DBG - March 24 - Judges 11-13

In this chapter Jephthah delivers Isreal from the Ammonites and makes a regrettable vow to God.

vs. 1-11 – Jephthah (“whom God sets free”) of Gilead (making him either from Gad or Manasseh) was cast out from his family for being born through a harlot and not a wife.  In the nearby land of Tob (“goodness”), he becomes a captain over other outcasts.  When the Ammonites invaded his old home called for his aid.  The pledge that if he delivers them from the enemy he will return as their leader.

vs. 12-28 – Jephthah sends messengers to the Ammonites, who say they only wish to reclaim their ancestral lands from the Israelites who had taken in in Numbers 21:24-26 around 280 years prior.  The area described is far greater than that, including territory that had been home to the Amorites and Moabites.  He reminds them that they would have been spared if they had only allowed Israel passage, but in opposing Israel they had incurred the wrath of God.

vs. 29-31 – Jephthah leads his army to face the Ammonites.  Before the battle, he vows that whatever he saw first when he returned home would be offered to God.  There is much debate on the particulars of this vow and how it was to be carried out.  The description seems to imply that it would be a human, whether family member or slave.  Does this imply human sacrifice?  While forbidden in the Law, it was practiced in the heathen cultures of the era.  Some make it mean that if it were something proper to sacrifice it would be, and if not, it would be dedicated to God.  The interpretation depends on how you understand Jephthah and how much the Jewish religion impacted his thought.  If he is indicative of this era and tainted by paganism, it is possible it he could mean human sacrifice.  If the Law has made any impact on him, he certainly would not suggest it.  Either case can be read into the text.  The most curious omission in my mind is that the regulations of Leviticus 27:1-8 are never appealed to, which allow for the redemption of a person dedicated in a vow by paying silver to the priests.  The only reasons for this are ignorance or if Deuteronomy 23:2 somehow applied to the situation and prevented it.

vs. 32-33 – Jephthah leads a rout of the Ammonites, driving them southward through Reuben’s territory east of the Dead Sea.

vs. 34-40 – Jephthah’s vow comes due.  The first thing that greets him on his return home is his only daughter, who dances and sings of the great victory.  The celebration is short lived.  She submits to the vow, but requests that she be given two months before it is made effect.  This time she spends with other young women mourning the fact that she will not have marry and have children.  The highest aspirations for a young woman of this day were to bear many children and that through them the Messiah may come.  My opinion is that she was a perpetual virgin and was not killed as a sacrifice, but good arguments can be made for both positions. 

In this chapter we see civil war and quick references to three more judges.

vs. 1-6 – The fight in the previous chapter against Ammon had taken Jephthah’s forces into the territory of Ephraim.  The Ephraimites take offense that the battle was waged on their land without being called to aid.  Jephthah replies in a very haughtier manner (note the many “I”’s) and claims they had not answered an earlier call.  This leads to civil war between the men of Gilead and Ephraim.  The men of Gilead under Jephthah exploit a difference in the regional dialects of the tribes, using the Hebrew word Shibboleth.  The Ephraimites pronounce the “sh” as “s”.  When an Ephraimite was thus identified they would be killed.  42,000 men of Ephraim fall in this conflict.

vs. 7 – A description of the judgeship of Jephthah and his death.

vs. 8-10 - A description of the judgeship of Ibzan and his death.  He uses his vast number of offspring to forge alliances.

vs. 11-12 - A description of the judgeship of Elon and his death.

vs. 13-15 - A description of the judgeship of Abdon and his death.  He uses his vast number of sons and nephews to solidify his rule.

In this chapter we meet the parents of Samson and see the special restrictions placed upon him from birth.

vs. 1 – The vicious cycle continues as Israel turns from God and the Philistines are sent to oppress them.  We have seen the Philistines in passing, but they are too fascinating and important of a people to not spend a moment on.  History suggests that they were a part of a vast migration of the “Sea Peoples” around 1200 B.C. and that people related to the Greeks arrived in southern Canaan and intermarried with local tribes.  The resulting people and culture are a mix of the two heritages. 

vs. 2-17 – We meet Manoah (“rest”), a Danite from Zorah (“hornet”), a town roughly 20 miles west of Jerusalem.  He and his wife have no children.  The “Angel of the Lord”, the Preincarnate Christ, appears to Manoah’s wife.  Her name is not given but Jewish tradition says she is Hazelelponi (“facing the shade”) of I Chronicles 4:3.  She is told that she will have a son and that from the womb he is to be treated as under a Nazarite vow (see Numbers 6).  The three main stipulations are (1) not cutting his hair, (2) not touching unclean things such as a dead body, and (3) not consuming intoxicating wine.  Manoah prays that the Angel would return, which it did.  The Angel repeats and confirms the message given before. 

vs. 18-23 – The further interactions between Manoah and the Angel are noteworthy.  The Angel will not give His name, saying it is hidden because of its wonder (Isaiah 9:6).  Now that he has a better understanding of Who he is dealing with, Manoah prepares a sacrifice. The Angel ascended from the flames into Heaven.  Manoah fears for his life because in vs. 22 he admits that “we have seen God”.  But God was gracious to them, and all came to pass as He had said.

vs. 24-25 – Samson (“like the sun”) is born and raised according to the Angel’s commands.  He begins to be used by the Spirit at an early age.  It is an interesting study of how the Holy Spirit moved in the Old Testament times.  He would briefly empower people for special purposes, and He did so with Samson more than any other we have record of.

It is easy to get caught up in the narratives here and miss what is going on in the Israelite nation.  We see them of course repeatedly turning from God.  We also see divisions among the tribes and a breakdown of the central religious system.  It is a miracle that Israel survived as a nation during this time, and likewise the Jewish religion itself.  God was exceptionally patient and good to them during these dark times.  He is so with us in our lowest moments.

Our hymn today, “Teach Me To Do The Things That Pleaseth Thee”, was written by John S.B. Monsell (1811-1875) and first published in 1863.  It echoes the words of Manoah in 13:8, that the Lord “teach us what we shall do”. 

Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee;
Thou art my God, in thee I live and move;
Oh, let thy loving Spirit lead me forth
Into the land of righteousness and love.

Thy love the law and impulse of my soul,
Thy righteousness its fitness and its plea,
Thy loving Spirit mercy's sweet control
To make me liker, draw me nearer thee.

My highest hope to be where, Lord, thou art,
To lose myself in thee my richest gain,
To do thy will the habit of my heart,
To grieve the Spirit my severest pain.

Thy smile my sunshine, all my peace from thence,
From self alone what could that peace destroy?
Thy joy my sorrow at the least offence,
My sorrow that I am not more thy joy.