Hasty Vows

I have been reading parts of my bible that creak when I open them. You know the parts: the deep recesses of the Old Testament we never hear about in sermons, the parts that are riddled with family lineages and successions of rulers. In my study of obscure texts, I came across a story of one guy I swear I have never heard of in my life. Since I heard of him, however, I do not think I will ever be able to forget his story, found in Judges, chapter eleven. His name is Jephthah. His claim to shame was his hasty mouth, so I feel I have a lot in common with this man.

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."

32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.

34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break."

I read that story completely expecting some angel to stay the hand and the Lord to provide a ram or something, as he did for Abraham. But there was no angel. The hand did not get stayed. A lamb was not provided. The story that begins with a hasty vow has a very unhappy ending. After I read of the virgin daughter’s willing participation in helping to keep her father’s vow to the Lord, I still looked for some glimmer of correction from God. After all, He is the one who lay down the law in Deuteronomy about not sacrificing your sons or daughters to the Lord. Where was this guy’s punishment? It didn’t come.

Jephthah was appointed to lead Israel for a time. It was said of him, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him.” Why, then, would he make such a rash and incomprehensible statement before the Lord? The answer is the same as the reason every human fails: we are made out of meat! Even when the Spirit of the Lord is upon us, the part of us that tends toward rottenness can still mess things up.

In the case of Jephthah, his downfall was his mouth: that tiny little rudder that, according to James, can steer a large ship right to disaster. Proverbs 29:20 says, “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” The times a man has been brought low by the words of his mouth are many. The trouble the tongue can bring upon its possessor is immense. Consider the thoughtless quips, curses, promises, and jibes in our speech.

“1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.

3 As a dream comes when there are many cares,
so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.” (Ecclesiastes 5)

I am currently dealing with a statement I made to God when I was twelve. I have been convicted by it since I read of Jephthah. While I deal with that, I have learned the importance and the desperation with which Solomon wrote those last words, “Therefore stand in awe of God.” There is one thing I can assure you: whatever awe is, it is not a sudden burst of oratory. I think I’ll be still and know that He is God.