There are a number of major characters in the Old Testament that we’re not familiar with. ³²I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more—Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . .

It seemed as if I’ve never heard the name Jephthah before and I had to go and do some reading to find out about him. In the previous piece we talked about Rahab the prostitute, and here is another link to Jephthah. Jephthah’s father, Gilead, was a bit of a philanderer and even visited a prostitute. Jephthah was born from these antics of his father.

Gilead’s wife also had a son. When the boys had grown up, they chased Jephthah away because his mother was a prostitute. But when the paw-paw hit the fan and another nation threatened to invade them, who was the only one brave enough to take on that nation? Jephthah, a prostitute’s son.

And so, Jephthah was included in the company of the big names like Gideon, Barak, Samson, and David… Why? ³³Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves.

With a bag filled with faith and God backing him, Jephthah put the king in his place. No, he wasn’t the strong one. God did it. But he had to believe that God would do it.

I wonder if Jephthah was upset about the fact that although he was the eldest, he didn’t receive anything from his father’s stores. Even worse, he was chased away like a bad dog. But that didn’t prevent him from obeying God’s command.

Even less did he allow himself to be affected by his origins. He was actually born from sin. He was born because of an act that was wrong in God’s eyes. It didn’t make him feel inferior. Rather, he used this “disadvantage” and allowed himself to be shaped into the number one choice to take on the other king and his army.

I know we’ve been belabouring this point, but God does use crooked sticks to hit straight shots. Jephthah actually had good reason to go and sit in the corner singing the song, “Nobody loves me, everybody hates me”, out loud. But that is not what he does. He grabs the opportunity to be motivated by it to make a success of his life.

Life often gives an easy excuse not to fulfil our God-given calling. “I don’t have money. I don’t have time. God wouldn’t want to use me. I sin a lot! I’m not much …”

If God can use prostitutes and their children, He can use you too. Just fill your bag with faith and trust that God will do what He promised to do. That’s always a good partnership.

Scripture
Hebrews 11:32-38

Reflection
Do you think God wants to use you?
Do you think God can use you?
Do you know that God will use you?

Prayer
Father, I’m not always that sure that I’m good enough to be used by You. But I do know that You can use any person on earth, no matter his or her past. So, I come to You now to say that I want to work for You here on earth. Please show me where and how. In Jesus’ Name, amen.