Judges 12
Devotional:
Then the people of Ephraim mobilized an army and crossed over the Jordan River to Zaphon. They sent this message to Jephthah: “Why didn’t you call for us to help you fight against the Ammonites? We are going to burn down your house with you in it!” Jephthah replied, “I summoned you at the beginning of the dispute, but you refused to come! You failed to help us in our struggle against Ammon. So when I realized you weren’t coming, I risked my life and went to battle without you, and the Lord gave me victory over the Ammonites. So why have you now come to fight me?” (Judges 12:1-3)
The men of Ephraim strike again! They complained to Gideon that he hadn’t called them to help him in battle (Judges 8:1-3), and now they lodge a similar complaint against Jephthah. Of course Jephthah had called them, but they didn’t come. The men of Ephraim go on to insult Jephthah’s men, calling them fugitives. As a result, Jephthah and the men of Gilead turned on them. The Ephraimites had a problem with anger and pride – and it cost them 42,000 men (verse 6)! Israel was saved from the Ammonites, but as Bible teacher Dale Ralph Davis notes, the incident with Jephtha’s vow (Judges 10) and Ephraim’s pride (Judges 11) leave us looking for a perfect Savior. And indeed he has come! Jesus is “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Praise God for this perfect Savior!
Then the people of Ephraim mobilized an army and crossed over the Jordan River to Zaphon. They sent this message to Jephthah: “Why didn’t you call for us to help you fight against the Ammonites? We are going to burn down your house with you in it!” Jephthah replied, “I summoned you at the beginning of the dispute, but you refused to come! You failed to help us in our struggle against Ammon. So when I realized you weren’t coming, I risked my life and went to battle without you, and the Lord gave me victory over the Ammonites. So why have you now come to fight me?” (Judges 12:1-3)
The men of Ephraim strike again! They complained to Gideon that he hadn’t called them to help him in battle (Judges 8:1-3), and now they lodge a similar complaint against Jephthah. Of course Jephthah had called them, but they didn’t come. The men of Ephraim go on to insult Jephthah’s men, calling them fugitives. As a result, Jephthah and the men of Gilead turned on them. The Ephraimites had a problem with anger and pride – and it cost them 42,000 men (verse 6)! Israel was saved from the Ammonites, but as Bible teacher Dale Ralph Davis notes, the incident with Jephtha’s vow (Judges 10) and Ephraim’s pride (Judges 11) leave us looking for a perfect Savior. And indeed he has come! Jesus is “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Praise God for this perfect Savior!
Pray it:
Jesus, I praise you for being the perfect deliverer, the only one who could rescue me from my sins because of your perfect life. Help me to place my hope in you alone rather than in myself or the fallible leaders of our world. Amen.
Jesus, I praise you for being the perfect deliverer, the only one who could rescue me from my sins because of your perfect life. Help me to place my hope in you alone rather than in myself or the fallible leaders of our world. Amen.
Share it:
Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with?
Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with?
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