| Judges 10:6 –“…you left Me and started worshipping other gods.” |
‘This is a story in the book of Judges, chapters 10 & 11. During this time, the Israelite judges were out for themselves, not for the people. The Israelites kept falling into this sinful pattern generation after generation. It continued to get worse each time as they let themselves be under the influence of worldly pagan cultures. James is an inspired biblical writer of practical godly living. He said that ‘whoever wishes to be a friend of the world, makes himself an enemy of God.’ We are to be a light to the world, separate and distinct from darkness. To seek harmony with worldly values will bring us down. Salt must not become tasteless! Worshipping anything other than God will cause failure in your life. Chapter 11 is a story of a mighty warrior named Jepthath, whose worldly values brought on sincere heartache. Jepthath was afraid when the Ammonites wanted to fight. Jepthath made a vow to God saying that if God would let him beat the Ammonties, he would offer up as a burnt offering the first thing that walked out of his house when he came home from battle. If Jepthath had taken the time to really know God, he would have understood that God would be disgusted and take no honor or pleasure by such a vow to murder an innocent person! Jepthath was left with a dilemma as God would rather we not make a vow, than we make a vow and not keep it. How dreadful for the unsuspecting person walking out of Jepthath’s house to greet her father! He let his daughter go for two months with her friends to mourn before he sacrificed her. If Jepthath had pursued God more intently and not fallen into the influence of worldly pagan cultures, his life would have been spared unnecessary grief.
–Vicki Rance
