A Foolish Promise

A Foolish Promise

Q: Which judge’s foolish promise cost him his daughter?

• a. Samson
• b. Jephthah
• c. Samuel

Have you ever made a promise but not been able to keep it? Perhaps you promised that if God would help you pass your test, you’d study every night so you’d be ready next time. Or maybe you promised a friend you’d do something for him or her in exchange for a favor. Even though you meant well, you didn’t follow through.

Jephthah promised that if God gave him victory over his enemies, he’d sacrifice the first thing that ran out his door to meet him when he got home. He may have been expecting the family pet, but unfortunately his daughter was the one who ran out to greet him.

There is a lot of debate over how Jephthah kept his promise. Did he sacrifice his daughter as a burnt offering? Or did he sacrifice her to the Lord’s work, where she would serve in the Tabernacle the rest of her life instead of getting married? Most scholars believe Jephthah’s daughter was given to serve in the Tabernacle because God forbids human sacrifice.

The sad thing is that Jephthah didn’t need to make the promise in the first place. God chose him to be the deliverer, so the victory was already Jephthah’s as long as he obeyed God. He just had to claim the victory.

For You

God will help you when you ask him. You don’t have to promise him anything. God won’t be swayed by promises, anyway. All he asks for is a heart that loves him.

Answer: b

When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters. When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. “Oh, my daughter!” he cried out. “You have completely destroyed me! You’ve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.”   Judges 11:34-35

(The Whole Story: Judges 11:29-40)