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How to Sacrifice your Daughter
There are some difficult passages in Scripture.
These are the passages that some of my atheist friends love to bring out, almost always Old Testament, and point to the barbarism and savagery and say something like “this is why I reject your mythological God.
He does or commands or approves of things like this.”
There are some difficult passages in Scripture.
These are the passages that some of my atheist friends love to bring out, almost always Old Testament, and point to the barbarism and savagery and say something like “this is why I reject your mythological God.
He does or commands or approves of things like this.”
Trying to win after it was already over.
This is one of those go-to stories.
It is the story of a leader of Israel sacrificing his daughter to Yawheh as a burnt sacrifice… and no one stop him, and apparently no one ever even says he did something wrong.
Silent approval?
Let me introduce you to my friend.
In Hebrew his name is Yiptah, in English we call him Jephthah.
As you probably all know, that is Jeff Rood’s full name: Jephthah.
(That’s a falsehood)
So let’s call him Jeff.
Jephthah
The Back Story
Judges 11:1-
First Negotiation
Second Negotiation
Judges 11:
Jephthah begins retelling history.
We didn’t take land from you, the Ammonites or from Moab.
Remember, 300 years ago, the Israelites in the wilderness?
They went around Edom and they went around Moab.
They fought the Amorites, not the Ammonites.
And our God gave us the power to possess their land.
You hold the land that your God, Chemosh, gave you the power to possess.
And remember Balak, king of Moab back then?
He didn’t complain then, why do you complain now?
And then comes Jephthah’s big statement of faith.
It ultimately doesn’t matter what happened in history, let Yahweh judge.
Statement of faith:
War
Circles around to the east side of Moab.
Tricks them.
God gives Sihon, king of the Amorites, into his hand.
Statement of faith:
Judges 11:
Diplomacy and reconciliation.
An appeal to history, an appeal to peace, an appeal to religion, and a statement of faith and confidence in the God of Israel to Judge in favor of Israel.
Judges 11:22
Judges 11:2
So let free the dogs of war!
The Vow
First, the Spirit of the LORD
Then the vow.
On the eve of battle now, he is at the appointed place, the appointed time, he has come upon the Ammonites.
Whatever comes out from the doors of my house?
What does he think that will be.
Sure enough he goes off to war.
Judges 11:32
Judges 11:35
(Note: he blames her)
Aftermath
What Did Jephthah do?
At first read, the apparent interpretation is that Jephthah just sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering.
Some have argued that Jephthah dedicated his daughter to be an eternal virgin, essentially a nun dedicated to temple service.
They argue that Jephthah is a good man and the attention here is on her virginity, not on her death.
This is unlikely for a few reasons.
Even if Jephthah was (surprisingly) of the tribe of Levi, as an illegitimate son his daughter would be ineligible for temple service.
Further, it doesn’t make much sense of his radical grief when she comes to greet him, or daughters of Israel lamenting her for centuries after (when the author is writing).
I think the brutal reality here is that Jephthah sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering to
Argument that Jephthah simply devoted his daughter to a lifetime of virginity, essentially a nun?
Unlikely, especially with people remembering her in mourning for generations.
There is no judgment in the text here.
It doesn’t laud his vow, it doesn’t condemn his vow or his act here in Judges... and that is difficult.
… but the context of Scripture around it does indeed condemn Jephthah as both foolish in his vow and immoral in his act.
The law absolutely condemns human sacrifice:
and what’s more, the law provides for someone making a rash vow
Lev
Reporting the event is not sanctioning it.
Following through on a foolish vow is not an act of honor but doubling down on foolishness.
This is pride masquerading as honor.
Reporting the event is not sanctioning it.
“Honor” (pride masquerading as honor)
Shamanism
What drove Jephthah to the vow?
Let’s look carefully at the order of what occurred.
The Spirit of the LORD descended upon Jephthah.
THEN a foolish vow of sacrifice “if you will give the Ammonites into my hand”
Then the LORD gave them into his hand.
If we remove the foolish vow, we see the expected pattern with the rest of the Judges.
Spirit of the Lord comes upon the judge, judge leads Israel in victory, peace.
Jephthah’s vow was unnecessary and foolish.
Why would he make it?
Jephthah’s vow was unnecessary and foolish.
My opinion: this was an attempt to manipulate God into doing what Jephthah wanted.
If I make a vow bold enough, a sacrifice big enough, then God has to support me in battle.
My opinion: this was an attempt to manipulate God into doing what Jephthah wanted.
If I make a vow bold enough, a sacrifice big enough, then God has to support me in battle.
This is paganism.
This is shamanism.
You make the right ritual, the right sacrifice, you say the right words, you call on the right name… and the god, or God, or the heavenly vending machine has to deliver what you are wanting.
This is a deep and persistent temptation in all religious activity.
Because if we could get this right, it would be an absolute game changer.
Want to have your prayers answered every time, just the way you want?
Pray like this.
Want to name your miracle and claim it?
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