Judges 11:1

New King James Version

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah.

For Encouragement

He was an illegitimate child, the son of a prostitute, and grew up in a home in which hatred and hostility ruled. Several half-brothers crowded his dad’s house, making it a tough neighborhood for Jephthah. They finally forced him out because they refused to share the inheritance of their father with him (Judges 11:1-3). He compensated by becoming the meanest boy on the block.

Like most street kids, Jephthah learned survival skills and became a gang leader in Tob. They ruled the streets and learned warfare against neighborhood towns. Soon, he earned the reputation of a brave warrior and tactician.

Word about his fame and exploits went back to Gilead, so when the Ammonites attacked Israel, the elders of Gilead sent for Jephthah to command their forces against the enemy of the Jews.

Come and be our chief [so] that we may fight against the sons of Ammon…and [you may] become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. (6, 8)

It was a sweet deal the once-rejected homeboy could not reject.  The invitation became Jephthah’s day in court. He negotiated hard for the best deal before signing it.

Jephthah said to the elders, Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the Lord gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?

The Lord is our witness; the elders replied. We promise to do whatever you say.”

What a guy! Don’t look hard to imagine the faces of his half-brothers who threw him out of their father’s inheritance. Remember Joseph’s brothers before him in Egypt, and you have the complete picture. Significant is the fact that Jephthah did not disappoint in battle. He routed the Ammonites and devastated about twenty of their towns (Judges 11:32-33). In this way, Israel defeated the Ammonites.

He went from a rebel gangster to a judge of Israel—not bad for a man whose brothers forced him out of their father’s home and inheritance. That is God’s providence and grace for the oppressed.

As Chuck Swindoll writes, God is the One who builds trophies from the scrap pile, who draws His clay from under the bridge, who makes clean instruments of beauty from the filthy failures of yesteryear.

Is that not your situation in Christ—plucked from the garbage dump (1 Cor. 6:9-11), polished, and crowned with the title of “Heir of God, co-heir with Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:17).

To appreciate His grace that has saved you, think back to your past life — what you were and how dark your past was. You and I were in the league of Rahab, Ruth, Mephibosheth, Zacchaeus, and Onesimus—misfits for God’s kingdom but for His grace that flowed from Calvary’s tree.

How can we deny Him the honor due Him by living carelessly?