O.T. Action News: Jephthah's Vow

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#389: “O.T. Action News: Jephthah's Vow”
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Judges 11:1-40

1Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute.

2Gilead's wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family," they said, "because you are the son of another woman." 3So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him. 4Some time later, when the Ammonites made war on Israel, 5the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6"Come," they said, "be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites." 7Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house? Why do you come to me now, when you're in trouble?" 8The elders of Gilead said to him, "Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be our head over all who live in Gilead." 9Jephthah answered, "Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me--will I really be your head?" 10The elders of Gilead replied, "The LORD is our witness; we will certainly do as you say." 11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah. 12Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: "What do you have against us that you have attacked our country?" 13The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah's messengers, "When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably." 14Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king, 15saying: "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. 16But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the desert to the Red Sea and on to Kadesh. 17Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Give us permission to go through your country,' but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab, and he refused. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. 18"Next they traveled through the desert, skirted the lands of Edom and Moab, passed along the eastern side of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon. They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border. 19"Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, 'Let us pass through your country to our own place.' 20Sihon, however, did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He mustered all his men and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. 21"Then the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his men into Israel's hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, 22capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan. 23"Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? 24Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the LORD our God has given us, we will possess. 25Are you better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them? 26For three hundred years Israel occupied Heshbon, Aroer, the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn't you retake them during that time? 27I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites." 28The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him. 29Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." 32Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. 33He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon. 34When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break." 36"My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 37But grant me this one request," she said. "Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry." 38"You may go," he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite custom

40that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

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O.T. Action News: Jephthah's Vow

“O.T. Action News: Jephthah's Vow” is episode #389 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Phil Lollar, and originally aired on January 17, 1998.

Summary

The O.T. Action News team tells the biblical story of Jephthah and his hasty vow.

Plot

Lisa Mulligan calls into the Kids Radio program "Adventures in the Bible" to ask Whit a question about a friend who uses the phrase "I swear." She is interrupted by Brink Chetley, the O.T. Action News anchor, who has a breaking story from 1089 B.C.

The Ammonites have declared war on Israel to get back land they believe Israel stole from them when they came out of Egypt. Correspondent Jared DeWhite reports from the Israelite Tent of Meeting where the leaders agree to buy protection for Israel from Jephthah. Gamaliel, Jeptha's half brother, approaches him with their request that he and his men deliver Israel. Still bitter about past events, Jephthah agrees but demands they make him judge over Gilead. He attempts a peaceful solution with the Ammonite King, but it results in an argument, so Jephthah marches on Ammon. Before the battle, Jephthah vows that if God delivers Ammon to him, he will sacrifice the first thing out of his house upon his return as a burnt offering. Jephthah wins the war and kills the King of Ammon. He returns to his home in Mizpah where his only daughter Adena runs out to meet him. Jephthah is heartbroken, but realizes he must keep his vow. Adena asks to go to the mountains for two months with friends to mourn the fact that she'll never marry. Eugene, the Middle East expert, explains that Jephthah's vow could be interpreted that he would dedicate her to the Lord for life instead of actually offering her as a burnt offering (since human sacrifice was forbidden).

Discussion Questions

  1. Why were the Israelite leaders so hesitant to agree to Jephthah's deal?
  2. Why was it foolish for Jephthah to make a vow like he did before the battle?
  3. How can we apply what happened to Jephthah to today?
    • Do people today ever make rash vows?

Cast

Heard in episode

Role Voice Actor
Adena Shari Belgeau
Ammonite King Paul Herlinger
Brink Chetley Earl Boen
Charles Gestault Corey Burton
Edwin Blackgaard Earl Boen
Eugene Meltsner Will Ryan
Fred Schnopple Corey Burton
Gamaliel Matt Hurwitz
Jared DeWhite Brandon Gilberstadt
Jephthah Townsend Coleman
Jephthah's Brother #1 Will Ryan
Jephthah's Brother #2 Corey Burton
Jephthah's Guard Unknown
Jesus Christ Corey Burton
John Whittaker Paul Herlinger
Lisa Mulligan Nicole Myers

Mentioned in episode

Character Mentioned By
Nick Mulligan Lisa Mulligan


Notes

VERSION DIFFERENCE: [view] The album version of this episode is longer than the radio version. The first interview with Eugene is totally cut from the broadcast version, and Jared's second report is cut short where Brink tries to interrupt him.

Trivia
  • While O.T. Action News usually has two kid reporters, this episode only has one: Jared DeWhite. Jared's personality being exceptionally large, this may be appropriate.
Allusions
  • The name of the character Charles Gestault in this episode may be a reference to the historical French general Charles De Gaulle, famed for his opposition to the Nazis in World War II.
Audio
  • This episode features one of the only instances (or perhaps the only instance?) of split audio channels being used for different characters in a scene, here between the characters of Jephthah and the Ammonite King during their interview with Charles Gestault.
  • Listen carefully when Jared's audio is cut out before Jephthah kills the Ammonite King to hear a common telephone recording instructing the caller to hang up and try their call again.

Quotes

Ammonite King: Son of a camel, you will not win!
Charles Gestault: Now, gentlemen, that kind of language—

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