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One-sentence summary: The Lord sends many judges to deliver Israel.
After Abimelech, a man of Issachar who dwelt in the mountains of Ephraim arises to deliver Israel. He judges Israel for 23 years, and then he dies. After him, a Gileadite judges Israel for 22 years. Then, he dies, and Israel again does evil in the Lord's sight and serves the Baals of Asherahs, the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and the Philistines, and they forsake the Lord. So the Lord's anger is aroused, and He sells them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites, and they are "harassed and oppressed for 18 years." Also, the Ammonites cross to the other side of the Jordan to fight against all the tribes. Israel cries out to the Lord and admits their sin in forsaking him and serving the Baals. But the Lord says to them that He has delivered them in the past from all these people and told them not to serve their gods, but they disobeyed, and how when they cried out to Him, He delivered them, yet they have forsaken Him and served other gods again and again. He says He will not deliver them any more and to cry out to the other gods that they have chosen. They say they have sinned and to do to them as He sees best, only to deliver them. And they put away the foreign gods and serve the Lord. And "His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel." The people of Ammon gather against Israel, and Israel gathers together, and the leaders ask themselves who will be the leader to fight against them.
It says thay Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot, although Gilead begot him. His wife bore sons, and when they grew up, they threw him out and said he should have no inheritance in their house, so he had fled from them. And worthless man band together and raid with him. When Ammon makes war with Israel, the elders of Gilead go to get Jephthah and tell him to be their commander to fight against Ammon. But he says, "Did you not hate me and expel me from my father's house? And now you come to me when you are in distress?" He says if he fights, then he will be head of all Gilead. They say the Lord will be a witness against them if it is not so, so he goes with them, and they make him commander. Jephthah sends messengers to the people of Ammon and asks why they are fighting Israel, and he answers that Israel took away their land when they came up out of Egypt, and he tells Israel to restore the lands peaceably. But Jephthah sends more messengers and says that Israel did not take away the land of Moab and Ammon but in fact did not enter the border of Moab when they came from Egypt. And he says the Ammonites should posses what their god has given them, and Israel should possess what their God has given them. He says Moab never fought against Israel, and if he is better than Moab. He says he has not sinned against him, but the other way around, and may the Lord judge. However, the king refuses to listen. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Jephthah, and he advances toward the people of Amon. He makes a vow to the Lord that if He will deliver the people into his hands, whatever or whoever comes first out of the doors of his house to meet him when he returns, will belong to the Lord. And the Lord delivers the people into his hands, 20 cities. When Jephthah returns to his house, the first thing he sees is his daughter- his only child- coming out to meet him. When he sees her, he tears his clothes and tells her that he has promised her to the Lord, and she says he must fulfill his promise because the Lord has defeated his enemies. She says to let her alone for two months to bewail her virginity with her friends. Then, at the end of two months, she returns, and Jephthah carries out his vow, and is was a virgin all her life. So the daughters of Israel lament for her four days each year.
Then, the men of Ephraim gather together and say to Jephthah, "Why did you not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down with fire!" He tells them they were in a great struggle and that when he called, they would not deliver him out of their enemies' hands, so he went alone, and the Lord delivered them. He gathers the men of Gilead to fight against them, because they called them fugitives. They seize the fjords of the Jordan, and whenever an Ephraimite escaped and asked to cross, they would test him by asking him to say a certain word, because they could not pronounce the sh sound, and then if he could not pronounce it, they would kill him. And 42,000 Ephraimites die, and Jephthah judges Israel for six years, and then he dies. After him, a man of Bethlehem judges Israel for seven years, and then he dies. After him, a Zebulonite judges Israel for ten years, and then he dies. After him, a Pirathonite judges Israel for eight years, and then he dies.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
God's heart was turned- even though He had said He would not listen to His people any more- when He heard their suffering. God is surely gracious and full of compassion!