Today, conveniently being the Sunday before my birthday, my dad preached on Jephthah's vow to kill his daughter in Judges 10-11. Basically, Jephthah made a stupid deal with God to sacrifice whatever (or whoever) came out to meet him when he came home, if God would hand over Jephthah's enemies to him. God kept His part of the "bargain" (though really, God never agreed to Jephthah's deal and only did what He had intended to all along), so Jephthah sacrificed his daughter, who had come out to meet him when he returned home.
At first glance, I thought, well, okay, Jephthah made a stupid vow, but it was a vow to the Lord, so I guess it's good thing he kept it. But that was before my dad pointed out Leviticus 27:2-4.
"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'If anyone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the valuation of persons, then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekel of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. If the person is a female, the valuation shall be thirty shekels.' "
Jephthah traded his daughter's life for 30 shekels! He'd rather murder his daughter than pay 30 stinkin' shekels! You see, Jephthah had an escape in this vow, but his pride blinded him from it. Jephthah's fulfillment of his vow was wrong. The Bible shows us that clearly.
This really stuck out to me. I'd like to encourage you to keep digging into Scripture; you'll find some interesting, fascinating, and life-changing facts. I know I have.
At first glance, I thought, well, okay, Jephthah made a stupid vow, but it was a vow to the Lord, so I guess it's good thing he kept it. But that was before my dad pointed out Leviticus 27:2-4.
"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'If anyone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the valuation of persons, then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekel of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. If the person is a female, the valuation shall be thirty shekels.' "
Jephthah traded his daughter's life for 30 shekels! He'd rather murder his daughter than pay 30 stinkin' shekels! You see, Jephthah had an escape in this vow, but his pride blinded him from it. Jephthah's fulfillment of his vow was wrong. The Bible shows us that clearly.
This really stuck out to me. I'd like to encourage you to keep digging into Scripture; you'll find some interesting, fascinating, and life-changing facts. I know I have.