Jephthah the Gileadite was the son of a prostitute. His brothers drove him out of Gilead. But when the Ammonites began to threaten Israel, the elders sought Jephthah, because he was a mighty warrior. Jephthah knew that they only came because they were in trouble, but they persuaded him to come back. In their desperation they needed Jephthah to lead them. They made him their head and commander.

When the Ammonite king claimed the land of Gilead east of the Jordan, Jephthah gave him a lesson from history. The land in question, originally Ammonite territory, had been conquered by the Amorites. Israel had taken it from the Amorites (Dt 2:24-37) and had occupied it since. It was God who gave the land to the people of Israel. The Ammonites' god was too weak to give it back to Ammon. But God is able. Jephthah served God who is the giver of all things.


Application: Lord, you are the giver of good things. Raise spiritual leaders with a sense of history to serve you today!
One Word: Take hold of God's gifts