Jephthah's Vow
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Intro
Intro
Text - Judges 11.29-32
29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon.
30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands,
31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
Sermon Title - Jephthah’s Vow
Background
Background
The story of Jephthah is centerd on the vow that he made to God.
It also highlights the importance of vows or promise we make, whther to God or man.
What is a “vow”
a vow is a solemn promise
a vow is a voluntary act
Why people make vows to God
they need protection and guarantee for success
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on,
21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.
22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
they have great need
Jephthah needed victory over the Ammonites
Hannah needed a child
11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
they are grateful to God
Zaccheus
8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
There are two types of vows
a vow that we give to secure a request
a vow that we give to express gratitude
Vows are to be fulfilled, no matter what!
2 If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
21 “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.
22 But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you.
23 That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.
Jephthah’s Vow
What was wrong with Jephthah’s vow?
he wanted to secure his victory by a vow, when the Spirit of the Lord was already upon him, practicaly guaranteeing victory.
29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon.
30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands,
his vow was haphazard and unwise
32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
“whatever” comes out of the doors
he missed the sweet taste of victory
34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot go back on it.”
Sermon Points
Sermon Points
Lessons from Jephthah’s vow
My vows should not make other people suffer
My vows should not make other people suffer
Jephthah’s vow made her daughter suffer
Reuben used his children as guarantee - Genesis 42.37-38
Note - Hannah’s vow was different because the boy was not yet born
Jacob’s vow - the tithe of all his possessions gained
My vows should not become my source of strength instead of God
My vows should not become my source of strength instead of God
Jephthah did not rely on God’s anointing
Filipino Roman Catholics rely on their “panata” as their righteous acts before God
My vows should glorify God and not merely satisfy my personal desires
My vows should glorify God and not merely satisfy my personal desires
Jews in Jerusalem joined in an oath against Paul
12 And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
Hannah’s vow - a child to minister to God all his life
Jacob’s vow - a house for God and the tithe of all his increase
New Testament gospel shows that that there is no more to make vows out of need:
Christ teaches us to ask the Father anything in His name
Christ teaches us to seek the will of God
Christ’s work is sufficient - there is no need for us to promise vows of suffering (panata)
vows of suffering exalt “human effort” rather than God’s faithfulness and mercy
a vow of gratitude glorifies God and exalts His grace and mercy
“we love Him because He first loved us”
I will pay my vows to God
I will pay my vows to God
Because it is voluntary.
God did not force me to make a vow .
Because it is a sin not to.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed—
5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.
6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?
Because God fulfilles His promise!
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; It ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For He remembered His holy promise, And Abraham His servant.
43 He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness.
44 He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, And they inherited the labor of the nations,
45 That they might observe His statutes And keep His laws. Praise the Lord!
25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.
14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
12 What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me?
13 I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.
16 O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people,
19 In the courts of the Lord’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
Conclusion
Conclusion
William Branham’s story:
148 And here she come back again, walked right up to me. I never moved; just stood there. I said, “Go on out into the woods; I love it, too. Live! See, your life is in my hands, but I’ll spare you. You couldn’t get away. You know you couldn’t.” I can kill all three of them in just about one second, three seconds, anyhow, just as fast as I could fire; and they couldn’t get away, standing right by me. See? And I said, “I spare you. Go on, live.” And I stood there. They went walking on, went on into the woods.
149 I wiped my face like that, and just then something happened. A Voice spoke out, just as clear, right out of them blue skies, not a cloud. It all been within just about…just a little bit of time. And a Voice spoke out, and said, “You remembered your promise, didn’t you?”
150 I said, “Yes, Lord.” 151 He said, “I’ll remember Mine, too. ‘I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.’” The burden left my heart. It hasn’t been there since; may it never again.
63-1110E - He That Is In You
Rev. William Marrion Branham
http://table.branham.org