[One-Verse Meditation]

Judges 11:11 (NIV) “So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their head and commander. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.”

[Meditation]

When the Ammonites attacked, Gilead was in a panic. In yesterday’s meditation, Israel had clearly repented before God and abandoned their idols. And yet, their first question was not ‘Let’s pray to God,’ but “Whoever will launch the attack…?” (10:18). They still sought to solve this problem through a strong human leader, which is why they ended up seeking out Jephthah, the ‘son of a prostitute,’ whom they themselves had driven out.

From this point on, the decisive difference that Jephthah brings becomes clear: the name of ‘the LORD.’ The elders of Gilead saw this fight as a human problem of ‘who will fight,’ but Jephthah shifts it to a problem of faith by asking, “If the LORD gives them over to me…” (v. 9).

In the end, the elders of Gilead swear, “The LORD is our witness,” and Jephthah becomes their head. And the next scene continues like this: “And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.” This short sentence reveals everything about Jephthah’s faith. Wasn’t it a confession like this?

“Lord, You saw everything, didn’t You? Lord, You heard everything, didn’t You? I now look only to You. You were always with me in a life that no one paid attention to. Now, I go forward, trusting in You.”

God uses the stone rejected by people to accomplish His will. Therefore, His work always surpasses our expectations and is consistently breathtaking.

[Prayer] Lord, You watch over every part of my life and are always with me. It is grace to recognize and acknowledge You, and it is thankfulness to trust and walk with You. Let me live today, enjoying the joy that comes from that grace and thankfulness. Amen.
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(Daily Reading)

Judges 11:4-23