I think the life of Jephthah is a wonderful picture of the value of people in God’s sight. It doesn’t matter what our lineage or origins are. When we respond in faith to God’s call he will use us. Jephthah would have had trouble in our days as well because of his birth. But God did not judge him based upon his father and mother’s immorality. God equipped him to lead Israel, but for too many years they allowed their standards of worth to trump God’s standards. Israel followed the pattern of the fathers and children in rejecting the person that God had chosen and equipped for the deliverance; blinded by their prejudices. I know that it is a problem that I have faced and I have seen the church face repeatedly. I know that too often my first reaction to someone who doesn’t match my theological prejudices is not positive. I hope that by remembering the lessons of Jephthah’s life I will allow God to speak more quickly than I do.
It took me about 9 minutes to read this passage.
Stuart
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