Judges 11:7
Then Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?”
Jephthah is the ninth judge in this book to be used by God to deliver the nation of Israel from their oppression by their enemies. To grasp his role we have to remember that in the book of Judges the nation of Israel was caught in a vicious cycle that afflicts most believers today. The nation, after a period of allegiance to God, would fall into sin and chase the gods of their ungodly neighbors. As a result of their turning from God, God would give them over to the oppression of their neighbors. God message was simply, "reject me and inherit the same fate as those you turn to." In their affliction the nation would cry out to God. God would then send them a "judge" or deliverer who would bring them back to God. They would then, soon, forget God and turn back to their neighbor's gods and the cycle would repeat. Jephthah is now the ninth judge ... the ninth cycle has begun. What we need to know about Jephthah is found in the first verses of chapter eleven. Jephthah was the son of a harlot. He was despised by his brothers and driven from the city. Yet, when the nation of Israel cried out to God for deliverance Ammonites, they city fathers called out Jephthah to lead them. The truth here is that God could have sent any man (or, women) to deliver the nation ... but, He sent the son of a harlot. God uses the least of His people to lead the most of His people. God used a harlot in Jericho to save the spies. Jesus uses a harlot name Mary in the gospels as one of those women who poured oil on His feet. God uses those we don't necessarily respect in our lives to be the deliverer of His grace into our lives. We tend to think of our delivers as powerful and prestiges men and/or women. Yet, throughout the book of Judges those God uses are the least among the people. God uses the weak things of this world to confound the wise.
1 Corinthians 1:27
... but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
The truth is that in our society today man uses and looks for the degreed, the wealthy, the powerful and the popular to listen to and lead us. Most of the people used by God in His Word would not qualify to lead in most of our churches today, much less in our corporate board rooms or non-profit leadership chairs. God makes great leaders out of the least people. Jesus selected 12 lowly men to change the world with the Gospel. Fishermen, tax-collectors and loiterers made up Jesus crew. Paul was a murderer and, yet, wrote most of the New Testament. David was a small shepherd boy. The prophets were sheep herders and unknown people. Rejoice in this truth: God uses the weak to confound the wise!!!
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