“The Story Of Jephthah & The Lesser Of Two Evils”

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Recently, I re-read the story of Jephthah. It is a perfect fit for the moral maelstrom that is the book of Judges. Here’s a little refresher on the story: Jephthah was called on to save the Israelites from an oppressive neighboring nation. He made a vow to God that if he won a big battle, when he arrived home, he would offer the first living thing that came out of his door. So, when his only child—a grown daughter—was the first living thing to come out of the house, he kept his vow and burned her on an altar to God.

Sound horrible? It is. And that’s why I started wondering: is that what he should have done? Was God pleased with that vow and with his keeping it?

The simple answer is: no.

I think I can say unequivocally that Jephthah should not have sacrificed his child, even if it meant breaking a vow to God. In reality, because of his stupid vow, he had no good options, but one option was clearly more evil than the other. Despite the fact that many of us have said, “One sin is the same as another; they’re all equal in God’s eyes,” the Bible just does not say that. There are times when we must choose between to evils, in which case we must always choose the lesser evil. Jephthah’s choice was between breaking a vow and shedding innocent blood, and he chose to commit the greater of those two evils. By contrast, when Rahab had to choose between lying about the location of the spies sent by God or giving them up to be killed, she chose the lie, knowing that it would mean their lives were preserved. And was she condemned for her infraction? No. In fact, the Hebrews writer commends her for welcoming them, which involved her saving their lives.

What’s the point? God values life. And though they may happen infrequently, when the choice comes down to a breach of morality versus a loss of innocent life, faithful people must choose the lesser of those two evils. The Holy Spirit said through Hosea: “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hos. 6:6) Our lives should reflect the most important things to him: steadfast love for the innocent and a premium priority on preserving life that is given by God and created in his image.

- Dan Lankford, minister

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