1 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,359 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast. 2 00:00:18,420 --> 00:00:24,100 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you. 3 00:00:24,659 --> 00:00:27,079 Thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:35,039 --> 00:00:40,659 Heavenly Father, we just bless you tonight, God, as we gather together. 5 00:00:40,859 --> 00:00:44,460 Lord, we give you all the praise and all the worship, Lord. 6 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,240 Tonight, God, you are worthy of it all. 7 00:00:49,060 --> 00:00:56,679 We lay before you, God, all the issues of the day, all the troubles in our hearts, 8 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,500 Lord, all the things that are clouding our minds, Lord. 9 00:00:59,740 --> 00:01:05,980 We lay them at your feet now, and we come to you, Lord, with open hearts and open minds, 10 00:01:06,099 --> 00:01:10,540 Lord, ready to receive your word, God, through your scripture, God. 11 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:17,359 We pray tonight that we come to better understand a portion of your story, 12 00:01:17,359 --> 00:01:23,120 Lord, and how it can apply to our lives, Lord, and what it means to us, Lord. 13 00:01:23,260 --> 00:01:27,400 We just pray for your spirit to be here among us, Lord. 14 00:01:27,519 --> 00:01:34,280 Holy Spirit, just come and anoint your scripture here, God, and anoint this time in Jesus' name. 15 00:01:34,620 --> 00:01:34,819 Amen. 16 00:01:38,140 --> 00:01:43,900 All right, so we are in Judges 11 tonight. 17 00:01:43,900 --> 00:01:51,459 So recapping real quick from Judges 10. 18 00:01:53,359 --> 00:01:58,019 Israel had once again abandoned the Lords and turned to foreign Gods. 19 00:01:58,620 --> 00:02:06,439 I feel like at least 95% of the times I talk, it starts out that way. 20 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:13,520 I mean, the people of Israel abandoned God and have moved on to other things. 21 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,000 Maybe it's just my timing. 22 00:02:17,300 --> 00:02:17,979 I don't know. 23 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:26,560 But, you know, so God had allowed the Ammonites and the Philistines to oppress them. 24 00:02:27,180 --> 00:02:33,439 And after 18 years of suffering through this, and this was all covered last week by John, 25 00:02:35,419 --> 00:02:39,979 their cries for deliverance, God hears their cry. 26 00:02:39,979 --> 00:02:44,560 And so the Ammonites, they assemble for war. 27 00:02:44,719 --> 00:02:53,060 They're getting ready to go to battle and then enter Jebthah, who is an unlikely leader 28 00:02:53,060 --> 00:02:57,159 with some complicated things in his past. 29 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:05,180 So that's where you guys left off last week and where we're starting here in Judges 11. 30 00:03:05,180 --> 00:03:10,159 And this is a great book. 31 00:03:10,340 --> 00:03:13,520 I mean, this is a great chapter in the book of Judges. 32 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:15,719 It's just a fascinating piece. 33 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:23,860 And there's so much, once again, there's so much to unpack from what God is doing. 34 00:03:24,180 --> 00:03:32,120 Jebthah rises up out of rejection and becomes the deliverer for Israel, 35 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:42,500 you know, that presents this contrast of a guy who, you know, comes from this background, 36 00:03:42,759 --> 00:03:49,319 this challenging background and steps forward, but then makes some really bad decisions. 37 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,180 Again, not an uncommon story here. 38 00:03:55,479 --> 00:03:57,879 So let's start out one through three. 39 00:03:59,419 --> 00:04:02,819 Jebthah, the Guineanite, was a mighty warrior. 40 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,960 His father was Gilead. 41 00:04:06,419 --> 00:04:07,840 His mother was a prostitute. 42 00:04:08,740 --> 00:04:11,699 Gilead's wife also bore him sons. 43 00:04:12,719 --> 00:04:16,600 And when they were grown up, they drove Jebthah away. 44 00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:21,540 You are not going to get any inheritance in our family, they said, 45 00:04:21,779 --> 00:04:24,120 because you are the son of another woman. 46 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:29,680 So, Jebthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Taub, 47 00:04:30,199 --> 00:04:36,339 where a gang of scoundrels gathered around him and followed him. 48 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:42,360 Some great language there to layer through. 49 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:51,060 So, Jebthah is introduced as this mighty warrior with the caveat that his mother was a prostitute, 50 00:04:51,060 --> 00:04:51,600 right? 51 00:04:52,439 --> 00:04:56,720 So, his half-brothers are, you know, stepping in and denying him, 52 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:05,540 basically getting him out of town, and then he leaves and connects with this group of men. 53 00:05:06,459 --> 00:05:17,920 So, you know, his family is judging him on his birth circumstances rather than who he is, 54 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,860 his character and his ability and what Gods call him to. 55 00:05:23,339 --> 00:05:25,420 So, sound familiar? 56 00:05:26,019 --> 00:05:32,459 Because Jesus, that would have followed Jesus around for his entire life. 57 00:05:32,939 --> 00:05:39,879 The fact that he would have been born, you know, born when he was conceived out of wedlock. 58 00:05:41,399 --> 00:05:44,399 Solomon, you know, had some of that background. 59 00:05:46,819 --> 00:05:47,579 Ishmael. 60 00:05:47,579 --> 00:05:52,060 Could have gone, you know, if different circumstances and he could have gone in a different 61 00:05:52,060 --> 00:05:52,579 pathway. 62 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:58,240 Rahab was a prostitute herself and the mother of Boaz, who was what? 63 00:05:58,639 --> 00:06:01,720 The great grandfather of King David. 64 00:06:02,079 --> 00:06:13,180 So, you know, all throughout the Bible, there are characters and people who, you know, 65 00:06:13,180 --> 00:06:21,420 their birth circumstances or just circumstances in general are not that of what we would consider. 66 00:06:21,740 --> 00:06:25,560 Well, these are people who would really, really make it in the world. 67 00:06:25,819 --> 00:06:34,379 So, Jephthah's brothers saw the past of his mother instead of seeing the potential of what 68 00:06:34,379 --> 00:06:37,759 God had for their step-brother. 69 00:06:37,759 --> 00:06:47,699 So, this is, again, this is just a redemptive story all throughout the Bible that God just 70 00:06:47,699 --> 00:06:57,759 loves to redeem people who everyone has already cast aside and said, you know, that he likes 71 00:06:57,759 --> 00:07:03,980 to see people that we want to put limits on because of what we see. 72 00:07:04,939 --> 00:07:09,139 God is saying, I can accomplish so much more, more through them. 73 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:20,120 So, his rejection then places him outside of the family structure, outside of his tribe, 74 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:28,399 but he develops this reputation as a capable leader and a warrior. 75 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:37,040 The text, if you look through the various translations, you know, it alludes to scoundrels or 76 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:43,699 lawless man or, you know, the unsavory bunch he was hanging out with. 77 00:07:44,220 --> 00:07:52,620 The Hebrew expression kind of conveys this idea of, you know, empty man or worthless man 78 00:07:52,620 --> 00:08:01,019 or people that just didn't necessarily have a place in society outcasts and wanderers, 79 00:08:01,740 --> 00:08:05,439 men without position or livelihood. 80 00:08:09,059 --> 00:08:13,620 And you know how I look at Scripture whenever I see something that seems a little odd? 81 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:15,180 You got to do a little digging. 82 00:08:15,180 --> 00:08:25,879 So, how did he develop this reputation as a warrior and as a leader? 83 00:08:26,019 --> 00:08:34,799 Well, this group, they must have been men who supported themselves through armed expeditions, 84 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:39,059 you know, or raids or hired fighting or mercenaries or something. 85 00:08:39,059 --> 00:08:45,500 And I immediately thought of, not the mercenary part, but kind of the ragtag group. 86 00:08:45,620 --> 00:08:54,360 I thought of David, you know, in 1 Samuel 22 where he attracts men, you know, who were in distress 87 00:08:54,360 --> 00:09:01,820 and death and disconnected in the form of fighting force under his leadership. 88 00:09:02,500 --> 00:09:09,259 Also, you know, immediately connected the situation with Jephthah and related it, 89 00:09:09,259 --> 00:09:15,379 and we'll talk a little bit more about this later, with Joseph, you know, who was rejected 90 00:09:16,019 --> 00:09:22,559 by his brothers. They even took it a step further and tried to kill him, but then he 91 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:32,259 became an instrument of deliverance for his brothers. So, Jephthah goes from being rejected 92 00:09:32,259 --> 00:09:39,039 by the family and the tribe to become a leader of outsiders, so his years in exile that he's 93 00:09:39,039 --> 00:09:45,980 out there, kind of help him develop this persona of leadership and military leader. 94 00:09:45,980 --> 00:09:56,019 And again, it's this idea of human rejection doesn't disqualify us from what God has for us 95 00:09:56,019 --> 00:10:05,259 or what God wants to use us for. So let's continue. 4-11, so sometime later 96 00:10:05,259 --> 00:10:13,679 when the Ammonites were fighting against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah 97 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:20,840 from the land of top. Come, they said, be our commander so we can fight the Ammonites. 98 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:27,480 Jephthah said to them, didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house? 99 00:10:28,179 --> 00:10:34,259 Why do you come to me now when you're in trouble? The elders of Gilead said, 100 00:10:34,460 --> 00:10:41,659 nevertheless, we are turning to you now. Come with us to fight the Ammonites and you will 101 00:10:41,659 --> 00:10:48,080 head over all of us who live in Gilead. Jephthah answered, suppose you take me back 102 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:55,960 to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me. Will I really be your head? 103 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:03,320 The elders of Gilead said, the Lord is our witness. We will certainly do as you say. 104 00:11:03,539 --> 00:11:10,240 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead and the people made him head and commander over them. 105 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:15,519 And they repeated all his words before the Lord admits them. 106 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:25,919 So when the Ammonites are threatened, I mean, when the Ammonites threaten Gilead, 107 00:11:26,519 --> 00:11:34,039 you know, the elders are seeking help. So they're going to someone who they believe 108 00:11:34,039 --> 00:11:41,019 is going to be able to deliver them. And you got to love, you got to kind of read into the 109 00:11:41,019 --> 00:11:46,919 tone here a little bit from Jephthah, you know, didn't you hate me and drive me out of 110 00:11:46,919 --> 00:11:56,039 my father's house? So he's kind of getting a little snarky with them. So they offer him 111 00:11:56,039 --> 00:12:02,440 this position if he'll fight. And Jephthah, of course, is just a bit skeptical. So he says, 112 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:08,179 well, what if I come in and win and you don't really do what I say? So he kind of gets, he's 113 00:12:08,179 --> 00:12:15,419 making sure that he's negotiating here. So he's making sure he's getting the deal that he wants. 114 00:12:15,860 --> 00:12:22,039 So the question that immediately came to mind was, you know, why did the elders seek out 115 00:12:22,039 --> 00:12:30,100 Jephthah? I mean, certainly there had to be other capable fighters and other capable men 116 00:12:30,899 --> 00:12:38,879 that could do this. And it says he was recognized as a mighty warrior. So he had gained a name 117 00:12:38,879 --> 00:12:48,340 and a reputation out there. So Gilead was facing destruction from the powerful Ammonite army. 118 00:12:48,899 --> 00:12:54,279 And the leaders were desperate to find someone who they really felt. So he must have been 119 00:12:54,279 --> 00:13:02,759 quite the guy because they really sought him out. And there's irony here because the man that they 120 00:13:02,759 --> 00:13:09,580 considered unworthy, you know, to even be a part of the household that he was in and the tribe 121 00:13:09,580 --> 00:13:24,259 that they were in, they feel he's the guy that's going to be able to deliver them. And I think 122 00:13:24,259 --> 00:13:27,700 they had to swallow their pride a little bit, right? I mean, they had to eat a little bit of crow 123 00:13:27,700 --> 00:13:38,480 to go back to him. And that takes humility. So they approached the man that they had basically 124 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:46,500 kicked out and they're asking him now in humility for help. So there's a bit of a reversal here. 125 00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:55,059 And I think, again, this is a lesson for us to learn that when God is in something, 126 00:13:55,139 --> 00:14:01,480 we can't take that road of pride. And Jephthah, he had a choice to make too, pride or humility, 127 00:14:01,539 --> 00:14:07,500 because he could have easily said, go pound sand. I'm not helping you guys. I'm not doing it. Look 128 00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:14,759 what you did to me. I'm doing all right over here with my mercenary friends and we're getting by 129 00:14:14,759 --> 00:14:22,220 and we're doing good. I'm not going to help you. He could have easily refused it for the 130 00:14:22,220 --> 00:14:32,080 way that they mistreated him, but instead he agrees. And I think this reveals two sides 131 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:39,820 of him. One is he's willing to move beyond. And I don't know if you've ever been in a situation 132 00:14:39,820 --> 00:14:51,639 like that where you've been rejected or been harshly treated. And now you have the opportunity 133 00:14:51,639 --> 00:15:01,779 to either put it back in their face or be humble about it. And he chose to be humble about it. 134 00:15:01,779 --> 00:15:12,720 But he also wanted something out of it as far as a guarantee of position. So he was negotiating, 135 00:15:13,019 --> 00:15:18,259 which is practical wisdom, which shows he had some level of ambition for that. 136 00:15:19,259 --> 00:15:26,659 And I think Jephthah also recognized God's authority and God's power and God's ability 137 00:15:27,299 --> 00:15:34,679 to deliver this through him. So he acknowledged and said, ultimately, 138 00:15:35,159 --> 00:15:41,059 this is the Lord. He said, suppose you take me back and I fight the Ammonites and the Lord 139 00:15:41,059 --> 00:15:46,360 gives them to me. He doesn't say, suppose I go back and I win. He said, suppose the Lord 140 00:15:47,139 --> 00:15:55,460 gives them to me. So he understands that his strength and military strength alone cannot deliver 141 00:15:55,460 --> 00:16:03,039 that it was in God's hand to do it. And how many times have we seen that now in the Old Testament 142 00:16:03,039 --> 00:16:11,220 studies where realizing that it's the hand of God that delivers them and when they rely on themselves 143 00:16:12,919 --> 00:16:24,000 doesn't go as well. So getting back to Joseph, there's a powerful parallel here 144 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:29,840 with the story of Joseph, how his brothers rejected him. And then years later, 145 00:16:30,940 --> 00:16:43,960 when God has a way of moving no matter what happens in our circumstances. So God had a plan 146 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:51,440 for Joseph. His brothers were trying to thwart that. And he got taken away in the slavery, 147 00:16:51,440 --> 00:17:02,019 but still God took him to that position that he wanted him in. So, you know, Joseph had the power 148 00:17:02,019 --> 00:17:10,339 then when his brothers came and said, hey, we need help. He had the power to basically retaliate 149 00:17:10,339 --> 00:17:17,019 to them, but he ultimately chose reconciliation. He chose the path of humility and Jephthah took 150 00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:23,579 that same thing. So, you know, a couple of things that I pulled out of that is, you know, 151 00:17:26,339 --> 00:17:35,000 rejection by those around us, even those close to us, doesn't mean that we're disqualified 152 00:17:35,579 --> 00:17:46,099 from serving God. Humility sometimes means asking for help, even from somebody we may have 153 00:17:47,839 --> 00:17:55,519 wronged. Forgiveness doesn't necessarily eliminate the need for boundaries. You know, Jephthah had, 154 00:17:55,779 --> 00:18:01,519 you know, he forgave and took the path of humility, but he still kind of set some 155 00:18:01,519 --> 00:18:10,500 boundaries there. And pride can exist on both sides of reconciliation. It's just a matter of 156 00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:20,779 having a humble heart that God wants us to have. So, 12 through 28, this is a long passage here, 157 00:18:21,099 --> 00:18:25,700 but I had to group it all together, so I'll try my best to get through it. 158 00:18:27,259 --> 00:18:32,339 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question, 159 00:18:33,759 --> 00:18:39,579 what do you have against me that you have attacked my country? The king of the Ammonites answered 160 00:18:39,579 --> 00:18:48,680 Jephthah's messengers. When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the 161 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:58,000 Arnhem to the Jepak, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably. Jephthah sent back 162 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:05,500 messengers to the Ammonite king saying, this is what Jephthah says, Israel did not take the land 163 00:19:05,500 --> 00:19:13,599 of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. But when they came out of Egypt, Israel went through the 164 00:19:13,599 --> 00:19:22,319 wilderness to the Red Sea and on to Kadesh. Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom saying, 165 00:19:22,519 --> 00:19:28,119 give us permission to go through your country, but the king of Edom would not listen. 166 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:35,960 They also sent to the king of Moab and he refused, so Israel stayed in Kadesh. 167 00:19:37,079 --> 00:19:41,900 Next, they traveled through the wilderness, skirted the lands of Edom and Moab, 168 00:19:42,279 --> 00:19:48,220 passed along the eastern side of the country of Moab and camped on the other side of Arnhem. 169 00:19:49,019 --> 00:19:57,500 They did not enter the territory of Moab from the arm and was its border. This is all a little 170 00:19:57,500 --> 00:20:05,640 historical recap here. Then Israel sent messengers to Sion, king of the Ammonites, 171 00:20:05,819 --> 00:20:14,380 who ruled in Heshban and said to him, let us pass through your country to our own place. 172 00:20:15,279 --> 00:20:22,819 Sion, however, did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He mustered all his troops 173 00:20:22,819 --> 00:20:32,559 and encamped at Jeaz and fought with Israel. Then the Lord God of Israel gave Sion and his 174 00:20:32,559 --> 00:20:39,000 whole army into Israel's hands and they defeated them. Israel took over 175 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:47,440 all the land and the Ammonites who lived in the country, capturing all of it from the Arnhem 176 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:58,200 to the Jabakh and from the desert to Jordan. Now, since the Lord God of Israel has driven 177 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:05,700 the Ammonites out before his people of Israel, what right have you to take it over? 178 00:21:06,619 --> 00:21:15,299 Will you not take what your God, will you not take what your God, Chemosh, gives you? 179 00:21:16,099 --> 00:21:24,380 Likewise, whatever the Lord our God has given us, we will possess. Are you any better than Bawak, 180 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:32,059 son of Zippur, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with him? 181 00:21:32,059 --> 00:21:40,940 For 300 years, Israel occupied Heshban, Aror and the surrounding sediments and all the towns of Arnhem. 182 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:48,980 Why didn't you retake them during that time? I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong 183 00:21:48,980 --> 00:21:57,819 by waging war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the 184 00:21:57,819 --> 00:22:04,339 Israelites and the Ammonites. The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message 185 00:22:04,339 --> 00:22:09,880 Jephthah sent. That was quite a message that he sent to his, through his messenger, right? 186 00:22:10,319 --> 00:22:16,880 So, I don't know how he memorized all that, but that's a lot to take in. 187 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:27,700 So, before fighting, Jephthah attempts diplomacy with the king, and the Ammonite king claims 188 00:22:27,700 --> 00:22:37,420 Israel. Well, you guys stole this during Exodus. So, what we see here is that there's more to Jephthah 189 00:22:37,420 --> 00:22:45,940 than just his fighting prowess, right? He's more than just an outcast. He is a learned man. I mean, 190 00:22:45,980 --> 00:22:55,779 he knows his history. So, there's three arguments that he presents to the king. He says, 191 00:22:56,740 --> 00:23:06,779 one, Israel didn't steal Armin's land. During the accident, Israel avoided conflict with Edom and 192 00:23:06,779 --> 00:23:13,579 Moab, but when King Sion of the Ammonites refused Israel's passage and attacked them, 193 00:23:14,420 --> 00:23:24,039 Israel defeated him and took his territory, not Ammon's. So, let's qualify that a little 194 00:23:24,039 --> 00:23:33,799 bit because I had to look into that. So, Israel didn't conquer Ammon. They defeated the Ammonites 195 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:41,400 after they were attacked by them, but Ammon was under the authority and in the territory 196 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:48,619 of the Ammonites. So, it just kind of became the spoils of war. Do you understand that? So, 197 00:23:48,619 --> 00:23:57,220 he's claiming, the Ammon king is claiming basically that you stole it and just kind of 198 00:23:57,220 --> 00:24:03,660 took it and he's saying, no, it was conquered. So, the second point that Jephthah is making is God 199 00:24:03,660 --> 00:24:12,000 gave this land to us. So, Jephthah argues that the Lord delivered the Ammonites into Israel's 200 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:19,480 giving Israel a legitimate claim to the territory. And then his last point was, 201 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:30,059 come on guys, Israel has possessed this land for 300 years. If the land truly belonged to you, 202 00:24:30,059 --> 00:24:40,799 why hadn't you challenged this before, for three centuries? So, there's probably more happening 203 00:24:40,799 --> 00:24:49,140 in here than what's being revealed in here. So, there was probably other things going on with 204 00:24:51,019 --> 00:24:58,720 the king that's kind of forcing this. We don't have all the details here in this chapter, 205 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:04,460 but I'm sure that they're there. The other little nuance that I really liked 206 00:25:04,460 --> 00:25:09,599 in that passage toward the end is when Jephthah refers to the Lord as the judge. 207 00:25:10,799 --> 00:25:20,500 So, this is kind of the concept that he is, and this is a theme that we've been following 208 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:28,960 all throughout the Old Testament study here is that God establishes justice. God is a just 209 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:34,259 God. So, he's saying, we're going to put this in the hands of the judge, the just God, 210 00:25:34,259 --> 00:25:43,119 who's going to render his decision. So, he's appealing to God as the ultimate authority in all of this. 211 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:55,000 So, the day comes, 29 through 33. So, then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. 212 00:25:56,160 --> 00:26:03,220 He crossed Gilead and passed through the mitzpah of Gilead. And from there, 213 00:26:03,220 --> 00:26:08,900 he advanced against the Ammonites, and Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. 214 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:16,279 If you give me the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house 215 00:26:17,059 --> 00:26:24,259 to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's, and I will 216 00:26:24,259 --> 00:26:34,279 sacrifice it as a burnt offering. Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them 217 00:26:34,279 --> 00:26:45,140 into his hands. He devastated 20 towns from Ahor to the vicinity of Minath, as far as Abel, 218 00:26:45,140 --> 00:26:58,579 Keramont, thus Israel subdued Ammon. So, this is the climax of the chapter here. So, 219 00:26:58,579 --> 00:27:08,279 this is the turning point of things. The Spirit of the Lord was on Jephthah, and he advances, 220 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:21,019 and God gives him victory. God's Spirit empowers him in this role to deliver, and the victory is 221 00:27:21,019 --> 00:27:30,660 explicitly attributed to the Lord, and he wins. And then, in the midst of all of this, 222 00:27:32,259 --> 00:27:41,660 Jephthah makes this vow that changes everything. So, he promises that if God grants him victory, 223 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:47,700 whatever comes out of his house to meet him will belong to the Lord, and it will be sacrificed 224 00:27:47,700 --> 00:28:00,640 as a burnt offering. So, this is really a troubling verse. One, we know from our 225 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:09,900 studies that vowels are taken very, very serious in these ancient times. They're a serious commitment, 226 00:28:10,940 --> 00:28:20,599 and they are regulated by God's law. Numbers 30 verse 2 says, vowels are not to be treated 227 00:28:20,599 --> 00:28:31,119 lightly. Deuteronomy 23, 21 through 23, says voluntary vowels created obligations. Leviticus 228 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:38,039 27, 1 through 8 says certain vowels involving persons could be addressed through prescribed 229 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:49,599 valuation. So, the critical question was, was Jephthah, was he trusting God's promise, 230 00:28:49,599 --> 00:28:58,880 or was he trying to bargain with God at some point on something that was already pre-determined? 231 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:08,119 So, God already had said that I'm going to deliver it, or was he kind of, you know, 232 00:29:08,259 --> 00:29:14,480 says the Spirit of the Lord was on him. Was he kind of riding this spiritual high and just kind of 233 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:22,940 saying something that's just rolling off? You know, have you ever been caught up in a moment 234 00:29:23,779 --> 00:29:32,059 where you just kind of take it too far? No, never. I don't want to interrupt you. We never have, 235 00:29:32,119 --> 00:29:43,700 of course. There are so many things that could be at play here, but I think an important thing 236 00:29:44,340 --> 00:29:55,440 to distinguish is that, you know, when God anoints us or empowers us or puts his Spirit on us 237 00:29:55,440 --> 00:30:05,400 for something in particular, or a certain mission or some type of act if we're praying for someone 238 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:14,299 and God's Spirit just comes heavy, heavy on it, it doesn't mean that every subsequent situation 239 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:25,000 is going to be God's anointing on us and that level of Spirit, or even God approved for that 240 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:33,819 fact. You know, I mean, we, you know, all throughout Scripture and really all throughout 241 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:43,220 society we see, you know, misuse of spiritual authority or anointing, you know, that God has put 242 00:30:43,220 --> 00:30:53,480 on places. I mean, Saul, David, Samson, you know, I mean, even Moses, you know, who was, you know, 243 00:30:53,839 --> 00:31:00,900 saw the face of God, you know, and was so anointed and so Spirit-led had moments where, 244 00:31:00,900 --> 00:31:11,160 you know, he was just out of sync with God. Solomon, you know, for sure, who was gifted with this 245 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:19,720 anointing of wisdom, yet he made disastrous spiritual compromises and really bad, bad decisions. 246 00:31:21,059 --> 00:31:27,319 You know, Uzziah, God, helped him become powerful, but he eventually overstepped the authority 247 00:31:28,620 --> 00:31:34,960 that God had given him. So, Spirit, again, spiritual empowerment and personal wisdom 248 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:42,359 are not the same thing and they all think, kind of, go in different ways, but Scripture, 249 00:31:44,839 --> 00:31:55,559 the text here never tells us that this vow was prompted by the Spirit. It does not say that. 250 00:31:55,559 --> 00:32:01,460 I mean, you could, if you're glossing through it, you can make the assumption, 251 00:32:01,660 --> 00:32:06,819 oh, he was full of the Spirit and then he made this vow. Well, that's just not how it's laid out. 252 00:32:07,099 --> 00:32:19,799 So, it's an important nuance because God had already empowered him to win, okay? He didn't 253 00:32:19,859 --> 00:32:32,539 need to bargain for another divine positioning. So, God's calling for us and God's Spirit on us 254 00:32:32,539 --> 00:32:46,220 and God's anointing in times is not a license to do whatever we want. We have to be subjected to God. 255 00:32:51,119 --> 00:33:02,299 34 to 40. When Jephthah returned to his home in Mitzpah, who should come out to meet him, 256 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:13,400 but his daughter? Dancing to the sound of timbrels. She was an only child, except for her, 257 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:21,559 he had neither son nor daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, oh no, 258 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:30,039 my daughter, you have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord 259 00:33:30,039 --> 00:33:37,460 that cannot break. My father, she replied, you have given your word to the Lord 260 00:33:38,420 --> 00:33:45,539 due to me, just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you and your enemies, 261 00:33:46,019 --> 00:33:53,440 the Ammonites. But grant me this one request, she said, give me two months to roam hills 262 00:33:54,019 --> 00:34:02,299 and weep with my friends because I will never marry. You may go, he said, and he let her go 263 00:34:02,299 --> 00:34:09,519 for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 264 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:18,760 After the two months, she returned to her father and he did as he had vowed, and she was a virgin. 265 00:34:20,739 --> 00:34:27,739 From this comes the Israelite tradition that each year the young women of Israel go out 266 00:34:27,739 --> 00:34:32,739 for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah, the Gilead. 267 00:34:39,219 --> 00:34:46,619 So, Jephthah returns home victorious and his daughter meets him and it's like, 268 00:34:47,980 --> 00:34:54,360 what was I thinking? The joy turns into immediate grief and 269 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:04,139 she accepts the seriousness of this. Imagine that conversation, you know? 270 00:35:04,820 --> 00:35:09,340 I mean, imagine having that conversation with your daughter. It's like, 271 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:18,760 sorry, but I did this vow thing. And then she's just like, hey, dad, I get it. All right. 272 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:24,679 I don't think any of my daughters, either of my daughters, would be on board with that. 273 00:35:26,439 --> 00:35:34,860 And the chapter closes with this troubling account of Jephthah carrying out the vow 274 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:42,079 and the Israelite women annually commemorating. So, I'm like, immediately, you know, 275 00:35:43,079 --> 00:35:53,159 did Jephthah actually sacrifice his daughter? So, this is a debated scripture. I think it's great 276 00:35:53,159 --> 00:36:01,760 to debate scripture. I think there's a place and a time in something like this where you can look at 277 00:36:02,559 --> 00:36:08,980 interpretation. One would be the literal sacrifice where Jephthah offered his daughter as a burnt 278 00:36:08,980 --> 00:36:17,599 offering, like he said he was doing, just as he vowed. Arguments would include, you know, okay, 279 00:36:18,019 --> 00:36:27,800 a burnt offering as described, you know, that is what it is. And interpretation, too, is okay, 280 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:34,659 was it a lifelong dedication? Because Jephthah's dedicated his daughter to a lifelong service and 281 00:36:34,659 --> 00:36:42,340 perpetual virginity, so she never could marry. So, was that what it was? You know, there's 282 00:36:42,340 --> 00:36:51,639 emphasis throughout this text here that we just read in reference to the virginity and her never 283 00:36:52,179 --> 00:37:04,019 marrying. So, you know, the literal sacrifice is what's most widely accepted. But, you know, 284 00:37:04,420 --> 00:37:13,460 I also have to question in that from a scriptural perspective because Deuteronomy 1231, God explicitly 285 00:37:14,260 --> 00:37:22,239 prohibits the burning of children and sacrifices. So, you know, did God allow Jephthah to go 286 00:37:22,820 --> 00:37:32,199 break his own rules? I don't know. Ecclesiastes 5.2-6 warns against these rash promises. 1 Samuel 287 00:37:32,199 --> 00:37:39,460 15.22 reminds us that obedience matters more than sacrifice. So, you know, 288 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:47,559 again, many times there are things we just don't know, okay, so we don't really know what it is. 289 00:37:47,659 --> 00:37:58,260 But I think regardless of what the outcome was back then, you know, it was a really bad, 290 00:37:58,260 --> 00:38:08,340 really bad decision for Jephthah to make that statement. And, you know, it gives us pause, 291 00:38:08,340 --> 00:38:15,079 you know, to say, hey, our words mean things, first of all. You know, when we make a statement like 292 00:38:15,079 --> 00:38:22,820 that and when we make a vow like that, especially to God, when we make it in haste and, you know, 293 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:29,619 we've all made promises, you know, to one another or even to God, you know, at points. And 294 00:38:31,340 --> 00:38:40,300 it's a challenging thing to read. But regardless of the interpretation, you know, I think that 295 00:38:41,039 --> 00:38:51,739 there's lessons to be learned in this. So, a couple of points here. You know, another 296 00:38:52,380 --> 00:39:00,719 surprising part of this story of Jephthah is that he's named among the heroes of faith 297 00:39:01,340 --> 00:39:11,679 in Hebrews 11.32 alongside Gideon, Barak, Samson, David, and Samuel. So, 298 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:16,900 why is Jephthah listed among the heroes of faith? 299 00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:29,280 Let's read on. You know, one of the keys to understanding, you know, what the author 300 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:39,639 of Hebrews is saying, he's celebrating faith of these people, not their perfection. So, 301 00:39:39,940 --> 00:39:45,820 nowhere is he saying that all these heroes of faith are perfect. It's just that they stepped out. 302 00:39:45,820 --> 00:39:54,099 So, Jephthah trusted God. He trusted him to deliver Israel. So, despite the opposition, 303 00:39:54,739 --> 00:40:00,360 despite the odds, Jephthah acknowledged that the victory belonged completely to God and he 304 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:11,900 trusted in God. You know, and God used an imperfect man for his purpose, just like he used 305 00:40:11,900 --> 00:40:20,880 David, just like he used Samson, just like he used Gideon. These were all people who had 306 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:30,039 tremendous flaws that God chose to use. So, faith does not eliminate necessary the consequences of 307 00:40:30,039 --> 00:40:40,440 bad decisions, but it also doesn't prohibit God from using you in a powerful way. So, 308 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:42,739 wrapping this up, 309 00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:56,099 it's a great story of contrast. You know, you've got a rejected son who becomes the deliverer 310 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:06,559 of Israel. He's an outcast that demonstrates, you know, extraordinary knowledge of God 311 00:41:07,119 --> 00:41:17,179 and understands the power of God. He's a spirit empowered warrior who wins a decisive victory, 312 00:41:17,679 --> 00:41:25,380 but a reckless vow brings tragedy into his home. You know, it reminds all of us, 313 00:41:25,380 --> 00:41:33,980 you know, that God accomplishes great things. This is, again, a reoccurring story, a reoccurring theme 314 00:41:33,980 --> 00:41:41,860 throughout Scripture that God accomplishes great things through imperfect people, through average 315 00:41:41,860 --> 00:41:51,480 everyday people. But being used by God does not exempt us from the consequences of our decisions. 316 00:41:52,800 --> 00:42:02,480 So, you know, Jephthah knew enough about God to win the battle, but the story, it challenges us, 317 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:09,800 you know, that we need to be constantly in that, in the spirit, in tune with God, 318 00:42:10,219 --> 00:42:18,219 and not being reckless with what we say. You know, so he was rejected and cast out 319 00:42:18,219 --> 00:42:22,659 from his family, and he becomes this capable leader. He was restored, 320 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:30,860 called to deliver Israel. He was empowered by God who granted him victory, 321 00:42:30,860 --> 00:42:39,199 but there was a tragic and reckless vow that overshattered his success, you know. And, you know, 322 00:42:39,940 --> 00:42:49,539 for all of us, this should give us, again, and remind us that, you know, God wants all of us, 323 00:42:49,539 --> 00:42:58,820 as imperfect as we are, to play a part in his story, with all of our imperfections, with all of our 324 00:42:59,380 --> 00:43:08,179 stuff that we screw up on a daily basis, with all of our misunderstandings of him, with 325 00:43:09,300 --> 00:43:16,800 the whole package. He doesn't say, hey, Jamie, get your act together, and then you can 326 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:24,440 play a part in this story. He brings me into the fold with him, and he's constantly 327 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:31,659 refining me and changing me through these experiences, and he's doing that to all of that. 328 00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:41,159 And, you know, I didn't read ahead. Maybe we'll read about how Jephthah was, you know, learned 329 00:43:41,799 --> 00:43:46,679 through all of this, and it changed something, something in him, and said, you know, I need to 330 00:43:46,679 --> 00:43:51,960 stay in that spirit instead of getting caught up in it and kind of going off on my own. 331 00:43:52,420 --> 00:44:07,000 We don't know. So, I kind of went a little longer. Maybe we won't break down into groups, 332 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:17,679 but maybe we'll just do some Q&A here. How does that sound? Yeah. It was a lot, 333 00:44:17,739 --> 00:44:27,000 so I went a little longer. Sorry. Questions. I mean, does it raise anything as we were going 334 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:33,300 through the text, did anything jump out and say, well, that didn't make sense, and I'll do my best 335 00:44:33,300 --> 00:44:39,539 to try to answer. I can't guarantee I will be able to answer it. Or is there anything that kind 336 00:44:39,539 --> 00:44:46,099 of spoke to you that you can relate to in this text? Anything that jumped out that didn't seem 337 00:44:46,099 --> 00:44:48,660 right? Anything I messed up? 338 00:44:53,400 --> 00:45:01,760 I think I always can relate a little bit to Jephthah. Like, when they kick him out, and all 339 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:18,719 of a sudden they want him in that position that, you know, we were overlooked, we were 340 00:45:19,179 --> 00:45:26,000 just having a word or two of this, you know, like shopping around or something. I'm like, 341 00:45:26,039 --> 00:45:29,300 I'll tell you, I'll give you a really good deal. Like, I don't know, okay, I'm all something 342 00:45:29,300 --> 00:45:37,460 for you back, but a week later. Do you still have that? So, now they're realizing that, 343 00:45:37,460 --> 00:45:41,320 you know, what they thought they were going to get somewhere else, they actually need me. 344 00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:45,639 Right. So, that's how I connect with that part of us. 345 00:45:46,179 --> 00:45:56,400 And in all honesty, when that happens, a lot of times on the inside, I'm going, 346 00:45:57,019 --> 00:46:05,900 you know, I knew they'd be back. And on the outside, I'm, you know, I'm just kind of, 347 00:46:05,900 --> 00:46:13,800 yeah, yeah, it's all good. And, you know, I think to have that, you know, I want to be able to have 348 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:20,760 that true, you know, spirit of humility, saying that, okay, yeah, this is something that God, 349 00:46:20,900 --> 00:46:27,619 you know, brought back around. And that's hard sometimes because there's pride within us. 350 00:46:28,079 --> 00:46:32,039 Even if we're not showing on the outside, sometimes we just have that little nugget 351 00:46:32,039 --> 00:46:36,880 of pride in there that just gives us a little self-satisfaction that, yeah, 352 00:46:37,340 --> 00:46:42,599 glad they came back. So, that's a good point, Chris. Anybody else? 353 00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:52,320 Sure you are. You're Jewish. 354 00:47:08,099 --> 00:47:08,539 Well, 355 00:47:17,699 --> 00:47:27,639 Yeah, I mean, that's a, man, that's a, that's a big question, Orl. And I would say that, 356 00:47:27,639 --> 00:47:38,059 you know, that I honestly, I felt the same way at a point about, you know, the warfare in the Bible. 357 00:47:38,260 --> 00:47:44,860 In fact, I used to say, you know, I have such a hard time relating to the God of the Old Testament 358 00:47:44,860 --> 00:47:54,619 because he doesn't feel like the Jesus that I know and the loving God that I feel like I have 359 00:47:54,619 --> 00:48:02,019 a relationship with. And I think the more I began to understand, you know, in concepts, 360 00:48:02,719 --> 00:48:09,559 in context of what was happening, it kind of changed our perspective. Like a lot of times, 361 00:48:10,699 --> 00:48:20,860 at the heart of these warfares is, you know, God cleaning out things that are so 362 00:48:20,860 --> 00:48:29,039 perverse and so immoral that there's no way of redeeming what was there. And God is saying, 363 00:48:29,099 --> 00:48:36,659 we just have to wipe it out and start from scratch. And that's a hard concept to understand. 364 00:48:36,739 --> 00:48:45,719 But when you really get into studying some of these tribes, they were beyond evil. You know, 365 00:48:45,719 --> 00:48:54,960 children, sacrifice, the kind of most perverse sexual practices and bestiality and the kind of 366 00:48:54,960 --> 00:49:01,780 things that just, you know, makes a grown man blush just to even talk about. You know, 367 00:49:01,940 --> 00:49:12,880 and God was trying to cleanse that and remove all of that. And honestly, the warfare was prolonged 368 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:22,780 for so long because of Israel's unwillingness to follow God's exact instructions. He would say, 369 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:27,440 go in and take care of all of this, and they would leave a remnant. And that remnant would 370 00:49:27,440 --> 00:49:36,739 come back to do it. So it all comes back to mankind not following God's orders. So is there 371 00:49:36,739 --> 00:49:42,019 a point in time when the warfare really changes? And that would be most likely when they were 372 00:49:42,019 --> 00:49:49,019 taken over by Babylon. You know, so when Babylon came in and basically just took them over, 373 00:49:49,139 --> 00:49:57,280 they really didn't have the ability to do war against anyone. And I think that the real 374 00:49:57,280 --> 00:50:08,300 changing point in the history was Jesus. You know, when Jesus came and basically was 375 00:50:11,980 --> 00:50:19,099 trying to teach the Jews, this is the full meaning of all of this. This is the fulfillment 376 00:50:19,099 --> 00:50:26,920 of all of this. And there was things that were symbolic in the history here and in the laws 377 00:50:26,920 --> 00:50:32,940 and all of these things, but you're missing the big picture. The big picture is, you know, 378 00:50:32,940 --> 00:50:39,139 what this really means. And, you know, loving God and loving others is what He 379 00:50:39,139 --> 00:50:45,099 distilled it down to. So I don't know if that was a... I probably didn't fully answer 380 00:50:45,880 --> 00:50:47,860 your question, but I'm trying. 381 00:51:20,219 --> 00:51:25,159 Right. Yep. Great point. Great point. Andrew. 382 00:51:34,500 --> 00:51:39,360 I just like the whole purpose of all this evil, I guess, eventually 383 00:51:45,620 --> 00:51:54,400 are part of the same. So that's probably where the majority of violence kind of stopped. But 384 00:51:54,400 --> 00:52:01,079 still, even after that in Rome, Rome took over, there was still violence that happened in 385 00:52:01,079 --> 00:52:08,480 Rome, but when the gospel came, that's when the real... Like America wouldn't be possible, 386 00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:13,300 you know what I'm saying, without the costumes or whatever. Right. We live in a country that 387 00:52:13,300 --> 00:52:15,699 we don't sacrifice our dollars. Right. 388 00:52:18,300 --> 00:52:25,420 But, you know, the real question Arnold is isn't when did it stop, but the real question is when 389 00:52:25,420 --> 00:52:37,300 is it going to stop? And, you know, even Constantine was the first to weaponize 390 00:52:37,300 --> 00:52:44,219 Christianity and, you know, it took its form then, you know, in the crusades and all along, 391 00:52:44,320 --> 00:52:49,840 and you look at, you know, the wars and the murder and things that happened in the name of Christ 392 00:52:50,400 --> 00:53:02,579 and Jesus never, ever, ever condoned that ever. And it must break his heart to see that. 393 00:53:02,739 --> 00:53:09,840 So I think it's a... Mankind gravitates towards violence and warfare and will, 394 00:53:10,579 --> 00:53:17,280 you know, we have a tendency of perverting, you know, just about anything in the name of God's... 395 00:53:29,180 --> 00:53:34,160 You're talking about the Israelites. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. 396 00:53:37,360 --> 00:53:41,760 Yeah. And then he has used that example, you know, 397 00:53:44,739 --> 00:53:51,900 was, you know, a few weeks ago or months, you know, with Gideon, you know, where, you know, 398 00:53:52,039 --> 00:53:59,380 Gideon's thinking that, okay, you know, I'm going to be taking 10,000 men up against 130,000 men. 399 00:53:59,460 --> 00:54:04,539 And in his own mind, he's thinking that this is going to be a fight. But in God's plan, 400 00:54:04,539 --> 00:54:09,380 it was never intended to be a fight. It was going to be, I'm going to give you the battle, 401 00:54:10,099 --> 00:54:16,820 but they're going to kind of turn on themselves. So in our minds, we think of something the way it 402 00:54:16,820 --> 00:54:20,900 should be, but in God's mind, there's something completely different going on. 403 00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:30,660 You know, it stands out to me as a fact that God is willing to use us in spite of our 404 00:54:33,280 --> 00:54:40,519 tendencies to throw it all away. Because as Jesus said, he said, you have to depend on me because 405 00:54:40,519 --> 00:54:47,539 you have nothing. You have to do it through me. You have to allow my spirit to do it through you. 406 00:54:48,240 --> 00:54:53,559 Otherwise, yeah, you could fall down. But he doesn't have any expectations for us through 407 00:54:53,559 --> 00:55:01,079 otherwise, unless we are spinning a violin again. So I think a real challenge for us 408 00:55:01,079 --> 00:55:06,420 just to remember, even with the spiritual gifts we've given, they have to be used 409 00:55:07,079 --> 00:55:14,420 with his guidance and with his power to throw us. We can go off the rails any time 410 00:55:14,420 --> 00:55:19,019 and misuse them. When I'm careful, we just have to stay focused on him. 411 00:55:20,800 --> 00:55:26,760 And that was God's whole message with Gideon, right? He said, if you have 30,000 men 412 00:55:27,340 --> 00:55:35,699 against 130, you can still possibly take credit for those odds. Even if you have 10, 413 00:55:36,579 --> 00:55:42,760 you still might be able to take some credit. But if you have 300, you're not taking any credit for 414 00:55:42,760 --> 00:55:49,920 that. All the glory goes to God. And we can apply that same type of thinking 415 00:55:50,960 --> 00:55:59,440 to us from a spiritual perspective is that there's a lot we can do on our own. 416 00:56:00,159 --> 00:56:06,639 Even here with what I love about the Jebthas is that he really did, right from the beginning, 417 00:56:07,359 --> 00:56:15,099 have that faith that God was going to deliver this. And he really trusted in that. So when we 418 00:56:15,099 --> 00:56:23,300 think of the things that are in our sphere of influence and things that we do in our work and 419 00:56:23,300 --> 00:56:30,619 in our family and just the stuff that we even do here at church, how much of it do we really 420 00:56:30,619 --> 00:56:40,420 try to do on our own and in our own strength just because we can, right? Instead of saying relying 421 00:56:40,420 --> 00:56:48,900 completely on and trusting completely in God and really seeking him as we're going through the 422 00:56:48,900 --> 00:56:57,199 process of, okay, is God's spirit, is his anointing on me as I'm doing this? Am I following in this 423 00:56:57,199 --> 00:57:18,139 path? Any other thoughts? Yeah. Yeah. Again, there's a lot of subjectivity there. I mean, 424 00:57:18,760 --> 00:57:26,300 it's so easy. Having been there, I know it's easy to get caught up in a moment. 425 00:57:27,199 --> 00:57:34,980 Doesn't make us any less committed to God when we have those moments because we all have those 426 00:57:34,980 --> 00:57:43,780 moments where we just like, yeah, let's keep going with this. Yeah. How many times have we 427 00:57:43,780 --> 00:57:52,860 seen that when God moves in revivals or things like that where God is doing something just special 428 00:57:52,860 --> 00:58:01,079 in a moment and man just tries to keep that ball rolling. And it just becomes so obvious that God's 429 00:58:01,079 --> 00:58:07,880 not in it at some point, but yet we're trying to keep that thing going. We're all guilty of it. 430 00:58:08,059 --> 00:58:18,800 And I think the redeeming piece of that is that he is mentioned in the whole faith there. So 431 00:58:23,420 --> 00:58:30,800 his defining moment shouldn't be that mistake that he made in the vow. That's not his defining moment. 432 00:58:31,420 --> 00:58:34,300 I was going to say, I loved in the book of Hebrews, 433 00:58:36,059 --> 00:58:42,960 faith because it's not women's but their sins. Right. And it's like all about God's grace. 434 00:58:43,139 --> 00:58:49,679 It just proves to us that it's all Jesus and it's same with our lives. Our sins are not going 435 00:58:49,679 --> 00:58:58,360 to be remembered. Yeah. And isn't that awesome? Because so often we're so hard on ourselves 436 00:58:58,360 --> 00:59:06,000 that we judge ourselves by these poor decisions and these what we would call defining moments. 437 00:59:06,199 --> 00:59:13,340 And God just doesn't see it that way. I mean, he's up there saying, just move on. It's like, 438 00:59:13,340 --> 00:59:16,219 I don't even remember it, you know, anymore. 439 00:59:30,320 --> 00:59:35,340 An emotional moment in that. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. We've all been kind of caught up in 440 00:59:36,159 --> 00:59:47,659 those moments. Yeah. And I think, you know, it's something for us to look at and learn from, 441 00:59:48,139 --> 00:59:55,500 but again, not in a judgmental way where we say that this, you know, what a dumb thing to do, 442 00:59:55,579 --> 01:00:02,219 because we've all done it in some way, shape or form. So, all right. 443 01:00:06,980 --> 01:00:08,480 Yeah, let's pray. 444 01:00:11,400 --> 01:00:18,619 God, we thank you for your grace and your mercy and your love for us, God. And we thank you, Lord, 445 01:00:19,280 --> 01:00:28,219 that we are not defined by our failures. We're not defined by our missteps, 446 01:00:28,219 --> 01:00:36,320 Lord, and the mistakes that we make and just the things that we do out of our imperfection, 447 01:00:36,320 --> 01:00:47,579 Lord. But we know that we are your children. We are your beloveds. And that is how we are 448 01:00:47,579 --> 01:00:56,559 defined. And that's how you see us, Lord. You see us, Lord, through what your Son Jesus did. 449 01:00:56,559 --> 01:01:02,500 You see us through the shed blood from the cross and the resurrection power. And you see us, 450 01:01:02,960 --> 01:01:11,059 you see our full potential, God. You see the best version of us that we could be, the version that 451 01:01:11,059 --> 01:01:16,199 you have planned and designed from the beginning. And that's what you see. And our time here on 452 01:01:16,199 --> 01:01:23,539 Earth is just a process where you are transforming us, God, into that. And we thank you for that. 453 01:01:23,539 --> 01:01:28,699 We thank you for every learning opportunity. We thank you for these stories, Lord, in Scripture 454 01:01:28,699 --> 01:01:38,420 that help us to see clearer the path you have for us, Lord, and to see clearer the grace 455 01:01:38,420 --> 01:01:45,779 that you want to extend further and further and further to us, Lord. We give you all the praise and 456 01:01:45,960 --> 01:01:54,360 glory tonight, God. And we just pray, Lord, that you give us practical opportunities this week to 457 01:01:56,140 --> 01:02:03,699 apply some of this in our lives and with others, Lord. We pray for opportunities to be able to 458 01:02:03,699 --> 01:02:09,639 share your kingdom this week, Lord. And we pray for opportunities to be able to minister 459 01:02:10,199 --> 01:02:17,699 to those in need, God, who need your spirit and need your grace, Lord. And we thank you, Lord, 460 01:02:19,820 --> 01:02:25,360 for salvation, Lord. We thank you, Lord, that you brought us into your kingdom, God. We thank you, 461 01:02:25,360 --> 01:02:31,059 Lord, that you are continually refining us, Lord, and drawing us closer to you, Lord. We pray 462 01:02:31,679 --> 01:02:36,539 that you be with us, God, as we travel home tonight, Lord, and for the rest of this 463 01:02:36,539 --> 01:02:46,320 week. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church as we praise God and 464 01:02:46,320 --> 01:02:52,159 discuss His word. Don't forget to join us for Worship Lives Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. 465 01:02:52,420 --> 01:02:56,599 Eastern on YouTube. Be blessed and have a great day.