Let's be honest, today's passage is one of the most emotionally disturbing in the entire Bible. How do we make sense of Jephthah's tragic vow? Here are two articles (the second one is a response to the first) which might help:
Here is the first article by Miles Van Pelt, who teaches at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi.
Here is the second article by Tamie Davis who writes from Tanzania. She gives a different perspective on the passage.
Thank you Matt for the context on Jepthah's vow. I definitely feel I agree more with Tamie than I do Miles. This really is a great illustration to use for people who complain about how the OT stories make God into "bad guy". It takes effort to push past that and try to achieve greater understanding of God's intentions.
ReplyDeleteI side more with Tamie's article too, Chris. And I like what you've said here -- it takes some work to see some of these biblical events in their bigger context, and to try to understand God's heart for His people. Thanks for the comment.
Delete