Main Verse: Judges 11:1-13

Good morning!

Jeptha, a Gileadite from the tribe of Manasseh, was an offspring of an illicit relationship – something that was frowned upon. To hide their disgrace, Jeptha was sent away just like Sarah and Abraham did to Hagar and Ishmael, Ezra and Nehemiah did to the mixed marriages (Genesis 21:8-21, Ezra 9:1 – 10:17); his mother was a prostitute so his father could have been Gilead or any number of other men in that area. To make sure he did not receive any inheritance from Gilead, his brothers pushed him and so he went to Tob where he and his co-conspirators raided lands to support their families. When the Ammonites threatened the Gileadites, the leaders of the Gileadites went looking for Jeptha to seek his help and leadership; An agreement was made between the elders and Jeptha in the presence of the Lord that Jeptha would be the head of the family which would give him an inheritance in Gilead.

The choices we make in life all come with consequences. The Gileadites had a child who belonged to someone but that person wasn’t about to accept responsibility because in doing so, he would be caught in a sin like Judah was (Genesis 38). When we sin and confess it, the Lord uses the “consequences” for our benefit as in the case of Jeptha. That said, I am not implying that the “sin” was God’s best rather, the Lord made the best out of a bad situation. My encouragement for you today is that when you sin, confess it, take responsibility for it, repent, and ask the Lord to help you to use it in service to the Lord.

I.H.S. MK

Father,

Sin is a blight and the consequences can have dire effects on our lives and it creates a wall between us and the Lord. When we confess our sins and surrender our lives to You, You take what we have in our house and bless it in Your service. May the words that I write and songs that I sing be pleasing to you.

In Jesus’ Name