Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Judges 11:34-40
by: Steve Osborn.
I suppose we could debate the virtue Jephthah keeping his promise to God even though it was excruciatingly painful. But it is difficult to imagine that God was pleased with Jephthah’s sacrifice of his daughter. It seems likely that Jephthah kept his promise out of personal pride more than devotion to God: “I took a vow and I will keep it.” The bottom line—Jephthah made a foolish vow that God never asked him to make. Do you ever barter with God like this? “If you will do this for me, I promise I will never miss church again.” It is important to keep our commitments to God. However, it is equally important to make sure those commitments honor Him and reflect His will.