Page 18 - April 2025 - Truth & Tidings

that unified and directed the body under Commendable Words
him. Abimelech is a man of relatively few The first diplomatic session in Jeph-
words and blood-thirsty action; Jephthah
is a man of wise, diplomatic words (Jdg thah’s career (11:1-11) was when he be-
came head and captain over Gilead. His
11:12-28) before justly wielding the words in that negotiation were made with
sword. Abimelech receives an evil spirit God as witness (v10), and the name of the
(9:23); Jephthah, the Holy Spirit (11:29). LORD was explicitly invoked: “Jephthah
Abimelech is shamed by a woman at the uttered all his words before the LORD”
end of Judges 9; Jephthah is honoured by (v11). This shatters the illusion that he was
his daughter at the end of Judges 11. All rash with his words.
of this proves that the author of Judges is His diplomatic negotiations also show a
drawing a contrasting parallel between man of sterling character. He is a man who
the two men. If Abimelech was a man of loves his nation and is willing to come to
depravity, it follows that Jephthah was a the rescue in their hour of need. There is
man of virtue and integrity. not the slightest whiff of resentment or
Commendable Character bitterness in the entire episode. Jephthah
The author also shows the judge on held out for headship and captain-hood,
not because he was power-hungry like
earth mirroring the Judge in heaven Abimelech but because responsibility
(11:27). Judges 10 shows how Israel treat- and authority go together, hand in glove.
ed the Judge, while Judges 11 shows how He could become their captain only to be
Gilead treated Jephthah. The sequence is rejected after he won the battle (Israel had
as follows: Judges forsaken (10:6; 11:2), a penchant for doing this to God Himself);
Ammon oppressing (10:8; 11:4), Israel / thus Jephthah was guarded in bearing
Gilead appealing (10:10; 11:5), the LORD the weight of responsibility without the
/ Jephthah protesting (10:11-14; 11:7), needed authority to carry out the task.
further appeal (10:15; 11:8), and then He was not vindictive after being unfairly
grief (10:15; 11:35). This further vindicates excommunicated, but he did make sure
Jephthah as a ruler who resembles and that he was legally reinstated. He was
reflects the character of God. The judge on likely the firstborn of his brothers (11:1-2)
earth reflects the Judge in heaven. and had been ousted from his inheritance.
Jephthah not only resembles God in By ensuring his position as head, he had
his actions, but his words are marked by judicially corrected the legal wrong done
deep reverence. Fourteen times the name to him. Once the tables of justice had been
Jehovah is used in Judges 11, and seven corrected, repentance and restoration en-
times Jephthah speaks of or to the LORD sued. Gilead gladly welcomed him back
directly. This is more than any other and not only made him captain (v6) and
judge. Far from being rash, his words are head (v8), but head and captain (v11). In
marked by godly fear. Some modern com- a book fraught with domestic division
mentators paint him as a compromised, and inter-tribal animosity, the wrong /
semi-Canaanite that ultimately adopts repentance / restoration sequence is most
human sacrifice. This caricature does not refreshing.
do justice to his clear monotheism and The second round of diplomacy (11:12-
devotion to the LORD. 28) again shows that Jephthah was wise
Continued on p. 127
114 TRUTH kTidings April 2025