Again Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah... And Jepthat made a vow to the Lord; "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."
...who should come out but his daughter...
"Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry."
that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
Because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.
The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him. and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
From Judges 10 - 13 NIV
The Lord can use us all, no matter what our background is for His purposes. Here a mighty warrior, Jephthah, is shown to have a checkered background. Nonetheless, this warrior defeats the Ammonites. The warrior, a man of integrity, spoke powerful words. God's Word is powerful and, with integrity, our words too are powerful.
One can only speculate what Jephthah was thinking when he made the vow of giving to the Lord by burnt offering the first thing that came out of his house when he returned victorious. What was he thinking...that a squirrel would come out of his house. I say again, one can only speculate. A tradition of commemoration starts in memory of his daughters two months in the hills.
Samson is born. A Nazirite. One set apart to God. He will begin the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines.
One might see many parallels to Christ in Samson. Some parallels that might be picked up include: an improbable birth, appearance of the angel of the Lord, and effect of the Spirit of the Lord in life. Perhaps the most important parallel, however, is the role of deliverer. Samson was to deliver Israel from the Philistines. Jesus was to deliver humanity from sin.
Do you realize that God uses ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things? He does not focus on your past. He focuses on your faith.
How do you and how can others tell that you are thankful for the sealing by and of the Holy Spirit?
How can others tell that you are thankful for the gift of eternal life from Jesus work for you?
Give praise for what God has done.
In Christ,
David P
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