God sanctionedGod sanctioned Jephthah's leadership of Israel.

The victory isis his!

16-27-10

God's Holy Spirit came upon Jephthah to win

the victory.

Then he did an unnecessaryunnecessary and foolishfoolish thing:

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, 31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

2

He did not neednot need to bargainbargain with God.

The Holy Spirit had alreadyalready come upon Him.

God would give victoryvictory!

The Presence of the Holy SpiritHoly Spirit does does notnot negate free will.

3

Jephthah did not have unwavering faithunwavering faith in the True and Living God of Israel.True and Living God of Israel.

He tried to bargainbargain with Him for assured victory.

That was unnecessary and That was unnecessary and sinfulsinful..Whatever we do should be in gratitudein gratitude for

God's goodness and mercy,

Not an attempt to gain His favorgain His favor.

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God knows the very intentionsintentions of our heart.

If we love Himlove Him and keepkeep His Word, we need not make great vowsgreat vows of sacrifice or service.

Any choice rooted in fearrooted in fear is sin.

Faith trusts God enough to obey Him in allin all.

32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lordthe Lord delivered them into his hands. 33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty citiestwenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

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The LordThe Lord delivered them into his hands.

Not because of Jephthah's vow,

But because it was God's WillGod's Will!

God had raised Jephthah upraised Jephthah up to be Israel's deliverer.

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Israel had repented, put awayput away their idols,

And begun to serveserve the True and Living God.

The soul of the Lord was grievedgrieved for their misery.

He determined right thenright then to deliver them.

34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughterhis daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only childonly child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened I have opened my mouthmy mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.

7

He is in a He is in a lose-loselose-lose situation.situation.

8

God didn't put him there.

His daughter didn't put him there.

31 … whatsoeverwhatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

"I have opened mymy mouth unto the Lord."

9

She was not just his favorite.

She was his She was his onlyonly child!child!

10

Me and my big mouth!

Proverbs 18 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

He needlesslyneedlessly put himself there.

36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

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Now that is a submissive and Now that is a submissive and obedient daughter!obedient daughter!

She loved her daddy more than her own life.

37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. 38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

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Her only regret:

She would never have children.

39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her who did with her accordingaccording to his vow which he had vowed to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, 40That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four daysfour days in a year.

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Some say Jephthah would nevernever have slain his daughter.

She just never marriednever married and lived apartlived apart from her family:

Sort of like a nunnun in a convent.

Consider the predicamentpredicament in which Jephthah had placed himself:

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If he did notdid not offer her as a burnt offering, then he liedlied to the Lord.

If he diddid offer her as a burnt offering,

Then he broke the sixthsixth Commandment:

"Thou shalt not kill.""Thou shalt not kill."

I suppose we can never be certaincertain what Jephthah diddid in this situation.

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We know he didn't live long;

He only ruled for three years.

Let us simply obeyobey all of Scripture that we dodo clearly

understand.

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That is all we need do to pleaseplease the Lord.

Those who focus on some obscure pointobscure point of Scripture are not tryingnot trying to serve the Lord.

They are trying to avoidavoid God's WillGod's Will.

Titus 3 8-9 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be carefulbe careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questionsavoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

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Lessons we can learn from Jephthah:

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Guard our tongues.

Trust God

Obey God

When we are walkingwalking with God, we can fulfill His Will in allin all.

Any choice that will hinder mehinder me from obeying God in all things,

is a mistakeis a mistake.