Judges 11 GRACE, FAITH AND THE LAW When the Lord's people have gotten so far away from God that they look for "what man is he," then the Lord acts in His own way to bring them back to Him. God used a castaway, Jephthah, who by nature was a man with a grudge. Spiritually, he was a man who knew the Lord wanted to serve the Lord and wanted to fight for the Lord. His brethren put him out, not just because of a scripture (10 generations for an illegitimate child) or a scriptural principle (Abraham and Ishmael), but for covetousness ("thou shalt not inherit..."). Legality quotes scripture, legality boasts of divine principles but it comes from a hardened heart, not from grace or a gracious heart. A person's birth and worth are measured by God, not by what people think of him. In a way Jephthah was alone except for God's grace. He was not wanted by those who were legalists and would be able to give a scripture reference for their rejection of him. The man God used, nobody else wanted. There is no special mold we must fit; no stereotype. Jephthah was not a prisoner of his past as far as God was concerned. God can use the most unusable for His glory.
Some suffering we may be called upon to go through is the result of the decisions of others, but God can use us in spite of the circumstances over which we have no control. If we don't consider our need of God personally, it is possible we will look to men instead for affirmation. We may create a problem ourselves if we let prejudices of any kind to control us. At the same time, we may be a solution to a problem if we see people as God see them.
Jephthah, the man God used was a bandit chief living in Tob, an area of conflict. He was a "Robin Hood" kind of character. During that time, he learned military warfare and strategy. God was able to use what he learned during this time. Our life before conversion may have taught us some experiences God can use. The broken fragments of life may have made us a victim for some reason, but how I act and react is my choice, not the result of the way others have acted. By God's grace shown to us, we can overcome the attitude and actions of others and live by faith ourselves. That choice is up to me. God can use any person He chooses in spite of character defects in ourselves. Grace takes us above and beyond the law. Legal men may be covetous, judgmental and despise and reject us, but that does not hinder God from working through the person He appoints for a task.
Jephthah had learned leadership when he made "worthless men" into an effective force. Jephthah had learned to know God. He obviously had some misconceptions about God but used the name of God more than any other person in the book of Judges. He was committed to God even though his knowledge of God was not deep but real. God, in love allows discipline and suffering to bring about restoration and fellowship with Him. Too often we have a vindictive spirit against those who have created problems for us. Even though Jephthah knew the Lord, self-love and a desire for preeminence was still a motivating factor in his heart. He did not have a forgiving spirit and would not let go of the past rejection he had experienced. What we say with our lips may not be what we mean in our hearts. When that is the case, we are as legalistic as our covetous brethren only in a different way for a different reason. It is not difficult to hide an ulterior motive behind a scriptural argument.
The man God used came from being an outlaw or at least a brigand to being a leader. Jephthah wanted victory over the enemy, but he also wanted headship over his brethren. He wanted them to "eat humble pie." For that reason, he would take the leadership and use the skills he had learned when he led outcast men. He had not forgotten nor forgiven his brothers for the treatment he had received from them, and so insisted on them constraining him to lead them. He didn't apply for leadership but God put him there. He was living his life conscious of God's presence. Love for God and love for the people of God is how the Holy Spirit raises up a person to guide. Leadership by constraint of men, persuasion and man's authority leads to strange leadership practices.
Even though a person may have a strong personality and be a person of strong convictions, that is not always a good thing when called upon to lead the Lord's people. A person can be an out-and-out witness in Gospel work and can loudly condemn sin in the ungodly, but if they act that way toward the saints, they are not a Spirit-led leader. Jephthah tried negotiating with the enemy to find out what they wanted from the Lord's people. There are those who want us to "cross-pollinate" in order to live more comfortably in this world of sin. The man God used tried to be diplomatic and he confronted the Ammonities with the truth. He had a firm grasp of the truth of Israel's history. There are times when it is important to check your history; check your theology (God gave us the land); check your logic (for 300 years you've done nothing to recapture the land). He didn't argue probability or dispute possibility; he stood firmly on that fact. We must tell the world the facts of Jesus Christ; of the Gospel - not experiences or feelings. When conflicts, compromises or any manipulation by men is tried, we must remember, "The Lord, the Judge" is the One who has the final word. In dealing with serious matters we must rely on facts, not emotions. "God gave them into his hand." When the enemy wouldn't listen to truth, the time came to act. "The Spirit of the Lord came...." and God used Jephthah to give victory. God can take a man from the scrapheap and use him.
Unfortunately, Jephthah, in spite of his faith was Ignorant of God's Person. He tried to make a deal with God. His sincerity was not with the understanding of faith. He believed God could be bribed; therefore, had a false view of God. He should have known God does not delight in what hurts. He believed God might abandon him partway through the battle therefore he had a false view of God. He had tried political persuasion with the enemy and thought he had to persuade God to act on his behalf. He was Ignorant of God's Word. Zeal without truth is dangerous. He was committed before God legally (legalist) but because he was ignorant of God's word (Lev.27) he didn't know a person's life could be redeemed by a certain amount of money. If he had known God's word or if someone had told him God's word, his daughter wouldn't have died. Ignorance breeds ignorance. The rash act in making the vow he made was not an act of faith but of doubt. We should remember a rash act or statement on my part may be more keenly felt by others than by me. We may pass judgment on others and later on have to eat our own words. A legal person may experience grace himself, and act in faith, but the law a hard-hearted person stands by, may hurt him most in the end.