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PUT IT ALL ON THE ALTAR (27 OF 42)

by Mike Stone

Scripture: Judges 11:29-40
This content is part of a series.


Put It All on the Altar (27 of 42)
Series: The Coming King: Finding Jesus in Judges
Mike Stone
Judges 11:29-40

In those days there was no king in Israel and every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Our study of Judges is the story of Israel's rebellion and their longing for a king. But this book, like the whole of Scripture, is ultimately about the Lord Jesus.

Here in the closing of Judges 11, we have a controversial story about a controversial judge. His name is Jepthah and the controversial action he takes here will literally bring about the end of his family.

And in an ironic way, it happened because he put it all on the altar. (Judges 11:29-40)

It was the costliest battle of America's civil war. When the smoke cleared at Gettysburg, nearly 1/3rd of the total forces on both sides were listed as casualties.

Over 7,000 were killed

Over 33,000 were wounded

Nearly 11,000 were missing

Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia suffered over 37 percent. And apart from the human carnage, some 5,000 horses and mules died in the battle. They were collected and burned in great pyres, leaving a stench that hung over the area for weeks.

Even though this battle would be the worst in our Civil War, it pales in comparison to some other battles in world history. Most notably, the Battle of Baghdad in the 13th Century. Part of the Mongul invasion, estimated casualities are as high as 2 million.

But there is a battle that Jepthah might think is costlier still. For in the battle between the Gileadites and the sons of Ammon, Jepthah wins a might victory. But it comes at a very high price. The price tag and the vow that led to it, provide for us one of the most gruesome passages in the Bible. Or is it?

To be sure, it is one of the most criticized stories in the Bible. Skeptics and scoffers have used this account as the basis for their ridicule and rejection of God.

Who would want to serve a God that required child sacrifices? Well, su ...

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