The story of Jephthah is one of the saddest to be found in the Scriptures. Jephthah was driven from his home by his half-brothers because his mother was a prostitute. Later he was called back to his city because the Gileadites needed a leader to fight against the Ammonites.

Jephthah accepted their invitation and vowed before the Lord that whatever came out of the doors to meet him when he returned in triumph he would offer as a burnt offering on the altar of God.

His only child came forth to meet him, dancing to the sound of tambourines. Jephthah's daughter was a wonderful person. Her pure character was revealed in her response to her father:

What a heartbreaking situation! Some have said the vow was fulfilled by her remaining unmarried. The Scriptures do not allow this interpretation.

And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, (Judges 11:39)

Her father "did with her according to his vow." He offered her as a burnt offering to the Lord.

Jephthah created his own problem. God did not ask for his daughter. But neither did the Lord prevent Jephthah from keeping his vow.

People who do not know the Lord, including many of today's believers it seems, have no idea of the Gethsemanes experienced by the heroes of faith. This is why the teaching of today is that Jephthah's daughter wasn't sacrificed after all but merely required to go through life without a husband.

The Christians today do not understand how God could permit His own people to experience a holocaust. This is because their treasures are on the earth instead of in Heaven.

The Christians of today have never really thought about the agony of Calvary, their fellow Christians being eaten by lions in the arena, the believers who have been burned alive for their faith.

Jephthah, for all his wisdom in writing to the king of Ammon, made an extremely foolish vow. Didn't he realize there was a strong likelihood that it would be his daughter who would come out to greet him?

Perhaps his daughter never had come out to meet him before. Evidently his house was large and filled with servants because his daughter came out dancing to the tambourines—tambourines played by others. Perhaps he had in mind to sacrifice a servant—it certainly would not have been an animal.

The point is, Western Christians are soft, not realizing how severely some people suffer, how cheap life is in some countries. A careful reading of the Book of Judges will give us some idea of the severity of life, especially the way women were treated. The willingness of the elderly man to sacrifice his daughter to the mob is one example.

Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. (Judges 19:24)

To be continued.