Judges Chapter 12 Verse 1

● We’ve seen Ephraim pull this before haven’t we? It seems that the Ephraimites are consistent in this complaint. Back in Chapter 8 verse 1, this is the same complaint that they brought against Gideon and what sticks out to me is that they are more concerned with the credit then they are with the accomplishment! Where is the encouragement? Where is the celebration that the land of Israel has been saved? This is a great evil and a super hindrance in things of relationship and ministry.
● We gotta be on guard against this stuff. Folks ask me often how I balance family, ministry and work and the answer is simple. I don’t. To balance is to take from one for the other. To firewall and to compartmentalize my heart and attention and efforts…I don’t do that. I don’t balance…I prioritize. My family is first…way out in front, ministry is second and work is third. And yet the ministry thrives. How? Scott. April. Matt Wallenberg. Yvonne. Lezli. Trifon. Jarred Keith. James. David Urlacher. Ben Young.
● We have Spirit led, raw and passion filled worship thanks to me and all the work and time I put in? Thanks to Matt’s love and devotion for the Lord and for you in this ministry. We have an elaborate audio ministry. Live broadcasts, archived sermons online and a radio program on Grace FM. Thanks to me and all the work and time I put in? Nope. Thanks to Scott’s love and devotion for the Lord and for you in this ministry. We have extraordinary events constantly like the baptisms and cookouts and outreaches and the VBS and the upcoming Fall Festival. Why? Because of me? HA! Not so much! Because of the Lord! And the faith and energy He has given to April and Yvonne.
● Man I could go on and on…I do believe we have one of the most blessed and brilliant Children’s Ministry that I’ve ever seen or heard of and all that because of me? No way! But because of Lezli’s devotion to the Lord and love for your little ones! Now, pile on top of all of that all of the people that come alongside of them! The 50 people that serve in the Children’s Ministry. The 60 people signed up to serve at Fall Fest! The folks that come alongside of James and Jim Carrick at Morningstar every week! How on earth do I do it all? HA! God has done it all!
● And I am so thankful for the staff and servants that set hand to plow week after week never growing weary in doing good, receiving the reward promised by God in Galatians 6 as they continue to grow in the Lord and intimacy with Him! Watching lives being turned on their head for God’s glory and folks coming into the life they’ve always yearned for! That is their reward! And so all glory and honor to God for this ministry and all credit practically for the elaborate maturity of what this church has become…to them!
● Ephraim ain’t having none of that…and so they step forward angry that they have no stake in the credit rather than serving those that have labored tirelessly to defend the land of their brothers…and here is the danger…since they take this stance, they quickly escalate to outright threat…what a horrific pattern.

Judges Chapter 12 Verses 2 – 3

● Very interesting here. Ephraim says in verse 1, “Why didn’t you call us?” and yet here we read Jephthah reply, “I did call you!” Looking back in our text, in the previous chapter, we really don’t get any additional details or clues so it appears that Jephthah did reach out and Ephraim’s complaint is not only cruel and outrageous, egocentric and prideful…but it was also causeless and unjust! I wonder could it be that they were furious that the victors were Gilead and Manasseh?
● Manasseh was Ephraim’s older brother? Remember? The sons of Joseph that Jacob elevated as it were to be fellow tribes of Israel? And yet as they stood before their father in Genesis 48…Jacob placed his right hand upon the younger brother Ephraim and gave him the blessing of the first born…now, it is Manasseh that’s getting the credit for this great victory…it could be that they were furious and jealous and that kind of stuff leaves you well…cruel, outrageous, egocentric and prideful and often you do things that are causeless and unjust…

Judges Chapter 12 Verses 4 – 6

● Apparently Ephraim was more bark than bite because it appears that they were easily overcome by Jephthah and his men and its interesting here, as some of the Ephraimite men were fleeing, trying to hide the fact that they were Ephraimites, the men of Gilead would have them say this specific word and because of their heritage and dialect, they had trouble pronouncing the word, or better said, the way they said it would reveal where they were from…
● And that’s interesting to me…because even today, the way you and I say things, the way we speak about the things of God really reveals very clearly where we are in our walk. Its subtle too…it’s just the “h” if you will…because you can quote scripture and tie Biblical truths together and speak with eloquence but if the humility or the patience or the self control or the kindness isn’t there…if the gospel isn’t intertwined in the manner by which you speak…and I’m not talking about verbalizing the gospel…I’m talking about man just the gospel being the fuel behind it…stuff like that…just these little “h’s,” man the revelation of where you live is clear…just like in our text…
● I think back to conversations I had early on in my relationship with the Lord, points I made, topics I just wouldn’t let go, things I said…and man I’m just like so humbled today because I know the friends of mine and my pastor and the men around me that were much older in the Lord than I was…they knew it…how immature I was and all the while I thought I was something…HA!

Judges Chapter 12 Verses 7 – 15

● Ibzan literally means “whiteness.” Elon literally means “terebinth,” or “mighty.” Abdon literally means, “servile,” or excessive willingness to serve. These three minor judges are mentioned that preceded one of the most famous judges that we’ll get into next time. Samson.