged to Moab in the past, never was intention of Israel to fight against Moab or Ammon. They took the land that the Creator took from Moab and gave to Sihon. Therefore, these two lands weren’t more property of Moab (they lost their right).
Besides, if the Moabites craved so much for their lands, why didn’t they claim them previously (more than three hundred years were past – Jdg 11:26). However, not even Moab, during 300 hundred years dared to fight at Israel (Jdg 11:25).
They mixed the losses of Moab with their losses in order to take advantages on Israel. Hence Jephthah took back to them “Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess?”. Chemosh was god of the Moabites. This changing was intended, an ironic way to show the Ammonites that they were using of perfidy.
In addition, Jephthah was questioning them about their gods. After all, if their gods were true, why didn’t they grant for them a greater inheritance?

12 – Jephthah had a certain belief in the God of Israel. After all, he uttered words before Him in Mizpah (Jdg 11:11) and invoked the Creator as his judge (Jdg 11:27).

13 – However his faith or intimacy with the Creator was little. After all, why did he make a vow, once the Holy Spirit had come on him (Jdg 11:29-31)? If he perceived that the Holy Spirit was come on Him and, even so, he made a vow, this is an expression of lacking of faith (in this case, he was trying to make sure of the Creator’s favor based on his efforts); if he didn’t perceive the presence of the Creator, in this case, his intimacy with Him was low.

Have a nice day. Tomorrow we will keep on.