“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to
tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also,
and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the
violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made
strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
You will find Jephthae’s story in Judges chapter eleven. I
believe his faith is exemplified in not just the victory he obtained but also
that he did not withhold his daughter from the Lord even though she was his
only child.
When Jephthae was to go to war he vowed before God that if
he was victorious, he would offer to God anything from his house that
comes out
to meet him first on his return.
“And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold,
his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was
his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to
pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter!
thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I
have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back. And she said unto him,
My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to
that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken
vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.”
Why do I call this an act of faith? It takes faith to give
to God that which is your best. The scriptures say Abraham’s faith was
perfected with his offering.
“Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified
(made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an
offering his [own] son Isaac? You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his
works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when
he implemented it] by [good] works.” James 2:21,22 (AMP)
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