Day 1,171: Judges 12- Pronouncing The Gospel

​The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. 3 And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” 4 Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.” 5 And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,” 6 they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.
7 Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.
Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
8 After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he gave in marriage outside his clan, and thirty daughters he brought in from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.
11 After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. 12 Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13 After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel eight years. 15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
 
Meditation
The gospel leaves such ultimate transformation for the Christian that their language of love is distinct from how church is typically done. Gospel pronunciation with our life embodies the teaching and work of Jesus: To be the greatest we become the servant of all, the way to life is through dying to ourselves, the way to become rich is to live for other’s gain, we love our enemies and we do good to those who hate us. And surprisingly, gospel pronunciation with our lives can  find the greatest friction from within God’s people.
 
Jephthah moved from external conflict with the Ammonites to internal conflict with the tribe of Ephraim, disputing over who should have helped who (and when) quickly turning into civil war. Welcoming new recruits, Jephthah’s army was suspicious of Ephraim defectors. Jephthah’s men devised a linguistic test to detect infiltrators, asking fugitives to say the word “Shibboleth.” The meaning is not important because the pronunciation revealed whether or not they were from the region of Ephraim. If “shibboleth” was pronounced with emphasis on the wrong syllable then the person was sized and slaughtered.
 
This difficult narrative builds on the familiarity of pronouncements to reinforce distinction, and potential death, arising from differences. Jesus was put to death by His own people because of the distinction of the pronouncement of His love, ultimately giving His life for non-Israelites to receive God’s light. Christians today can expect the same tension from within “the Church” when we love and live with a true gospel pronouncement.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the strategy of Jephthah and Gilead to identify potential infiltrators?
 
-Why is it difficult at times to boldly pronounce the gospel with our lives?
 
-Where do you see “The Church” having friction within our own family concerning how certain people live and love (consider people who love political enemies, victims of abuse, and those who love like Jesus so much their associations are used to condemn them)? How does the way religious Jews treated Jesus (a Jew) explain the pain and problems that come when we live and love with a true gospel pronouncement?
 
Key Verse
6 they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.