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Darren Arndt - Jephthah: The Rash Judge

 
Note from Darren:
 
I've had a couple people ask about one issue from last Sunday's passage about whether Jephthah really killed his daughter.  I've written a blog entry on that subject and thought it might be helpful. Click HERE to see my blog.
 
 
Group Questions, Week of Jan. 24/10

ICEBREAKER

Have you ever said something (or emailed/texted/Twittered something) on the spur of the moment that got you in trouble?

WORD

On Sunday we looked at Jephthah’s story of how a victory celebration ended up feeling more like a defeat. Choose as many of the following questions as time permits.

Read Judges 11:29-40.

1) Jephthah needed God’s help in battle and decided to offer God a little “bribe” in the form of a promised sacrifice. It’s very easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking we need to do something for God before God will do something for us. 1 John 4:19 says God loved us first, not the other way around.

a) What are some examples of promises people make to God to convince him to answer their prayers?

b) If God answers our prayers because of his goodness and not ours, how should that affect our prayer life?

2) Jephthah’s rash promise got him into a very difficult situation. Rashness involves not considering the consequences of one’s actions, or being reckless.

a) Can you think of other people in the Bible whose rash words got them into trouble? (If you’re stuck, think of Jesus’ disciples.)

b) Reacting or speaking quickly often prevents us from considering consequences, especially when we’re stressed or angry. What are some practical ways we can learn to avoid reacting rashly? (E.g. When replying to an email that has made me angry, before pressing ‘send’ I sleep on it overnight and rewrite my response in the morning.)

3) Jephthah got himself into a situation where he had to break one of God’s laws. He could either break his vow, or he could sacrifice his daughter, both of which were wrong.

a) Read Matthew 23:23. Jesus confronts the Pharisees for being super-obedient in one area while being disobedient in more important areas. In other words, they were “majoring on the minors and minoring on the majors.” Sometimes Christians disagree on what issues are “majors” or “minors.” As a church, what Biblical principles can we use to evaluate which issues are of major importance in God’s eyes?

PRAYER

Pray for one another’s needs with faith and boldness, knowing that God’s response is not dependent on our own merits.

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