OFFICIAL SITE OF WOMEN UPLIFTING WOMEN MINISTRIES
And Women and Men Uplifting Ministries, International
The Promise! “Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah; and there was his daughter coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing. She was his only child; he had no son or daughter except her. When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, 'Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.” Judges 11:34-35 Sometimes in life; the promises we make to God not only affect us but it also affects those around us. We so freely speak and make promises to God without giving any thought to the consequences; or what our promises actually mean for us, or someone around us. Our greed has caused many of us to make vows to God that we cannot live with, and really had no intention of keeping. Once God has blessed us with what we have asked; we sometimes cannot conceive of doing the thing we have promised to God, nor can we can conceive on doing what we have vowed. I am sure as Mizpah’s mother sat in the house with her daughter; she had no idea that her husband, Jephthah had made a vow to God. Jephthah only wanted to win a war and gain respect from the people who had earlier rejected him, and ordered him out of his father’s house. Needless to say; Jephthah did not plan for anyone to be harmed by his thoughtless vow. This was a stupid vow and really did not need to be made for Jephthah was advancing forward; moving through Mizpah of Gilead, he was heading toward the people of Ammon, and God was helping him to defeat the enemy. However, I believe without forethought, or perhaps to seal the deal with God, he vowed that whoever came out of the door of his house to meet him when he returned in peace from the people of Ammon, he would offer as a burnt offering. Now what man in his right mind would make such a vow? Did Jephthah know that whatever he promised God it would have to be done? Did he realize that he should not vow another person’s life to gain respect? What in the world could have been on the mind of this man? As I thought about Jephthah, I realized we too have made equally stupid vows to God to gain notoriety or to succeed in some way. So many of us have promised to love and honor God without all of our heart, soul and body, and perhaps, we believe that we will until we have received what we have asked. Then suddenly we find that we cannot keep our promises, and have in fact lied. Let us continue to study the foolishness of this story. On our visit to this family; we meet a very special young lady, and learn the consequences of unwise promises. Jephthah, in an attempt to manipulate God; has promised that if God gives him a victory over the Ammonites, he would offer as a burnt offering whatever or whoever came out of his house first to greet him. What is puzzling here is who did Jephthah expect to come out that door? Did he think it would be his servants or his wife? Just who did he expect to come out to greet him? Can you believe this; after the promise, the victory and his arrival home, the first person out was his daughter. Most times it is the children who run out to meet the parents, did he even give that a thought before making such an unwise vow. Finally, we see an echo of Adam in Jephthah's lament. Jephthah made the mistake, he's the one who promised unwisely; yet he tells his daughter she's the one who caused problems. A vow made not on his life, but on the life of another. What a terrible thing for this daughter. Even at the end of this horrible vow; this daughter showed compassion for her father, and she told him he must do as he had vowed, although it would mean the loss of her life. The mother grieving in this scenario must have suffered much grief to learn that her daughter was promised as a sacrifice. I cannot imagine the pain she must have felt knowing that her only child would soon be dead, because of a stupid decision made by her husband. OH, the tears of the mothers shed upon this land. Tears this mother must have shed as her husband told of the vow he had made with God, and that the life of their daughter was required. How many times have we as parents sacrificed our children for our own ill-gotten gains? How many times have mothers shed tears when they realized the torment their children would go through because of their decisions? This mother as she looked upon her husband, I am sure could never understand or even conceive why he would have made such a vow, as the tears for her daughter ran down her face and hit the earth. Once again a mother’s tears have fertilized this earth. Once again a child must pay for the ignorant decisions of the parents. I wonder when we will ever learn. What must we do to learn to love unconditionally? Will we ever realize the importance of our children, and how they are glory in our lives? As you read this story, perhaps some of the unwise decisions you have made which have placed your children in danger will be reversed, and you will love your children and use wisdom for their growth. I do pray that as you look at your children you will remember Jephthah, and not speak to quickly for your decisions can and will affect the lives of others. Humanitarian Organization in Maryland |
