Did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter to the Lord? If so, why did God allow it? - Podcast Episode 221

[@bonappetit5906]

Thank you so much for doing these. They are so helpful!

[@anonymous5762]

Awesome job clarifying the possibilities

[@BrideofChrist1026]

Thank you. These have been so helpful.❤ Learning the Bible is a little here and a little there plus reading the text from cover to cover. It is not neat and tidy. God teaches us what we need to know and makes it timely to benefit our walk with Him and those we influence. Learning the Word of God has been the greatest adventure of my life. I am 66 and have learned more in the last 5 years than ever before.

[@Sgomes-is4or]

Hard to find a great theological podcast so im glad to have found this. Especially with three different perspectives

[@Christianjuniorkalambay]

i love this series of podcasts

[@tonyrosselli647]

I appreciate the open discussion and honesty with the level of uncertainty on this passage. Yet, in another GotQuestions video discussing this same passage (animated version), the explanation is less ambiguous and heavily implies there is no way that Jeptha burned his daughter as a sacrifice. When the narrator of that video reads the passage, Jeptha’s words of ‘offer as a burnt sacrifice’ are even omitted. I continue to wonder how and when interpreters and apologists choose to utilize a direct clear meaning interpretation of a Bible passage and other times when to try and infer a meaning, especially if it doesn’t follow with their ideas in what God would/wouldn’t do in a scenario. At one point in the video , one of the speakers says that trying to bargain with God isn’t wise, so Jeptha should have known that wasn’t an option or something God would want. Yet doesn’t Abraham plead with God and bargain/negotiate with him to not destroy Sodom if he can find fewer and fewer righteous people? Each time God changes its mind and agrees to the negotiation. So it seems there are some Biblical grounds for bargaining with God and it being accepted. Towards the end, it gets into discussions of what God would or would not accept. Seems like a lot of interpretation on the human side of this to presume to know what God would do, or what the actual sin is in this scenario. It seems that God intervenes in human affairs very directly in the Old Testament. God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac then stops him (as one example). So why didn’t God intervene here? Why didn’t God stop Jeptha immediately after making the vow? Say, “No, I don’t want that, try some other vow.” But that’s not what the text says. It also says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jeptha. What influence did God have in Jeptha making that vow? When did the Spirit depart from Jeptha? Did it ever? In other passages we see God agree to send a deceiving spirit to influence the mind of King Ahab, so it’s now out of the realm of possibilities that this was God’s idea.

[@YouDontKnowMeSoYouDontKnowJack]

Reposting my comment from the short: He made a rash promise to God without thinking and then he made it even worse by following through with it. He could have repented to God of his unrighteous vow and maybe God would've judged him like He judged Samson for his unrighteous actions. There's no doubt that God never wanted Jephthah to sacrifice his daughter. God doesn't accept human sacrifices.

[@BrideofChrist1026]

Your comment is spot on. Thank you.

[@None-if3mo]

I don't think he actually sacrificed his daughter. If he did,why would Hebrew 11 mentioned about him being one of the righteous? Not only that why would his daughter be allowed to go with her friends for 2 months basically gave her the chance to run away(weird enough she didn't run away). All of the things suggest that he didn't actually burnt her to death

[@None-if3mo]

The passage was ambiguous, if the writer wanted to make it clear that he burnt her to death, he shouldn't have said that Jephthah let his daughter went away for 2 months.

[@Revival91]

if God has not revealed it to us, it is not worth commenting on this verse. If it was necessary, He would definitely have revealed it. In both cases, it would be difficult for us. Deut.29:29”The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

[@juliespade1573]

As a burnt offering, gone, lost to never redeemed physically. I believe she was there in the temple to serve.

[@theprincessthepea441]

Thanks for sharing. I recently read this and was pondering how God accepted it. I wondered why Jephthah didn’t consider renegotiating with God instead. I also wonder where did his daughter go after she died.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

doesnt say God accepted it.

[@theprincessthepea441]

@@Lauren-vd4qe It might be unknown. Makes for a good conversation.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

@@theprincessthepea441 God condemned people who sacrificed their children, clearly. So He likely allowed it, but turned his back on Jeph when he did it, took the child to Heaven, then severely punished Jeph for makinig the vow to begin with. thats my take on it. The Bible doesnt tell us everything that happens in every circumstance stated.

[@theprincessthepea441]

@@Lauren-vd4qe In my perspective, I would believe God would turn the situation around for the good in the case for Jephthah's daughter. I agree, the outcome for Jephthah is pondering. It opens for good conversation and perspective. Very thought provoking. Perhaps God intended for us to consider our decisions and His judgements from this story and example. It's interesting. There is so much interwoven content in the Bible.

[@irasoso32]

Helpful, but you didn't really address how someone who could make such a vow and not repent still is a hero of the faith (Heb 11)

[@UnaGorriona]

Interesting..He is mentioned in Hebrews 11

[@None-if3mo]

He probably didn't sacrifice his daughter or else why would he let go his daughter for two months? Anyone with common sense would know that his daughter could probably ran away, but weird enough she didn't. I believe he didn't actually sacrifice her, at least not as burnt offering.

[@None-if3mo]

There are many hints that he didn't sacrifice his daughter, such as how his daughter knew about the vow yet didn't seem terrified when she met her father. Rabbis views aren't reliable either, if they are reliable they would have found Jesus.

[@anonymous5762]

Perhaps he did repent afterwards, I wonder why it was never clarified in the word

[@Tay-cg1pt]

We don’t know that he didn’t repent. These passages don’t always tell every facet of a situation. And in Hebrews those men are rewarded for their faith. In my opinion, as it pertains to Jephthah, it could be pertaining to his faith that God would give him victory as oppose to his sacrifice. But again, we’re not always given all the fine details, so we’ll never truly know this side of life.

[@deanfry879]

I have wondered if the daughter heard Jephthah's vow and made sure she was out the door first. She strikes me as speaking like she has thought about her response, not like she was surprised.

[@5Grace111]

Where is Pastor Nelson?? Is he alright? Havent been seeing him teaching scripture for a very long time😮.

[@deanfry879]

He has been on at least twice in the past week, and doing very well with his words.

[@5Grace111]

@@deanfry879 good to hear that! Probably is due to time difference that I've missed his teaching for a long while. Will catch up with your awesome videos! God Bless your ministry until He comes 🙏 🕊🌿

[@flutep2069]

Jephthah said, “whatever comes first out of my house…”, not “whoever comes first out of my house…” He was probably thinking of a domestic animal? Just wondering.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

He did it, but it doesnt say that God accepted it. He likely turned His BACK when it happened.

[@fredsosu6776]

Was there a temple in Israel at that time?

[@Tay-cg1pt]

They had the tabernacle, which came before the temple and was a portable. Although at this point of time, I’m sure it stayed in the same place in Shiloh. That’s where they sacrificed

[@robertpineda9063]

Would God accept human sacrifice? Isn't that what He hated when the heathen would worship their false gods like Molech? Was there a precedent prior to this where the Lord accepted a human as sacrifice? To my recollection, Abraham's son had a substitute offering.

[@sunnyjohnson992]

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 clearly tells us that human sacrifices are disgusting to him. God would curse, not bless someone who did that. Jephthah was fighting the Ammonites who practiced human sacrifices.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

no

[@Octavius634]

Jesus says to not make a vow. A simple yes or no is sufficient. Anything other than this comes from the evil one. If he sacrificed his daughter, Yahweh was not pleased.