Jephthah’s defeat of the Ephraimites 2-4-19
Judges 12:1-15
http://countrysidechurchofchrist.sermon.net/main/main/21323975
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Jephthah’s defeat of the Ephraimites 2-4-19
Judges 12:1-15
http://countrysidechurchofchrist.sermon.net/main/main/21323975
thedailylily.com 
Q) What is the Septuagint?
A)the first Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible
Septuagint…I had heard the name but never knew what it was until it came up in these lessons of Pastor Reggie’s. Seems it provided more detail on burial cities in this lesson.
Also, in this lesson, Pastor Reggie provided an insight that sure made me think about what we may be remembered for. Seems Jephthah overcame a lot from his background to become a “premier military leader”. However, we learn from Pastor Reggie that “his accomplishments will always be overshadowed by the tragic vow he made to the Lord.” Sobering life lesson.
Debi, when you have a min spot about #23 and follow Bethlehem/Judah..10 miles N of Megiddo (see our map) and then we see Zebulun. This is really taking us on a tour of tribes, their locations, personality traits and as you mentioned, burial cities. You also mentioned legacy. How about the reigning Judge that reign 10 years and nothing worthy to mentioned except 10 year reign. He sounds like a flunky to me. Guess he didn’t deserve a donkey or 🚙.
What sticks out in my mind from Reggie’s lesson is that 42,000 men of Ephram were killed because they failed a pronunciation test. Jephthah’s army could easily identify the men of Ephraim who had fought east of the Jordon and wanted to cross over to their homeland by having them pronounce Shibboleth. Ephraimites could not say it.
They were killed as a result of not pronouncing the word correctly. Amazing to me Jephthah came up with this WAY to take out so many Ephraimites.
Rena, word pronunciation gets one killed, well 42,000!
Pastor Reggie ID ‘ed some counties in NC in fairly close proximity that has an issue with very different pronunciation of words. Very interesting I know people from both places but surely didn’t hear that🥰
Well, to be very honest I heard very few people from either place but I would not have been able to carry out that test.
The tribe of Ephraim had a major character flaw that they were always complaining. Now that will get you thinking about yourself and others. One thought I had comes from 1 Corinthians 10:10 “don’t grumble or complain as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”
There are a lot of happenings in this lesson that just has me constantly on pause. I sure appreciate each of you that gives input to help navigate through the live wires that ignite the emotions of hazardous behavior.
Judges 12:1-3”The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”
2 Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands. 3 When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave me the victory over them.” I had this jotted down in my notes 📝, fromthe lesson. “Jephthah was not about to be bullied by these people. The men of Ephraim should have been thanking Jephthah, but their jealousy and pride wanted to destroy this man.”
Tammy, your quote from lesson, “Jephthah was not about to be bullied by these people. The men of Ephraim should have been thanking Jephthah, but their jealousy and pride wanted to destroy this man.” continues to give illustration to the personality/character type of a tribe of people. Seemly, if I’m understanding the lesson it was not one person but a tribe of people all acting with the same flaws.
There is a connection of hope….
Revelation 7:8 “from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, and from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. 9) After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10) And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”…
Sara, you wrote, “continues to give illustration to the personality/character type of a tribe of people. ”
This past week in the Sunday School class I attend we studied Genesis 37 which involved all of Jacob’s sons, the twelve tribes. In particular, we focused on Joseph, the son Jacob loved best and showed partiality and favoritism to, even giving him the gift of a beautiful coat/robe of many colors. Not only did Jacob sport a beautiful coat, but he had dreams that involved the brothers being subservient to him. This caused all the brothers to be jealous of him and hate him. This made me think that jealousy and hatred might be a ‘personality/character type’ of these tribes. Joseph, on the other hand, showed much kindness and compassion to the brothers who sold him into slavery.
“There is a connection of hope….”
That is an encouraging statement, Sara, regarding the tribes.
It looks like they were not something of just the past, buried in the accounts of the Old Testament. They seem to have relevancy for today (like the living Jesus from the tribe of Judah), right into the future….
Thanks for making us aware of that future, Sara.
Sara, you asked me to “Debi, when you have a min spot about #23 and follow Bethlehem/Judah..10 miles N of Megiddo (see our map) and then we see Zebulun. ”
I did re-listen to Pastor Reggie’s teaching from approx #23 on to the end which covered those three judges, Ibza, Elon, and Abdon. My understanding from listening and looking at the map was that Izban was from the town of Bethlehem in the tribal area of Zebulun which was, as you said, 10 miles north of Megiddo. This Bethlehem was not the Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The Bethlehem where Jesus was born was located in the tribal area of Judah (which is south of Zebulun on the map), south of Jerusalem, and referred to as Bethlehem-Judah. Interesting that Izban was from Bethlehem and was buried in Bethlehem.
Elon, the next judge, was also from Zebulun but was buried in Aijalon (a different location from Izban). He was the “flunky” you referred to above who was named after one of the sons of the founder of his tribe (Gen. 46:14). Pastor Reggie said he didn’t do anything worth noting in the scriptures. And his burial town had the same name as another better known town, Aijalon, further south in the tribe of Dan.
Whew! I sure agree with your statement, “This is really taking us on a tour of tribes, their locations, personality traits and as you mentioned, burial cities. You also mentioned legacy. ” How about the third judge, Abdon, from the prideful, jealous, whining, complaining tribe of Ephraim. He ended up being buried in the hill country of the Amalakites (whoa…enemies of Israel) in Pirathon. Yet, someone good came from Pirathon (6 miles SW of Shechem) in the tribe of Epraim … Benaiah, one of David’s mighty men.
Great job Debi. Now, I know that was work for you. On Elon, could it be that he really was not a flunky just served in peace and unless there is trouble you don’t get a mention? These stories will surely keep your mind active.
“On Elon, could it be that he really was not a flunky just served in peace and unless there is trouble you don’t get a mention?”
Sara that’s a good question of yours that I had not thought about. It made me think of an exhortation written in
I Thessalonians 4:11 wondering , “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.”
I did wonder if Elon fulfilled his destiny.
Elon served ten years, right! Maybe we need to present this question to teacher Reggie. We sure are grateful for his research and I believe I’v heard him say he consults with other leaders on matters he is studying and research.
I just keep thinking 10 years no wars, no corruptions, no , no, no just seems good to me about now….
Sara, I have been thinking more on your statement above, “This is really taking us on a tour of tribes, their locations, personality traits and as you mentioned, burial cities.”
In the Baptist Sunday School I attend, we have been studying the life of Joseph, one of Jacob’s son’s, the last two weeks. We traced Joseph’s life journey from favorite son with a robe of many colors given him by his father; to robe provided him as slave of Potiphar, officer of Pharaoh of Egypt; to the fine linen robe given him by Pharaoh as he was placed in charge of all of Egypt. He had been hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, wrongly accused and thrown into prison for years before he was put in charge of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. During all this time he did not complain, but made the most of each situation he was placed in, always doing his best and giving God the credit. Then God promoted him. During his governance in Egypt, Pharaoh gave him a wife and he had two sons by her, Manasseh and Ephraim.
I found it interesting as I looked at the tribal map on this blog that there is no tribe named “Joseph”, though Jacob gave him a beautiful blessing, full of many blessings, and said he was “a prince among his brothers”. Instead, Joseph’s two sons became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim.