MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Scripture: Hebrews 11:32, Judges 11:1-11

Hebrews 11:32 says, “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah,…” Jephthah was a subduer of kingdoms, but Judges 11 tells us about Jephthah’s life. He was a Gileadite and a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot and as a result of his mother he was disinherited from his father’s house. So he became a raider and after a period of time the people of Ammon made war against Israel. Verse 5 says, “And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. Then they said to Jephthah, ‘Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.’ So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, ‘Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?’ And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, ‘That is why we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.’ So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, ‘If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?’ And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, ‘The Lord will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.’ Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.” The story of Jephthah is an amazing story of someone who was initially rejected by his nation because of their Phariseeism. And God engineered the results so they would have to go back to him for deliverance and salvation. The first thing we learn about the life of Jephthah is that God loves to right wrongs when people are rejected for the wrong reasons. And they often can become great champions. We certainly have to be careful in judging a person’s origin because we can easily be wrong!