Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman.” Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him. Judges 11:1-3 ESV
Several things we can observe in the life of Jephthah, first he was a mighty warrior, he was experienced in battle. And usually wars in their time are not being fought alone. You lead an army with you. It was also said that he as the son of a prostitute. His brothers drove him out, saying he does not deserve an inheritance from the family. For a better understanding of the story read the full chapter 11 of the book of judges. Looking at all of these scenarios, there are lessons we can find in life. The life of his parents did not define him. He was the son of a prostitute, in the minds and perception of other people, he was headed nowhere. Nobody who had been born of a prostitute could have some significance in this world. Nobody born out of wedlock nor adultery can mean anything in this world. Nobody born because the mother was raped can become significant in the future. The perception of the world or people around you will not define what God has ordained for your life. Another thing we can find here, God can and will use us in our strength not our weaknesses. He was already a mighty warrior. There were traits that were already evident in his life as a warrior. He knows how to fight, he knows how to win, he knows how to lead, and he knows how to stay alive. Wars are not sports that when you lose you can try again. They are not the Olympics where people do not die and get a chance another four years if they are still the best in their countries. In war, there is no second place. You win or you die. To be known as a mighty warrior means you keep winning, and you keep remaining alive after the battles. When his brothers pushed him away, he fled from them. He did not insist on his rights. He did not see himself as a victim. If that was the decision of these people, he can live his life on his own terms. He will not allow how people treat him to be the end result of his life. Life was not fair to him. It was not his fault his mom was a prostitute, but he did not sulk on the idea that life was unfair. While he fled in Tob, worthless men followed him. Here while was fleeing and facing his own woes and problem a group of worthless men started following him. It would have been easy to lead reliable men. It would have been easy leading your regular guy, but not worthless men. Lesson in life, when you face your own battles, you can still have time to make a difference in the lives of those around you. The moment you limit yourself with your own problems, you pitiful situation, you hurts, your pains, how life treat you, then that is all you will see. Life will be too small for you because all you see is your life as a victim. But when you do something in the life of other even while you are facing your own life situation, God can do so much more in your life, no matter what your circumstances are now. 15 March
Comments