Snatching tragedy from victory (Judges 11:29-40)

25/6/2017

This is one of the most tragic stories in the Bible. It ends in Jephthah sacrificing his only daughter because of a rash vow he unnecessarily makes to God before he goes and defeats the Ammonites.

It forms part of the tragic downward spiral of Israel as it keeps forgetting the God who rescued them from Egypt and gave them the Promised land and instead keep turning to other gods.

As this was only a short children's talk there is no recorded sermon. However, here are the main points:

What can we learn from the story:

Wisdom: Be careful what you promise
Faith: Know what God is really like
- God is not like other gods
- God is compassionate - 10:15
- God is gracious - John 3:16