Happy all day long. So, I know that there... Thank you for your faithful and generous giving to BFC. As Brian mentioned earlier, we are grateful that we can partner with ministry both locally and globally. And today we have Joel and Virginia Cook here. Try the mic. There it is. Yeah, welcome everybody. Virginia and I are in our 15th year as Oahu missionaries, serving Northern California and Southwest Oregon. So Eugene. Springfield, Oregon, down to Marysville, Yuba City, California. And we're doing that. And it's just exciting. You know, COVID has affected everything. It's affected Awana. It hasn't affected Awana overall. You know, it's kind of different. It's really affected Awana in America. But here's the thing. Awana today is still in 122 countries. And we still have over 85 missionaries in America and over 185 missionaries around the world. We are still reaching 4.9 million children every week in Awana. And that's exciting. In America, Awana has dropped 40%. this last year. 40% of the clubs have dropped. And you have to really discern that. In my area here, our area here, we lost a third of them, right? But it's a registration every year. So they got to renew it every year. So if you don't renew it, you're dropped, right? So they're all coming back slowly. Today, when I want to drop down, they drop down to about 4,500 clubs in America. They're from 10,000 clubs, right? Today, they're back up to 6,900. All right, and it's gonna go back up to 10 grand pretty easy, and we're praying for more beyond that. And that's what's exciting about that. Yes, conducting these meetings, it's exciting to see the energy, and they're basically being resilient. We're gonna do this. no matter what. And that's one of my jobs as a missionary is to encourage, equip, and just come alongside all the churches that have Awana. We have four brand new starts in my region, and one of them is in Colusa, that's the closest one from here, and then we've got another one in California and two in Oregon. I'll be training four new clubs before I go home at the end of the month. And so we're going to leave here tomorrow and work our way north and eventually fly out of Portland to go back home to Pennsylvania. The one other thing I just wanted to share with you a little bit is simply this. The churches that we've met already have saw that since everything else was closed, their Iwana Club at the end of last year, it doubled than what they had the year before because their Iwana Club did not close. They figured out how to do it. And that's all about being resilient. And our focus is, can we be resilient enough to work through? The gospel is resilient. It doesn't change. It keeps moving forward. And so we want to do that and move forward with with and be available for all those folks out there now in this local club here. You know, he says that there's a couple needs out there. And folks, you can come see me at the table. We have a table back there. We have sharing a Juana. If you wanna faithfully join us and support us, you can do that and let us know that. But like the Cubbies here in this club, they're looking for two high school Christians to serve, that know the Lord and wanna serve. They need two men and two women in the Sparks Club, the K through second graders. And they need one more woman in the TNT Club. And that's just what they see, but it's not necessarily what God sees. And so if you have a heart for the kids and wanna share the gospel in a systematic way to teach, then come see Tim or me at the table after service, and we'll be glad. And so right now, I just wanna pray for you. Pray for you as you begin your ministries. And that's one thing I always think about, you know, it's a ministry, it's not a program. Because we have...churches can run great programs, you know, bean counters, number counters, and we got through it and we survived, but do we run great ministries? And the difference, in my opinion, is ministries are focused on the heart, and ministries are focused on changing lives. So I pray that this church will have a strong ministry changing the lives and making a difference in the greater Orville area. Let me pray for you. Father, we just thank you. We thank you for who you are. We thank you for a ministry like Awana that can be a tool, because that's all it is, a tool to reach the lost, and a tool to sharpen the ones that know the Lord. So we just thank you for that. We ask you to just gird up this church as they reach their Judea, and we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you, guys. It's time for our invocation, so I would invite you, if you're able, to please stand in honor of the reading of God's word. This morning's passage is from Psalm 107, verses 33 through 43. He turns rivers into a desert. springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water, and there he lets the hungry dwell and they establish a city to live in. They sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing, they multiply greatly and he does not let their livestock diminish. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes. But he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things. Let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord. You may be seated. Please join me in prayer. Lord, we come before you in awe of your mercy and your grace in our lives, the provision and protection that you provide for all of us. Lord, we see your fingerprints all over the place here at our church, growth in ministry, new people coming. Thank you, Lord, for the many teaching ministries here. May your spirit guide, direct all that is done according to your will, according to your word, that we would build up the saints here in our church. Lord, thank you for Oroville Christian School. As we start school this week, Lord, we ask that you would bless the teachers, bless the staff, bless the parents, bless the students, Lord, that we would walk daily in your word. that the teachers and staff would be open to the opportunities that you will provide to disciple and evangelize the students that you've brought to us, and may you use this ministry to support the families. Lord, we pray for the Oroville Hope Center and the rescue mission. May you strengthen and refresh those serving in these ministries, give wisdom to them on how to use their resources, and may they be used to your glory. Lord, I ask a blessing for our pastors and our elders here at our church, Lord. May you support them, encourage them, give them wisdom as they lead us, give them unity and purpose in mind as they work together for our good. Lord, thank you for Joel and Virginia and their ministry to the many churches in Northern California and Oregon. Lord, would you give them encouragement? Would you give them rest? Would you give them strength as they're busy in these next couple of weeks, Lord? But most of all, Lord, as Joel mentioned, would you begin to work in the lives of the many people that will be touched by the Iwana programs? Lord, I ask a special blessing for our women's ministries as they mobilize and study the word together this summer. May their study of the word be fruitful in their lives. Lord, we pray for the persecuted church, particularly in Afghanistan, Lord, as things have turned there. We know that you're sovereign. We know that you're in control. But once again, we ask that you would encourage, protect, strengthen your children, that they would stand firm in the fate of great hostility and persecution. Lord, pray for those who are currently ill, hospitalized, recovering from illness. Pray for the homebound here in our church. May they feel connected through the online services. Lord, we're grateful and thankful for the firefighters and the first responders in our area, as we expect to go through a time of need in the next four to six weeks, Lord, I ask that you would strengthen them and encourage them as they work hard to protect us. Lord, bless the offering, bless those who have given it, and bless the money to be used to further your kingdom, Lord. Lord, as we prepare to hear a sermon in a few minutes, Lord, I ask that you would open our hearts, open our minds, speak through Greg, and make the study that he's put into this time fruitful. But most of all, Lord, I ask that your word would change us and that we would walk away from here more like your son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for all that you've done in our lives, Lord, and for your continued grace and mercy. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. as our children are dismissed to their classes. And as we prepare to have the word preached to us, let's sing once more, I invite you to stand. As we sing the words of Psalm 130 in this song, I will wait for you. Psalm 130, verse five says, I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word, I hope. What a treasure and a mercy that we have in the word of God, which shows us that we have a hope in times of desperation, in times of despair. So let's sing that this morning. I will wait for you. All of the depths I cry to you. In darkest places I will call. Incline your ear to me anew and hear my cry for mercy, Lord. Were you to count my sinful ways, how could I come before your throne? Yet full forgiveness meets my gaze, I stand redeemed by grace alone. I will wait for you, I will wait for you, on your word I will rely. I will wait for you, surely wait for you, till my soul is satisfied. ♪ So put your hope in God alone ♪ ♪ Take courage in His power to save ♪ ♪ Completely and forever one ♪ ♪ By Christ emerging from the grave ♪ ♪ His steadfast love has made a way ♪ God himself has paid the price. Let all who trust in him today find healing in his sacrifice. I will wait for you. I will wait for you. On your word I will rely. I will wait for you, surely wait for you till my soul is satisfied. I will wait for you, I will wait for you. Through the storm and through the night I will wait for you, surely wait for you, for your love is my delight. Good morning, everyone. It's good to be back. I want to thank the elders for allowing Carol and I to have a little time away, not only for a week's vacation, but a week of study, which we greatly enjoyed as we were out in Virginia and North Carolina. Got to spend one week with our son and daughter-in-law in Virginia, and they have a great theological library right there. And then the next week, we spend in North Carolina with our daughter and son-in-law, and they have a great library. And so a couple of days each week, I was with all my friends on a table, scattered all around, doing study, looking into some issues that I've wanted to grow deeper in, and of course, also lots of fun time with our kids. And so thank you for praying for us during this time. It was a great two weeks away, but it's always great to come back as well and to know that we'll continue to worship the Lord together. A special greeting to those of you joining us online. I appreciate you being with us. I was where you were the last two weeks, joining online, seeing what's happening here. So thank you for being part of what we're doing here. And I hope you'll have your Bibles open and studying with us as we go through our passage this morning. And I wanna give just a special word of thanks to Pastor Brian. Thank you, Brian. Doesn't he do a great job? I just so enjoy getting a chance. I enjoy a chance to getting to hear him preach and to be on the other side, filling up my notebook, and so it was really good to have that opportunity. It's good to be in partnership with you in ministry. Well, winter was coming, and a bear was out in the woods, and a hunter came across his path. And the hunter raised his rifle and took aim and wanted to make a warm coat. But the bear saw him coming and said, wait, wait, what, why do you want to shoot me? Well, because I'm cold, said the hunter. The bear reflected, and he said, well, you know, I'm hungry. Maybe we can make an agreement. And in the end, the hunter was indeed well-wrapped by the fur of the bear, and the bear had eaten a good dinner. You see, we always lose out when we try to compromise with sin. It will consume us in the end. And as we have seen over and over and over again in the book of Judges, this is a lesson that Israel was very slow to learn and the cost was high. Instead of standing firm in the Lord and the power of his word, they were continually drawn to the ways of the enemies. And so instead of Israel transforming the land of promise as they were commanded to do, they were not transforming, they were conforming to the ways of their enemies. Israel had become more like Canaan than the other way around. Now the last couple of weeks we have come through some sections of the book of Judges that were very difficult to consider. We saw what the compromise and pride of Gideon that gave way to the boorish and fleshly pursuits of Abimelech his son. And we've seen that there was a further degradation of the people of God falling ever deeper into spiritual bondage. It was so bad that we saw in chapter 10 last week, that the Lord came and said He's had enough, that He wasn't going to save them anymore, that He would just let them run after their own gods that they had chosen. And there's a lesson for us in that we are never to presume upon the grace of God. Grace that is expected, grace that is demanded, is not grace. Grace is freely given by God as He decides. But our responsibility is always to hear the Word of God, to obey, to apply, and to be instruments in His hands for transformation and for renovation of all that is around us. Well, with that, we're going to take some time this morning to try to consider the entire chapter. chapter 11 of the book of Judges. We may go through it at different speeds, but as we begin, I invite you to stand one more time as we read a portion of Judges 11. As the reading of our Word this morning, we will read the first 11 verses. And the wonderful Word of God says, Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, you shall not have an inheritance in our father's home or house for you are the son of another woman. Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him. After a time, the Ammonites made war against Israel. And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. And they said to Jephthah, come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites. But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress? And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, that is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, if you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head. And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, the Lord will be witness between us if we do not do as you say. So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah. Now, Father, as we have read your word this morning, we need your guidance and your teaching hand. And so would you do that now through your spirit, that we might see you in a deeper way, that we might have a greater vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. I invite you to follow along in your sermon outline as we begin this morning with a strange deliverer. A strange deliverer, the first 11 verses. Now, as we saw at the end of Judges chapter 10, the people of Gilead were asking, who will deliver them from the hand of the Ammonites? They were looking for a man, seemingly any man who was willing to rise up and deliver them. And they said, this man will be their head. Now, I emphasize that word head because I want you to pay attention of what happens in the text. Now at this point in the story, the question can be asked, where is God? He doesn't speak here. He doesn't seem to act here until events get well underway. Moreover, he has just expressed his dismay, his anger over the behavior of the Israelites. He's even said, if you're in trouble, go to the gods that you have chosen, those false gods. Perhaps though Israel missed an opportunity here because it would have been good for them at this point to seek his face. before launching into a decision of such great importance. But as we have seen over the past number of weeks, the story of Judges never improves. You'll recall at the beginning we said that it really starts out at the high point and just swirls downward from that point. All we see again and again in the book of Judges is that man is sinful and only God is holy. Only God is the Savior. Only God is the hero of every story. Well, we begin our passage this morning by seeing an act of betrayal, an act of betrayal. Now, you notice there's no formal assembly here. There's no clear strategy. There just seems to be an ad hoc decision where some men get together of Gilead, and they seem to be willing to accept whoever will come to be a deliverer. In fact, they say, whoever does come will be our head. And there's that word again, and you'll see in just a moment why it's important. But given the context, it doesn't seem they're making this oath before the Lord. They're making an oath to one another. Hey, we need someone to save us. Whoever steps up, he's our guy. But they say this one will be our head. And in making this oath, which was poorly chosen, it foreshadows another oath that will be poorly chosen later in the story. Yes, the Israelites are in a tough situation. But it's their own fault. They have continually rejected again and again the prescriptions and commands of God. And now they need a Savior. But God has said, too bad. I'm gonna let you stew in your sin for a while. They're not in a very enviable position. Well, what do we know about this Gilead who is mentioned here? We know that he was the father of the Gileadites, and his name was Machir, whose mother was an Aramites, or from Aramea, 1 Chronicles 7 tells us that. This was part of the tribe of Manasseh, which was located at least this part of the tribe on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and what we call Syria and Jordan today. So a man of Gilead was the father of Jephthah, who is the main character of these next two stories. For his part, his name means to open or to liberate. And you know, in the Bible, the names always have an important role to play. Names have great meaning, and names often give color to the story. So Israel's in a tough situation, and he opens as the one that is going to play a major role in the story. We're told that he is called a mighty warrior. Now, the last time we saw this term, it was in chapter 6, verse 12, where the angel said that it was Gideon who was a mighty warrior. And at that time, we asked the question, what kind of mighty warrior will he be? And after a few weeks of looking at Gideon, we saw not the one we really wanted. What kind of mighty warrior will this one be? Now, we must say from the beginning that even though there's a lot of information packed into these first few verses, there's a lot of Canaan in these verses. If we look at the behavior of Jephthah's brothers, we see that it's more of a Canaanite influence than an Israelite influence. Why do I say that? Well, it starts out poorly. He's the son of a prostitute. That's kind of a problem when you're an Israelite and you're supposed to live according to the holy ways of God. Now, we don't know the nature of this prostitute. It could have been just a common prostitute, or it could have been a Canaanite temple prostitute, but it's not a good deal either way. Because even if she was just, quote-unquote, a wayward woman, that makes him a wayward man. in any case, disobedient to God. But it's even worse if, in fact, she was involved in temple worship, facilitating immorality to get in contact with the Canaanite gods, which is what the Canaanites did. But in any case, it starts out poorly. So, you can read the text. We see this interaction going on between Jephthah and the sons through his father and mother, or their mother, and they turn against Jephthah. So you're not going to have any part of the family inheritance. Now, where's the problem here? This was against the law of Moses. Because Jephthah's father was an Israelite, and inheritance rights came through the father, and so they did not have the right to completely exclude him. and reject him and throw him out. Because even though he was the son of another woman, he was still entitled to a minimum of sustenance living, maybe what we would call child support. But in any case, they have stolen from his future. And that will play a role in what's going on here because he was entitled to at least some type of inheritance. But he flees, and he lives in Tob, which ironically enough in Hebrew means good. I find it interesting in light of the context He opens, is rejected by his family, and runs to good. But is that really good as we look at the story? We see that he is surrounded by worthless fellows. Undoubtedly, they were involved in trickery, treachery, they're brigands, they're thieves. Maybe Jephthah was a type of mercenary who hires himself out so he can fight other battles, so he can make his living. But think of the context. They would have shaped him. They would have shaped his reflection. They would have shaped how he saw things. He's rejected by his half-brothers, rejected by the people of Israel. Perhaps he's angry. It's probably true that there's some type of emotional, relational abuse that has gone on. And he's ignorant of the one true God, as we will see. Not exactly the greatest environment for developing someone of good moral character and ethics. And that's what we will see as we move through this text. as we get to a strong negotiation. We are told in verses 4 and 5 that the Ammonites have attacked Israel, but they're looking for someone to lead the charge. And I want you to pay attention now to the words that they use. They come, and they ask him to be their leader. The Hebrew word is qatsin. It means commander. It means leader. They did not ask him to be their rosh, their head, which is what they had already promised that they would do. Give someone to be our leader, he will be our head. But when they come to Jephthah, the despised one, they say, no, be our qatsin, just be our commander. Jephthah's not a fool. He knows there's a great difference between these two terms. And so he says, wait, you hated me. You sent me away. He doesn't accept their initial offer, because he understands that they're playing with him again, just as they have rejected him before. They're not quite ready yet to give him the full value that he is supposed to have as the son of an Israelite. As one commentator says, it's as if Jephthah was saying, how can you now come to me when you need help? People do not come to those they have rejected for help, nor does the victim of rejection offer to help those who rejected him. He does not want to become a fool or a tool for them a second time. Now notice, they don't answer the question. They just change the subject, and they move on. They say, well, come and fight with us. because they recognize he's rejected their first offer, so they change the word. And it's at this point, then, that they say, well, come now and be head over us. You see the word changing? Commander of ruler to head. They had promised it to be head. They tried to get by on the sly. He caught them out. Now they have to go back to their original offer. Jephthah is taking advantage of the situation. There's a lot of intrigue going on here in these human relationships. He says, okay, if you take me back home, that means if you give me back my inheritance, if you give me back what is rightfully mine, and if the Lord gives me victory, then I'll be your head. You see, he's got the upper hand. He's got the negotiating tool. They're too wimpy. They don't even have someone to lead them. If he's willing to come, it's going to be now on his terms. He even invokes the name of the Lord. But as we will see, this is more of a perfunctory thing, because his faith is really limited in who this Lord is. But he's a negotiator. Think about it. With his background, he's had to learn to be a survivor. So he knows how to survive, and that's what he's doing. He's negotiating with the Israelites to get what he wants. He's playing chess with them. And so even as he calls on the name of the Lord, he puts them in an awkward situation. They now have to except the one who was rejected and despised. And so, Jephthah, even though he is rejected and despised, becomes their leader. Now, you've heard me say over and over again that all the Scriptures point to their fulfillment in Christ. And Jephthah is just a faint image of a greater one who was to come, who was rejected and despised by his own, and yet who became the ultimate savior and the ultimate leader. In verse 11, they get together, Jephthah and the leaders of Gideon, and now they say, you will be both qatsin and rosh. You will be our leader and you will be our head. He has won. He's won this negotiating round. They need a deliverer. Now they'll get one. But in all of this, have they taken the time to seek the Lord? Have they prayed? You know, I've been around a number of situations where people have God talk on their lips, but not God talk in their lives. Well, they even say, in the name of God, in the name of God, but they don't mean it. And have we not seen over and over and over again in the book of Judges that that's how the people talk? We need to see the evidence in their lives that there's actually been a transformation. So they have some type of consecration ceremony at Mizpah, but nowhere is this called a sacred place in Scripture. And so again, we're left to ask, what's going on? You get the picture, the historical background of what's going on? This one tribe is in trouble. The enemies are there. They just need a deliverer. And the negotiation goes on. This deliverer steps up. But be careful what you wish for. And then we get to a serious defender. And though the passage is long, I am going to take time to read it because I want us to hear God as He explains the story as it unfolds. Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, what do you have against me that you have come to me to fight against my land? Notice my land, there's gonna be a possessive pronoun battle going on all throughout this passage. And the king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah because Israel on coming up from Egypt took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan, now therefore restore it peaceably. Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said to him, thus says Jephthah, Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. But when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom saying, please let us pass through your land. But the king of Edom would not listen. And they also sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh. Then they journeyed through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab. Israel then sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, please let us pass through your land to our country. But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory, so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jehez and fought with Israel. And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who inhabited that country. And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabak, and from the wilderness to the Jordan. So then the Lord, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people, before Israel. And are you to take possession of them? Will you not possess what Shemash, your God, gives you to possess? And all that the Lord, our God, has dispossessed before us, we will possess. Now, are you any better than Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them? While Israel lives in Heshbon and its villages and in Aurora and its villages and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon 300 years, why did you not deliver them within that time? Therefore, I have not sinned against you. I, therefore, have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. The Lord, the judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon. But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to them." And so we see what's going on here. We see that there's a parallel, if you can remember the details of what was happening in the previous chapter, and now what is happening in this chapter. We see that in both cases, the Ammonites are oppressing Israel. And in both cases, in chapter 10 and 11, Israel is seeking some type of help. But in chapter 10, they've rejected Yahweh, and now they have rejected Jephthah. So when they're in trouble, they look to Yahweh and not to Jephthah. But both of those that they asked to come help them reject Israel and say, basically, you're on your own. So Israel claims to have entered some type of change, some type of repentance. So they appeal for help. But we saw in chapter 10 that Yahweh did not respond. Here, Jephthah does. But in both cases, we see that this so-called repentance is just a political ploy to try to gain action from someone. But Jephthah takes it seriously, what he's been given to do. Do you notice he didn't waste any time? He jumped into action. Right away, he begins to act like the leader and the ruler that they have asked him to be. Sends his messengers to the Ammonites. He wants to take control of the situation. He who is not in control takes control. And he says to the Ammonites, why are you itching for a fight against us? You see, now the negotiation is beginning again. He's already negotiated with the Israelites and he won. How is this negotiation going to go with the Ammonites? Well, it begins with a false accusation. The Ammonites said to him, you took our land, the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, to the Jordan. Now, these were three important rivers in this region that gave natural boundaries to different territories. They're claiming this land. They're basically saying, give us our land and all will be well. You know, much of world history, especially the history of the Middle East, would ring out with similar accusations and claims. Just give us our land and everything will be OK. Now what's interesting is, if the Ammonites say this, they betray the fact that they had to go through Israelite land to get to Israel. They've already crossed over the Jordan and they attacked. So they're admitting, we've already crossed over that land, now just give it to us, because it's ours anyway. But once again, Jephthah is going to prove to be a good negotiator and he's going to respond with a series of arguments. So first he gives them a historical argument. He's going to set the record straight. Now notice he speaks in the first person as if he's speaking on behalf of all of Israel. He says, we did not take land from the Ammonites or the Moabites. And so he recounts the story that happened as the people of Israel started moving through the wilderness as they're approaching the land of promise. And we are told that they went around Edom and didn't invade Edom, that they went around Moab and did not invade Moab, because the Lord did not allow them to. The Lord had clearly said, I have given those lands to the people of Edom, to the people of Moab, go around. So they do. And they get to the Arnon River, which was the northern territory of Moab. So as Jeff is telling the story, he's saying, we showed a lot of diplomacy intact in this, and not invading innocent people. But now they get to this land between the rivers, north of Moab, which is neither Moabite territory, nor Edomite territory, but Amorite territory. And we know the story. The Amorites said, you're not coming through. And their king declared all out war against Israel, and it did not go well for them. The Lord gave Israel the victory. They took over the Amorite land. There's a celebration of victory. And the Lord said, this land is now yours. I underscore the fact that this was Amorite territory, not Ammonite territory. should have a map up there so you can see, but it's approximately Western Nevada and California, and they're claiming Western Nevada, which was not theirs. So it never belonged to the Ammonites. So what are they doing? They're just seeking to expand their territory through threats. Well, just hand over the territory and all will be okay. But Jephthah doesn't back down. He's a good negotiator. He's saying, you're guilty of revisionist history. And we know that it's a tactic of propagandists all throughout history. If you want to deny a people, if you want to overthrow a people, you rewrite their history. That's what the Ammonites were trying to do here. Oh, and by the way, we need to be vigilant now because it's happening in our own land if we don't pay attention. That was the historical argument. But then he'll give a theological argument. He says in verse 23, Yahweh gave us this land. And you think we're just going to hand it over to you? As he's recounting the story. He's reflecting in some way the way the people thought. You know, gods were seen as being gods over territories. The god of this territory, the god of that territory. And he's saying, Yahweh gave us this land. We're not just gonna hand it over to you. Moreover, let Shemash, give you your land, be acceptable to you. Now he's playing with him here. Because Shemash was not the god of the Ammonites. He was the god of the Moabites. See what he's doing? He's poking the bear. He uses their wrong god. Or maybe he just doesn't understand the fact that he's supposed to be a theist, monotheist, and not a polytheist. I look at Jephthah and I see he doesn't have a full understanding of the Word of God. He doesn't understand that the God who had promised land to Moab, who had promised land to Edom, had also promised land to the Ammonites, but he doesn't mention that in this argument. And as we look through this story, we see that Jephthah has an incomplete understanding of who God is. So we've seen a historical argument, a theological argument, the Lord gave it to us, we ain't giving it to you, you know, calls their bluff. then gives another historical argument. And he says, well, you remember the Moabites, Balak, they lived at peace with us. Is that really true? It's true that the Moabites, at least under Balak, didn't go to war against Israel. But if you recall, Balak wasn't real happy that the Israelites were there. He calls on this false prophet, Balaam, and says, curse the people, curse the people, curse the people. But he can't curse the people, because God will not allow him to curse his people. So they lived at peace with Israel. And then he uses, if they lived at peace with us, why can't you live at peace with us? It's kind of like gangs in the hood, you know? If this gang is living at peace with us, why can't you be at peace with us? Because these were gangs that didn't get along either. He is really playing them one against the other. He is a master negotiator, but has he overplayed his hand? And then he finishes with a rhetorical argument. He said, we've been around for 300 years. Check your history. You're just now making a land claim. The Lord gave it to us 300 years ago. It's ours. Oh, and by the way, suddenly you want us just to give it? He knows that this was a naked aggression on their part, trying to take over land that did not belong to them. Now, something else is going on in the background, because remember, the Israelites did not have a deliverer. They're waiting for a deliverer, and Jephthah stands up. Has he had time to mobilize an army? Has he had time to mobilize forces? Has he had time to get materials together? No. So as he's negotiating in the background, then there's time for preparation to what's going on. Because think of the time frame. Goes over, sends a delegation. The delegation engages with the Ammonites, they get the response, they bring back the response. Now we've got to come up with a rebuttal, and we respond. This would have taken some time. And having spent 16 years in the Middle East, things don't move quickly even today. Can't imagine them moving any quicker back then. And as he gets to his conclusion, he says, literally, let the Lord judge between us. He says, I've not done you any wrong. In fact, you guys are in the wrong. Let Yahweh decide. This is a very provocative response. Basically, you guys want it, it's on. Let the Lord decide. And it would not have failed to have the response that it did, which is, they're not gonna listen. They're not in a listening mood because he has shot down every one of their arguments, has embarrassed them by using the wrong name of their God, confusing them with their enemies, and now basically is saying, and you don't even know your own history and what you're talking about. It's as if the Ammonites have made up their minds, don't confuse them with the facts. And look at verse 28. But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the words of Jephthah. that he sent to him. His negotiating tactics didn't work this time. He had negotiated with the Israelites, he got what he wanted. He's negotiating with the Ammonites, and unfortunately, it's not gonna work quite as well as he wanted, and we get to our final major point, which is a stupid devotion, a stupid devotion. Then the spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mitzpah of Gilead, and from Mitzpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, if you will give me the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them when the Lord gave them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Meneeth, 20 cities, and as far as Abel Karamim with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. And Jephthah came to his home. At Mizpah, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her, he had neither son nor daughter. And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter, you have brought me very low, and 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. And she said to him, my father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites. And she said to her father, let this thing be done for me. Leave me alone for two months that I may go up and down in the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions. So he said, go. Then he sent her away for two months and she departed, she and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains. And at the end of the two months, she returned to her father who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man and it became a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year. Tragedy all around. Difficulty, grieving, pain, ugliness all around this story. We don't see God speaking in this story, at least not in a direct sense, words from his mouth. Until now, in verse 29, we see a great victory And what I'm gonna do is I'm just gonna consider verses 29 and 32 and 33, and then loop back around to verse 30. The Spirit of God, we are told, comes upon Jephthah. Finally, we see some response to God to this situation, but we need to understand what this means. In the Old Testament, the Spirit would often come upon people to empower them to accomplish certain tasks for Israel and the Lord. But this was more a statement of service than a statement of salvation. Because the spirit would often depart from someone after the task had been accomplished. The Spirit came upon Saul, but when Saul was found not to be fit to be a king, the Spirit departed. David knows that. That's why he cries out in the psalmist, take not your Holy Spirit from me. Take not the anointing, take not the kingship, take not the power from me. This is simply a statement here of service for the Lord and for the people of the Lord. The Spirit had come upon Saul, but he acted in a foolish manner. The Spirit had come upon Gideon. Gideon was not a great example to follow in many ways. We will see in a few chapters the Spirit's gonna come upon Samson. And it's not always a pretty picture either. And how much does Jephthah even understand at this point what it means to have the Spirit upon him? Does he even recognize that the Spirit is upon him? We don't know. We're just told that the Spirit comes upon him and there's action. He moves quickly. Look at how many times in just one verse it says, he passed through, he passed through, he passed through, he passed through. He's going from place to place to place to place, gathering men from different tribes, probably showing his leadership, trying to gather people together. And then in verse 32, if you can jump down with me, they go to war, and it's a great victory. 20 towns in a great and wide area. It should have been something that was greatly celebrated, for it was this great victory, and yet it seems as if the writer who's recording the story for us wants to jump over the victory in light of this overhanging, of this terrible catastrophe that's in the background. Jephthah did get a great victory. But you'll find that it will be at a great cost, a steep cost. Oh, if only the text had ended right here, that God gave a great victory. But it didn't. It gave us what happened in verse 30, where we have this foolish vow. What's interesting is that the giving of the vow interrupts the text. It seems as if it was not a necessary thing to do. The Spirit has come upon him. The promise was going to be given that they're going to go to war. He's already made the commitment with the people of Israel, if you will deal with me, if you will make me the king, I will go with you. Why did he do it? Why did he make this rash vow? Now, it's true that as we get to the next chapter, he says, I laid it all on the line. I laid my very life on the line. But is this just simply another example of Zephthah negotiating? He's negotiated with the Israelites. He's negotiated with the Ammonites. Is he trying to negotiate with God now, too? If you give me the victory, then I'll give you something in return. Whatever comes out of my house, I will offer to you as a burnt offering. Now, it's true that this word could be used here to refer to either an animal or a person. And it's true that in those days, oftentimes, people would have animals within their compounds, and open rooms where animals would potentially be in the house, or at least on the home compound. But in what sense do animals come out and greet people? This was a rash vow. It put everyone in his household at risk. But if we understand that perhaps he's acting more like a Canaanite than an Israelite, it makes sense. Because in the worship of the Canaanites, they negotiated with their gods. If you do this, then I'll do that. If you give me this, then this sacrifice is yours. They were negotiating with their gods. Is this what he's doing here? I see more Canaanite in Jephthah than I see Israelite. Now, it's true that a burnt offering was intended. And we have to just let that tension hang there. And what is the nature of that burnt offering? But one thing we can learn from Jephthah is that this is not the way we are to pray. This is not the way we are to seek God. We cannot put conditions on our service to God. He's the one that sets the conditions. He's the Holy One. He's the one who's redeemed us. He's the one who saves us. He's the Lord. He's the one that calls us to repent. And oftentimes we think, well, God, if you do this, I'll do this. Well, wait a minute. He's already commanded us to do this. And as a result, then we're to do that. Now we offer ourselves, our deeds, our desires, our requests, our lives, our possessions, all that it is to him for his glory, according to his will and according to his ways. And then we end, if it be thy will. We cannot manipulate God. That's what the Canaanites did with their gods. It seems that's what Jephthah is trying to do here. And notice God doesn't speak. And so we come to what can only be called a tragic ending. One commentator who happens to teach at our flagship seminary, Trinity Seminary in Chicago, the Seminary of the Free Church, his name is Lawson Younger, he says, there's irony here, because the Ammonites were those who sacrificed their children to their gods. And now, Jephthah wanting to have victory over the Ammonites, offers the same thing, just like the Ammonites. There's so much pain, there's so much compromise, there's so much ignorance, there's so much disobedience in the book of Judges. It causes us to cry out for true justice, and true holiness, and a true deliverer, and a true triumph. It starts out good. Jephthah returns home in triumph. This should have been a great victory celebration. It should have been the greatest day of his life. But as we see in the book of Judges, not as all as it appears to be. You know, the language that is used here of people coming out of the house with musical instruments and dancing and celebration is very similar to what we see in Exodus 15, where the Lord has just given a great victory to the people of Israel who have crossed through the Red Sea. But it's very different because there it was clear that it was the Lord that gave the victory. There, there was clearly a sense of celebration. Is there celebration here? Jephthah, remember his name means he opens, has said, whatever opens the door to my house and comes to meet me, I will give to you. And we are told in no uncertain terms that the door opens and out comes his daughter to greet him. It's almost word for word the same in the Hebrew of what Jephthah has said. Do you not feel the tragedy in this story? The tragedy is that this was his only child. That's among the main things. The tragedy is whatever the nature of this offering, his line and his legacy will come to an end. And in ancient Israel, to die without children was considered to be the greatest of tragedies. And so this story, you notice, how long did that victory take? How long did it take to conquer 20 cities, to conquer the Ammonites, to have this great victory? And in two short verses, it just said, they did it, and gets back to this major tragedy. Spirit of God is trying to get our attention as he organizes it in that way. Should have been this time of great victory, but it moves quickly from victory to crushing anguish. He comes out, his daughter comes out of the house, he sees her, and what does he do? He rends his clothes, a sign of anguish. That's okay if that's all that it did. But Jephthah doesn't accept full blame, does he? Look at the words that he actually uses. Alas, my daughter, you have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. Is he accepting the blame for what he did, for putting people at risk? We still see that it's all about him, his reputation, perhaps his hurts that he had to overcome, his inheritance that he wants to get back. It's that woman that you gave me. Do we not hear the same accusation that comes through again and again and again? I opened my mouth, I, Jephthah, whose name means he opened, I opened my mouth to the Lord, the door of my house opened. And then the daughter, in what can only be considered just agonizing tragedy, repeats the words back to him, you have opened your mouth to the Lord. What did she do to deserve this? And yet somehow, she submits to it. She's probably still processing all that it means, but she says, you've got to keep your word. Do to me what must be done, because the Lord has given you a victory. But let me go and mourn for two months. Let me go and move through the mountains and pour out my heart and soul and weep with my friends about dreams that will never be realized. And so that's what happens. It was the great goal of Israelite women to be married and have children, which they saw as their primary blessing and purpose on behalf of the community of Israel. She would not have that blessing. She would have no legacy. She would not be able to realize what she thought was her main purpose. It's hard for us as Westerners to really enter into the depth of what she felt here and her loss of a legacy and her loss and her deep mourning. And then imagine what was in the heart and the mind of Jephthah in verse 38, in the last recorded word we have of him saying to his daughter, just one word, go. What was behind that word? How much emotion was in that word? She goes. And then the text gets very abrupt in the Hebrew. When we get to verse 39, it is really only five words in Hebrew. It takes a few more in English, but basically we could translate it as this. He did to her as he vowed. She would never know a man. She would never be married. She would never be an aunt, a grandmother in the community of Israel. There's pain, and there's death, and there's loss over this story because of a rash act. Now, and I understand why, some try to step into the gap at this point, and they try to say, we need to soften the story somehow. And so there was an interpretation that began to appear in more the Middle Ages, long after these events took place. And they try to say things like, well, she never married. Instead, she served the Lord as a virgin temple or a temple virgin away from her family. People that give this view, they say the law did not allow human sacrifice. And in fact, the law allowed for rash vows to be undone. In fact, there were times where there was a special group of temple virgins who dedicated their lives to service in the temple. Now, those facts are true. But does Jephthah show that he knew that in the law? As we look at all the different decisions that he has made. Is service in the temple of God ever seen as a bad thing, as a sad thing, as a tragic thing? I don't think we should give Jephthah any more credit than he has earned, than he has deserved. He's made his living as a brigand, as a survivalist, as a plunderer. Moreover, as we look at the book of Judges, do we see a people that has a good understanding of the law of God? No, because if they did, they wouldn't have constantly been in one trouble after another. I think we just need to let the story hang with heaviness and say, he really did sacrifice his daughter. There's sadness here. There's grief. He tears his clothes. There's a two-month mourning period. There's the annual remembrance. This doesn't seem to fit just the fact that she would never marry and just served in the temple. And that short Hebrew phrase, He did do as he vowed, with no extra commentary, I think settles the issue for us. Yes, I understand why we might want to minimize the impact of the story. But I think we have to let it sit as it is, because this is not intended to draw attention to Jephthah, not intended to draw attention to him as the Savior, but intended to show us how terrible the situation is. that Israel's in desperate need of a true redeemer, a true savior, a true king, a true judge. Yes, we should recoil in horror at this story. The Bible does not condone it. It just shares it. And the interesting thing for us is that we're made of the same stuff. And we're capable of the most foul of things. Talk to anyone in law enforcement and they'll tell you the foulness that they see in human nature. But even church history itself is littered with foul behavior that continually points us to Christ alone as the Redeemer. For time's sake, I'm gonna skip over the next point, but I want us to consider that the Bible never condones this story, just records it accurately. We should feel a repulsion, a revulsion of the sin that shows how far those who carry the name of God have fallen, that even one of their so-called heroes, Jephthah did some things right. He's recorded in Hebrews 11, but he's not a perfect example to follow. This story ends with tragedy hanging over it. Jephthah negotiated with Israel and had a measure of success. He negotiated with the Ammonites, and it didn't go so well, and he tried to negotiate with God, and it was travesty. We don't negotiate with God. We just surrender before him, and we put our trust in him who sent his despised and rejected son. as a sin sacrifice for his people. We accept him on his terms and we follow him in his ways. Now, what are some application points that we might take away from our sermon this morning? It's important for us to understand biblical history and our position in it. that God has been working in and among His people for a long time, pushing His plan forward, that will succeed without fail. And we need to recognize who we are in that plan and who is the real hero. And then we have to continually correct our thinking because our culture throws things at us. And so what we think about God is the most important thing in our life. And so we need to have a true view of God and His love and mercy. and His justice and wrath, that He is eternal, that He sees the beginning from the end, and we see but a sliver, and if we think we can see better than Him, we need to recognize we don't have the right perch. That's why we need the whole counsel of God, and we need to study the Word of God as the people of God, led by the Spirit of God, that we might become more like the Son of God to whom this word points. And we need to defend the truth, defend the church, but we need to know what that is. And we need to confess when the church is wrong. When the church has not done it right, we need to be standing on the truth. But this next one more is a pastoral concern. We need to be aware of judging others harshly for their sins. This was a gruesome sin by any estimation, but there are gruesome sins today. After all, abortion is still the law of the land, and we fund it overseas. We're still the biggest producers of pornography and sending that filth around the globe. There's sex trafficking and child abuse and all kind of terrible things going on. We've got our own house to worry about. We've got our own cleaning up to do. We need to cry out to the mercy of God. Be careful about what comes out of your mouth. Making rash vows betrays confidence in God who is in control of all. Did Jesus not say that we will be judged for every idle word that comes out of our mouth? So let the words that come out of our mouth be there is a God who is in control, who is good, who is lavish in his love, but cannot be trifled with in his holiness, so that we would have a true reverential awe of God. And I think this story says, oh, how we need a good King. We cannot put our hope in men. We cannot put our hope in the princes of men. We put our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom and before whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. And if the book of Judges teaches us anything, it is, oh, how we need a Savior. And may the Lord have mercy on us that we dare not act in ways that would be similar to what we see in this book. Let us pray. Father, we are shocked and appalled and repulsed by things we see in this book, and yet, Father, we only have to look a little bit in our own hearts to know that there is plenty for which you could condemn us if we weren't in Christ. And so, Father, we repent. We are so quick to build up models of self-righteousness and to judge ourselves good, but you alone are good, and may we just cling to the righteousness that we have in Christ. Father, I pray that as we walk through these pages and we see the ugliness of what has happened in the past, you would make us aware of the ugliness of what is happening in the present and may it not be reflective of our lives as a gathered people, as individuals, as your people who claim the name of Christ. Father, I know for myself this morning, I'm so glad that I am found in Christ. There is nothing good in me that would bring such a love from you, but thank you for Christ. And it is my prayer that if anyone in the sound of my voice this morning is still clinging to a sense of self-righteousness, that they deserve something from God, I pray your spirit would lead them to repentance this morning and lead them to the cross. Say nothing in my hand I bring but only to the cross I claim. That we would be a people who would be set apart and holy for Christ in this generation. As we commit ourselves to you now in Jesus' name, amen. This pastor has shown us in the word this morning. We would all have tragic ends if it were not for the grace of our Redeemer. So let's stand and sing our final song. We sing, behold our God. Who has held the oceans in His hands? Who has numbered every grain of sand? Kings and nations tremble at His voice. All creation rises to rejoice. Our God, seated on His throne, come let us adore Him. Behold our King, nothing can compare, come let us adore Him. Who has given counsel to the Lord? Who can question any of His words? Who can teach the one who knows all things? Who can fathom all His wondrous deeds? Our God, seated on His throne, come let us adore Him. Behold our King, nothing can compare, come let us adore Him. Who has felled the nails upon His hands, Bearing all the guilt of sinful man, ♪ God eternal, humble to the grave ♪ ♪ Jesus, Savior, risen now to reign ♪ ♪ Behold our God, seated on his throne ♪ ♪ Come, let us adore him ♪ Nothing can compare. Come let us adore Him. You will reign forever. You will reign forever. You will reign forever. Come let us adore Him. Behold our King. Nothing can compare. Come let us adore Him. Our God, seated on His throne, come let us adore Him. Behold our King, nothing can compare, come let us adore Him. Well, we've had a great time this morning in the house of the Lord. Hope to take some time to fellowship with one another, to give greeting to the cooks and give an update on what's happening with them. And I will start up again my pastor's class at 11 a.m. in the music room for those of you that can stay around, and we'll dive into the book of Acts together. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Let us go in peace and have a wonderful Lord's Day. All right.