The Unsuccessful Diplomat (Judges 11:12-28)

2/4/2010 7:53 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  The unsuccessful diplomat

 

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Judges 11:12-28

 

            Message of the verses:  “12 ¶  Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, "What is between you and me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?" 13  The king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan; therefore, return them peaceably now." 14  But Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon, 15  and they said to him, "Thus says Jephthah, ’Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the sons of Ammon. 16  ’For when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh, 17  then Israel 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 also sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh. 18  ’Then they went through the wilderness and around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came to the east side of the land of Moab, and they camped beyond the Arnon; but they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19  ’And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, "Please let us pass through your land to our place." 20  ’But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people and camped in Jahaz and fought with Israel. 21  ’The LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 22  ’So they possessed all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness as far as the Jordan. 23  ’Since now the LORD, the God of Israel, drove out the Amorites from before His people Israel, are you then to possess it? 24  ’Do you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the LORD our God has driven out before us, we will possess it. 25  ’Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive with Israel, or did he ever fight against them? 26  ’While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? 27  ’I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me; may the LORD, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.’" 28  But the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded the message which Jephthah sent him.”

            Dr. Wiersbe points out two things about Jephthah from this passage, the first was that he knew the Scriptures, and the second was that even though he was a military man he was not hotheaded for he was seeking peace with Ammon, but would fight if the need arose.

            In this section Jephthah points out four compelling arguments that should have convinced the Ammonites that they were wrong:

            First, he presented the facts of history (vv. 14-22).  In this section Jephthah reminds the envoy that it was Moses who has asked the Ammonites for safe passage through their land when Israel came out of Egypt, but was turned down.  Because of the war broke out and Israel won. 

                        His second argument was that the Lord had given Israel the land (vv. 23-24).  The Ammonites had taken the land from Moab so if their god could defeat the god of Moab and they did not return the land like they wanted Israel to do, why should Israel return the land.  Jephthah give glory to the Lord for their victory.

            Jephthah’s third argument was that Israel had lived on the land for centuries (vv. 26-26).  A round figure of Israel’s time in this Trans—Jordan land that Israel was living in was three hundred years.  That is longer than the time the U. S. A. has been living in our land.  It seems to me that the king of the Ammonites was just trying to get some land and if he could do it without a fight he would do it, but this was not to be.

            Jephthah’s final argument was that the Ammonites were actually fighting against the Lord (vv. 27-28).  God had given this land to Israel and so it was Ammon who would be fighting against the Lord and this would only be a disaster for them as they would find out.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Know the Word of God and give glory to the Lord of the Word is seen in this section of Scripture and these are things that I desire to do in my life too.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Continue to know the Lord better and better, and to give glory to the Lord.

 

2/4/2010 8:26 AM