Judges 11—12: God's Dysfunctional Family
IF OUR FAMILIES were perfect, none of us would ever feel worthless or unloved, our relationships with each other would bring joy and satisfaction, and we would experience intimacy with God. Unfortunately, we are all products of a fallen world. Pains from our past continue to bring a destructive element into our present relationships. The intimacy and acceptance we crave slip away from us. Does God love us even when our own dysfunctions cause us to run from him? In the story of Jephthah, God uses this man with a broken and hurting past to illustrate what he will do to heal a broken, pain-driven world.
Warming Up to God
What effect do past pains have on your current relationships? Prepare your heart for God's healing through the story in this passage.
Read Judges 11—12. »
Discovering the Word
- Imagine that you are a psychologist and that Jephthah and the people of Israel have come to your office for family counseling. What problems do you see in this family?
- What expectations did Jephthah and the people of Gilead bring to their reconciliation (11:4-11)?
- Why did Jephthah make and keep his tragic vow to God (11:30-35)?
- After winning a great victory and sacrificing a beloved daughter, Jephthah still did not find the approval he craved (12:1). How does Jephthah deal with this latest rejection?
- Even though God provided a great victory, the characters in this story were unable to celebrate or appreciate it. How did their dysfunctions prevent them from celebrating God's mighty act?
Applying the Word
- How have you dealt with rejection in your life?
- When have your own relational dysfunctions caused you to miss celebrating a gift from God?
- How could changes in the way you relate to other people make a positive difference in the way you relate to God?
Responding in Prayer
Pray that God will build you into a person of gentleness and discernment so that you can show acceptance to others.
For Further Study
The Message of Judges by Michael Wilcock