Overcoming a Tough Start

SOCIETIES tend to have low expectations, sometimes downright hostility, for children born out of wedlock. Such was the case for Jephthah.

The product of his father’s dalliance with a prostitute, Jephthah was not only excluded but also expelled from his more “respectable” family. He led the life of a criminal, though he and his gang of raiders may have harassed the Ammonites more than the Israelites (Judges 11:1-3).

The irony of Jephthah’s life was that when Israel faced war with Ammon, the leaders of his hometown came looking for Jephthah to deliver them. They offered no apology; they merely appealed for help. Jephthah agreed to help them after negotiating his terms (Judges 11:9–11), and God gave him the victory (Judges 11:33).

Jephthah’s life illustrates that God can overcome any background and use any set of circumstances to accomplish His purposes.

Courtesy of Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.