Judges 11

 You may wish to look away now if you are going to listen to this sermon! 

There is nothing like a snappy outline to a chapter which James Jordan calls probably the hardest story to understand in the book of Judges. (Jordan, Judges, p204). Wilcock (IVP BST) p80 – one of the greatest characters of Judges – one of the most enigmatic – his story perhaps the most gripping, most moving, most confusing and puzzling in the book

Judges 11 (p254) – WHO WILL BE KING?

 

Chapter 10 had a cliff-hanger ending - 10v17f - No leader / judge – Wil God send a rescuer? Who?

 

(1) JEPHTHAH & THE PEOPLE: LET JEPHTHAH BE KING!

 

Jephthah a sinner, of course, but a deliverer sent by the LORD (1 Samuel 12:11 ) and a hero of faith (Hebrews 11:32)

 

But an unlikely saviour with a strange birth - the son of a prostitute! (v1)

Illegitimate children were excluded from full citizenship in Israel (Deut 23:2)

 

Prostitution in Israel literal and spiritual – a strange woman and strange gods

 

Jephthah despised and rejected by his brothers (v2)

Divisions amongst God’s people

 

Jephthah flees and a group of adventurers gather round him as his followers (v3) like Abimelech (9v4) (“vain / empty men”) and like David (1 Samuel 2:22)

 

Israel drove out Jephthah but they could not drive out the Ammonites

They get rid of their brother but will they get rid of their false gods? 

 

The people cry out to Jephthah to be their leader in their desperate distress (vv4-6)

 

Jephthah: “Will you really be loyal to me?” (vv7ff, v9ff)

 

The people: “Yes, Jephthah, save us, be our head, we will serve you loyally” (vv8, v10ff)

 

Their treatment of Jephthah parallels their treatment of the LORD – who do they want as king? Will they really be loyal? (cf. 10:10ff – or just a desperate cry for help?)

 

A man who shouldn’t even be a full citizen becomes their Saviour and ruler!

How bad things are if the best man available ought to have been disqualified

The Ammonites are called to repentance and offered peace (v12)

 

And reject peace in stubborn self-righteousness (v13-28)

 

Jephthah’s arguments:

Israel took the land from the Amorites not from the Ammonites (vv21-22)

God gave the land to Israel (vv23-24)

Sarcastic / mockery - “How’s your false god working out for you, Ammonites?!” (v24)

Israel has possessed the land for 300 years (v26)

 

11v27: “The LORD is judge” could be said to be the central statement of this book

 

Through this surprising Saviour, the LORD delivers his people and judges his enemies (v32-33)

 

(2) THE LORD: I AM KING!

 

Jephthah’s vow (v30) – his only child wholly devoted to the LORD (v31)

 

There will be no dynasty for Jephthah – no heir, no child to be “king” next

 

The LORD is king

 

Humble service of the LORD and his kingdom, not my own plans / dynasty / empire

 

(3) THE LORD: I WILL SEND MY KING!

 

The LORD’s perfect rescuer-king, the Messiah, is yet to come

A king born in unusual circumstances, with a strange birth

But unlike Jephthah, as promised from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10)

Who will be despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3)

Who will save God’s people and judge his enemies

 

Covenant loyalty to the despised and rejected surprising Saviour