No BUTS about it
This is typical isn't it...to see something great in someone ...BUT then, you see their downfall.
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. (Judges 11:1 ESV)
Great warrior! However the son of a prostitute ! Seems he was branded because he was treated different than the others in the family.
They kicked him out!
And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, "You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman." (Judges 11:2 ESV)
In other words, you're no good! You're not getting any of the inheritance, because you're not really one of us!
And what happened next happens ALL the time when someone feels dirty, unclean....not good enough..
They hang around others who feel that way!
Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him. (Judges 11:3 ESV)
Jephthah had proved that he was good warrior, there wasn't any warrior greater than he.
I guess the whole town knew that to be true, because when they were in trouble, they called him up!
After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob.
And they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites."
But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?" (Judges 11:4-7 ESV)
Well boys...
Did you hang your heads low!
Did you grovel?
Did you now overlook his background ?
Apparently you did!
But not without a sealed deal.
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head." (Judges 11:9 ESV)
He will be their head! The head and not the tail!
That sounds familiar...
Hmm ...where have we heard that before!
And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, (Deuteronomy 28:13 ESV)
He's wanted now. He's somebody now!
They don't care where he comes from right now... They need somebody to lead an army! And lead them he does.
I wonder how many can identify with
Jephthah...feeling not quite good enough. We just don't measure up.
There's always a BUT in what people see in us, what they think of us'
Shes got such a pretty face BUT shes so fat!
He's a great worker, BUT he lives in a bad section of town,
We'd move you up to first class BUT you're not dressed appropriately!
She seems nice enough, BUT her mothers a drunk!
But...but... But this!!!!!! We are no longer second class! We've been saved and forgiven, and we're IN THEE family now!
Our Father owns the universe! He created it..,and guess what... We get a part of the inheritance!
We have a direct line to His office anytime of the day of night!
He took us OUT of the 'not good enough club' BUT guess what? There's more!
You can be a part of this too! We don't kick people out, we bring them in!
We don't look at you and say, "she'd make a good sister, BUT she's so ignorant!"
"He'd make a good warrior, BUT he relies on his own strength! "
We'd like you to come along, BUT we think your just 'too little'..,
Oh no, our God likes little! He picks the littlest and the weakest and the poorest! Then HE makes them into what He wants them to be!
Then the Spirit of the Lord entered Jephthah. Jephthah passed through Gilead and Manasseh and the city of Mizpah in Gilead to the land of the Ammonites. (Judges 11:29 NCV)
Our God lives IN US! He likes us!
How's this for a deal---You come as you are, ask forgiveness and believe in Jesus Christ as your Saviour....
and you get yourself a ticket to heaven! No background check!
No BUTS about it!
See this is what God does with us. He picks us up out if a dirty pigpen, takes us into His house and cleans us up, sets us at His table, and let's us eat a good steak with Him! But nothing....
Created 3 months ago
