Judges 11:29a “Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah…”

SON OF A HARLOT

Jephthah was a judge of Israel.  What is so interesting about this judge, though, is he was born of a harlot out of wedlock.  He wasn’t the image of the one to be chosen to be a judge of Israel.  But God used him to deliver the children of Israel from the Ammonites who threatened to take back part of the land which the Lord had given to them.

But notice what happens BEFORE he goes to battle.  This verse says, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.”  The Spirit of the Lord does not come upon someone unless He has blessed them and given them His power to carry out a divine task.  My point is this:  God even use the illegitimate son of a harlot.  God can use anyone He desires to accomplish His Will.  We just have to be willing.

TEACHING MOMENT

I think the object lesson for today is pretty clear.  We need to teach our children that God can use anything or anyone He wants.  God can choose them to accomplish great things for Him, if they will just surrender to His Will.  He can empower them through His Holy Spirit to do what they never thought was possible.

And they will have one advantage over Jephthah.  In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit did not live in the hearts of the people He indwelt.  He would come and go, only empowering them at certain times.  As Christians, your children ALWAYS have the Holy Spirit living in them, thus they always have His power.

Do you believe that?  Do you understand that, as a believer in Christ, you have access to the Holy Spirit at all times?  He lives in you.  He empowers you.  He comforts you.  He emboldens you.  So why aren’t you living in His power?  Why aren’t you walking confidently before your enemies?

We all have bad days.  We all face challenges.  But, as believers, we have NO EXCUSE for not walking right into the battles before us knowing that God is with us.  He indwells us.  And He will fight our enemies for us.  Just like Jephthah, who was chosen by God for a specific purpose, we have been chosen by Him before the foundation of the world.  We have a purpose.

What is your purpose?  Why has God chosen you?  Why is His Holy Spirit living in you?  Ask Him today.  He will show you.