C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON For April 19, 2020 God in the Administration of Man. UNIT Two: THROUGH THE JUDGES / LESSON SEVEN / PART II.
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C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
God in the Administration of Man.
UNIT Two: THROUGH THE JUDGES / LESSON SEVEN / PART II.
April 19th, 2020.
II. JEPHTHAN: A MAN OF HIS WORD (Judges 11:1-40; 12:-1-7).
In any action and step we want to take, or in making vow unto the Lord, we must think deeply before doing it, because any vow made before God must be fulfilled; it is like a written contract that cannot be broken anyhow.
A. SUCCEEDS, FULFILLS HIS VOW (11:1-49)
Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthan, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizphaz of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon (11:29).
i. vv. 1-8: God was punishing Israel for their apostasy. His mercy then came to play. Jephthan was the man He saw. Gilead’s choice of Jephthan was actually God’s choice. Though the son of a harlot, God is the deciding factor:why did he not die among the worthless? God has nothing to do with your background, if you are ready for Him (cf. Heb. 11:32). God does not know a bastard who has not declared himself one.
ii. v. 9: And the Lord delivered them to me… Jephthan, though a ‘vagabond’, had God written at the centre of his heart. God loves such people, regardless of their backgrounds. Divine probation gave him confidence (cf. Ron. 8:31).
iii. vv. 21-23: Israel did not take the land of the Ammonites; God gave it to them. After all, the Earth is His (Exod. 19:5; Psa. 24:1; 50:12).
iv. v. 28: The Spirit of God came upon Jephthan. God ordained him and gave him an excellent spirit (cf. Dan. 6:3), making him more bold, wise and courageous than even princes and terrible kings (Jos. 1:6,7; Psa. 76:12). Those who make God their potion and strength will always succeed, for God is the Man of war.
v. vv. 30-40: And Jephthan made a vow to the Lord. This is a further commitment of his way unto God in prayer (Matt. 6:9-13). He expressed His gratitude to God by fulfilling this vow, however difficult (cf. Psa. 76:11; Eccl. 5:4,5).
vi. In God’s law, a vow is a promised to God that should not be broken. It carries as much force as a written contract that must not be broken. When God gave victory to Jephthan, he fulfilled his vow, though it was very difficult. That is a man of integrity. Do you keep your words?
B. SIX YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP (12:1-7)
And Jephthan judged Israel six years. Then Jephthan the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead (v. 7).
i. vv. 1-3: The proud and envious men of Ephraim (cf. 8:1) challenged Jephthan who humbly attributed his victory to the Lord (not himself) (cf. Prov. 11:2; 16:18). Though his people saw his as brave and strong, the strength of the Lord was his position (cf. Psa.73:26). Most likely, God deliberately didn’t allow those Ephraimites to join him so that all glory might be His. Hallelujah!
ii. vv. 4-6: God in action. He subdued the Ephraimites for Jephthan and the men of Gilead. Their defeat must be seen as an act of God’s righteousness; He paid them for their pride, racism, arson upbraiding, etc (12:1,4). Stop saying ‘Raca’ (Matt. 5:22)! God looks afar at the proud (Jas. 3:6; 4:6).
iii. v. 7: Yahweh accorded Jephthan the privilege to judge Israel for six years (Heb. 5:4). Six years of partnership with the Lord, is six years of Israel victory, success and blessings. Is your relationship cordial with Him? Remember, He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). Let us do our service/leadership as unto Him (Col. 3:23)!
iv. The people of Israel had just won a great battle, but instead of joy, the people of tribe of Ephraim sparked off a fight with them. The insults of the Ephraimites brought destruction upon them.
v. And the Lord delivered the Ephraimites to the hands of Jephthan, because he recognised that the LORD is the only one who could really lead His people and help them to conquer the enemies.
LESSONS DERIVED
1. God works His way among men to actualise His purposes; the weak He makes strong.
2. There is no bastard before the Lord, except those who willing separate themselves from Him.
QUESTIONS
1. X-ray God-factor in the victory Gideon had for his people.
2. With respect to Jephthan’s call, explain this statement, “with God, there is no castaway”.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWER TO QUESTION 1.
i. Refer to division I.
ii. Gideon was hiding when God came for him. It was God who discovered and called him, not otherwise (cf. Jn. 15:16)
iii. Gideon’s lack of confidence didn’t hinder God from using him to do exploits in giving victory to Israel.
iv. The Lord gave Gideon guidance and full support in the battle.
v. Gideon understood that it is only God who gives peace. He built an altar as memorial of the presence of the Lord that brings peace.
vi. God helped Gideon to separate the men to be used for the victory from the others. Gideon couldn’t have been able to do that alone.
vii. God gave Gideon the needed morale booster to move him on towards doing the exploit.
viii. It was God in action, leading through Gideon to deliver His people from their enemies.
ANSWER TO QUESTION 2.
i. Indeed, with God, there is no castaway. Jephthan’s life and experiences prove this very correct. We are talking of one, despite being a valiant warrior, wasn’t seen as fit to be the leader, because of his background.
ii. His father was Gilead but his mother was a harlot. What a terrible mix. He was rejected based on the antecedents of his mother.
iii. It was so bad that his step-mother and half-brothers looked down on him, treating him so cruelly. He was driven away, not only from his father’s house but also from the entire homeland.
iv. Just imagine what a painful childhood Jephthan was. For his family that were supposed to be people that loved and accepted him, even if no one else did, to have rejected him, is one of the most painful things anyone can experience.
v. He must have indeed felt worthless, a reason he became “a valiant warrior” in order to survive. He had to become tough inside and out, to be able to survive in the cold world around him. He had to bring together some misfits and outcasts to form a gang that lived as raiders and plunderers of Israel’s enemies.
vi. Unknown to virtually nobody including Jephthan himself, God was actually preparing him for the task of leading His people out of the bondage of their enemies.
vii. God made it that as time passed, Jephthan became reputable among the people, as being quite a leader. His military exploits caught the attention of especially the Gileadites. God, silently administering His people towards His purpose.
viii. Soon, those people who had treated Jephthan worse than scum, returned to beg him to come help them defeat their enemies. Thank God for Jephthan who sought the Lord’s assistance, which Yahweh didn’t deny him. After all, he was only acting His script, unknowingly.
ix. It is too glaring that, Jephthan’s life and experiences show that with God, there is no castaway. Your past, notwithanding, God’s very purpose and programme for you will be fulfilled as long as you readily align with Him.
LIFE APPLICATION
Jonathan Hill, in his book, “What Has Christianity Ever Done For Us?” pondered on why the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1436. Could it be because the movement for the transaction of the Bible into the languages of the people from Latin, the language of scholars was just coming up, since voices were declaring thy all people should have the right to read God’s Word for themselves? John Wycliffe did his English translation about 1382; Martin Luther was warming up to produce the German Bible (1522); William Tyndale was also about doing his (in 1524), for which he would lose his life and burnt at the stake. Was it a coincidence that Gutenberg invented his printing press about this time when the Bible, for the first time, was being translated into the people’s languages, and ready to be mass-produced? Or was God overseeing history and ensuring the spread of His Gospel?
It is more than a coincidence-PROVIDENCE, i.e. God’s guidance in history. As Gideon hid himself industriously doing his job, and Jephthan was going through his better early childhood experiences that led him into banditry, both of them little knew that God was working in their history to bring about His eternal redemptive purpose to pass in their own times. How do you view your life and experiences, today—coincidence, or providence? If you see God working out something good for you in those situations, as the Governor/Administrator of all nations and situations, you will be the best for it.
CONCLUSION
God’s love is not abstract, but it is immanent. He showed it when He heard the cry of His erring and punished but repentant people, Israel, forgave their sins and provided a deliverer for them. He ruled over and led His people to resounding victories through the weak He made strong. He chose the right persons to help them fight their battles, notwistanding the background and bitter experiences of such leaders. God’s love and supremacy are universal. He rules over all, both the sinners and the saints. His judgment is righteous. There is no disappointment in His government. We need to believe and have total trust in Him. Shalom!
DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING FOR WEEK TWO
Mon. 13: God Desires Righteous Judgment (Deut. 16:18)
Tue. 14: God Desires A Ready-Servant (2 Cor. 8:16-24)
Wed. 15: God’s House must be in Order (Acts 6:1-7)
Thur. 16: God Uses Even the Heathen Kings (Ezra 6:14)
Fri. 17: God Recompenses Accordingly (Gal. 6:9)
Sat. 18: God will Help You (Isa. 41:10)