The Price of Victory

The Price of Victory
Judges 11:29-40


THEME: Jephthah is a message to everyone of us that God can use us in spite of the difficulties of our life. {past, present or future}


I.   HIS DIFFICULT PAST   Verse 1-28

II.  HIS DEFINITE POWER


III.  HIS DECISIVE PROMISE  Verse 29-35


There are two basic views on this:  What do you think?

  • Did he sacrifice his daughter's life? 
    
  • Perhaps he dedicated his daughter's purity?

Reasons Why Steven and Tammie believe Jephthah dedicated his Daughter:

  • The Bible clearly forbids the offering of a human sacrifice.

  • Jephthah's daughter does not grieve her death but her virginity (3 x’s in 2 verses) 

  • The daughters of Israel went year after year to commemorate

    {Pastor Steven believes the Hebrew is better understood as: Celebrate not lament}.  It makes no sense that they would praise & celebrate the fulfillment of a foolish vow or the killing of an innocent life

  • Jephthah is a man who is cited with approval in the Scriptures. He is mentioned by Samuel in I Samuel. He is mentioned in Hebrews 11 alongside some of the other men of faith

  • A promise to do evil is wrong; to fulfill it is to add a second wrong

IV. HIS DEVASTATING OUTCOME  Verse 36-39

Statement of Truth: 

Sometimes we open our mouth before we think and it has grave consequences upon our lives and those around us.


Lessons learned:

  • Being a Mother or a Father is less about giving birth and more about influence


  • Jephthah's daughter was not seeking fairness, but faithfulness 


  • Jephthah and his daughter placed honoring God above their personal desires


  • Jephthah's daughter died to herself, her desires


  • Jephthah had to make personal peace with a rash decision that would haunt him the rest of his life


  • Our own inconvenience is no excuse for declining to fulfill an obligation, just because we did not anticipate the trouble in entering into that obligation.

  • Commitment is our Highest calling!







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