Jephthah

This writer does not pretend to be a theologian or bible scholar. But, for those who are, putting flesh and blood on historical, biblical characters, is beyond interesting. I have known some scholars who memorized the entire New Testament. I believe it is not beyond the grasp of the human mind for a physicist or chemist to memorize the periodic table... atomic weights, etc. I do not want a surgeon cutting on me who has not carefully memorized the location of major blood vessels. Even an exterminator without knowledge of insects. It should be a challenge to every person who claims the name of Christ, chosen-elected by God, to have a knowledge of Old Testament history and biographies. Such is Jephthah, great grandson of Noah, his father Gilead, his mother a prostitute. Never underestimate genetics. Jephthah became one of God's men of valor. (Judges 11)

Although disowned by his family, Jephthah was a captain of the armies of Israel. In warfare against Moab and Ammon, Jephthah made a vow with God that if allowing him to win, he would sacrifice the first person emerging from his house, probably thinking that it would be a servant. But the first person emerging from his house, on his return from battle, was his daughter, his only child. With her agreement, he kept his promise-vow (burnt offering) to the Lord. In this day, when fairness instead of God's Law, is preached from most pulpits, the Christian must renew their knowledge of God's honor, as Paul, early explained, in his epistle to the Romans.

One of my best friends in the military was a black medical officer, born and reared in the Mississippi delta. His poor family, one way or another, along with his working, got him through Meharry medical school in Nashville, Tennessee. He told me about one of his cousins, illegitimate son of a wayward daughter who did not even know the name of his father. He, too, achieved a college education and went on to attain the rank of Brigadier General in the army, one of the first blacks to do so. Unlike the doctor, who had a loving family, the General was largely disowned by his known relatives, simply because he was a victim of circumstance.

My own father had relatives who in the South were known as primitive or “hard-shell” Baptists. There is still a large “hard-shell” Baptist denomination stretching across America, one has a national radio program. I well remember the televised funeral service for Speaker of the House, Sam Rayburn, Texas, a member of the primitive Baptist denomination. The radio commentators describing the funeral service, could not understand there is a religious denomination where musical instruments are not used, that the ministers are not seminary trained. My father told of going to the courthouse with his uncle, a primitive Baptist, his foot slipping on some ice and his uncle rolling down a flight of marble steps. In the South, the preeminence of a county... it's wealth, is largely determined by the courthouse steps... the wealthier the county, the higher the steps. This was Wilson county, many steps, and when it was over, his uncle said, “I'm am glad that is over.” He believed that he was “predestined” to fall down those steps.

God does not want some people converted, only the ones He calls. Jesus told us that if we understand the parable of the sower, we understand this truth. In the parable, same sower, same seed, different soil. Sarah, Isaac, son of promise. Abraham, many other children from other women. Abraham's son, Isaac, twin sons Esau and Jacob, Jacob selected, the selectivity of God. (Romans 1-9) God said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Romans 9:15) Certainly, God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. (1 Corinthians 9:24) Know that you are blessed, chosen, elected, called by God.

I do not pretend to know the mind of God. Only that He is “BOSS”, in charge, Sovereign. You do not play around, play games with God. As a young boy, I never could understand why many older men would stand in the church yard, smoking their cigarettes , talking about everything except God's Word. With age, standing outside large city churches, same type men, talking about ballgames. They never showed any interest in God's word perhaps, would give a few dollars, did not mind that their wives and children were religious. Of course, when they died, their preacher and family “promoted” them into heaven. I certainly do not know about anyone else except myself. We know that Christ went to the cross because of His father, that Jephthah's daughter went to her death because of Jephthah's vow.

Be thankful the you had a desire to put your hand on the plow, don't turn back. (Luke 9:62)