Judges 12 - Day 304 (link to today's reading)
Scripture: Judges 12:1-7 Commentary: Ephraimites’ complaint. The Ephraimites are inclined to be contentious (see with Gideon, 8:1 and comment there), but while Gideon is able to assuage them, here the complaint escalates into civil war. None of the territory taken from the Ammonites had been allotted to Ephraim, but their allotted territory was across the Jordan from the Ammonite lands. It should also be remembered that the tribes of Israel were set up as individual entities joined together by their common faith and heritage. The only formal leadership they recognized was the leadership of their national God, Yahweh, and the tribal leadership of elders and clan heads. Jephthah represented a departure from that because he was given a formal position of rule (see comment on 11:8–10). This may have been viewed as a threat to other tribes. Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament (electronic ed., Jdg 12:1). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Application: God allowed Jephthah to purge the contentious Ephraimites from the nation. I'm not sure how to process this, but I understand that the freedom God gives us shouldn't be used to abuse others or be a trouble-maker. Prayer: Lord, change my contentious heart... Comments are closed.
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January 2024
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