One person in the Bible who made a vow that later got him into trouble is Jephthah. Who is Jephthah? He was a Gileadite, a mighty warrior and His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute (Judges 11:1). Jephthah’s father had other sons and these “legitimate” sons drove Jephthah away. They told him this: “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” (Judges 11:2). Jephthah might have had a difficult time and although he managed to get a band of scoundrels following him, Jephthah was still an outcast. Jephthah had just one child, a daughter. “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer served him, he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.” (Judges 10:6-8). 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.” When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. (Judges 11:31, 34) Jephthah was called upon by the leaders of Israel to lead them to war. Jephthah reminded the elders of how he was treated by his brothers. “The elders of Gilead said to him, “Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be head over all of us who live in Gilead” (Judges 11:8). Before Jephthah went to fight the Ammonites, he made this vow: “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” (Judges 11:31). Obviously, God didn’t ask him to make any vow in order to secure victory. Jephthah was not expecting a non-human to come out and welcome him. He knew that such a vow would obviously demand a human sacrifice. Did Jephthah miss Torah classes? Did he forget God’s warning against human sacrifices? In Leviticus 20:1-5; “The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.” Jephthah’s argument would be that the sacrifice was to be made to God, but the story of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22) shows that God does not delight in human sacrifices. The victim of Jephthah’s vow was his only child. Beside her, Jephthah had no other children. She would have been loved, cherished, adored and well protected. She might have had plans for her future. She was still a virgin and obviously loved the Lord. Miss Jephthah was obviously rooting for her father to defeat the Ammonites. She might have prayed, fasted and wished to welcome her father back with joy. Jephthah’s daughter might have been full of joy when she heard of how her father led the armies of Israel to defeat the Ammonites. Her prayers were answered and she was of so much joy and couldn’t wait to welcome her father. She had no clue that her father had made a careless vow, and although God had not bound him to the vow, he was determined to fulfill his vow. “When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter.” (Judges 11:34). Jephthah was shattered, “when he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.” (Judges 11:35). “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.” (Judges 11:36-37). Her request was granted and “after the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin” (Judges 11:39). Jephthah’s daughter was a victim of an unnecessary sacrifice. God had warned the people against human sacrifices and Jephthah’s act shows his lack of knowledge or his rebellion. Most importantly, before you make any vow, consider the consequences of the vow. How will your vow affect you and the people around you? Don’t promise what you cannot give. Don’t say more than you are allowed too. Be careful with your words and don’t let any careless vow lead you or the people around you into trouble.
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