There was a judge in Israel whose origin was not good, but he bore the image and likeness of God. Jephthah, the son of a prostitute and Gilead, from the tribe of Manasseh, a descendant of Jacob's son Joseph, was disowned by his half-brothers for not being the fruit of Gilead's marriage to their mother. He was filled with disgust and hatred due to the treatment he received from his relatives and joined the ranks of the worthless (Judges 11.1-3).

           The worst thing that can happen to a person is to be rejected and overcome with sadness, because then they will tend to choose bad practices. Discrimination comes from Satan, who wants to wipe everyone out. Now, there is no reason for anyone to discriminate against anyone, as the other sons of Gilead did. When this happens in one's own family, the despised person can be completely ruined. What was Jephthah's fault if his father used a prostitute to bring him into the world? Talk about brothers!

           The rulers of Israel couldn't find anyone to lead the country on the brink of war, so they sought Jephthah and begged him to go with them. Even though he was hurt, his heart wouldn't let him love the defeat his people would suffer if he refused. Since he had the stigma of being a bastard child, he demanded that the promises made to him be recorded. He soon sent messengers to the king of Ammon, asking why he had decided to take the land that had been theirs for over 300 years.

           In the exchange of messages, a history of the events up to the time of the attempt to take the land from Israel was reported. Since the Ammonite king was adamant, the new judge of Jerusalem commanded the battle against him and defeated him. So, Israel was happy, and Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, even though the Lord hadn't asked him for anything: [...] “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.” (Judges 11.30,31).

           Because Jephthah had given this word to God, he had to keep it (Ecclesiastes 5.4). When he saw his joyful daughter, bursting with beauty and life, he wept because of what he had promised, but she said it was all right (Judges 11:34-36). The young woman asked him to let her go to the mountains to mourn her virginity, to be offered as a burnt offering to God (v. 37). This did not mean that he would kill her as an offering to the Lord.

           After two months, Jephthah's daughter was given to the tabernacle to live there doing the work. Because of this, she would never marry. Her father was sad, because she was an only child and would not leave him any seed. When we speak of a burnt offering, we immediately relate it to the killing of animals, but in her case, it was a forced consecration. Her attitude in accepting this vow was beautiful.

           The Scriptures say that the young woman knew no man, living her life to do God's will. From this act came the custom in Israel of other girls dedicating themselves to work in the tabernacle (v. 39,40). Here's the lesson: Jephthah didn't have to make that promise, but once he did, he had to keep it. We don't do that anymore!

           In Christ, with love,

           R. R. Soares