Judges 11

Jephthah was one of the heroic judges of Israel but the most tragic character of the scripture. What makes Jephthah a tragic character? Jephthah made an unnecessary vow that affected his daughter and family. DO NOT MAKE AN OATH! Deuteronomy 23:21-23, Leviticus 19:12, James 5:12 warns.
Jephthah made a vow to God, to sacrifice the first thing that comes out of his house if he wins the war with the Ammonites vs30–31. His only child and daughter was the first to come out of his house, Jephthah evidently expected an animal or servant, but this unexpected event caused him to tear his clothes in mourning. When he told his daughter of his vow, she surprisingly accepted her fate, only asking for two months to mourn beforehand Judges 11:37–38.
Did I mention that Jephthah was a Gileadite born of a prostitute? Though a mighty warrior according to Judges 11:1, he was driven away from the family as an adult because he was considered an illegitimate child. Vs 3 records that he moved to the land of Tob and lived among “a gang of scoundrels.” First, regardless of where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, God can use still use you. We cannot change where we come from, yet God can use us in great ways despite our past. Second, we are not to make rash commitments or promises to anyone. Jephthah lost his only child over a rash oath. Third, even when we do the right thing, we may have to endure hardship from others. Jephthah had to endure trouble from the people of Ephraim despite his being empowered by God’s Spirit to free Gilead from the Ammonites.
When his delighted daughter heard that her father was outside the door, she came dancing out to greet him. The girl’s joyful welcome and the happy music of timbrels were quickly silenced when Jephthah saw her. He immediately tore his clothes and started wailing, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break …” Judges 11:35 NIV.
Really! He’s going to blame his innocent daughter for his oath. Notice that Jephthah did not even repent of his oath or ask God to forgive him, just like Adam before him in Genesis 3:1-12. Jephthah was an ignorant judge; he should have remembered that God forbade child sacrifice in Deuteronomy 12:29-31.
Honour is a serious matter, and we should all have it but not to the detriment of life. A man’s reputation was the most important thing he owned in the bible days and to renege on a vow was a serious offence. The Bible has several things to say about oaths in Numbers 30:2.
Jesus taught concerning vows Matthew 5:33-37, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem…, Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,” ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one”.
We must be cautious of making any kind of promises, especially impulsive ones; make your yes, a yes or your no, a no per Jesus’s instructions.
Shalom