Story 69: Jeph'thah's Vow And The Sacrifice Of His Daughter lll

   Lifted far above his natural courage, strength, and wisdom by the anointing of the spirit of God, Jeph'thah raised a large army from the tribes of Ma-nas'seh, Gad, and Reu'ben, and marched against the Am'mon-ites. His army was assembled at Miz'pah, sacred in the history of Is'ra-el as the place where Ja'cob and La'ban had made a covenant of lasting peace, as one of the forty-eight Le-vit'i-cal cities, as a City of Refuge, and as the capital of Gil'e-ad. Here Jeph'thah made a solemn vow to God that if He would give him victory over the Am'mon-ites, he would offer Him as a sacrifice whatever came forth to meet him on his return from the field of victory.
   In the battle which followed, the LORD enabled Jeph'thah to win a crushing victory over the Am'mon-ites. Many of the invaders were slain, and those who escaped death fled from the land. Twenty cities formerly held by the Am'mon-ites were captured by Jeph'thah's army. The land of Is'ra-el was completely delivered from oppression, and Jeph'thah was made Judge over the tribes east of the Jor'dan.
   Jeph'thah had in his home an only child, a lovely young daughter. He loved her very dearly, and she was tenderly devoted to her brave and heroic father. On his return from the great victory over the Am'mon-ites she ran out to meet him, singing for joy, and dancing on praise of her father's triumph over the enemies of Is'ra-el. Jeph'thah was smitten with anguish when he saw her, for he remembered the vow which he had made with God. His heart was filled with grief at the thought of laying his only child, his beloved and cherished daughter, on the altar of sacrifice to the LORD. Calling upon all the heroism of his noble character, he told his daughter of the vow which he had made with to God. He solemnly declared, "I have made this pledge to the LORD, and I cannot take it back."
   Without pausing for a moment to reflect upon what her words might mean to her and her father, Jeph'thah's daughter said, " Do to me according to that which thou hast vowed." She then asked permission to spend two months in the mountains surrounding Miz'pah that she might "mourn her virginity." To give up the privilege of being a wife and a mother was a supreme sacrifice for an Is'ra-el-it-ish woman. Every Jewish woman hoped, in becoming a mother, that she might give to the world the promised Mes-si'ah of Is'ra-el.
   When the two months had passed, Jeph'thah's daughter returnt to her home, and the Bible narrative says, "He did with her according to his vow." Some earnest readers of the Bible believe that Jeph'thah did not put his daughter to death on an altar of sacrifice, for the Scriptures do not say that he actually offered her as a burnt offering to the LORD.
   It may be that the sacrifice which Jeph'thah's daughter made was that of giving her life entirely to the service of God, giving up all thought of marriage, and thereby causing the house of her father to pass away without leaving some descendant to bear his name. Such a sacrifice would require both father and daughter to give of their best to the LORD, and would carry out the spirit in which Jeph'thah made his vow unto the LORD.

Story 69: Jeph'thah's Vow And The Sacrifice Of His Daughter ll

   There had formerly lived in Gil'e-ad a man of great physical strength, boldness, and courage named Jeph'thah. He was the bastard son of a man named Gil'e-ad, and because of the circumstances of his birth was not entitled to dwell in the land of his father's inheritance, but was cast out by his half-brothers. It also appears that Jeph'thah may have been disliked by other members of his clan because he held strictly to the religion of the True God. They may also have been jealous of him because of his bold, enterprising spirit.
   Jeph'thah went into a land called Tob, which was in Syr'i-a on the borders of Gil'e-ad to the north or northeast. Because of his adventurous spirit and ability as a leader of men, there soon gathered about him a band of warriors who made frequent raids upon the heathen settlers, including the Am'mon-ites who had plundered the Is'ra-el-ites.
   Having learnt of Jeph'thah's success and great skill as a warrior. the elders of Is'ra-el invited him to lead his nation in war against the Am'mon-ites, offering to make him the permanent ruler if he succeeded in driving the invaders out of the land. After a series of conferences in which it was admitted that Jeph'thah had been unjustly treated by his brothers, he accepted the commission.
   The first act of Jeph'thah was to send a deputation to the Am'mon-ites with a proposal to settle their differences without a war. This proposal was scornfully rejected, and Jeph'thah sought again for a friendly settlement of the strife between the Am'mon-ites and his people. The Am'mon-ites sought to justify their hostile attitude toward Is'ra-el on the grounds that their lands had been taken by this nation, and that they had the right to win them back even by the force of arms.
   In reply to this argument Jeph'thah reviewed the history of Is'ra-el's dealings with the E'dom-ites, Mo'ab-ites, and Am'mon-ites. He reminded them that Si'hon, king of the Am'o-rites, had been the one who had taken their lands, and that God enabled the Is'ra-el-ites to defeat him, and to take possession of all his territory. The Am'mon-ites refused to yield to the argument of Jeph'thah, and forced an immediate war upon Is'ra-el.

Story 69: Jeph'thah's Vow And The Sacrifice Of His Daughter l

   Toward the end of the rule of Ja'ir, Is'ra-el appears to have fallen into a state of idolatry much worse than at any previous time. The worship of false gods became widespread and varied. They forsook the worship of Je-ho'vah, and adopted the gods of Syr'i-a, Si'don, and Mo'ab, and of the Am'mon-ites and Phi-lis'tines.
   The gods of Syr'i-a, or A'ram, are not named, but the chief idol among them was called Rim'mon, a symbol of the sun-god. The gods of the Zi'don-ians or Phoe-ni'cians, were Ba'al and Ash'ta-roth; the first being known as the sun-god, while the second was called the moon-goddess. The chief god of the Mo'ab-ites was Che'mosh, which represented the planet Sat'urn. The national god of Am'mon was Mo'loch, Mil'com, which seems to have been another name for Che'mosh, and to have represented the planet Sat'urn. The chief god of the Phi-lis'tines was Da'gon, the fish-god, or god of increase.
   There were striking similarities in the rites and ceremonies practiced in all of these false religions, and all were demoralizing to the moral and social life of the Is'ra-el-ites, leading to a complete breakdown in their worship of the True God.
   As a result of the moral and spiritual shortcomings of Is'ra-el, the LORD permitted them to be oppressed by the Am'mon-ites and Phi-lis'tines for a period of eighteen years. The Am'mon-ites afflicted the tribes on the east side of the Jor'dan, while the Phi-lis'tines oppressed the tribes of Ju'dah, Sim'e-on, and Ben'ja-min. In the course of the eighteen years the Am'mon-ites having plundered the land east of the Jor'dan, crossed the river to afflict the tribe of Ju'dah, attacking them from the east while the Phi-lis'tines oppressed them from the west.
   Is'ra-el was brought low again; the people confessed their sins and cried to the LORD for deliverance from their oppressors. They concealed nothing, but frankly admitted that they had deserted the True God to worship images of Ba'al and other false gods. The LORD appeared to be unmoved by their cries, and chided them for their ingratitude in leaving Him after the many blessings which their nation had received in the past. Is'ra-el then humbly accepted the punishment as just, overthrew idolatry throughout the land, and renewed the pledge of loyalty to God. Once again the LORD extended His mercy, and deliverers were raised up under Divine Providence.
   When Is'ra-el began to turn away from the false gods of the various peoples in Ca'naan and the surrounding countries, the Am'mon-ites prepared for war against the tribes east of the Jor'dan. Members of these tribes led by their captains to a place called Miz'pah, Is'rael proposed that any hero who was willing to lead them against the Am'mon-ites should be made the permanent ruler of the land.

Story 68: The Story Of Gid'e-on And His Three Hundred Men V

   As the morning light broke upon the fleeing hordes of Bed'ou-ins, the princes of Mid'ian tried to lead the retreat along the valley eastward to Beth'shan, and then down the Jor'dan valley toward Jer'i-cho, where they might cross the river. In the meantime, however, the nine thousand seven hundred men of Gid'e-on who had not been privileged to take part in the midnight attack massed along the route of escape and slew thousands. Gid'e-on sent messengers to the E'phra-im-ites, ordering them to gather at the ford of the Jor'dan in order to slay all who might try to cross the river. The three hundred selected, courageous, and loyal men had created and brought a mad dispersion to an army of one hundred and thirty-five thousand Mid'ian-ites; but to conserve the results and to make the victory complete all Is'ra-el must now co-operate. In the final outcome every one had part in crushing these enemies.
   Two Mid'ian-ite princes sought refuge, one in the cavern of a rock, and the other in the vat of a wine-press, but both were captured and slain. Two other princes managed to cross the river, but were later pursued and slain by Gid'e-on.
   Thus the plunderings and oppressions by the Mid'ian-ites were brought to an end, and for the next forty years there was a period of peace in the land of Is'ra-el. Gid'e-on ruled the land wisely, overthrew idolatry, promoted the worship of the True God, and led the people in ways of righteousness and justice.

Story 68: The Story Of Gid'e-on And His Three Hundred Men lV

   All the men who had been careless were placed in one group, and the three hundred who had proved themselves to be alert were placed in another. The nine thousand and seven hundred were sent away, and Gid'e-on was ordered to attack the vast armies of Mid'ian with the three hundred warriors who remained. Outnumbered nearly five hundred to one, any victory which they might gain would surely be given by the LORD.
   Then the LORD ordered a strategy even more strange than the method which had been used to reduce Gid'e-on's army from thirty-two thousand to a mere three hundred. Gid'e-on was told to divide his men into three separate columns, and to approach the enemy from three different directions, thus giving the impression of an attack by three armies. The time set for the attack was in the middle watch of the night. Ancient Is'ra-el divided the night into three watches: from sunset to ten, from ten to two in the morning, and from two until sunrise. It was probably about midnight when Is'ra-el surrounded the camps of the Mid'ian-ites.
   Each of Gid'e-on's three hundred men was given a trumpet, an earthen pitcher, and a lamp which was to be hidden in each pitcher. The small band of Is'ra-el-ites then marched upon the camps of their sleeping enemies from three different directions, At a signal from Gid'e-on the pitchers were broken, the lamps were held aloft in blazing flames, and the trumpets were sounded in loud, shrill blasts. Each man carried out these actions in perfect unison, and then the entire three hundred cried out together, "The sword of the LORD and of Gid'e-on!"
   In the deep silence of the midnight hour these three hundred trumpets pierced the air with their shrill blasts, resounding throughout the camps of the enemy like the battle-calls of vast armies. In the dense darkness which shrouded the plain the three hundred lamps flashed like lightning darts from Heaven. The thousands of Mid'ian-ites, Ish'ma-el-ites, and Am'a-lek-ites thought that they were being attacked by huge armies. Fear and confusion seized the multitudes of heathen warriors, and terror swept the plain on which they were gathered like a mighty whirlwind from the surrounding mountains. In the mad scramble for safety they became suspicious of one another, and slew thousands of their own men.
   Was there ever a battle like this, or such a notable victory? Between one hundred and thirty-five thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand of the cruel invaders were routed by three hundred unarmed Is'ra-el-ites. The battle-field was strewn with thousands of the enemy who were slain in confusion by their own men. Wives and children, cattle and camels, tents and baggage-in fact, everything which the invaders possessed-was left behind to become spoils of war for the victors! Not a single man was lost of Gid'e-on's three hundred. There was really no battle, for the men of Is'ra-el simply stood still and watched the salvation by the LORD. It was a miraculous route of the enemy, complete and overwhelming.

Story 68: The Story Of Gid'e-on And His Three Hundred Men lll

   After the LORD assured him of His presence, and of victory over the Mid'ian-ites, Gid'e-on asked for a sign by which he might know that the Speaker was indeed the LORD. And so, when he had brought food for the Stranger, the Angel Je-ho'vah touched it with the end of the staff which He carried in His hand, and it was immediately consumed by fire from Heaven. The Angel then quietly departed, and Gid'e-on built an altar and sacrified unto the LORD.
   Acting under special directions from the LORD, Gid'e-on took ten men and destroyed the altar to Ba'al and the grove to A-she'rah which his father had built as a center of idolatrous worship by the entire clan. He then built an altar to the LORD on the same spot, and offered burnt sacrifices.
   When this act of Gid'e-on was discovered by the men of his father's clan, their anger and threats against the life of his youngest son caused Jo'ash to realize the folly of idol-worship, and he turnt to the LORD, supporting Gid'e-on in his new position as the deliverer of Is'ra-el.
   While these things were taking place, and possibly aroused by news of Gid'e-on's stand for the LORD, the Mid'ian-ites and Am'a-lek-ites gathered in large numbers on the plains of Jez'reel. For seven years they had plundered this garden spot of Is'ra-el, which was capable of supporting one hundred thousand people. It was here that Sis'e-ra's hosts had been destroyed forty-seven years before, and it was fitting that Gid'e-on should rout the Mid'ian-ites on this famous battlefield.
   Gid'e-on was moved by the spirit of God to sound a clarion call for soldiers. His father's household and the entire clan of the A-bi-ez'rites rallied to his support at once. Messengers were sent throughout the tribes, and the men of Ma'nas-seh, Zeb'u-lun, A'sher and Naph'ta-li responded heartily. Thirty-two thousand soldiers answered the call, and Gid'e-on began to plan an attack upon the hosts of Mid'ian and Am'a-lek on the plains of Es-dra-e'lon.
   The army marched down into the valley of Ki'shon, which was south of the plains where at least one hundred and thirty-five thousand of the Mid'ian-ites and Am'a-lek-ites could be seen. At the sight of so great an army many of the Is'ra-el-ites began to feel faint-hearted, for they were outnumbered four to one.
   Then the LORD said to Gid'e-on, "The people with thee are too many." The battle which they faced was in the LORD'S keeping, and He could give victory to the many or to the few. He wished to have it clearly shown that the vast armies of the Heavens to be defeated by His power alone, so He directed Gid'e-on to permit all who were craven-hearted to leave the army. Twenty-two thousand of the Is'ra-el-ites immediately took advantage of this offer.
   The LORD spoke again to Gid'e-on, saying, "Even though the ten thousand men that you have left are courageous and unafraid, there are yet too many." He then commanded a strange test for determining which of the men were worthy to take part in the defeat of the Mid'ian-ites. Fully equipped for battle they were to march across a stream of water on their way toward the camps of the enemy, and were to pause for a drink of water. Nine thousand seven hundred of them laid aside their weapons, knelt down at the edge of the brook, and took up water in both hands to quench their thirst. Only three hundred kept their weapons in one hand, watched carefully for signs of the enemy, and dipped water from the brook with one hand, lapping it as a dog drinks.
 

Story 68: The Story Of Gid'e-on And His Three Hundred Men ll

   When Is'ra-el finally realized that these raids were permitted by the LORD as punishments for their sins, they turnt to Him in penitence and prayer. Again we have the glorious story of God's tenderness and grace. As soon as the people gave proof that their repentance was genuine, He released them from their oppressors.
   This time, however, the LORD first sent a prophet to reprove Is'ra-el for her backslidings, and to deepen the conviction of sin among the people. They had shown signs of repentance, but must have a more thorough work of grace in their hearts before a deliverer could be given.
   When the LORD searched the land of Is'ra-el for a hero capable of delivering the people from the Mid'ian-ites, His choice fell on a man named Gid'e-on. His father, whose name was Jo'ash, lived at Oph'rah, a secluded town in the rugged hill country of southwestern Ma'nas-seh near She'chem. He was the chief of a clan called A-bi-ez'rites, and had shown his idolatry by building an altar to Ba'al and a grove to A-she'rah, who was the moon-goddess.
   Gid'e-on secretly worshiped the True God, and his heart was burdened by the idolatry and wickedness of his people, and by the calamities which had been brought upon them by the raids of the Mid'ian-ites. His father's household had been plundered by them, and two of his brothers had been captured and slain in the valley of Jez're-el by Mid'ian-ite princes.
The fear of being discovered by roving bands of Mid'ian-ites led him to thresh wheat in wine-presses deep in a rocky cave, instead of doing this work on a threshing-floor out in an open field.
   While Gid'e-on was engaged in this work he was visited by the "Angel Je-ho'vah," sometimes called the "Angel of the Cov'e-nant," and better understood as the Mes-si'ah before He came into this world as a man. The visitor, disguised as a man, was not recognized at first as an Angel.
   In His approach to Gid'e-on, the Angel spoke as follows: "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor." To this true Is'ra-el-ite the voice of even a stranger raised in Honor of the True God struck a responsive chord. He had often longed for some congenial friend with whom he could speak freely about the low moral state of his people, and about the hope of a great spiritual revival throughout the land of Is'ra-el.
   Gid'e-on therefore answered the Angel with words which came from his heart. He said: "Oh, sir, how can you say that the LORD is with us when we are cast away, when desolation reigns over the land, when we are in the grasp of marauding bandits, when our people are brought to such terror that they hide in caves and dens like animals?" Gid'e-on fully believed that the LORD was able to solve any problem, that He could overcome the strongest and fiercest enemy, and that, if He was truly with them, His people would be saved by miracles like those which had been performed in the past.
   The LORD then gave Gid'e-on a solemn commission to go forth in his might for the deliverance of Is'ra-el from the grasp of the Mid'ian-ites. In his reply Gid'e-on addressed the Angel as the LORD, and acknowledged his faith in the ability of the Speaker to deliver Is'ra-el. But he hesitated to accept so great a work, not from any lack of faith, but in modesty and distrust of his own ability. He said, "My tribe is one of the weakest, my family is poor, and I am the least of my father's household. I am wholly unprepared for such a tremendous undertaking."