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Speaker 1: And Jeptha came to Mispah under his house, and behold

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Speaker 1: his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and

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Speaker 1: with dances, and she was his only child. Beside her,

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Speaker 1: he had neither son nor daughter Judges eleven thirty four.

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Speaker 1: Dear God, to day, I will watch what I pledge

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Speaker 1: my allegiance to. I will be mindful of who is

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Speaker 1: for me and who is using me. I will not

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Speaker 1: allow my need to be wanted and affirmed to cause

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Speaker 1: me to partner with the wrong crowd. Father, help me

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Speaker 1: not to commit to things that are going to hurt me,

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Speaker 1: but rather let me learn to commit to those who

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Speaker 1: will uplift and empower what you have placed inside of me.

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Speaker 1: I will not be like Jephtha and sacrifice the thing

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Speaker 1: that is closest to me for people who have walked

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Speaker 1: away from me. This is my season to partner and

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Speaker 1: lock arms with those who have decided to partner in

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Speaker 1: lock arms with your mission for their lives. Lord, I

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Speaker 1: confess that today I don't need perfect people, just purposeful people.

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Speaker 1: In Jesus name, Amen, thank you for making prayer a

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Speaker 1: priority in your day. To learn more about the Bible,

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Speaker 1: stay tuned for Today's story brought to you by Bible

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Speaker 1: in a Year dot com. Jeff the keeps his promise.

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Speaker 1: In the last story, we learned of Israel's desire for

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Speaker 1: a king and their appointment of Abimelech, Gideon's bastard son.

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Speaker 1: Abimelech ruled over Israel with a cruel fist. He killed

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Speaker 1: many innocent Israelites. When he was seeking to burn down

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Speaker 1: a tower in the middle of a city, a woman

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Speaker 1: dropped a millstone on his head and crushed him. In

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Speaker 1: this story, we will learn about how the Israelites straying

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Speaker 1: once again and giving themselves over to every pleasure and

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Speaker 1: idol they could get their hands on. Soon they would

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Speaker 1: become oppressed and require deliverance from the Philistines and Ammonites

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Speaker 1: by Jephthah the Judge inspired by the Book of Judges. Hello,

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Speaker 1: this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the

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Speaker 1: Bible in a Year. In yesterday's reading, we heard the

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Speaker 1: tragic and violent story of a Bimelech, the first king

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Speaker 1: of Israel, who was chosen not by God but by

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Speaker 1: the people who did not seek God. We saw the

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Speaker 1: devastation caused by this evil king and how God did

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Speaker 1: deliver his people from his hands by one of their own.

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Speaker 1: Today we'll find Israel walking away, straying, rebelling once again,

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Speaker 1: giving in to all kinds of sin. And as always,

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Speaker 1: this rebellion will have gray terrible consequences. The people will

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Speaker 1: once more be conquered by a foreign nation, this time

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Speaker 1: the Philistines and the Ammonites. In their hour of need,

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Speaker 1: God will raise up a man named Jephthah to deliver

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Speaker 1: his people from oppression. Jephthah would be filled with God's spirit,

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Speaker 1: but in his fervor he would make a promise to

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Speaker 1: God that would cause him great sadness for the rest

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Speaker 1: of his life. Let's listen now to this powerful story.

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Speaker 1: It may be hard to discern why the Israelites continued

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Speaker 1: to stray away from God time and time again. After all,

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Speaker 1: God had delivered them and shown them his faithfulness more

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Speaker 1: times than they could count. However, the gods of the

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Speaker 1: Syrians and Ammonites allowed Israel to seek pleasure, lust, greed,

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Speaker 1: and pride. They did not hold them to a higher

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Speaker 1: standard or demand they treat one another well. The gods

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Speaker 1: were human made, therefore they might as well have been

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Speaker 1: human warship, so Israel caved to their desires and spiraled

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Speaker 1: into captivity to their own sin and depravity. As the

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Speaker 1: Israelites pursued their own gratification, they let their guard down.

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Speaker 1: Without God by their side fighting for them, they fell

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Speaker 1: into captivity to the Ammonites and the Philistines. For eighteen years,

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Speaker 1: they were brutally oppressed. Women were raped and taken as slaves,

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Speaker 1: children grew up with cruel task masters, and men were

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Speaker 1: slaughtered and hung on trees. It was at dark age

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Speaker 1: for Israel, and cries could be continually heard from the

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Speaker 1: Jordan River and beyond Israel. As they had many times before,

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Speaker 1: cried out to God, save us. We have sinned against you,

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Speaker 1: but please do not forsake us, they prayed. This time

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Speaker 1: God replied to them. Instead of saving them right away

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Speaker 1: and sending a judge, as he had done dozens of

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Speaker 1: times before, he responded saying, the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites,

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Speaker 1: the Philistines, Sedonians, the Amalekites, the Moonites, all these nations

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Speaker 1: I have saved you from. You cried out to me,

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Speaker 1: and I delivered you from their oppressive hands. Yet you

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Speaker 1: have forsaken me every time. Why don't you ask your

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Speaker 1: new gods to save you. Sometimes israel would forget that

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Speaker 1: God could actually grieve. He loved the people, and they

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Speaker 1: rejected him. The Israelites put away their other gods and

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Speaker 1: served God, even in the midst of distress and oppression.

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Speaker 1: This time they worshiped God before he delivered them, not after. Yet,

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Speaker 1: of course, God would not delay long in saving his people.

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Speaker 1: In the region of Gilead, there was a mighty warrior

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Speaker 1: named Jephthah. Jephthah grew up estranged from his family, for

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Speaker 1: he was a bastard. His father had him with a prostitute,

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Speaker 1: and therefore Jephthah was hated by the rest of his brothers.

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Speaker 1: He toiled in his father's field and protected his family's

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Speaker 1: land with his sword, yet it was never good enough.

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Speaker 1: Jephtha was despised for where he came from, and his

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Speaker 1: brothers eventually cast him out, saying, you are a son

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Speaker 1: of a whore. We will never share our inheritance with

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Speaker 1: the likes of you. And just like that, Jephthah fled

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Speaker 1: from his brothers in the land of Tobe. While Jeptha

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Speaker 1: was journeying, he became beloved by other outcasts and forgotten sons. Together,

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Speaker 1: they formed a band of worthless fellows, and their reputation grew.

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Speaker 1: They were known for their power, skill, and spirit, and

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Speaker 1: were hired hands for protection. Jephtha was rejected by his

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Speaker 1: own family, but found great comfort with the outsiders that

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Speaker 1: followed him. Years had passed in the Ammonite ward against Israel.

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Speaker 1: The elders of Gilead were distressed and desperate for warriors.

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Speaker 1: They had heard of Jephtha's skill and exploits across the

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Speaker 1: land and sought him out. Come back to us and

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Speaker 1: be our leader, the elders begged. Jephtha scowled at them.

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Speaker 1: How dare they? He thought to himself. First they make

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Speaker 1: me an outcast, and now that they want something from me,

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Speaker 1: they treat me like royalty. Jephtha dismissed them and said,

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Speaker 1: you hated me and drove me out of my father's house,

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Speaker 1: and now that you're in need, you come begging. The

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Speaker 1: elders continued to beg Jephtha. He sat there in silence.

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Speaker 1: Jephthah had lived as either an outsider or outcast his

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Speaker 1: entire life. His greatest fear was that he would succeed

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Speaker 1: in saving Israel, only to be rejected by them again.

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Speaker 1: He closed his eyes and released a deep sigh. He

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Speaker 1: knew what was right, and he knew he could win

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Speaker 1: against the Ammonites. He opened his eyes and said, I

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Speaker 1: will be your leader in battle, but only if I

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Speaker 1: remain your leader afterwards. The elders agreed, and Jephthah marched

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Speaker 1: with his band of misfit warriors back to his homeland.

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Speaker 1: Jephtha traveled with the armies of Israel behind him. They

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Speaker 1: marched across a valley near the Ammonite camp. It was

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Speaker 1: less than a day before battle, and Jephtha knelt before

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Speaker 1: God in the cool evening. He breathed deeply. His breath

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Speaker 1: could be seen in the winter air. The spirit of

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Speaker 1: God was with him. He could feel the power of

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Speaker 1: God moving upon the land, preparing victory for him. Jephthah,

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Speaker 1: in a moment of emotion, vowed before God, saying, if

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Speaker 1: you give us victory tomorrow, I will sacrifice whatever comes

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Speaker 1: through my doors first to greet me. Jephtha's oath was

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Speaker 1: not warranted or asked for by God, yet he bound

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Speaker 1: himself to his word and would live to deeply regret it. Jephthah,

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Speaker 1: his band of misfit warriors and the entirety of Israel's

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Speaker 1: army crossed into Ammonite territory. They stormed the land, gliding

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Speaker 1: through twenty of their cities with swords and arrows. First,

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Speaker 1: they took the small towns and stormed the largest cities

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Speaker 1: in great force. Jephtha's unwavering bravery and decisive strategy she

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Speaker 1: led them into victory. The Ammonites were subdued under Israel's boot,

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Speaker 1: and God was glorified. Jephthah returned home glowing from the

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Speaker 1: victory against the Ammonites. He was smiling anticipating the sacrifice

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Speaker 1: he would make to God. Whatever animal from his land

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Speaker 1: he would see first, he would take and lay it

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Speaker 1: on the altar for God. He closed his eyes once again,

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Speaker 1: breathing in the sweet air of home. He had finally

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Speaker 1: been able to return to his father's land with his family.

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Speaker 1: A new era of peace would reign under him, and

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Speaker 1: Jephthah rejoiced over the next chapter of his life. With

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Speaker 1: his eyes still closed, Jephtha could hear tambourines in the distance. Oh, no,

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Speaker 1: jeph the thought. As he opened his eyes. There he

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Speaker 1: saw his beautiful daughter dancing in the sunlight. She had

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Speaker 1: made an entire routine to celebrate her father's victory. Jephtha's

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Speaker 1: heart sank as he watched her twirl with joy. She

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Speaker 1: was his only daughter. Besides her, he had no other child.

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Speaker 1: She was his world and his greatest treasure. Welcome home, father,

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Speaker 1: she said with glee. Then she wrapped her arms around him.

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Speaker 1: Jephtha wept. He tore his clothes in rage. My sweet daughter,

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Speaker 1: I avowed to the Lord to sacrifice whatever comes through

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Speaker 1: my gates first. The two of them wept together. Jephtha's

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Speaker 1: daughter wiped her tears and changed her posture. She said,

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Speaker 1: you are vowed to God. Do to me whatever is necessary.

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Speaker 1: Only allow me to go to the mountains and weep

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Speaker 1: with my companions over my virginity. For now I will

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Speaker 1: never be married or be a mother. So she was

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Speaker 1: sent away for two months to weep and mourn with

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Speaker 1: her friends. At the end of the two months, Jephtha's

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Speaker 1: daughter came down from the mountain. Her father lamented his

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Speaker 1: own victories in life, for he and his foolishness bound

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Speaker 1: himself to a vow God never asked him to give.

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Speaker 1: His false sense of honor and obedience caused him grief.

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Speaker 1: He and the rest of Israel would remember his vow

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Speaker 1: for the rest of their days. It became a custom

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Speaker 1: in Israel for the women to lament over the daughter

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Speaker 1: of Jephthah every year. Legends of Jephthah's bravery would be

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Speaker 1: drowned out by his foolishness, as many stories often do.

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Speaker 1: Yet the story of God's faithful hand of protection over

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Speaker 1: history continues, and his covenant never wavers. Today's story begins

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Speaker 1: once again with the sinful rebellion of God's people. Despite

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Speaker 1: the trustworthiness the faithfulness of God all that God had

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Speaker 1: done for them as a people, again and again, they

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Speaker 1: chose not to obey his commands. The people of Israel

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Speaker 1: turned to false God's idols, other gods which are no gods.

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Speaker 1: This descend into wickedness, stirred God's righteous anger. Because God

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Speaker 1: is a righteous and holy God, and justice is served,

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Speaker 1: so he removed his hand of protection and allowed the

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Speaker 1: Fellstenings and Ammonites to oppress Israel. For eighteen long years,

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Speaker 1: God's people endured unspeakable horrors, men, women, and children alike,

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Speaker 1: until once more they cried out in anguish, God, help us,

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Speaker 1: we know we've done wrong, we know that we have sinned.

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Speaker 1: Please do not abandon us. Through the years, they had

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Speaker 1: sinned and sinned and sinned again. But God had taught

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Speaker 1: them that if they turned to him and trusted it

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Speaker 1: him and repented of their sin, he would save them.

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Speaker 1: But this time it was going to be different. He

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Speaker 1: reminded them of all he had done to save them

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Speaker 1: time and time again. Still they insisted on idolatry worshiping

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Speaker 1: other gods. So God told his people to run to

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Speaker 1: those gods for help. God was deeply grieved by the

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Speaker 1: repeated disobedience of his children. Israel did repent, and the

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Speaker 1: people got rid of the other gods. They worshiped God

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Speaker 1: and God alone and submitted to his rule his sovereignty

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Speaker 1: in their lives. They didn't wait for salvation to pray God.

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Speaker 1: They worshiped him even in the midst of their trials.

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Speaker 1: God heard their worship and resolve to save them once again.

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Speaker 1: He would do this through a man who himself had

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Speaker 1: felt the great pain of rejection by his family. His

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Speaker 1: name was Jephthah. Jephthah was despised by his own rejected

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Speaker 1: by his brothers because he was the illegitimate son of

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Speaker 1: his father. Jephthah left home despondent and alone until he

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Speaker 1: found company with other outcasts and rejects. These became valiant fighters,

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Speaker 1: and after many years passed, Jephtha's people sought him out

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Speaker 1: for help. They wanted him to lead them in the

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Speaker 1: fight against the Ammonites. Jephthah's response sounded a lot like

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Speaker 1: God's words to his people in Judges eleven seven. But

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Speaker 1: Jephthah said, to the elders of Gilead, did you not

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Speaker 1: hate me and drive me out of my father's house?

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Speaker 1: Why have you come to me now that you are

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Speaker 1: in distressed? But they persisted, and he finally agreed, but

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Speaker 1: on the condition that once he defeated their enemies, he

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Speaker 1: would continue to lead them, and they agreed to his terms.

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Speaker 1: So Jephthah gathered Israel's army and went to fight the Ammonites.

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Speaker 1: Before they faced the enemy, Jephthah promised he would sacrifice

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Speaker 1: the first thing that greeted him back home if they

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Speaker 1: were to defeat the Amonites. God had not required this

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Speaker 1: of Jephthah. It was an impulsive and unsolicited decision, but

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Speaker 1: it was binding because of the faithfulness of God, not

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Speaker 1: Jephthah's vow. The Lord gave israel victory over the Ammonites.

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Speaker 1: Jephthah returned home a hero, but when he was greeted

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Speaker 1: first by his daughter, his joy turned to abject despair.

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Speaker 1: The realization of what his promise would cost him came

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Speaker 1: crashing down on him. There was no escaping it in

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Speaker 1: his mind, and he knew it, and he embraced her

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Speaker 1: and wept bitter tears. He allowed her to go to

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Speaker 1: the mounsels with her friends to mourn what she was

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Speaker 1: going to lose, and then he made good on his promise.

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Speaker 1: His story is a reminder that we must always make

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Speaker 1: decisions not based on our own imagination, but on God's revelation.

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Speaker 1: In other words, his promise is not what we think.

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Speaker 1: Jeptham made an unnecessary sacrifice borne out of a rash

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Speaker 1: vow that cost him the child but really save no one.

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Speaker 1: Many years later, God would make good on his promise

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Speaker 1: borne out of love and sacrifice of his son. But

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Speaker 1: that sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ would not be

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Speaker 1: just for Israelites, but to the jew first, and also

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Speaker 1: to the Greek. In other words, to the whole world.

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Speaker 1: These stories are unusual, and sometimes we listen to these

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Speaker 1: stories and wonder why this happened. What happened, But remember

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Speaker 1: this entire message of the Bible is pointing to the

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Speaker 1: greatest sacrifice of all, the redemption of salvation through God's son,

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Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus Christ. Always see the Savior in the scriptures.

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Speaker 1: Dear God, thank you for today's reading, which minds us

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Speaker 1: to be thoughtful and careful with our commitments. And thank

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Speaker 1: you Lord that you counted the cost and send Jesus

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Speaker 1: your son to die in our place. That though the

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Speaker 1: wages of sin is death, the gift of God is

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Speaker 1: eternal life through Jesus our Lord. And we do pray

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Speaker 1: for those who are seeking You, who want to know

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Speaker 1: you and have a personal relationship with You through your son,

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Speaker 1: and we ask for their salvation in Jesus name. Amen.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 1: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the pray

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Speaker 1: dot Com app and make prayer a priority in your life.

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Speaker 1: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love.

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Speaker 1: By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in

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Speaker 1: someone's life. If you want to know more about the Lord,

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Speaker 1: how to know him, how to serve him, and be

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Speaker 1: His disciple. Then let me encourage you to visit my website,

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Speaker 1: which is Jack Graham dot org. We would love to

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Speaker 1: assist you in any way possible as you grow in

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Speaker 1: your journey of faith. Again, that's Jack Graham dot org.

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Speaker 1: God bless you. This episode is sponsored by Medicine, an

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Speaker 1: innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without

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Speaker 1: sacrificing quality