Jephthah (Judges 10:6-12:7) was a gritty deliverer from a gritty background. The son of a prostitute, Jephthah was called by God and the people as deliverer almost reluctantly. Empowered by the Spirit, however, Jephthah brings a mighty victory over the Ammonites, but inflicts a terrible justice afterwards.
SERMON OUTLINE
What are the Israelites continuing to do?
- What is evil in the sight of the Lord
- Worshiping the gods of the people they had conquered
- Forsaking what God has done for them
Jephthah
- Son of prostitute
- Kicked out of homeland by half-brothers
- Mighty warrior
- This mighty warrior that has been forsaken by the people of his homeland is supposed to save the day
Jephthah’s tragic vow
- If God gives him victory, will sacrifice whoever comes out of his house first
- Daughter comes out
- Tragic mistake by a man motivated by greed
Takeaways from Jephthah
- God’s love is not complete without His wrath
- Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith
- God calls us into a life of being humble before him, not a life of greed without Him
DISCUSSION GUIDE
- This week, as we continue our “Flawed Heroes” series, we look at the character of Jephthah in Judges 10-12. There is a lot to learn here, so take a moment to prepare your heart, asking God to speak to you through His word. After that, read the entire passage.
- Do you think Jephthah believed in God?
- What does God and His silence add to this story?
- Have you struggled with God being silent in your prayer life?
- How does this Old Testament story relate to the greater story of the Gospel we believe in?
- Do you think Jephthah’s argument to the king in 11:12-27 is entirely true?
- Why don’ t the people help Jephthah fight the battle?
- Look at the passage in Hebrews 12:1-2. What does it mean that Jesus is the perfecter of our faith?
- Why wouldn’t God come down and save the Israelites right away, since He is an all-powerful God?
- In what ways are you challenged by this passage?