Judges 11: Be Careful What You Ask For

The Rev. Dr. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, FL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Judges 11.

Jephthah, a fearless outcast with a tragic past, is raised up by God to lead the Israelites in battle against the Ammonites. He had been rejected by his family because of his illegitimate birth, but now the people look to him for help. Despite the Spirit of God being upon Jephthah, he makes a rash and irresponsible vow to sacrifice whatever or whomever comes out of his home to greet him when he returns from battle victorious. He never could have guessed that he would end up presenting his own daughter as a burnt offering.

The Book of Judges tells the story of Israel's descent into chaos and idolatry, and the subsequent rise of a series of judges, or redeemers, who deliver them from their enemies. The judges are flawed heroes, but they are also instruments of God's deliverance. The book ends with the Israelites in a state of moral and spiritual decay, but it also offers hope for a better future.