Judges 12:1-15
“And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.” (Judges 12:1)
Joseph had been the Jacob’s favored son and Ephraim was the older of Joseph’s two sons. Apparently Joseph favored Ephraim, becoming upset that his father placed Manasseh ahead of him when he blessed them. He tried to get Jacob to change the blessing because Ephraim was the elder. “And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations,” in Genesis 48:19.
Ephraim passed the attitude that he deserved special recognition to his descendants and in Joshua 17:14-15. They had gotten Manasseh to support them in their complaint that the of Ephraim was not big enough. “And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto? And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.” Seven of the tribes had not yet gotten any land and Joshua told them if they needed more they’d have to get it for themselves.
When Gideon had defeated the Midianites Ephraim got upset because they weren’t called to lead the battle, in Judges 8:1. “And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.” In actuality they had been informed but didn’t bother to show up right away in an attempt to make everybody wait for them, and they resented people not doing it.
Now that same attitude resurfaces, nine hundred years after Joseph got upset with Jacob, showing up after the battle was over, angry that Jephthah hadn’t waited on them. This time they weren’t going to be passed off or talked out of it. They deserved better treatment and they would teach the others a lesson. They threatened burn Jephthah’s house down with him in it. Few parents realize how the attitudes we instill in our children will affect their future or that of future generations.
"And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.” (Judges 12:2-4)
While they griped a him they didn’t threaten Gideon and he buttered them up by making a big deal of what they had accomplished, as Judges 8:2-3 describes. “And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.”
Jephthah was offended by their insults to the people who had risked their lives for them, claiming the battle was won because of renegades from Ephraim fought for them. The threat to kill him and his family was just more than he could take. He attacked and defeated them.
“And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.” (Judges 12:5-6)
When the Ephraimites began to try to get home, the Gileadites seized the fords with the intention of killing every Ephraimite. Though both groups were Jewish and spoke Hebrew, they had different accents, and the Gileadites used the difference to identify them, killing forty two thousand Ephraimites.
Self centered people are so concerned with getting their own way they don’t consider how offensive their actions are. They keep pushing until others finally loose control of their tempers, ignoring or disparaging their complaints. They are usually shocked and offended by the violence of people’s reactions, feeling it was a totally unjustified reaction to the last thing they did, not realizing the last one was just the final straw that broke the camel’s back, it was not the only problem.
“And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.
And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.” (Judges 12:7-15)
For thirty one years after the defeat of the Ammonites, Israel served the Lord under various judges who constantly corrected them when things went wrong. All of the judges during this period were older men who died within a few years of taking on the responsibility.
** Earlier in this study I referred to Israel as having turned away from God thirteen times in the Book of Judges. In fact they did not, although they had thirteen judges. There were no breaks and turning away between these four judges, nor during Tola and Jair's judging Israel. Sorry about the misstatement.
“And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.” (Judges 12:1)
Joseph had been the Jacob’s favored son and Ephraim was the older of Joseph’s two sons. Apparently Joseph favored Ephraim, becoming upset that his father placed Manasseh ahead of him when he blessed them. He tried to get Jacob to change the blessing because Ephraim was the elder. “And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations,” in Genesis 48:19.
Ephraim passed the attitude that he deserved special recognition to his descendants and in Joshua 17:14-15. They had gotten Manasseh to support them in their complaint that the of Ephraim was not big enough. “And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto? And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.” Seven of the tribes had not yet gotten any land and Joshua told them if they needed more they’d have to get it for themselves.
When Gideon had defeated the Midianites Ephraim got upset because they weren’t called to lead the battle, in Judges 8:1. “And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.” In actuality they had been informed but didn’t bother to show up right away in an attempt to make everybody wait for them, and they resented people not doing it.
Now that same attitude resurfaces, nine hundred years after Joseph got upset with Jacob, showing up after the battle was over, angry that Jephthah hadn’t waited on them. This time they weren’t going to be passed off or talked out of it. They deserved better treatment and they would teach the others a lesson. They threatened burn Jephthah’s house down with him in it. Few parents realize how the attitudes we instill in our children will affect their future or that of future generations.
"And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.” (Judges 12:2-4)
While they griped a him they didn’t threaten Gideon and he buttered them up by making a big deal of what they had accomplished, as Judges 8:2-3 describes. “And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.”
Jephthah was offended by their insults to the people who had risked their lives for them, claiming the battle was won because of renegades from Ephraim fought for them. The threat to kill him and his family was just more than he could take. He attacked and defeated them.
“And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.” (Judges 12:5-6)
When the Ephraimites began to try to get home, the Gileadites seized the fords with the intention of killing every Ephraimite. Though both groups were Jewish and spoke Hebrew, they had different accents, and the Gileadites used the difference to identify them, killing forty two thousand Ephraimites.
Self centered people are so concerned with getting their own way they don’t consider how offensive their actions are. They keep pushing until others finally loose control of their tempers, ignoring or disparaging their complaints. They are usually shocked and offended by the violence of people’s reactions, feeling it was a totally unjustified reaction to the last thing they did, not realizing the last one was just the final straw that broke the camel’s back, it was not the only problem.
“And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.
And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.” (Judges 12:7-15)
For thirty one years after the defeat of the Ammonites, Israel served the Lord under various judges who constantly corrected them when things went wrong. All of the judges during this period were older men who died within a few years of taking on the responsibility.
** Earlier in this study I referred to Israel as having turned away from God thirteen times in the Book of Judges. In fact they did not, although they had thirteen judges. There were no breaks and turning away between these four judges, nor during Tola and Jair's judging Israel. Sorry about the misstatement.
I think you may have Ephraim and Manassah goofed up in their order. Joseph wanted Manasseh blessed since he was firstborn, but Jacob blessed Ephraim instead, which angered Joseph, Genesis 48:14, 17.
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoyed the post, and the sense of entitlement you establish Ephraim as having. Selfish people are just as you say; sometimes they can be VERY hard to contend with.
Once again, I demonstrate my human tendency to err. Thanks, Ian.for the reminder.
ReplyDelete