God stopped Abraham, why didn’t he stop Jeptha?

Question

Judges 11, It appears that human sacrifice is acceptable in this case. Why? Terribly disturbing story!

I understand the "lesson" of don't make rash vows or promisses, but God still tought a "lesson" with the Abraham story that didn't end in death.

If God commands people not to commit human sacrifices but then teaches a lesson with one, how dose that work?

Answer 1

There is considerable debate about what ultimately occurred with Jephthah's daughter. A hint is found in this part of the passage: "Then she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I." (Judges 11:37)

Since she would mourn because she would never know a man, it appears that she would serve the Lord as a living sacrifice, since you are correct that God neither expects or demands human sacrifice. In Jeremiah, God is clear about that: "... to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin." (Jeremiah 32:35)

Answer 2

I went to a Catholic College. Of course I had to take some religion classes. Probably the only thing I remember is that the Old Testament passed away when it was fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. Makes sense, the god in the old testament, cannot be the same as God from the new testament. They are much too different. I've decided I don't want anything to do with the old testament god. I don't think he is the same one that Jesus talked about. The old testament god cannot be the same God of the New Testament.
There are no editions of the Bible that are flawless. Look into the history. Books were thrown out. Pieces of it were put together from different parts of the book like a puzzle. Books were hidden when Christians were persecuted and killed. (Read the Gnostic Codices). Before the Bible was let loose to the people, many people edited it for content. Also it was written two centuries after Christ was crucified.There is a reason why so many people believe in so many gods, because there are so many beings who have god-like powers.

Blessed Be

Answer 3

The Catholic Biblical Encyclopedia by John Steinmuller, has the following:
For help in a victory, Jeptha offered to offer up a sacrifice of whatever came out of his house upon his return (judgs 11,30f) After his glorious victory over the Ammonites (Jdgs 11.32) , his only daughter and only child met him first upon his return. Thereupon he was greatly troubled, but determined to fulfill his vow after allowing her to bewail her virginity for two months. It became a custom among Israelite women to mourn her sad fate four times a year (Jdgs 11, 34-40). Some scholars believe that her sad fate was perpetual verginity, since childrearing was much coveted under the Old Testament. The common opinion, however, is that Jephte offered his only child as a human sacrifice. The fact is mentioned by the sacred writer, but not approved. This brave soldier displayed great faith in combating the enemies of Israel, and it is this faith that is praised by St. Paul (heb 11,32). In the desire for victory, Jephte pledged an unlawful object, which he afterwards erroneously believed he must furnish to Yahweh.

Answer 4

The differences are major. With Abraham's case, God commanded him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to test his faith and love for God. In Jephthah's case, he made the vow rashly and without endorsement from God. The latter example demonstrates that as Christians we should never make rash vows without carefully thinking about it.

Answer 5

in the old testament, the spirit of God had not been poured out on all people, many only lived by the letter of the law, not the spirit of the law. There is undoubtly a deeper message in judges 11 that you are missing. Jesus was the ultimate human sacrifice. will study Judges 11 and get back with you

Answer 6

If I remember the story correctly, Jephthah offered the first thing to greet him after he returned home from the victory awarded by GOD. In this case Jephthah started the agreement. With Abraham it was a request of GOD and a test.

Both are proof of GOD's power and grace since the daughter should have died that very moment but was allowed a period to come to grips with her life.

I think it's best to say that when dealing with GOD you better be ready for the consequences.

Answer 7

Abraham acted on faith as he was obedient to follow God's command to slay his only son. God had already promised Abraham that his seed would numerous, powerful, and a blessing to all humanity. (The Abrahamic Covenant) If God was to be faithful to his promise, God would have had to intervene somehow in the sacrifice's process. Acting on faith, Abraham was counted as being righteous (Hebrews 11) to follow God's command, essentially to see how God would "work things out."
Were Isaac to have died in the sacrifice, God would have to somehow provide a miracle to fulfill His promise to Abraham.

There was no such promise to Jephthah in the Old Testament. On the contrary, Jephthah was a mighty man of valour (brave) and fought against the enemies of Isreal. As the son of a prostitute, Jephthah made a promise to God to offer the first thing that came out of his house as a burnt offering sacrifice.

The difference?
God made a promise to Abraham.
Jephthah made a promise to God.

Moral of the two stories?
God is faithful to His promises, and He expects us to be faithful to ours.

Answer 8

The narratives in the Old Testament were told/ written to serve a moral message about the relationship between God and man.
The events thus may not be entirely compatible with each other as these were independently formulated to illustrate the moral message the OT author had in mind.

Answer 9

Mathew Henry's Commentary on the passage says this:

Jdg 11:29-40 -
Several important lessons are to be learned from Jephthah's vow. 1. There may be remainders of distrust and doubting, even in the hearts of true and great believers. 2. Our vows to God should not be as a purchase of the favour we desire, but to express gratitude to him. 3. We need to be very well-advised in making vows, lest we entangle ourselves. 4. What we have solemnly vowed to God, we must perform, if it be possible and lawful, though it be difficult and grievous to us. 5. It well becomes children, obediently and cheerfully to submit to their parents in the Lord. It is hard to say what Jephthah did in performance of his vow; but it is thought that he did not offer his daughter as a burnt-offering. Such a sacrifice would have been an abomination to the Lord; it is supposed she was obliged to remain unmarried, and apart from her family. Concerning this and some other such passages in the sacred history, about which learned men are divided and in doubt, we need not perplex ourselves; what is necessary to our salvation, thanks be to God, is plain enough. If the reader recollects the promise of Christ concerning the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and places himself under this heavenly Teacher, the Holy Ghost will guide to all truth in every passage, so far as it is needful to be understood.

abraham was before the law was given, jeptha was after......even in the 10 commandments it says do not kill so fro jeptha to have actually burned his daughter would have been sin....not acceptable to God. his trying to bargain with God was just as wrong. God doesn't work that way. whether or not he actually sacrificed his daughter or not I don't really know. all we have to go by is his promise and that he did according to his promise. one thing to consider tho, in the new testament we are told to offer ourselves up as a living sacrifice so its possible that the theory mathew henry gives is what happened.

Answer 10

You are not to commit adultery, but some do and the lesson follows their course of action