Judges 12:1-15

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Jephthah and the Gileadites fought against the Ephraimites and killed 42,000 men.  Subsequent to Jephthah, God raised Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon as judges in Israel.  

     The Ephraimites possessed a strange jealousy that influenced them to quarrel with others.  They had previously argued with Gideon after he had defeated the Midianites (Judg. 8:1-2), and now they contended with Jephthah after he had defeated the Ammonites (Judg. 11:32-33), claiming they had not been called to help fight in the battle and threatening to destroy Jephthah’s home (Judg. 12:1).  Jephthah reports he had called them for help, but they refused (Judg. 12:2-3).  The Ephraimites then spoke condescendingly to the Gileadites, accusing them of being fugitives from the tribe of Ephraim (Judg. 12:4).  Jephthah could have overlooked the personal insults hurled at him by the Ephraimites (Prov. 19:11), but the threat of attack against his family necessitated self-defense.  The jealous and hostile Ephraimites picked a fight with Jephthah and the Gileadites and the conflict cost Ephraim 42,000 lives (Judg. 12:4-6).  Arrogant people often refuse to recognize their faults and will resort to violence—either physical or verbal—rather than admit their failings.

     After the death of Jephthah, three minor judges are listed: Ibzan (Judg. 12:8-10), Elon (Judg. 12:11-12), and Abdon (Judg. 12:13-15).  These are classified as minor judges because we know so little about them.  The other minor judges listed in the book of Judges are Tola (10:1-2), Jair (10:3-5), and Shamgar (3:31). 

     The judges were successful in many ways because they were obedient to the task that the Lord assigned to them.  Though the judges were successful and worthy of praise (see Heb. 11:32-34), they were also sinful men who were susceptible to the pagan values and lifestyles promoted by their surrounding culture (i.e. idolatry, polygamy, dynastic ambitions, etc.). 

     Among God’s people we observe both righteous and sinful behavior.  This is because we have two natures that simultaneously pull us in antithetical directions (Rom. 7:15-21; Rom. 13:14; Gal. 5:16-17; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:8-10).  We are born with a sinful nature which has a natural affinity for Satan’s values and world-system and which is never eradicated during our time on earth (Prov. 20:9; Jer. 17:9; Ps. 130:3; 1 John 1:8).  All believers sin (1 Ki. 8:46; Eccl. 7:20; Isa. 53:6; Jam. 3:2; 1 John 1:10).  However, as born-again believers (John 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23), we also have a new nature that desires to serve God and to walk with Him (Ps. 1:2; 40:8; Rom. 7:21-23; 2 Cor. 4:16; 1 John 2:29; 3:9).  Walking with God means He is regularly in our thoughts (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 3:16-17), that His Word saturates our thinking (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18), that we apply His Word (Matt. 7:24-27; Jam. 1:22; 4:17), that we are open and honest with Him (1 Jo. 1:5-7), and that we make every effort to please Him through a life of faith (2 Cor. 5:9; Heb. 11:6).  Over time, His qualities become our qualities, and the fruit of the Spirit is manifest in us (Gal. 5:22-23).