Honorable Mentions
Jephthah is one of the guys that the writer of the Hebrews didn’t have time to write about. There was plenty to say about him. But the writer simply didn’t have time.
Just like he didn’t have time to write about Samson and Barak, and David and Samuel.
And Gideon. Of course, Gideon.
He sits in some good company, Jephthah, there in the cheap seats in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith. (No disrespect toward the honorable mentions here. The place is like the Orpheum: there are no bad seats in the house.)
But to tell his story, well, there just wasn’t time.
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As part of my study of Judges 11, I went off in search of any other reference to this fellow that might help me understand his story better. Figure out his place. And I found him here in Hebrews 11.
Frankly, the very last place I ever expected to find him.
Of these honorable mentions, the writer of Hebrews tells us that they “through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.” (Heb. 11:33-34)
Jephthah was one who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. And if that were the extent of it, the writer would have had plenty of time. His story would have been short.
Jephthah, through faith, became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
Short and sweet. Keep it simple.
But that doesn’t seem to be how it works for people who live through faith. Our stories get complicated. Read back through that list of Hebrews 11 heroes. Their stories are complicated. Just about every last one of them alternated between colossal dork and consummate hero.
Jephthah proved to be no exception (and we’ll be getting to that).
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I like to believe that’s why the writer ran out of time.
And I wonder. (I wonder a lot, have you noticed?)
I wonder if the writer of Hebrews would have come after me, not before, where might my story be in his Chapter 11? Would there be a paragraph? A passing reference like our man Jephthah? Captured only in a general reference to “types” of followers? Or would I have made the chapter at all?
Would he have had time for my story?
I know that I have the dork part down. I’ve given God more than ample opportunity to redeem the dork in me, and if that’s all it takes I should make the front cover of the upcoming edition of Hebrews magazine.
But there’s the faith part of it too. Does my story stop at dork? Or does it move on to faith? As to that part of the story, the jury is still out.
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Stay tuned, still working out Jephthah’s story in my little head. More to come.
Hey girl…colossal dork…that would be me!
I love your humor woven in to a great “lesson”. I hope your head doesn’t take too long to spit out Part Deux…..I can’t wait!
2009/07/07 at 8:49 PM
I’m turning to Chapter 11 as I type these words.
I hope you’re working on the rest of the story.
I’ll stay tuned!
2009/07/07 at 9:06 PM
Hebrews has been my camping ground lately. My favorite part of the verses above, “whose weakness was turned to strength”. Isn’t this really all our story? Thinking of your “Mercy Rule” post – a score too big for us to settle, we are weak. Jesus, in unimaginable mercy, stoops down to make us strong. I also await the rest of the story…
2009/07/07 at 9:29 PM
Working on it, working on it. With all the hype for this Jephthah I suppose I’d best make it worth your while. And here I wasn’t even trying to hype it, I was stalling — I’ve been wrestling again with what to do with one of the Judges heroes and this was as far as I got.
Nancy — a score too big to settle — that’s good. I like that.
2009/07/07 at 9:40 PM
I’ve got the dork part down too. I think it’s hard to evaluate anything in the middle of the story.
Remember in grade school when the teacher would stop reading something on page 20 and ask, “What do you think is going to happen next?” I hated that. I know it was an exercise in helping us understand foreshadowing, but it bugged me.
How was I supposed to predict where the author-god was going to take things? Just look at the dumb choices the author made in Bridge to Terebithia. (Bleaggghh.)
The author of Hebrews knew the end of the story for each of those faithful folks. Someday, someone will know the end of your story and mine. Until then, all we can do is try to be faithful, persevere, trip, fall, get back up.
And, of course, continue to be dorks. As Jesus said, Blessed are the dorks…
2009/07/08 at 8:27 AM
You’re teasing us! I thought this was THE Jephthah post. I agree with Marcus–I hope in the end to learn my story is one of faith that endures to the end, but we’ll only know at the end. Until then, keep living as if everybody’s watching…and as if everything you do will end up in the upcoming heavenly edition of Hebrews magazing.
2009/07/08 at 10:08 PM
Jennifer, not teasing on purpose, promise. Mostly stalling.
Marcus, I agree, evaluating midstream is tough to do. But you know, I’m still a lot like the kindergartner daydreaming of what I’m going to be one day. I still wonder…what will I end up as? How will I finish? What will He say? It truthfully helps keep me on track. I did not have the misfortune to read Terebithia, so thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be sure not to add it to the towering stack of books-yet-to-read.
2009/07/09 at 12:15 PM
Lyla, no doubt we have to evaluate even if it is hard to do. We have to set goals and make plans, even though we don’t know what tomorrow may bring. It’s a paradox. The wise person makes plans. But the wise person also knows that all our little plans are subject to change and be conformed to a plan that is greater than our own.
2009/07/09 at 12:22 PM
Little plans. True enough.
Blasted paradox. It’ll get me every time.
Blessed paradox. It’s part of what makes faith what it is.
I suppose there’s another paradox to keep my day going.
2009/07/09 at 12:27 PM