THE DANGER OF STUBBORNNESS

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: TUESDAY, 18TH APRIL, 2023 

TOPIC: THE DANGER OF STUBBORNNESS

TEXT: JUDGES 12: 1-15

1. Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!"

2. And Jephthah said to them, "My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands.

3. "So when I saw that you would not deliver [me,] I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"

4. Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, "You Gileadites [are] fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites [and] among the Manassites."

5.  The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites [arrived.] And when [any] Ephraimite who escaped said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead would say to him, "[Are] you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No,"

6.  then they would say to him, "Then say, 'Shibboleth'!" And he would say, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce [it] right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.

7.  And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in among the cities of Gilead.

8.  After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

9.  He had thirty sons. And he gave away thirty daughters in marriage, and brought in thirty daughters from elsewhere for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.

10.  Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

11.  After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years.

12.  And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

13.  After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

14.  He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Israel eight years.

15.  Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains of the Amalekites.

MESSAGE: 

The Ephramites scolded Jephthah for not involving them in the war with the Ammonites and threatened to destroy him and his house with fire. Jephthah replied that when he called on them for help in the war against the Ammonites, they were not interested and so he took up the responsibility for his destiny and fought the war; and God gave him victory. Jephthah then asked the Ephraimites why they had come to fight against him. Since there was no resolution of the matter due to the stubbornness of the Ephraimites, Jephthah mustered the Gileadites and defeated the Ephraimites killing over 42,000 at the fords of Jordan. After judging Israel for six years, Jephthah died.

Stubbornness is refusal to change one's views, which led to an unnecessary war and the death of thousands of Ephraimites. The Bible says that sudden destruction awaits those who refuse rebuke (Prov.29: 1). Children should accept corrections from their parents, guardians and teachers. Family misunderstandings should be settled through dialogue and not through fighting. Do not engage in fighting over food, land, wine, money, women, men, friends, economic trees, etc. Do not spark up quarrels like the Ammonites and Ephraimites. Irrational decisions based on stubbornness can lead to irreversible negative consequences. So dialogue, settle amicably and follow the path of peace. Be a peacemaker (Matt.5: 9).

PRAYER: 

Lord, May Your grace be sufficient for me to settle any dispute peacefully in Jesus name.