Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD gave them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow.” And she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.” So she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions.” So he said, “Go.” Then he sent her away for two months, and she departed, she and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains. And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year. – Judges 11: 29-40
Have you ever been reading something in the Scriptures that seemed, for lack of a better term, troubling to you? This happened to me this morning while reading the above portion. I quickly read over it and at the onset, it seemed to be something that I would rather not consider – not only was it a tragic story, but horrific to my Western mindset. So, I turned to the next section of scripture that I was scheduled to read. However, as I began the next chapter, it was like a piece of black paper came over my eyes and I could not see anything before me. I sensed the Spirit of God directing me to go back and read the account of Jephthah and understand it.
When I went back and reread it, I was struck by two things: (1) His daughter was his ONLY child; and (2) She was a WILLING sacrifice. It also struck me that God knew ahead of time, before Jephthah made this tragic vow, who would be the first to come out of the house – that it would be his one and only child. Oh, what a test this must have been! How his heart must have broken when she came out the door dancing and celebrating. I can hardly stand to think of it.
Beyond the tragedy of this moment, it reminded me of the account of Abraham with Isaac. Abraham had only one son of the promise who he was willing to offer to God and Isaac was a willing sacrifice to be offered. There is no mention whatsoever of Isaac trying to run away. There is no mention of Isaac squirming to get off the alter. No, he submitted his will to that of his father’s.
Of course, the ultimate example of offering one’s only child is with God and His only Son – Jesus – who was a holy and willing sacrifice – who also submitted His will to that of His Father’s.
In light of these examples, I cannot but help to connect a portion of scripture from the Apostle Paul to these examples of offering and sacrifice.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. – Romans 12:1
We are now to willingly offer ourselves to God. We are to offer ourselves as that sacrifice – our wills, our plans, our hopes, our dreams, our desires, our all – must be laid upon the alter of sacrifice, for the worship and praise of God. And not only are we to offer ourselves, but we must do so willingly, not with a sense of sorrow because it’s the only life we have – but joyfully, knowing that it is His glory we seek and not our own.
You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 2:5
Holly Sands lives in South Carolina at the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with her loving husband, Shane, and idiot cat, Mister Bojangles. She has been blessed to travel both nationally and internationally with her husband, sharing the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Holly is co-host of the weekly podcast, “That They May All Be One“. New episodes can be heard every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app.