Why didn't God stop Jephthah's human sacrifice like he did with Abraham?

[Luke_K]

In Judges 11: 29-40, Jephthah made a vow to God that if He would deliver the Ammonites into his power, he would offer up as a holocaust whoever first came out of the doors of his house when he returned. God did deliver the Ammonites into Jephthah’s power, so Jephthah ended up sacrificing his only offspring, his daughter, as a burnt offering (holocaust). According to the text, both the father and daughter deeply regretted having to do it, but they thought they had to because Jephthah made a vow.

Why didn’t God stop this sacrifice like he did when Abraham offered Isaac up? I can imagine two things he could have said to Jephthah:

1. “Jephthah, Jephthah! Do not lay your hand on the girl! Do not do the least thing to her. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you were willing to sacrifice your only daughter in order to fulfill your vow to me!”
2. “Jephthah, Jephthah! Do not lay your hand on the girl! Do not do the least thing to her. You have sinned in making a rash vow, but do not further your sin by sacrificing the child!”

But God did nothing for a two month period while the daughter mourned her fate. He just stood by while Jephthah made a burnt offering out of his daughter. Why?

 

[gelsbern]

There is one difference that pops into my head. Abraham was doing what God commanded. Whereas Jephthah made vow.

 

[Usagi]

I don’t know that I can give you a “why,” but it’s clear that God doesn’t always stop us from doing stupid and evil things, even ones that we claim are being done in His name.

The difference between “God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, but still intended to keep His promise that Abraham would have many descendants through Isaac” vs. “Jephthah totally came up with this thing on his own, and basically got screwed (along with his unfortunate daughter) when the last person he wanted wound up meeting the conditions of his foolish vow” is probably the best answer we’re going to get in this life.

Usagi

 

[Corki]

I don’t know that I can give you a “why,” but it’s clear that God doesn’t always stop us from doing stupid and evil things, even ones that we claim are being done in His name.

Usagi

Not only does he not always stop us, he often lets us learn from our mistakes the hard way.

 

[Fidelis]

The phrase that bookends the Book of Judges is “There was no king in those days and everyone did as he saw fit.” The rash vow and concept of human sacrifice was rife among the surrounding pagan nations of Canaan at that time. The story of Jephthah (like many stories in Judges) illustrates what can happen when men just kind up make religion as they see fit, borrowing a little bit of this belief and a little bit of that, without recourse to any kind of authority. This is what Jephthah was doing, and that’s why it ended badly for him and his family.

 

[thistle]

In Judges 11: 29-40, Jephthah made a vow to God that if He would deliver the Ammonites into his power, he would offer up as a holocaust whoever first came out of the doors of his house when he returned. God did deliver the Ammonites into Jephthah’s power, so Jephthah ended up sacrificing his only offspring, his daughter, as a burnt offering (holocaust). According to the text, both the father and daughter deeply regretted having to do it, but they thought they had to because Jephthah made a vow.

Why didn’t God stop this sacrifice like he did when Abraham offered Isaac up? I can imagine two things he could have said to Jephthah:

1. “Jephthah, Jephthah! Do not lay your hand on the girl! Do not do the least thing to her. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you were willing to sacrifice your only daughter in order to fulfill your vow to me!”
2. “Jephthah, Jephthah! Do not lay your hand on the girl! Do not do the least thing to her. You have sinned in making a rash vow, but do not further your sin by sacrificing the child!”

But God did nothing for a two month period while the daughter mourned her fate. He just stood by while Jephthah made a burnt offering out of his daughter. Why?

I don’t see that as a vow. I see that as Jephthah trying to bargain with God. You do not bargain with God.

 

[White_Peony]

Abraham was doing what God commanded, Jephthath was making a rather brash and devil-may-care vow.

 

[White_Peony]

I don’t know that I can give you a “why,” but it’s clear that God doesn’t always stop us from doing stupid and evil things, even ones that we claim are being done in His name.

The difference between “God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, but still intended to keep His promise that Abraham would have many descendants through Isaac” vs. “Jephthah totally came up with this thing on his own, and basically got screwed (along with his unfortunate daughter) when the last person he wanted wound up meeting the conditions of his foolish vow” is probably the best answer we’re going to get in this life.

Usagi

Well said!

 

[Crumpy]

The phrase that bookends the Book of Judges is “There was no king in those days and everyone did as he saw fit.” The rash vow and concept of human sacrifice was rife among the surrounding pagan nations of Canaan at that time. The story of Jephthah (like many stories in Judges) illustrates what can happen when men just kind up make religion as they see fit, borrowing a little bit of this belief and a little bit of that, without recourse to any kind of authority. This is what Jephthah was doing, and that’s why it ended badly for him and his family.

excellent analysis.

part of the background to the incident may have been faulty thinking about vows in general, that one could or should make a vow that contradicted or overrode a divine command.

This would be as foolhardy as an overzealous person today, who sold all his goods to give to the poor, only to result in that his own family starves to death. God not only gave the Israelites commands, He gave them heads to think, too.

 

[Big_Dummy]

Well God allowed Peter to walk on the water until he lost faith and sank. There is no recorded of God allowing anyone else who tried it to do it. Bottom line God gives us free will to screw up.

 

[Luke_K]

Fine, God gives us the freedom to do stupid things. But in this case Jephthah and his daughter didn’t want to do it. You’d think that God, with 2 months, could have informed Jephthah that sacrificing his daughter would only compound his sin. It would have been a good lesson for Jephthah.