Leadership - Use Your Strengths
Jephthah of Gilead was a mighty warrior, but he was also a righteous and just advocate. He knew his history and what God had done for Israel in the past. Despite a troubled lineage—his mother was a prostitute - and a troublesome group of followers, the Spirit of the Lord still came upon him.
This is a terrible story, and it burdens me. I don’t understand why Jephthah would make such a vow to God. When he did, who did he imagine would come out of his house? His daughter’s response is heartbreaking. There is a solemnity to this account, as they knew God granted them victory and that a vow to Him must be honored. Yet, anyone who knows God understands He would not desire a man to sacrifice his only child, his virgin and pure daughter.
Oh Lord, You sacrificed Your only Son for us. You rescued us. Abraham and Jephthah trusted You enough to offer their prized possessions to You in faith. Yet, I know You detest human sacrifice, as it destroys a person made in Your image. Help me, Lord Jesus, to understand Your ways and standards. Help me to be a godly warrior—one who fights only with the Spirit of Jesus Christ and keeps his word. Amen.
Sometimes reason, persuasion, and carefully walking your counterparty through the facts and the law lead nowhere. But it is still worth trying. Reason anyway. Keep persuading.
That’s what Jephthah did in his dispute (and eventual all-out war) with the King of Ammon (Judges 11). Sometimes great warriors, like Jephthah, prove to be exceptional in some areas and flawed in others. Jephthah was not known for diplomacy, nor did he win awards for being husband or father of the year.
The Book of Judges is tough to read. Adultery, prostitution, death, dishonor, war, and repeated cycles of dysfunction and worldliness permeate its pages. Yet, there it is, right in the Bible, the inerrant Word of God. It is more than worth reading, for Judges teaches us so much about ourselves. In Judges 11, during Jephthah’s time as a judge, we encounter a nightmare. What a horrible, tragic story of sacrificing his own daughter. Why on earth would a man vow to offer as a burnt sacrifice whatever “comes out of my house to meet me”? Who did he expect to emerge? His wife? His mother-in-law? Any way you look at it, Jephthah’s vow was reckless and, at best, foolish.
But before we climb onto our high horse of moral superiority (Romans 12:3), let’s assess our own lives. What do we sacrifice that comes out of our homes? Do we lead our families as brave and convicted spiritual warriors? Do we raise children of faith and conviction who will be remembered for their trust in God? Do we allow anything into our homes that the devil would approve of? Have we remained silent as babies are sacrificed, young people are violated (e.g., in astronomical numbers right now in the UK), our bishops are exposed in Hulu documentaries for their duplicity, and our youth face unabated crime, drugs, and brainwashing by misguided school administrators? Do we truly love God the way Moses commanded in Deuteronomy 6:5? Does what we do align with what we say we do?
We know this about Jephthah: He had a relationship with God, and he had strengths. He was a skilled warrior who stepped up and led to the best of his ability when called to do so. Jephthah used his warrior skills to fight and lead men into battle against evil, and God blessed him for it. It’s a bizarre story, and I struggle with it because the concept of killing a child is unthinkable. Yet, this story reveals the tragedy of that ancient time while also serving as a mirror for our own lives today. We don’t know the full context of Jephthah’s life - the battles he faced, the physical and spiritual forces at work, or the struggles he endured as a leader and a man. God does. We also know little about his only child, Jephthah’s daughter. Yet, we see her conviction, purity, and the lasting impact of her faith on her nation. Perhaps we will learn more about her when we meet her one day.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are commissioned by the Holy Spirit to see people as Jesus sees them. We are called to love others and to transform men and women into followers of God through reason, persuasion, prayer, and a godly example. This requires discipline, obedience to God, skillful work, and creative innovation. Thank God for His infinite creativity and His generous outpouring of useful gifts on all of us.
Men, friends, let’s keep it simple: Use the gifts God has given you. Desire useful gifts, but don’t try to be effective with gifts you know you don’t have or covet the gifts of others.
Lord Jesus, thank You for masterfully gifting the painters, artists, masons, orators, and teachers from ancient times to today. Thank You for the power, authority, and gifting of all of those You call the people of God. Thank You for those who love You and use their strengths to lead and serve others in love. Amen.
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