BIBLE PASSAGE:
The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to
Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the
Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’re going
to burn down your house over your head.”
(Judges 12:1)
MEDITATION:
A chaplain once said that in the military they say,
“There is no such thing as friendly fire,
If it’s fire, it’s not friendly.”
Unfortunately, the church is often the target of “friendly fire”.
It seems that the friendly fire usually comes from the same
sources. Some are known for being critical “nay-sayers” and
they seldom change. It is difficult to know if they enjoy this
role, or they just fell into it and can’t figure out how to change.
Usually their “friendly fire” is directed toward those who are trying
to get some things done. Instead of providing encouragement and
support, some are busy pointing out all the reasons why the things
should not be done.
Checks and balances are needed, but so are encouragement and
enthusiasm. Pointing out possible pitfalls is a good thing, but
being on a mission to squelch everything is not.
As an example, look at today’s scripture reference.
Jephthah was leading the fight against the Ammonites.
When he called on the men of Ephraim, they did not come.
Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged
in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although
I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands.
(Judges 12:2)
So at great risk to himself, Jephthah attacked without them.
When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my
life in my hands and crossed over to fight the
Ammonites, and the Lord gave me the victory
over them.”
(Judges 12:3a)
And now they were upset because they didn’t participate in the victory.
Now why have you come up today to fight me?
(Judges 12:3b)
They even threatened to burn down Jephthah’s house (Judges 12:1).
What was the real problem with the men of Ephraim?
They asked Jephthat to be their commander and promised
to support him, however when it was time for action, they
chose not to participate. Apparently they wanted a figurehead
as a commander, but they still wanted to remain in control.
“Come,” they said, “be our commander,
so we can fight the Ammonites.”
(Judges 11:6)
However, now they seemed to be feeling guilty for not supporting
Jephthah and they wanted him to be blamed for their failures.
Apparently the men of Ephraim were known for this type of action.
Earlier, they were offended that Gideon did not call them when he
went to fight the Midianites.
Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, “Why have
you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us
when you went to fight Midian?” And they
challenged him vigorously.
(Judges 8:1)
Gideon had offered them a chance to participate, but they would
not commit.
Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles
with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’
So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand
remained.
(Judges 7:3)
Of course, their lack of commitment fit into God’s plans of
accomplishing much with only a small army, but according
to the scriptures, they had a choice.
When we continue reading, we see that ultimately God reduced the
army to only 300. As we read further, we can see the wisdom God
gave to his servant, Gideon. When the men of Ephraim were trying
to save face for their lack of support for Gideon, God gave Gideon
the words to say that appeased those who were complaining.
But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared
to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than
the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oreb and Zeeb,
the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do
compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.
(Judges 8:2-3)
ACTION:
We have seen two instances where people were hard to please (and
apparently had a reputation for being difficult). Which ones are you
like? Are you like Jephthah and Gideon – men who were actively
serving God? Or, are you like the men of Ephraim – always ready
to complain?
God’s Word has shown us the difference between helping and hurting.
If you are in a rut of constantly complaining and finding fault, then ask
God to change your attitude so that you can be a helper who encourages
and supports those who are sincerely trying to serve Him.
For all who have accepted the Lord’s call to salvation, He has given
us a special place to serve Him, and He has equipped us for serving
Him. We might feel like we are not qualified to serve Him, but He
assures us that when we commit to answering His call to serve, we
will be successful because of Him, and not because of ourselves.
Look at the words of this song and think about how God has
called you to salvation and service.
Why You ever chose me, has always been a mystery
All my life I’ve been told, I belong at the end of the line
With all the other not-quites; with all the never-get-it-rights
But it turns out they’re the ones
You were looking for, all this time
‘Cause I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody,
all about Somebody, who saved my soul
Ever since You rescued me, You gave my heart a song to sing
I’m living for the world to see, nobody but Jesus
I’m living for the world to see, nobody but Jesus
Moses had stage fright,
and David brought a rock to a sword fight
You picked twelve outsiders nobody would have chosen,
and You changed the world
Well the moral of the story is,
everybody’s got a purpose
So when I hear that devil start talking to me saying,
“Who do you think you are?”, I say,
I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody
all about Somebody, Who saved my soul
Ever since You rescued me, You gave my heart a song to sing
I’m living for the world to see, nobody but Jesus
I’m living for the world to see, nobody but Jesus
So let me go down, down, down in history
as another blood-bought faithful member of a family
And if they all forget my name, well that’s fine with me
I’m living for the world to see, nobody but Jesus
God has given us the freedom to choose, hasn’t He?
We can be a discourager in the same way as Satan.
Or, we can be an encourager in the same way as Jesus.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me if I have become a discourager.
Change my attitude so that I will become the kind of encourager
You want me to be. Convict me whenever I find myself being a
constant complainer. Thank You for encouraging me and especially
when I am serving You with the spiritual gift You have given me.”
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