“When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. "My daughter!" he cried out. "My heart is breaking! What a tragedy that you came out to greet me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and cannot take it back." NLT”
Judg.11.35
Discussion
Jephtha made a vow to God and this was his vow; Judg.11.30-31; ".. If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the LORD the first thing coming out of my house to greet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."NLT. So, Jephthah went out to war and the Lord granted his request by giving him a resounding victory over the Ammonites. Jephtha and his army came back rejoicing, and in approaching his house with great joy, his daughter was the very first thing/person to come out of his house to greet him. One would question the sanity of such a vow, but the vow isn't the subject of discussion today. The focus is Jephthah's commitment to his vow even when the consequences were particularly grievous to him. His one and only daughter and only child came out to greet him. If Jephthah was like the majority of us in our day, he'd have found a reasonable explanation to excuse himself from fulfilling his vows. Read again Jephthah's response in Judg.11.35 NLT. Take note of the words; "I HAVE MADE A VOW TO THE LORD AND CANNOT TAKE IT BACK.". The vow he made were just mere words that could have been changed at will. But that's where the problem is. No such thing as mere words.
The word of a man is the man himself. Your word is your integrity. Your word is who you are. This is why the bible shows us in very many ways that our word is the power we need to make a difference in our world (Prov 18:21, Matt 11:23). Isaac blessed his son’s using words and his words came to pass. So did Jacob. Elisha used his words to call out a curse on his mockers and it was fulfilled instantly. Elijah spoke and fire fell on his assailants. Paul spoke and Elymas the sorcerer went blind. And the list goes on.
The reason our words seem not to carry as much power as the words of men of old is because we change our words faster than the time on a ticking clock. If you don't take your words seriously, your world will not take your words seriously. The seriousness you give to your words, is the seriousness the elements of life will give to your words. This is why Jesus says to us; ".. let your yes be yes and your no be no!"(Matt 5:36-37). Begin the process of seriously taking your words seriously. If you say something, commit to it until you see it through. You cannot be unfaithful with your words on one hand, then expect your words to faithfully come to pass on the other hand. Commit to unchanging words from today. Shalom!
Confession
My words are powerful. I commit to being faithful with my words from now on. Amen!