Knowing Your History, Seriously, Know It.
Don't assume things about people. Take Jephthah for instance. This is a man who was born to a prostitute and driven from his family. He was disregarded until the nation needed his strength for battle against the insurgent Ammonites. But what we learn is Jephthah brings more to the battle than just his ability to fight.
When Jephthah is installed as military leader over Israel, he diplomatically interacts with the Ammonite king before simply venturing into battle. He sends a message, he discerns the response and proves he knows history and what God has been doing.
Judges 11:14–17 (ESV) Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites, 16 but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.
While he knew the facts of God's work in Israel, he failed to grasp the underlying reasons for them. remember God's Word through Moses in Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 7:7–8 (ESV) It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Jephthah forgot that God did not act on behalf of Israel because of what they offered to Him. God acted on their behalf because of His Love for them and His Promise to Abraham. The sacrifices and offerings were given in response to God's that, never too secure it! And what seems like a little detail for Jephthah to grasp is actually of immense proportions.
Likewise, if we fail to understand that we are saved and secured in God not by our works but by His unmerited favor, we will fall into the trap of foolish vows and empty religious activity seeking to earn what God offers as a gift. If you cant EARN your salvation, how can you UNEARN it?
Now if this seems too good to be true, you may be on to something. This is the good news. You come to God freely because of what Christ has done for you in the past in God demonstrating His love. You also come to Him and lay down not just your sin but your silly religious practices because they don't impress Him anyway. God gave Jesus for you because He CHOSE to be good to you. When you get this, you can live confidently in your present embracing your future because what is true for you was settled long ago in the past.
When Jephthah is installed as military leader over Israel, he diplomatically interacts with the Ammonite king before simply venturing into battle. He sends a message, he discerns the response and proves he knows history and what God has been doing.
Judges 11:14–17 (ESV) Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites, 16 but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.
The above scripture is the first part of a long response from Jephthah to the lies and deceit coming from the king of Ammon. Jephthah is well equipped to set the record straight. How? Because he knew his nation's history. Of all people, this son of a prostitute understood the value of knowing the truth of Gods works in his nation's history.
I fear tremendously that the youth of America have forgotten and/or forsaken the truth of our Nation's history. No, the founding fathers were not all die-hard Christians, but they understood limited government was only possible for people who practice moral restraint by way of personal religion. Consider the words of John Adams, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
However, it's not all good news for Jephthah and we learn something important. While Jephthah was confident of what God could do, he wasn't sure God would do it without Jephthah "earning it". So he makes a vow to offer the first thing out of his house. This vow will cost him his daughter's life and it teaches us the danger of works righteousness.
What is works righteousness? It is this sense that a Christian is made right with God or kept in the good graces of God because of how well they perform as Christians.
What is works righteousness? It is this sense that a Christian is made right with God or kept in the good graces of God because of how well they perform as Christians.
While he knew the facts of God's work in Israel, he failed to grasp the underlying reasons for them. remember God's Word through Moses in Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 7:7–8 (ESV) It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Jephthah forgot that God did not act on behalf of Israel because of what they offered to Him. God acted on their behalf because of His Love for them and His Promise to Abraham. The sacrifices and offerings were given in response to God's that, never too secure it! And what seems like a little detail for Jephthah to grasp is actually of immense proportions.
Likewise, if we fail to understand that we are saved and secured in God not by our works but by His unmerited favor, we will fall into the trap of foolish vows and empty religious activity seeking to earn what God offers as a gift. If you cant EARN your salvation, how can you UNEARN it?
Now if this seems too good to be true, you may be on to something. This is the good news. You come to God freely because of what Christ has done for you in the past in God demonstrating His love. You also come to Him and lay down not just your sin but your silly religious practices because they don't impress Him anyway. God gave Jesus for you because He CHOSE to be good to you. When you get this, you can live confidently in your present embracing your future because what is true for you was settled long ago in the past.
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