Jdg 12:1-15 Wherefore…Thou Fight Against the Children of Ammon, and Didn’t Call us to go With Thee?

[Study Aired June 21, 2021]

Jdg 12:1  And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. 
Jdg 12:2  And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. 
Jdg 12:3  And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? 
Jdg 12:4  Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. 
Jdg 12:5  And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; 
Jdg 12:6  Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. 
Jdg 12:7  And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. 
Jdg 12:8  And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 
Jdg 12:9  And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. 
Jdg 12:10  Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. 
Jdg 12:11  And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. 
Jdg 12:12  And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. 
Jdg 12:13  And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. 
Jdg 12:14  And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. 
Jdg 12:15  And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites. 

The second section of Judges Chapter 11 concerns the vow that Jephthah made, and as a consequence he had to sacrifice his daughter to the Lord. We came to the understanding that as human beings, we are not to vow simply because we do not control our own destiny. It is the Lord who causes us both to will and do His pleasure and so it is only Him who has the capacity to make a vow. 

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The whole story about Jephthah making a vow is for us to appreciate how our Lord has sworn by Himself to deliver us from our enemies within and to bless us. 

Heb 6:13  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Heb 6:14  Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
Heb 6:15  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Heb 6:16  For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Heb 6:17  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

Jephthah’s daughter’s willingness to be sacrificed for the defeat of the Ammonites speaks of our Lord’s ultimate sacrifice for us when He died on the cross for our victory. 

Isa 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isa 53:8  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isa 53:9  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Isa 53:10  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Jephthah’s daughter’s request to go up and down the mountains to bewail her virginity for two months symbolizes our Lord Jesus stripping off His glory to take up His cross of suffering while here on earth bearing witness to the truth. 

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 9:24  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

As He is, so are we here on earth. We, too, like the daughter of Jephthah and our Lord Jesus Christ, must bewail our virginity for two months by taking up the cross and following our Lord Jesus in our lives here on earth as we bear witness to the truth.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Today’s review is in two parts.  The first part is to bring to our attention one of the cardinal dangers we face as His elect as we walk with Christ. The second part deals with the various judges who judged Israel for various periods.

Jdg 12:1  And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. 

As God’s elect, the biggest challenge we face is how to win this war against the flesh or the beast within as we walk with Christ here on earth. In other words, it is how to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. 

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Gal 5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Being led by the spirit is what wins the war.  It is when our eyes start seeing and our ears start hearing the word that we are being led by the spirit, and it is only in this way that we come out of the law – that is, overcome the flesh or the old man.

Another present danger we face as God’s elect is the heresies which rear their heads within the church of the first born. From verse 1 here, we see that the men of Ephraim were not happy that Jephthah did not consult them before going to war with the Ammonites. These men from Ephraim signify part of the commonwealth of God’s people who rise from within to confuse the people of God with heresies. They said to Jephthah that they will burn his house with fire. As we are aware, the positive application of fire is the word of God.  The negative application of fire is heresies. So what we are being told here is that within us will come men whose words are heresies which will destroy (burn down) the temple of God within us if not checked. 

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Paul warned us of this in his farewell speech to the elders of Ephesus when he visited them for the last time. 

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

What the men of Ephraim said to Jephthah is the same as what Korah and the two hundred and fifty princes of the people of Israel said to Moses. 

Num 16:2  And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
Num 16:3  And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

“Ye take too much upon you” here in Numbers 16:3 is the same as saying, “Why go to war with the Ammonites without involving us?” The purpose for all these heresies among us is that God wants to make it clear to us who are the called according to His purpose.

1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

In another spiritual perspective, the men of Ephraim can also signify Babylon. Our brothers in Babylon think they represent God here on earth and must be consulted on all spiritual matters here on earth. Babylon used to be our mother when we started our walk with Christ.

Jdg 12:2  And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. 

This verse is to make it clear to us that this war with our flesh or old man must be fought individually. Our fellowshiping does provide us with the weapons to win this war, but this great strife against the Ammonites (our flesh) must be fought within by each of us alone. The statement “when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands” means that those who introduce heresies from within cannot help us to win the war with the flesh. It also means that when we were in Babylon, we thought that the church would help us to win this war, but rather, our servitude under the flesh became entrenched. 

2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Jdg 12:3  And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? 

It was when our Lord Jesus came to us that we realized we cannot be helped by these heretics from within or the church system of this world, and therefore we make this statement, “And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands.” This statement is another way of saying that we should work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Of course, on our own, we can do nothing, but it is only through the enabling power of our Lord Jesus Christ that we can become victors. 

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Jdg 12:4  Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.

Gathering together all the men of Gilead is the same as making known to the saints issues of controversy or heresies introduced from within by members of the church, just as Paul and Barnabas brought the issue of circumcision to the attention of the apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem. 

Act 15:1  And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Act 15:2  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

The statement “Ye Gileadites are fugitives” signifies that we have escaped from these heretics, or from Babylon, as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers.  

Psa 124:6  Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
Psa 124:7  Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
Psa 124:8  Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Jdg 12:5  And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;

The whole war with the Ephraimites is based on the crossing of the river Jordan. In other words, the whole controversy with the Ephraimites is about the word of God. We, the Gileadites (the elect), must be able to take possession of the crossing of the Jordan. Taking possession of the crossing of the Jordan is being able to understand the whole counsel of the word of God. That is the only way we may be able to fight or separate ourselves from the Ephraimites or Korah and the two hundred and fifty elders.

Act 20:20  And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
Act 20:21  Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

Jdg 12:6  Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

What we speak is what shows whether we are of Christ or not. Jesus said that by their fruits, we shall know them who are of the world. The fruits here are what comes out of a man, and it can be what we speak or what we do. That is how the “Ephraimites” among us are revealed – that is, by what they say. In this context, the Ephraimites are revealed by their inability to pronounce well the word “Sibboleth”. 

Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

1Co 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

Verse 6 of Hebrews 6 is a solemn warning to us of what happens if we end up introducing heresies among us after hearing the word of God. That is the same as bearing thorns and briars after receiving the rain which is the word of God.

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

In the case of Korah and the two hundred and fifty elders who rose up against Moses, they were swallowed by the earth, and fire finally consumed them. To be swallowed by the earth means to become consumed by the Babylonian doctrines which result in spiritual death.  It is the same as being in outer darkness and awaiting the lake-of-fire judgment, which is the fire that will consume all that offends in all humanity.

Num 16:28  And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
Num 16:29  If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
Num 16:30  But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
Num 16:31  And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
Num 16:32  And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Num 16:33  They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
Num 16:34  And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
Num 16:35  And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

Although we speak this way, we are assured by Paul that we have better things that accompany our salvation.

Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Heb 6:11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
Heb 6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Jdg 12:7  And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Jephthah judging Israel for six years is to tell us that the rule of Jephthah was not according to the spirit but is fleshly, as the number six is the number of man. The fleshly rule is being governed by the law of sin and death which cannot save us but is an experience of evil to bring us to Christ. 

Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

As indicated in a previous review, the name Jephthah means “He will open”. So Jephthah represents our Lord Jesus. Jephthah’s judgment of Israel for six years therefore refers to our lives when we were under the law of sin and death before Christ came to us to open our eyes to see and ears to hear.

The rest of Chapter 12 of Judges deals with the rule of various judges which tells us of the various stages of our walk with Christ here on earth as follows:

Jdg 12:8  And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 
Jdg 12:9  And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. 
Jdg 12:10  Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. 

The rule of Ibzan is to demonstrate to us the complete life (the number seven means complete) of an elect. According to Strong, the name Ibzan means ‘splendid’. Indeed the life of an elect is wonderful. The rule of Ibzan is therefore to tell us the splendid end of the elect.

Jas 5:11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

Both Joseph and David became kings at the age of thirty. The number thirty therefore symbolizes the time that our new man starts to reign in our lives as our old man has commenced the dying process. So the fact that Ibzan had thirty sons and thirty daughters is to tell us that Christ has started His work in us to judge us first in this life by beginning the process of putting the old man to death for the birth of the new man who is to reign in our lives. Outwardly, the rule of Ibzan is to tell us that the elect will reign over the world when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Gen 41:46  And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

2Sa 5:4  David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

Num 4:23  From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Jdg 12:11  And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. 
Jdg 12:12  And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. 

After Ibzan came Elon who judged Israel for ten years. The number ten signifies the fullness of the flesh. What is significant here is that Elon was a Zebulonite. The blessing that Jacob pronounced to the Zebulonites is this:

Gen 49:13  “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon.” (ESV)

What therefore the rule of Elon symbolizes is that we spend a certain period of our lives manifesting the fullness of the flesh, which is the same as dwelling at the shore of the sea. However, this experience of evil is not in vain.  It is when we are dwelling at the shore of the sea that we see the beast rise up within us. In other words, that is when we see ourselves as the greatest of sinners, which eventually leads to our salvation.

Rev 13:1  And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.
Rev 13:2  And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.
Rev 13:3  One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.

Jdg 12:13  And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.
Jdg 12:14  And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
Jdg 12:15  And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

The name Abdon, according to Strong, means “Servitude”. He judged Israel for a period of eight years. Abdon came from Pirathon which means ‘chieftaincy’, and the number eight, on a positive note, means new beginnings or the new man. So what we are being told in these verses is that after we come to see who we really are at the end of the reign of Elon, we then come to serve Christ under the reign of the new man after the image of Christ. This will ultimately result in our reign (Chieftaincy) with Christ when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.