Jud 11

To read this in Vietnamese, please click here.

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Bargaining vows...

I. Click here to READ Judges 11 first.

II. One thing the Bible teaches (Jephthah, a mighty warrior, on his way to fight against the Ammonite army, made a promise to the Lord that he would offer as a burnt offering whatever he saw first coming out from his house upon his return in triumph over the Ammonites…)

34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.”

III. Reflection

* Questions: Must Jephthah make that promise? What was the purpose of him to make that promise?

IV. Application

Dear Lord God: I thank You for showing me that Jephthah did not have to make that promise, especially when he used it as a bargaining chip. The favor that he was looking for in return for his promise to You was the victory over the Ammonites. I thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking me to this point to remind me that You will not be bribed (Acts 8:18-23) in any form, even in the form of a well-intended vow. Dear Lord Jesus, today, please help me avoid bargaining with You, especially when I have needs in my life, in order to avoid unbearable consequences. Please forgive my bargaining vows in the past. Amen

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Note: If you want to reflect on other books and chapters of the Bible, click here

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