Jephthah

We’re jumping ahead to judge number nine- Jephthah. Judges tells us—Judges 11:1 | Now Jephthah of Gilead was a great warrior.
The great warrior Jephthah had a rough start to his life. His father Gilead wasn’t married to Jephthah’s mom. Instead, he was married to another woman who he already had several sons with. Apparently, these boys didn’t like Jephthah much.
Judges 11:2b | When these half brothers grew up, they chased Jephthah off the land. “You will not get any of our father’s inheritance,” they said [for you are the son of another woman].
Jephthah’s own family rejects him and he runs away from his brothers to the land of Tob.
You may have guessed that if Jephthah is going to become Israel’s judge, they must be in trouble. The Bible says—Judges 11:4 | At about this time, the Ammonites began their war against Israel.
How does the story end?

Family Discussion:

What difficult experiences did Jephthah have growing up? Why did he think he couldn’t trust people from his hometown when they came to him for help?
Have you ever been mistreated by people like Jephthah was? If so, how?
Did the Israelites in Gilead deserve Jephthah’s help? Why or why not?
When we help someone or show them kindness when they deserve the opposite, we are showing them grace and mercy. What undeserved grace and mercy have you received?
What can we learn from Jephthah’s story?