September 4 ▪ Day 247

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 22:22–23
Judges 11–12
II Corinthians 5–6
Psalms 63

Verse Focus (Proverbs 22:22–23)

²²Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
     and do not crush the needy in court,
²³for the LORD will take up their case
     and will exact life for life.

Meditation

Today’s proverb speaks of how the LORD Himself will balance the scales of justice on behalf of the poor. As Proverbs 22:22-23 says in the NIV, “Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the LORD will take up their case and will exact life for life.” The ESV says, “Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.” I also really like how the CSB translates this proverb: “Don’t rob a poor person because he is poor, and don’t crush the oppressed at the city gate, for the LORD will champion their cause and will plunder those who plunder them.”

What’s interesting about this proverb is that it is not telling us that the poor person will be rescued from being exploited, or from the losses he or she experiences at the hands of the ruthless. Rather, the one who robs, exploits, crushes, or oppresses the poor will find himself robbed, exploited, crushed, and oppressed. The proverb is talking about divine justice — karma. You will reap what you sow.

You might wonder what happens to the poor person. What about the one who was originally wronged? Well, this particular proverb doesn’t address what God will do for that person other than to say that God will “take up their case.” It’s clear, though, that however God chooses to rectify the situation for the person wronged, it is unlikely to be in the form of immediate consequences to the offender. Indeed, both for consolation and condemnation, there is often a gap between the offense and the divine consequences.

Why does God “delay” the after-effects? 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” For the offender, God gives the individual an opportunity to recognize and repent of his or her wrongdoing, as well as the opportunity to make amends. For the offended, God allows the individual to experience tribulation in order to allow that person to grow in faith — to trust God and see both how He will use these events to grow one’s character and how He will eventually set things right. Joel 2:25 says, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.”

Father God, help us to always remember your divine justice. May we sow generously, and reap the same. Keep us from sowing to selfishness, unkindness, or oppression. Thank you that you do champion the poor, and that you will set things right — both for the oppressor and the oppressed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Judges chapter 11 contains the Biblical story about Jephthah and his daughter. This story is the very first thing that comes to my mind when I think about why it’s important to read the Bible with friends. Some things in the Bible are surprising, some things are difficult to understand, and some things are just horrific. When you come across some of these incomprehensible passages, it can help to bounce your thoughts off someone else. It’s comforting. So I will tell you straight out. Jephthah and his daughter? That’s one really messed up story and one really messed up judge.

I mean, I know that in God’s eyes sin is sin. It makes no difference to Him how bad a sin it is. Even something “minor” (from our point of view) is enough to separate us from a holy God. But in terms of human society, there is a huge difference between various kinds of sin and the consequences it has on others. We’d all agree that speeding is bad. Stealing is also wrong. But murder is way up there on the list, and — in terms of societal impact — murder is so much worse than theft. So how Jephthah can be so oblivious as to think that his honor in keeping his word to God is more important than the sin of human sacrifice — it’s just mind boggling. The only rationale I can come up with is that perhaps Jephthah was so corrupted by Canaanite influences that he didn’t realize that God abhors human sacrifice (see, for examples, Leviticus 18:21, Deuteronomy 12:31, and Deuteronomy 18:10).

Granted, the topic of human sacrifice in the Bible is simultaneously very clear-cut, as well as very complex. God makes no bones about it. God has never commanded human sacrifice, nor did it ever even enter His mind to do so (Jeremiah 7:31). In the Torah, God makes clear that the people that belong to Him must be redeemed with money (see, for example, Exodus 13:11-16). An animal can be sacrificed, but not a person. Simple. Clear-cut.

But then there’s the whole story about Abraham and Isaac. We know that God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, but it was a test for Abraham — not something that God intended that Abraham should actually do. One test was to see if Abraham would withhold anything from God; another test was to see if Abraham would still trust God even though Isaac was the promised son through whom God had said He would fulfill even more promises. Then there’s the fact that God Himself did not hold back His Son from us, but allowed Jesus to be sacrificed on our behalf. Thus the topic of human sacrifice is also more complex. Harder to understand and sometimes difficult to reconcile with all the other things we know about God and who He is.

There are some other fascinating things going on in Judges 11 in this story of Jephthah. First, there’s a comparison to Abimelech. Like Abimelech, Jephthah was also a child with lower social status. Jephthah, however, was actually illegitimate; he was the “son of a prostitute (v. 1).” And while things may not have been cozy between Abimelech and his half-brothers, Jephthah’s half brothers completely rejected him and even drove him out of the country. Like Abimelech, Jephthah was also surrounded by “worthless fellows (v. 3).” But he gained military expertise, and so the leaders of Gilead — and his own family — eventually sought Jephthah out and asked him to come back and lead them in the fight against the Ammonites.

Jephthah certainly knew his history! I thought the interaction between Jephthah and the king of the Ammonites was particularly interesting. Jephthah tried using a diplomatic approach first. I suppose, because the Israelites in this time seem so ignorant of the different aspects of God’s laws, I also assumed that they wouldn’t know their history as a people either. But Jephthah knew exactly what his forefathers had done and not done when they came out of Egypt.

Verses 29 through 31 are particularly challenging, as we see the circumstances of Jephthah’s vow. Verse 29 tells us, “Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.” But then the next two verses are where Jephthah makes this ridiculous vow to sacrifice “whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me (v. 31)” should the LORD give them victory over the Ammonites.

If nothing else, this chapter is a warning about making vows! On the one hand, Jephthah experienced the presence of God’s Spirit as he moved across the landscape toward the upcoming battle with the Ammonites. Did Jephthah want to give something back to God? Or did he feel like he must bargain for God’s help? Or perhaps he really felt like he would owe something to God if God were to give them the victory in this situation.

But talk about stupid! What did he think would come out to greet him once he returned home?!! His dog? Some chickens? A lamb? His wife??? But, no. Of course it turns out to be his daughter, his only child.

I suppose these verses make it clear that being directed by God’s Spirit does not protect you from your own stupidity. God used Jephthah to subdue the Ammonites; he devastated 20 of their towns and removed them from being a threat. In other words, God used Jephthah to rescue the people of Israel — however, having God’s Spirit did not suddenly turn Jephthah into a wise person. Had he known the law, Jephthah would have known that God does not want people offered as burnt offerings to Him. Had he known the law, he would have also realized that the high priest could have released him from this imprudent vow. In fact, there’s a tradition in Jewish Rabbinical literature that says that Jephthah was too proud to go back on his vow. He was inflexible and hard-hearted.

The daughter’s response is also fascinating. She accepts that her father must honor the vow, and offers herself more or less willingly. (If you recall, in Rabbinical tradition Isaac was also a willing sacrifice for Abraham.) In some ways, her response reminds me of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In verse 36 she tells her father, “Do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.” She only requests a delay of two months before she is sacrificed, so that she may go “weep (v. 37)” for her virginity with her friends. And so a custom develops whereby “the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year (v. 40).”

In Judges chapter 12, the men of Ephraim are furious that Jephthah fought against the Ammonites without asking for their help. This is exactly how that tribe had reacted a century earlier when Gideon had saved Israel from the Midianites! Yet Jephthah is not able to appease their anger with smooth talking like Gideon was able to do. Instead, the conflict becomes a conflagration with Israelites fighting against Israelites — and 42,000 Ephraimites are killed.

Of all the judges, Jephthah is the one who ruled for the least amount of time. (Of course, Abimelech ruled for only three years, but he was not called to save Israel. Abimelech’s story is one of pride and hatred, a sad coda to Gideon’s legacy.) Many interpret that there’s a connection between the length of time that a judge rules and how godly that particular judge was. But, as we see from the next three minor judges that are mentioned in chapter 12, the cycles between disobedience and the need for a new champion are getting shorter and shorter. Ibzan of Bethlehem — likely the Bethlehem in the territory of Zebulun rather than the one in Judah since the Scripture usually refers to the one in Judah as either “Bethlehem Ephrata” or “Bethlehem in Judah” — ruled for seven years. Elon the Zebulunite ruled for 10 years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite (from the tribe of Ephraim) ruled for eight years.

2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us that “we are ambassadors for Christ.” Indeed, much of the chapter speaks of how God has passed on to us “the ministry of reconciliation (v. 18).” As Paul continues with this theme in chapter 6, he tells us in verse 2, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Six months ago these were the same two messages that stood out to me 2 Corinthians 5 and 6: we have been given the ministry of reconciliation, and now is the time for us to act.

But even as I look at these same messages, I focus not on what we are supposed to do, but on what this tells us about God. God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And after giving us this immeasurable gift, He allows us to share in this same ministry of reconciliation. In other words, God takes us into His heart and allows us to do what is most important to Him. The ministry of reconciliation is not just an awesome responsibility that we have been given, but rather it is us sharing in God’s love and generosity. Before I was thinking about this call completely from my own perspective. But it’s so much richer if I stop to think about it from God’s perspective.

Even the urgency of the present moment — that now is the time of God’s favor and that our current season is the day of salvation — makes more sense from God’s perspective. God lives outside of time, but we are restricted to the present as we move chronologically from the past into the future. Now is the only time we have to act. And it is also the place where God’s transcendence intersects with our reality. We can remember past faithfulness and rely on future promises, but it is only in the present that we truly experience God. So of course now is the time of God’s favor.

Psalm 63 is a wonderful prayer of desiring God. David compares the desire for God to our most basic physical needs — water and food. Without water, we die within just a few days. We can survive for longer without food, but after air and water, food is our most basic need. Just as our bodies need water and food, so our spirits need God. We are faint without Him.

The problem is that we live in a godless land. We live in the Wild Wild West, where too few worship the LORD. Even those who do worship God may be ignorant of His Word like Jephthah and may not know enough to honor God properly. Like David, we live in a “dry and weary land where there is no water (v. 1).”

But enter into God’s sanctuary. Behold His power and glory. Remember His steadfast love. Sing His praises! Trust in God and you will find that your “soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food (v. 5).” Amen!

Father God, we need your Spirit desperately. We need your wisdom and your enlightenment to understand passages like today’s reading in the book of Judges. We want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, yet we do not want to be people who are simply used by you without being transformed into the image of Christ. Keep us from the kind of ignorance that dishonors your name. Help us to participate in your ministry of reconciliation. Let us experience the love that you bear for the lost in this world, and may we reach out as ambassadors for Christ Jesus. We pray in his name, Amen.