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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 -

 

 

 

JEPHTHAH’S NEGOTIATIONS WITH AMMONITES

Judges 11:12-29, 10/30/13

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     AMMON’S POINT OF VIEW (12-13)

 

A.    In spite of Jephthah’s past, the people of Gilead ask him to become their chief (Jdg 11:8). Jephthah accepts after the people swear an oath before the Lord to make his head (Jdg 11:9-11). His first plan as head was to attempt to negotiate with the invading Ammonites (Jdg 10:17; 11:4).

B.    [12] Jephthah at least goes through the motion of attempting to solve the problem between the king of the sons of Ammon and Israel. He asserts himself as the strong leader and inquires as to why they are fighting against “my land.”

C.    [13] The king of Ammon replied with the claim that  Israel took way his land when Israel came up from Egypt. The land was from the Arnon River to the Jabbok and the Jordan. The only peaceful solution was for Israel to return their land immediately.

 

II.    JEPHTHAH’S POINT OF VIEW (14-22)

 

A.    [14] While the king’s assessment was not totally inaccurate (Nu 21:24), there were extenuating circumstances that would ethically explain Israel’s possession. Jephthah sent a reply explaining those extenuating circumstances to the king of Ammon.

B.    [15] But it inevitably meant that Israel had not in fact taken the Ammonites land away from them.

C.    [16] Jephthah explained the correct history account. Israel came up from
Egypt through the wilderness to the Red Sea to Kadesh (Nu 20:1).

D.    [17] Israel approached the king of Edom to allow Israel to pass through their land. The king of Edom rejected their request (Nu 20:14-21). The Pentateuch does not record Israel’s request to the king of Moab but it was confirmed by inspiration here.

E.    [18] So Israel went into the wilderness around Edom and Moab stopping on the on the side of Moab territory. They went as far northward as the Arnon River (the border of Moab), but emphatically did not enter the land. The Lord had given earlier instructions not to fight against Edom, Moab, and Ammon because these peoples were all related to Israel; and God had given them their own territory (Dt 2:5, 9, 19).

F.     [19] Evidently, Ammon was also having land disputes with Moab (Dt 21:26) and the Amorites. For Moses did not approach the Ammonites but the Amorites to pass through their land. Jephthah’s account agrees with Nu 21:21-22 that Moses approached king Sihon, king of the Amorites.

1.     One wishes that Jephthah would have defined the eastern boundary more clearly since Ammonite territory lay in that direction. According to Numbers 21:24, however, Moses’ conquest reached up to the Ammonite border but did not include any of their land. Yet some of the kingdom of Sihon may have once belonged to the Ammonites, since the tribe of Gad was allotted “half the Ammonite country” in Joshua 13:25. Based on the borders at the time of Israel’s conquest, Jephthah’s case is a strong one. Moses had seized only Amorite territory and had avoided any open conflict with either Moab or Ammon. EXP

G.    [20] Not only did Sihon refuse Israel’s request, but he did not trust them an engaged in attack against Israel. Sihon went out into the wilderness to fight against Israel at Jahaz (Nu 21:23).

H.    [21-22] The Lord fought for Israel and gave Sihon and his land into their hands. Israel possessed all of the land of the Amorites from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. Its eastern border was Jazer, which bordered the boundary of Ammon. Its western boundary was the Jordan River.

 

III.  JEPHTHAH’S REASONING (23-27)

 

A.    [23] Often in Old Testament warfare, battles were essentially fought between the gods. Israel’s claim was that it served Elohim (the Great One, chief among all gods), El Shaddai (God Almighty, stronger than all gods), and El Elyon (Most High God, higher than all gods).

B.    Jephthah reasons that their God, the  LORD” (Yahweh - Self-Existent God) is the “God” (Elohim - the Great One, chief among all gods). It was their God who drove out the Amorites, why then should the Ammonites have the land back?

C.    [24] The Ammonites served “Chemosh” (the destroyer, subduer, or fish-god, the god of the Moabites, Nu 21:29; 1Ki 11:7, 33; 2Ki 23:13). Satirically, Jephthah replies satirically that the “destroyer,” and the “subdue” certainly can protect that which is his. According to the Ammonites, Chemosh is responsible for giving their nation the land that they have. If the national-god principle is true for the Ammonites, it should be true for Israel. Besides, Israel did not take any land from the Ammonites, only the Amorites.

D.    [25] Jephthah reminds the Ammonites of Balak, the king of Moab. He attempted to get Balaam to curse Israel so that he could regain Sihon’s land. But Balaam was unable to curse Israel and repeatedly blessed them to his own surprise (Nu 24:10). Balak then recognized that the land was Israel’s and there God protected it. This included the villages of Aroer and all the cities on the bank of the Arnon River. For that reason, Jephthah did not have to fight against them.

E.    He brings another argument. Israel possessed the land for over 300 yrs. If the Ammonites thought it was theirs and wanted it back, why did they wait until now. This argument revealed that the Ammonites were greedy opportunists, attempting to take land from the weakened nation of Israel.

1.     The mention of the 300 years fits in neatly with an early date for the Conquest. Those favoring the late-date theory view it as a round number denoting several generations (like 480 in 1 Kings 6:1) or as a total of what were actually overlapping periods. The number of years given thus far for the periods of oppression and peace comes to 301, not counting the 18 years of Ammonite oppression. EXP

F.     [27] Jephthah’s conclusion was that he and Israel have not sinned against the Ammonites. They have substantial reason for claiming the land. The Ammonites on the hand do not. They are actually the offenders by making war. If the only solution of peace is give up the land that is rightfully theirs, then there would be no peaceful solutions. War would be inevitable and it would be a battle between the gods. Jephthah looked to the Lord to be the Living Judge and he would settle between Israel and the Ammonites by fighting for them.

 

IV.  JEPHTHAH’S DIVINE CONFIRMATION (28-29)

 

A.    [28] The king of the sons of Ammon understood Jephthah’s position but disregarded it. Let the battle between the gods commence.

B.    [29] At this point we see the divine affirmation that Jephthah was the leader of Israel. In the typical fashion in Judges, the “Spirit of the Lord” came upon Jephthah to enable him to carry out leadership for Israel (Jdg 3:10; 6:34; 146). So Jephthah went through Gilead, Manasseh, and Mizpah gathering troops for battle.

 

V.    OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

 

A.    Cool heads prevail (Pr 16:32;17:27)

1.     Jephthah demonstrates his leadership qualities by keeping a cool head and trying to work a way of peace.

2.     Anger and lack of control over emotions demonstrate a kink in the armor of leadership and maturity.

B.    Live at peace with all men, if possible (Ro 12:18)

1.     We may not always be able to live peaceably with some people. But we must make sure that it on their account and not ours.

2.     Even after we have tried all we can do to maintain peace, but to no avail, we must give in to bitterness but keep an attitude of readiness for peace.

C.    The battle of the gods continues (Ro 8:31ff)

1.     The battle without - the battle of the gods without is a constant defense of the faith. Whether it is those who believe in other gods or those who have no god at all, our faith and defense must be bold.

2.     The battle within - This battle might be a little more difficult. The idolatrous gods within our heart of anything that is raised above God, must be subdued. But even in the midst of battle, our God loves, is for us, and nothing can ultimately be against us.