MTE Session 4 - The Man who would sacrifice anything to get what he wanted

Summary

Phil Campbell's session is based on Judges 9-11.
He started by referring in passing to Judges 11 & 12, which considered that passage to contain an account so sad that he dislikes speaking about it, as it shows the foolishness of one of the greatest of the judges, Jephthah - another man behaving badly.

Here, we see another "judge-cycle". Things in Israel were getting worse. But this time, when they cried out to God, God was "cynical". They repented, & then God could not bear Israel's misery any longer. Into the picture step Jephthah. He is one of those guys who want to win at all costs; he would give anything to guarantee a win. So, he made a vow to God (even God already had planned to save Israel) in exchange for victory against the Ammonites. Jephthah would sacrifice anything to make it to the top. The deal was that he would sacrifice as a burnt offering the first person to greet him when he returned. Jephthah did get the win - God kept His promise. OK, so he got what he wanted. When he returned home, the person who greeted him turned out to be none other than his daughter (the only child of his). So she had to be sacrificed! Jephthah didn't have to do the deal in the first place (God already planned to save Israel), but he did. So at the end, he got what he wanted - at the cost of his daughter's life. He was willing to sacrifice anything (even the life of a loved one) to win.

The real king of Israel is different. He sacrificed Himself for others, instead of sacrificing others for Himself. James & John (in the New Testament), like Jephthah, wanted to make it to the top (see Mark 10:35). They didn't know what they were asking for.
Those who want to be first in the Kingdom of God must be slave for all. Do not come to be served, but to serve. Serve others, instead of ruling them. Sacrifice yourselves, instead of sacrificing others.

Campbell then referred to recent headlines in Australia where 12 men, including a Presbyterian minister, were caught with obscene children images. He implored us to not sacrifice our children & let our kids suffer. Be a man & turn yourself in. If we are not to be men behaving badly, then maybe it is time to evaluate & make some changes.

Reflections

Hhhmmm. For me, in relation to my career & my money, I wonder: what will I sacrifice to build my career & my money/"wealth"/investments? I have "grand" future plans for my career & building my money/"wealth" investments. The story of Jephthah comes as a warning that there's a limit as to what I should give up to get something - it would silly & unwise to sacrifice something more important to get something that is not that important (or not important at all). Is it wise to sacrifice whatever spirituality I have to gain the things of this world? So, will I get sucked into sacrificing my time & money in the future, as I climb the corporate ladder (should I even climb this ladder?) or look to build on what assets I accumulate? Time which may be better spent doing things for God's kingdom than for personal gain. We shall see.