Welcome to Day 2426 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – Righting a Wrong – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible

Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2426 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2426 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.   Today is the fifteenth lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God’s redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it’s also a book that seems strange to us. While God’s Word was written for us, it wasn’t written to us. Today, our lesson is, Righting a Wrong. The story of Jephthah and his tragic vow is paralleled by other stories— including a New Testament story that subverts it. The Story After the brief judgeship of Jair (a man from Gilead), the people of Israel fell into idolatry by worshiping foreign gods (Judg 10:6). God then allowed a foreign enemy to oppress the Israelites as punishment. This time, it was the Ammonites who lived on the other side of the Jordan in a place also known as Gilead. The people immediately called on God for deliverance. Ironically, God responded by calling Jephthah, another judge from Gilead. In Judges 11, Jephthah sends a message to the king of the Ammonites. He wonders why the king is not content with the land his god Chemosh had given the Ammonites. Jephthah’s plea is flawed: Milkom was the chief deity of Ammon—not Chemosh. It won’t be the last time he makes a theological blunder. When Jephthah leads Israel against Ammon, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him for battle. Just before the fight, he utters his horrible vow: ³⁰ And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. He said, “If you give me victory over the Ammonites, ³¹ I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” (11:30-31). Upon his victorious return, it is his only child, his daughter, who greets him. The Story Behind the Story The ancient Israelites believed that geographical areas and nations were under the dominion of other gods, put there by Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had rejected the nations as His people (Deut 4:19-20: 32:8-9). The Jephthah episode reflects that worldview. Judges 11:10-11 tells us that the Israelites worshiped other gods, including Milkom. Human sacrifices were made to Milkom. Through his own theological ignorance, Jephthah wound up performing a human sacrifice, per Ammonite Milkom worship, to fulfill his foolish vow to Yahweh. He had Yahweh in view, but his perspective on worship was warped. Remember, at this time, there was no king, no spiritual leadership, and no centralized system of worship. The Story Repurposed The tragedy of Jephthah is repurposed in the New Testament story of Jesus raising the daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:40-56). The details are subtle but theologically powerful. As was the case in the original Jephthah story, this repurposing is about which god is king, and what territory is his rightful domain. Jesus is showing that Gilead is being taken back by the true God. Common Elements Jephthah Story Jairus Story Jephthah’s only daughter Jairus’ only daughter (Luke 8:42) Preceded as judge by Jair (spelled in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, as Idip) Jairus (spelled in Greek as Icíípoç) Land of Jephthah = Gilead (Judg 11:1) Land of Tair = Gilead (Jude 10:3-5) Gilead = east of the Jordan, ruled by the Ammonites in Jephthah’s day Jairus encounters Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, after Jesus’ return from Gerasa/Gadara = Gilead in the Old Testament   Contrasting Elements Jephthah Story Jairus Story An Israelite leader who worships Yahweh in the manner of false gods A Jewish leader who embraces Jesus Selfish vows result in the human sacrifice of his daughter Unselfishly pleads to Jesus for the life of his daughter An Israelite girl is sacrificed to a foreign god A Jewish girl is raised by the true God incarnate Daughter dies Daughter raised to life. Immediately before the Jairus story in Luke’s account, Jesus casts out an unclean spirit in Gerasa/Gedara. In Old Testament times, this place was called Gilead. In Jephthah’s day, this was the territory of the Ammonites who worshiped Milkom, a devourer of children. This is also the only Gospel event in which Jesus is addressed as “son of the Most High”—the title of God referenced in the Old Testament when the nations were divided, and their people were put under other gods (Deut 32:8-9). The casting out of demons marked the onset of the kingdom of God in the Gospels (Matt 12:28). By casting out these demons in what used to be Gilead, Jesus is asserting His kingly dominion over that place. On His way back from accomplishing that mission, Jesus meets Jairas, whose daughter has died. Seeing his faith, Jesus raises his daughter. The gospel writer is, in literary terms, reversing the other horror of Gilead: the human sacrifice of Jephthah’s daughter. The lessons that make up Theology Thursday on the Wisdom-Trek Podcast for the next couple of years will satisfy the statement, “I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.” I trust you’ll enjoy them—and, of course, not be bored. Reflect… If you found this podcast insightful, subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this Trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to’ Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday! See you next time for more daily wisdom!