A Box of Chocolates World

 

Continuing a Series on “Living by Faith”
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Judges 11:1-11; 29-33; Hebrews 11:32

[Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Each person is commended for living “by faith”. Following these commendations we read, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, continue to live “by faith”.]

  

Forrest Gump was famous for saying, “My Momma always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates’. You never know what you’re gonna’ get”.

 

Jephthah faced a life just like that. Historically, the setting was in Canaan, in the region of Gilead. The Israelites had once again, sinned against the Lord by worshipping other gods. As a result, the Lord had given them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites, who oppressed them for eighteen years.

 

It was during this period of history that Jephthah was born into a problematic family. His father was Gilead, the patriarch of the family. But his mother was a prostitute; very possibly a temple prostitute serving a pagan god.

 

Because of his mother, and to keep him from getting any inheritance, Jephthah’s step-brothers drove him out of the house. He had no control over who his parents were, yet he paid a severe price, and became an exile.

 

Rejected, and living in a foreign land, we read that Jephthah “had a band of worthless rebels following him”. He was an outcast without a family, who learned to survive on his own. Eventually, he became known as a mighty warrior.

 

Because of this reputation, when the Ammonites mounted a war against Israel, those same step-brothers, who had spurned him before, came begging for his help. Jephthah was tempted to reject them, like they had done to him. Instead, he listened to God’s call.

 

²⁹ Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites… ³² Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands.              NIV

 

Like Jephthah, we live in a “box of chocolates” world where you never know what you’re gonna’ get. It can be painful, out of control, hopeless and capricious.

 

But as Christians, we know that our Lord is sovereign; that He has a plan that includes us; that He loves us so much that He sent His only son to die for us; that He is always with us.

 

Indeed, there is a balm in Gilead.