Judges 11:30 (KJV)
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
My study Bible calls this section “Jephthah’s Tragic Vow.” It has long been a difficult passage for many (as are several in the book of Judges). The trouble comes, I believe, when we attempt a literal interpretation without the guidance of the Spirit of God. “The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)
I’ve watched people make disastrous choices because, although we rightly hold a literal interpretation of Scripture, they cling to the letter and ignore the spirit. The Bible does teach that it is better not to make a vow than to make one and break it. But making a rash vow and keeping it rigidly is following the letter rather than the spirit.
We must also remember that Jephthah was a zealot—earnest, yet not necessarily walking closely with God. I know men who are doctrinally sound and easy to fellowship with, yet their manner lacks grace. They can be harsh, inflexible, and difficult to work with. As Baptists, we believe in individual soul liberty, and that liberty applies both ways. Even when we believe we are “right,” we don’t have the right to condemn those who understand “right” differently.
So my understanding of “Jephthah’s Tragic Vow” is this: the tragedy lies in his failure to grasp the spirit of God’s law. His harsh view of the Lord drove him into a wicked insistence to keep a vow he never should have made.
#Judges1130 #SpiritOverLetter #SoulLibertyMatters #GrowingInGrace #BibleStudyThoughts
The Letter Killeth: Soul Liberty and the Spirit of the Law
If passages like Jephthah’s vow in Judges 11 make you stop and wonder what God is really teaching, you’re not alone. Dig deeper into Scripture, learn how to discern the spirit behind the text, and grow in grace as you study the Word. If you’re hungry for clear Bible answers rooted in solid doctrine, I’d love to help you on that journey.
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