Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church.
And it's my joy to bring God's word to you today.
A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us. We're glad that you're here.
And we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus together as one community.
And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good they don't need God's grace.
And no one so bad that they can't have it.
Which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in his word.
We're continuing this morning our series in the book of Judges.
And you'll remember that the book of Judges is about a number of things.
It's about the need for constant renewal and revival among God's people.
It's about the need for a true and faithful king.
A king who can do what no human can do, which is to change the hearts of men.
It's about the power of spirit-filled leadership.
And it's about God's grace to hard-hearted people.
People like you and me.
We're picking up this week in the middle of the story of the book of Jethwa.
I told you last week that this is one of the most challenging stories in all of Scripture to both understand and interpret.
And we began last week with Jethwa arising as this judge who was coming to rescue God's people from the Ammonites.
And everything was going great until the moment that he vowed a human sacrifice to earn somehow God's favor.
And so you'll remember we talked about the fact that 18 years of serving foreign gods can't be undone in one day.
The tragedy unfolds again this week as we see the conclusion.
And once again we are faced with the necessary, the essential reality for God's people to constantly be formed and transformed by his word.
And we're reminded of a tragedy that happens when we're not.
So with that I invite you to turn with me now to Judges chapter 11.
We're going to start at verse 34.
You can turn in your worship guide.
You can turn on your phone.
You can turn in your Bible.
No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's word.
And God tells us that his word is more precious than gold, even the finest gold.
And it's sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.
And so that's why we read now, starting at verse 34.
Then Jethwa came to his home at Mizpah.
And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances.
She was his only child.
Besides her, he had neither son nor daughter.
And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said,
Alas, my daughter, you have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me.
For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.
And she said to him,
My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord.
Do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth,
now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.
So she said to her father,
Let this thing be done for me.
Leave me alone two months,
that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity,
I and my companions.
Verse 38.
So he said, Go.
Then he sent her away for two months,
and she departed, she and her companions,
and wept for her virginity on the mountains.
And at the end of two months,
she returned to her father,
who did with her according to his vow that he had made.
She had never known a man,
and it became a custom in Israel
that the daughters of Israel went year by year
to lament the daughter of Jethpah the Gileadite
four days in the year.
I invite you to pray with me
as we come to this portion of God's word.
Our Father in heaven,
we thank you again that you haven't abandoned us.
You haven't left us as orphans in a merciless universe,
but instead, you come as a good father.
You instruct us and guide us in your word.
And we ask that you would do that very thing this morning,
and that you would pour out your Holy Spirit here in this room on us
in a special way,
and that as we look at your word,
you would open our eyes,
that we would be able to understand it,
to see it, to believe it,
that you would use it to shape us,
to form us, to change us.
And most of all,
we ask that you would show us Jesus,
that we would see his beauty more and more,
and that that would cause us to change,
to look more like him.
And we ask all of these things in his mighty name.
Amen.
Now, last week,
we left off the story of Jephthah
with a little bit of a cliffhanger.
You'll remember in verses 30 and 31,
Jephthah made this shocking vow
that he was going to provide God with a human sacrifice,
a burnt offering,
if God would simply give him victory
against the Ammonites.
The tragedy, of course,
is that God's Spirit was already on Jephthah
when he made this promise,
and so it reminded us of this fundamental misunderstanding
that he had of God and his ways.
Now, as we return to the story,
the question that's looming is this,
who is going to greet Jephthah?
Remember, his vow was that
the person who came to greet him would be the sacrifice.
And so the tensions, in a sense,
could not be higher for us.
We're meant, as readers,
to be on the edge of our seats
as Jephthah returns home from his victory
against the Ammonites.
And we don't have to wait long
to find out what happens.
We're met with this dramatic irony,
this contrast between the stakes of the story
and the joy that we see from his daughter
as she comes out.
She's coming to greet him,
this is verse 34,
with tambourines and with dances.
And so she thinks there's this great moment of celebration,
but what she doesn't know
is what we of the readers are already tracking with.
She is going to be the one to be sacrificed.
As if that was not bad enough,
the narrator ratchets it up again for us.
It is not simply that it's Jephthah's daughter
who comes out to greet him,
but it is his only daughter.
We're told that not once,
but twice to drive it home.
She was his only child.
Besides her, he had neither son nor daughter.
We discussed last week the fact,
some commentators point out,
who would we expect to greet Jephthah
but the women of his house
who are coming to applaud him for his victory.
They're grateful he's returned, right?
And so Jephthah,
maybe he's hoping that this is going to be
some sort of servant.
Maybe he's hoping that the stakes are going to be low.
Instead, they're as bad as they could be.
And so I want us to pause for a moment
and not miss the tragedy that this is.
We were set up in verses 30 and 31
that something, someone was coming.
Someone from Jephthah's household
would be the sacrifice.
And in the gamble that he's made,
Jephthah could not lose more.
Now, as modern people,
we might immediately turn to sentimental reasons
that Jephthah's filled maybe with love for his daughter
and this sort of fatherly affection for her
and that's the great loss that's confronting him.
But we cannot overlook the greater issue
that's at play here for him,
which is this.
It's the issue of bloodline.
Why is it so tragic that it's not just his daughter,
but his only daughter?
Jephthah's future has just been erased.
Why is Jephthah so upset?
Well, we're told multiple times
that his daughter is going to grieve her virginity.
In other words, Jephthah will have no grandchildren.
Jephthah's line is going to stop with him.
Seeing that tragedy helps us understand
the way that he behaves in verse 35.
Of course, Jephthah tears his clothes.
What could be worse?
Why is it that Jephthah seems more upset for himself
than for his daughter?
He seems kind of selfish here.
Verse 35, he almost is blaming her, right?
You have brought me very low.
You have become the cause of great trouble to me.
Jephthah's more upset for himself than for his daughter
because his future is no more.
Remember the promise he was made last time.
Look, if you're victorious,
if you're able to conquer the Ammonites,
you're going to be the ruler of all of Gilead.
And all of that is for nothing.
What is it worth to be the ruler of Gilead
if there's not a next generation?
What is it worth to have power and influence and control
when there's no one to share it with?
What is it worth for him to have a great reversal
from the one who was cast out
because his mother was a prostitute
if there's no one to pass it down to?
And so there's this tragic irony in Jephthah's story.
We're reminded of the Old Testament principle
that the punishment does indeed fit the crime.
Jephthah is looking by this vow
to somehow convince God to help him
so that he can secure his future,
his reputation, and his power.
And that very future reputation and power
is what he has just lost.
None of it is worth anything
if his daughter is dead.
Amen.
The story continues in verses 36 and 37.
His daughter simply tells him,
look, you've vowed it,
so I guess you have to do it.
I just have one request.
Can I have two months?
Can you stay the execution for that long
so I can grieve with my friends?
Now Jephthah says yes,
and so she goes,
and we're told specifically
she is mourning her virginity,
which is a way of saying
that her dream that she might have had
of having a family
is never going to materialize.
Jephthah's grieving the end of his bloodline.
We could say that his daughter
is doing the same.
And then verse 39, it happens.
Jephthah told us,
he told God he was going
to have a burnt sacrifice.
We're told in these very simple words,
verse 39,
Jephthah did with her
according to his vow that he had made.
And so we're left as the reader
to sit in how bad things have become in Israel.
And in case we've missed the point,
we're told one more time,
verse 39,
she had never known a man.
In case we missed it,
Jephthah's line is over.
Everything that he fought for
and sacrificed for is for nothing.
And so as the readers,
Israel coming to this,
we're just left sitting here.
The narrator doesn't provide
any further explanation.
There's a real lack of detail
and suddenly we just move on
to the next part of the story.
There's this tragedy here
that meant to speak for itself.
The question we're left sitting with is this.
Why?
Why did it have to end this way?
Why is this the path
that the story took?
It seems senseless,
irrational,
unnecessary.
I mean, just basic things
from the Old Testament
should have stopped this.
We talked last week
about Deuteronomy chapter 12,
which says human sacrifice
is an abomination.
God hates it.
That's what the pagan nations do.
That's not what his people do.
Now you might come back and say,
well, God also hates
someone not keeping a vow.
But then we see Leviticus chapter five
provides a way out.
It says, hey, if you break a vow,
here's how you can make sacrifices
to atone for it.
In other words,
there's a clear path
out of this for Jethro.
He doesn't have to proceed
with the sacrifice.
There is a way for him to escape.
Breaking a vow is bad.
It's nowhere as bad
as sacrificing your daughter.
Jethro could easily have turned
a different way.
Why did he not?
The fundamental problem
is this.
Jethro did not know God's word.
Jethro was shaped
more by the nations
around him
and their gods
than by the true God.
And as big as a problem
as that might seem,
there's an even bigger problem.
No one around Jethro
knew God's word either.
His daughter's out mourning
for two months, right?
That's plenty of time
for counselors
and advisors
and priests
to come to Jethro
and say,
look,
you don't have to do this.
It doesn't have to end this way.
God hates this.
He's provided a way out.
And so the silence
is deafening.
This is how bad
things have gotten
in Israel.
This is how far away
God's people
have moved
from God's word.
It is possible
to return to God,
to truly want
to worship him
as Israel did.
Remember,
the end of chapter 10,
and yet
be so
fundamentally
ignorant
of his ways.
it's possible
to have a sincere
desire
to serve God
and yet
not know
the way
he calls us
to walk.
A friend of mine
who's a pastor
told me a story
of his
from a few years ago.
He was visiting
his brother
and his sister-in-law,
and his sister-in-law
had just become
a Christian,
and she was
so excited
about what she
was learning
about Jesus
and about her faith
that she was just
eager to share it
with her whole
community and her friends.
And since her
brother-in-law
was coming to visit
and he was a pastor,
she thought,
I'm going to ask him
for some advice.
How can I do better
at sharing the gospel?
Because it just,
it seems to be
so challenging.
And so my friend
asked her,
he said,
okay,
tell me about
some of the challenges
that you're facing.
And she said,
well,
it was just hard
to share the gospel
because it was so loud.
Because we had all
gone out together
to the strip club.
And so just the volume
was so high,
you know,
it was hard for me
to share.
And it was also hard
because it was late at night,
it was 2 a.m.,
and like I was trying
to formulate thoughts
to share with them,
but I was also
a little drunk,
you know?
And so it was hard
for me to kind of
speak clearly
and get the thoughts
out that I wanted.
So my friend's
sitting there,
right,
like,
what do I say?
Yeah,
I can see how
being at the strip club
and being drunk
would make it hard
to share about Jesus.
On the one hand,
right,
he wants to come in.
Wow,
there's this great zeal
for God
and his ways,
right?
You're learning
about Jesus
and what he means
for you,
and you want
to share it
with others.
Like,
I want to champion
that and praise that.
And on the other hand,
you have so much
to learn about sin,
about what God
calls us to,
the way of life
we're supposed
to walk in.
That there are parts
of the old life
that still have a hold.
Now,
you'll see this
on the back
of your worship guide
talking about Satan's
devices in taking
out the believers.
It tells us this,
Satan knows
that a saint
without a knowledge
of the gospel
is as vulnerable
as an army
without ammunition.
Christian,
do you have
the ammunition
you need?
Are you shaped
by God's word?
Are you shaped
by the world
outside?
Knowing God's word
is an element
of what we've been
talking about
as the theme
of Judges,
this constant need
for spiritual renewal
and revival
among God's people.
Why is it
that we return
every week
to hear what God
has to say to us
in his word?
Why is it
that we gather
as small groups
in Bible studies
throughout the week?
It is this,
because it shows us
the path
to life.
why do we
pay careful
attention
to what God
has to say
to us?
Because it protects
us from great
danger.
Why do we
listen?
Because the
philosophies
and the values
of this world
are not
harmless.
Learning from God
and his word
is not
some sort
of theoretical
exercise
that we
do
so we can
be pleased
with how much
more we know.
No,
it is the way
that we walk
in life.
It is the way
that God
protects us
from horrific
things
that the world
says are normal.
It is the way
we prevent
ourselves
from drinking
poison
and pouring
it out
on others.
The pagan
culture around
him has
told Jethpah
that death
and destruction
are normal
and necessary.
Brothers
and sisters,
our culture
tells us
the same
thing.
Our culture
also tells us
that death
and destruction
are normal
and healthy
and necessary.
we have
not
moved
beyond
human
sacrifice.
Of course,
it takes
different forms
in our world.
It could be
the human
sacrifice
of abortion
or euthanasia
or assisted
suicide.
It is the
mutilation
and chemical
castration
of children
that reminds
us our
culture
is not
that different.
All
those things
to appease
the gods
of this
world,
the gods
of convenience
and ease
and independence
and autonomy.
In fact,
if you look
at paganism,
it always
requires
human
sacrifice.
The more
pagan
the culture,
the less
sacred
life
is.
God's
word
protects
us
from
many
other
lies
as well.
It protects
us from
the lie
that the
good life
is one
of consumption
and pleasure
and peak
experiences.
It protects
us from the lie
that we are
autonomous
and independent
and we can
redefine ourselves
in whatever way
we want.
it protects
us from the
lie that
whatever we
want is
always more
important than
the community.
It protects
us from the
lie that our
identity
and our
peace
comes from
how we use
our sexual
organs.
we have
to
constantly
push
back
on the
world around
us with
the truth
of God's
word.
It's why we
read already
from Romans
chapter 12.
John read it
for us.
This is on
page 2
of your
worship guide.
Do not
be conformed
to this
world but
be transformed
by the
renewal
of
your
mind.
we are
constantly
being told
by the
culture and
the world
around us
what is
good and
bad,
what is
true and
right,
what is
healthy and
unhealthy.
And so we
have to
stand
constantly
with the
truth of
God's
word.
You'll see
this on
page 7
of your
worship guide
from C.S.
Lewis.
Good
philosophy
must exist
if for
no other
reason because
bad philosophy
needs to be
answered.
And if you
live in this
world, you
know bad
philosophy
constantly
needs to
be answered.
That's why we
talk about here
at Shine
Mountain the
importance of
robust
discipleship.
We want
that to be a
key focus for
us as a
church.
how else
are we
going to be
transformed
by the
renewing of
our minds?
How else
are we going
to walk in
the path of
life?
How else
are we going
to know
what is
good and
true and
right?
In John
chapter 10,
Jesus tells us
two things.
He tells us
he's the
good shepherd
and he also
tells us he's
the door.
In other
words, he's
the one who
protects and
guides his
sheep.
He's the one
who keeps
them far away
from danger
and tells them
where good
things are.
In fact, he
says this in
verse 10,
the thief comes
only to steal
and kill and
destroy.
I came that
they may have
life and have
it abundantly.
What do we
see in the
story of
Jethpah if
not the enemy
coming to
steal and
kill and
destroy?
How is it
that we have
life and
have it
abundantly?
We find it
in God's
word.
And of course,
ultimately, we
find it in our
Lord Jesus.
He's the one
who says,
I am the
shepherd.
I am the
good door.
1 Corinthians
chapter 1
tells us that
Jesus is the
wisdom of
God.
God in
his word
teaches us
everything we
need to
know to
have life.
He protects
us from
great danger.
Christian, he
protects you
from great
danger.
Will you be
transformed by
the renewing of
your mind?
God in
his book,
All the
Light We
Cannot See.
Anthony
Doerr, the
author, won
the Pulitzer
Prize in
2015.
And in this
book, he
tells the
story of
two children
living during
the same
years leading
up to and
during World
War II.
One of the
children is
this young
girl.
His name is
Mari Lohr.
Marilor and
her father.
She lives in
Paris and her
father is a
single parent.
He has many
challenges as
many parents do.
He has a
particular challenge
though which is
that Mari Lohr is
blind because of
cataracts.
Now her father
wants her to
know how to get
around the city of
Paris and how to
navigate the world
but of course that's
challenging right
because his daughter
cannot see.
He loves his
daughter though and
so he wants to
figure out a
solution.
How can I give
her the tools
that she needs
to survive despite
this challenge that
she has?
And so he comes up
with the solution.
He builds this
small detailed
model of the
streets of Paris
around their
homes.
And he tells his
daughter you need
to run your
hands along the
models of the
street so that
you can learn how
to find your way
around in our
neighborhood.
And so for
months Mari Lohr
is running her
hands along the
model that her
father's built
trying to learn
every curve and
corner of the
streets around
them.
Her father takes
her out to
practice.
He'll move her
around and then
try to help her
get back to their
house so she knows
how to return.
At first she has
little success but
as they practice
more and more she
is able to
navigate her way
around the city
of Paris.
Brothers and
sisters,
our heavenly
father has given
us a model for
how the world
works.
He means for us
to run our
hands over and
over again so
that we can find
our way home.
Let's pray.
Our father in
heaven we do
thank you and
praise you that
you give us
life in your
word.
We ask that
you would
grow our
love and
our knowledge
of it not
for the sake
of intellectual
exercises or
pride but that
we could be
protected from
great evil and
that we could
follow you in
great life.
We thank you
that this life
doesn't come
through anything
we've done,
anything we've
earned or
deserved, but
instead it comes
through our
Lord Jesus.
So we ask
these things in
his name.
Amen.