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Scripture Reading — Judges 11:1-11
Gilead’s . . . sons . . . drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said. . . . — Judges 11:2
Do what seems right. Isn’t that what we try to do? Do what seems right in our own eyes. In our communities and our families, do we simply do as we like? Do what benefits the situation.
In the Old Testament Judges 11: 1-11 Jephthah’s family and homeland of Gilead, a part of Israel, had rejected him because his mother was a prostitute. So he fled Israel, to go to another land, where he made a name for himself and had outlaws that followed him. His homeland of Gilead had turned their back on God and worshiped other gods. That is what we - you and I — do today! We worship other gods. They may not be golden, they may not be shaped in an image that would be worthy of spending time thinking about them and spending time in their presence. But we do! What are these other gods? They are anything or anyone that prohibits us from seeking God. We need to make the choice to spend time with God. We need to keep God in our decisions.
Though Jephthah had been exiled, the elders of Gilead begged him to return to his homeland and help them fight the Ammonites, whom God had set against Israel because they had put other gods first. Isn’t there times when you feel you’re battling against some force, some situation that isn’t allowing everything to fall into place? Are we doing as we like?” Doing what seems right in our own eyes?
The elders said that Jephthah could be the leader over all of them. That sounded good to Jephthah, and he made them commit to their promise. The elders and Jephthah are like mirror images - corrupted opportunists serving themselves. They did what seemed right in their own eyes.
What do we do? In our communities and our families, do we simply do as we like? Or do we try to seek out God’s will, reflecting on the teachings of his Word to us, asking the Lord for guidance, and searching out the wisdom of others who believe and trust in God? If we only do what seems right in our own eyes, we won’t be much different from Jephthah and the Gileadites, acting in line with our sinful nature.
God has provided another way. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life and to give up his own life for our sake. He defeated our worst enemies—sin and death—so that we can live at peace with God. Praise be to God!
Make the choice to spend time with God. Keep God in your decisions.
Lord, thank you for the Savior who brings us full life with you. Amen.
Pastor Dorothy Hotchkiss of Webster’s Crossing UMC and Groveland Federated Parish.
dhotch2@frontiernet.net 585/406-7030 cell/text
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