Jepthah’s Daughter
by
The Rev. Steven S. Bryant
*A word about the tough texts’*
As one who preaches two different sermons each Sunday, as well as teaching
at least four different Bible Studies each week, I find myself praying this
prayer quite often:
_”Lord, I’m counting on your help. Help me understand your Word. Give me
the right words to share with others. I can’t do this on my own. And
Lord, one more thing – please don’t tarry!”_
The good news for this preacher and teacher is that He consistently answers
my prayer with a sense of peace about the task, and a sense of unceasing
excitement for the study of the Word. It may be an indication of a deep
character flaw, but I confess that I’ve always been excited by the seemingly
bizarre and disturbing texts of the Bible. I can blame it on my friend and
mentor, Danny Massie, now the pastor of First Scots in Charleston, S.C.
Danny once preached a series on some of the obscure characters of the Bible
and I was hooked. I remember him saying “we can learn the biggest lessons
from the people with the bit parts.” He inspired me to go on looking for
more overlooked characters and passages, and that led to careful examination
of texts that most ministers I know purposely overlook. Shock value isn’t
what I’m after. Rather, it is the consistent confirmation of what Danny said
– The bit part characters have the potential to teach us the biggest
lessons.
And this is the perspective I bring to my study: I believe that the entirety
of the Bible is the Word of God. Every last word of it! When I encounter a
“problematic” text, in actuality, the problem is not with the text, but with
me – the interpreter. We will all do well to bring to the study of God’s
Word a deep sense of humility and reverence, and the recognition that our
sinful nature limits our ability to grasp the perfect truth God is trying to
communicate to us. So again I say, the problem is not with the Bible, but
with me. That having been said, it is time to examine one of the toughest
texts in the whole of Scripture.
*I. ” And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If Thou wilt indeed
give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes
out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons
of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt
offering.” Judges 11:30-31*
These facts about Jephthah are clear: (1) He was a leader of Israel during a
time of infancy for the nation. The people were not yet of one accord on the
kind of nation they would become. To their detriment, they were easily
influenced by other nations and other belief systems. And, they were still
wrestling with the questions, “who is God?” and “what would God have us do?”
(2) He was smart enough to realize that he could accomplish virtually
nothing without the help of God. Jephthah desires to achieve a military
victory. Thus, he offers God a deal in the form of a prayer: _”Whatever
comes out of the doors of my house…I will offer it up as a burnt
offering.” _ (3) At least in that moment, he wasn’t smart enough to think
through the consequences of such a vow. What could he have possibly been
thinking? What did he think would exit the doors of his house – a
sacrificial goat, a heifer, a flock of turtle doves? In his pursuit of
military victory, had he totally forgotten who lived in his tent?
A quick survey of interpretive resources reveals that this text has been
interpreted in many different ways. One tract renders a story about
Jephthah’s personal tragedy. “Poor Jephthah didn’t realize what he was
getting himself into.” Within the world of this kind of interpretation,
Jephthah is placed on the horns of a moral dilemma. What is one to do? Keep
your word to God or break the vow? Many commentators place the emphasis on
Jephthah’s astounding faithfulness in keeping his promise to God; not unlike
that of Abraham in his willingness to offer Isaac at the altar. Still
another train of thought emphasizes the sacrifice of his unnamed daughter as
a type of national atonement; somewhat of a prototype of the sacrifice of
the Only Begotten for sin of humanity.
But let us keep in mind that the Bible presents as honest and realistic a
portrait of humanity as we would ever find. The great figures in the
Biblical drama are ordinary people just like us. They have faults and
weaknesses. Sometimes, in spite of their faults, through God’s grace they
shine. But then again, sometimes they act like they hardly know God.
Jephthah talks to God. He knows how to call upon God’s help. But he seems to
have forgotten the very nature of the God he seeks to serve.
*A bit of background:*
Jephthah had a tough childhood. He was an outcast in two ways. Judges 11:1
declares that he was the “son of a harlot.” We can try to imagine the
suspicious looks when they went out in public. We don’t have to imagine the
names they were called, for we already know. And, Jephthah was driven away
from the community by his father’s people (11:2). Jephthah grew up under the
influence of “worthless fellows” (11:3) in the land of Tob. The “worthless
fellows” practice a worthless religion full of horrific deeds like the
ritual sacrifice of children. Could it be that the living among worshipers
of false gods had a subtle but very negative effect on Jephthah’s faith? The
book of Hebrews praises Jephthah as a man of faith, one whose victory was a
victory of faith (Hebrews 11:32). But even the most faithful among us
sometimes show a weakened and confused faith. Certainly we all know how easy
it is to confuse the ways of the world with the way of God. Perhaps for a
time, Jephthah could not adequately distinguish between the Almighty and the
gods of those surrounding Israel. Could it be that Jephthah made a vow to
God based on a false assumption of Who God is and what He wants? We are left
to wonder.
*Question*: Can you think of any ways in which our congregation may look
more like the culture and less like the distinct Body of Christ?
Still we wonder about Jephthah’s disturbing vow. Could it be that Jephthah
got so wrapped up in “his” string of stunning victories and all the
accolades they would bring, that he couldn’t think clearly about what is of
utmost importance in his life – namely, his family. Had he totally forgotten
his “one and only child?” (Judges 11:34) We cringe at the thought. But the
fact of the matter is that countless families have been sacrificed at the
altar of a seemingly worthy ideal. Even the strongest Christians will
confess their daily struggle to keep priorities in order. How many children
of Christian leaders have suffered the absence of their parents? How many
families have taken a back seat to such worthy pursuits as a growing
business, the development of a career, or increasing civic duties?
*II. “…behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines
and with dancing.” Judges 11:34*
Jephthah comes home, victorious! And then, he sees her. She was his only
child. At first glance, he see her singing and dancing with joy, beating the
tambourine in celebration of her Daddy’s overwhelming victory. He remembers
the vow he made while praying to God. And now he sees her and weeps with
grief.
God was there. God saw her too. But how did He look upon her? Was there a
desire in God’s heart to receive this joyful daughter as a burnt offering?
Did God somehow see the daughter as an instrument to teach Jephthah to be
more careful in his vow making?
This is where the unnamed daughter of Jephthah begins to teach us some very
important lessons about life and faith, about prayer and about the One who
answers our prayer.
*First, our ways are not always God’s ways. *
She comes to symbolize the vast chasm of difference between our ways and His
ways. Would God accept the terms of such a deal? Let us be very careful
about the assumptions we bring to the reading of Scripture! A careful
reading of the Word of God reveals a very clear answer. God would not accept
Jephthah’s daughter (or any human life) as a burnt offering. The Law
determined the purpose of sacrifice, and it has to do with gracious mercy,
not bargaining. The Law of God determined the proper location for ritual
sacrifice (Leviticus 17:1-9) and Jephthah was no where near the right place.
The Law determined who was eligible to offer a burnt sacrifice and Jephthah
simply didn’t make the cut. He was not a levitical priest! And, the Law
clearly determined that which constituted an acceptable sacrifice. God
forbade the human sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21; 20:2; Deuteronomy 18:10 ). He
desires none of His little one’s to perish. Perhaps the gift the unnamed
daughter of Jephthah gives us, is the reminder that in the final analysis,
there was really only one child worthy to be the sacrificed to God – Jesus
Christ our Lord.
*Second, sometimes the most appropriate prayers don’t end with a period.*
She represents the importance of the prayer which ends in a question mark
rather than a deal making handshake. As he stood there watching his
daughter, Jephthah could have prayed again. Here are some other prayerful
options for Jephthah:
“Dear God, what was I thinking?”
“Lord, was I praying for the right thing?”
“Heavenly Father, could I have possibly offered you a deal that rubs against
the grain of your nature?”
“Lord, is it too late to pray another prayer and offer another vow?”
The picture of Jephthah’s daughter dancing in the doorway should symbolize
the reality that it is never too late to stop, look, listen, and pray again.
There are no deals sealed in the prayer that never ceases. *”Pray without
ceasing.”* (I Thessalonians 5:17)
*Third, the Holy Spirit perfects even our most feeble attempts at prayer.*
Can you remember the last time you knew you needed to pray, but you weren’t
sure what to pray for? We’ve all been there countless times. In those
moments, a certain fear can overwhelm us. It is the fear that we might be
praying for the WRONG thing! Many a faithful soul has felt this fear in the
waiting room of an Intensive Care Unit. Many a Christian has suffered
through this fear when it comes time to make a decision about life support.
Sometimes, relationships can become so complex and convoluted that we
haven’t the foggiest idea of proper petition. And, the fact of the matter is
that sometimes we do pray for the wrong thing. But remember, friends, God is
always faithful. Remember, God never responds to prayer with wrong answers.
The daughter of Jephthah stands there in the doorway to remind us of one of
the greatest promises of the Christian faith. The prayer of the Christian is
perfected by the Spirit of the Risen Lord Jesus! When we don’t know how to
pray or what to pray for, pray anyway. Pray with the comfort and the
confidence that as Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, He mediates
on our behalf. The Spirit of the Risen Lord takes our prayers, edits them
according the Will of the Father, and offers each prayer in absolute
perfection!
“_…for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself
intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches
the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes
for the saints according to the will of God.”_ Romans 8:26-27
*Fourth, faithful obedience is the most beautiful epitaph.*
What really happened to Jephthah’s daughter? Even as far back as the
Medieval Ages, there was some question as to the true turn of events. Back
then, many interpreters understood Jephthah’s vow not as that which
ultimately leads to a child’s death, but of setting her aside for a life of
purity and exclusive devotion to God. Jephthah’s own choice of words is
terribly important. The word in verse 31, translated in many Bibles as
“burnt offering,” could just as faithfully be translated simply as
“sacrifice.” The word in Hebrew can also mean “a step up,” or “an ascent,”
coming from the root verb “to ascend.” Elsewhere in the Old Testament the
same word is rendered “to perfect.” The Jerusalem Bible translates the word
as “holocaust.” So you see, determining the original intent is not an easy
task. _(At times like this, I stop what I’m doing and give thanks to God for
the faithful translators down through the ages who have had to lean heavily
upon the Lord for interpretive guidance. It is a tough text, containing
tough words to translate. And that is what makes Bible Study so exciting!)_
Also, notice the repeated emphasis in verses 37, 38, and 39 on her
“virginity.” Ask this question: Why is there grief over the fulfillment of
the vow? If one reads this as story about the sacrifice that leads to the
death of a daughter, the grief is obvious. If one reads it as a sacrifice of
being set apart for a life of holiness and purity in perpetual virginity,
there is understandable grief over the cessation of heirs, and the more
profound grief of a young girl who will never know the wonder and joy of
marriage, and never know the sacredness of holding a baby close to her
breast.
I’m still wondering which interpretive tract is correct. There seems to be
ample evidence to support both traditions. But either way, she stands tall
among Biblical characters as a role model of faith. Right along side young
Isaac, who could have easily outrun is ancient Dad, stands a beautiful young
woman whose faith in God was so profound that she would chose obedience over
disobedience even if it meant great suffering and overwhelming loss,
whatever form it might take.
We won’t know her name until we have the honor to meet her in Heaven. There,
to this very day, she sings and dances and beats her tambourine in joy over
the victory of the Lord. One day, we will join her. Until then, we will
remember her as a person of stunningly beautiful faith, all summed up in one
line, an epitaph of faith:
_”My father, you have given your word to the Lord; do to me as you have
said…”_ Judges 11:36
*For use as a closing prayer:*
Almighty God, bless Thou our children with healthful bodies, with good
understandings, with the graces and gifts of Your Spirit, with sweet
dispositions and holy habits, and sanctify them throughout in their bodies
and souls and spirits, and keep them unblamable to the coming of the Lord
Jesus. A prayer adapted from Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) English writer and
Anglican Bishop
(All Scripture references are from the New American Standard, unless
otherwise noted.)
*Additional resources for further study:*
Most church libraries will have a copy of Edith Deen’s excellent book, _All
the Women of the Bible_. A treatment of Jephthah’s Daughter, with background
material, is found on page 74.
Another book by the same title, _All the Women of the Bible_, was written by
Herbert Lockyer, published by Zondervan Press. (See Chapter 3 beginning on
page 170 for all the unnamed women of the Bible, and pages 182 through 185
for Jephthah’s Daughter.)
Warren W. Wiersbe’s commentary on Judges entitled, Be Available: _Accepting
the Challenge to Confront the Enemy,_ contains some excellent background
material for the understanding of Jephthah’s vow. It is also available in
many church libraries. (See pages 98 through 101)
Abraham Kuyper has a great little book entitled, _Women of the Old
Testament_. (See pages 78 through 81)