The writer of Hebrews notes God’s reaction to heroes of faith, “Instead, they [heroes of faith] were longing for a better country—a heavenly
one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a
city for them.” (Heb 11:16 NIV)
I’m struggling a little with this verse. If God is not ashamed to be
called their God, the antithesis would be that God might well be ashamed of
some people who call Him their God...
I suppose it could be those Jesus referred to when he said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform
many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt 7:21-23 NIV)
1 comment:
Gail;
-----The fact that this Jephthah character is listed amongst the witnesses of faith has always perplexed me. Talk about the relative nobody would want to claim! Indeed, that is the way it started for Jephthah. His half-brothers threw him out of the house because he was the son of a harlot. Not everyone stands strong in the face of rejection. Jephthah took up with rapscallions and raided for a living.
-----When the Ammonites began giving Israel trouble, Jephthah became worth knowing again. They asked him for help, and of course, his price was to become Israel’s leader. As he determined to attack the Ammonites Japhtheh vowed, “…then whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the LORD’S, and I will offer him up for a burnt offering.” (Judges 11:31) The debate is unconcluded as to whether he had an animal in mind, or people. It wasn’t uncommon that a portion of their houses were barns. And maybe the only animals one would want living that close to your comfort space would be those so domesticated and cultured that they would run outside to greet you when you arrived home.
-----Whatever the case, it was his daughter who flew from the house to greet him. And he kept his vow to the Lord. She died. I have trouble finding the Lord’s pleasure in that offering. I have trouble finding Jephthah’s faithfulness in it. But someone did, for he included Jephthah amongst the cloud of witnesses right there in the Word of God.
-----The story demonstrates another of this life’s principles I keep close to mind. Nothing is monolithic; nothing is homogenous; nothing is completely good or completely evil. A gold piece in a cow pie is washable. A penny may not be. Jephthah honored the Lord so highly that he kept his vow, odious and ill spoken as it was.
-----I never thought of the “But Lord, Lord…” folks in the same frame of mind with this passage of Hebrews. Theirs were deeds of glory done to get their own glory, not quite the same as burning your little girl to fulfill a vow to the Lord and then facing the wife who always bade you to watch your words.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
Post a Comment