Judges 6-13: You Talk Too Much

Judges 11:30-31   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.

     Here we see a common occurrence.  Someone gets into a tight spot and they begin to make promises to God.  We have all been guilty of making vows without giving any real thought as to the ramifications of our words.  Jephthah did not follow the admonition of the Scriptures to be swift to hear and slow to speak.  (James 1:9)


Judges 11:34-35   And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only 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 my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.

     Now we encounter the results of a vow hastily uttered.  Jephthah's daughter is the first to come out of his house when he returns.  Now she must be offered as a burnt offering to fulfill his vow.  When we read this, everything in our hearts rebels against the very idea of human sacrifice, especially to the true and living God.  Far from an endorsement of human sacrifice, we find here an illustration of the danger of idle words. (Matthew 12:36)  Not only can idle words prove harmful to us but they can also prove harmful to others we love.

Judges 11:39   And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

     The conclusion of this matter is really tragic as the young daughter of the judge is offered as a burnt offering.  We do not anywhere in the text find God's approval of this action.  This does however stand as a stark reminder of the importance of our words.  Psalm 15:4 says, "In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not."  This does not mean we do not make vows unto God.  It simply means we are prayerful and careful and faithful to do it.

Daily Devotional: I Peter 4:1-11 Living for God