In this chapter i see brothers killing each other. But we should strengthen the hands of our brothers.

This is the second time the Ephraimites have questioned the people who took action. In chapter 8 they were satisfied with Gideon’s answer but this time they paid a huge price.

The Ephramites picked a fight with Gideon in chapter 8 and here in this chapter with Jepthah. Instead of joining hands with fellow Israelites, they created internal dissension. United in Christ we stand, divided we fall.

The Ephramites had a culture of picking fights. They questioned Gideon in chapter 8 and in this chapter they questioned Jephthah. What is our culture?

When God is on your side, there is victory. God was with Jephthah and he gave victory over Ephraim.

The tribe of Ephraim met Jephthah and was upset that he had defeated the Ammonites without their help and threatened to burn down his house. Jephthah took the threat personally and instead of uniting Israel, he divided it and killed many men of Ephraim for personal revenge. After the defeat of the Ammonites, and the slaughter of the Ephraimites, the Israelites had peace for 31 years under the leadership of Jephthah (6 years) and his three judges- Ibzan-7 years, Elon-10 years and Abdon-8 years..

The people of Ephraim overlooked the victory against their common enemy, and they question and threaten Jephthah for not including them. Sometimes we too face this same kind of situation, we will overlook the positive side and just stick to the question why did they not call us to be with them?
We have to be united to bring the victory and we have to be united to celebrate the victory(whoever brings the victory).
(V3)”The lord gave me the victory over them”
–then glory should be only to God.

Jephthah didn’t fail to acknowledge God-he rightly said God gave me the victory over the Ammonites.During the reign of Ibzan, Elon and Abdon, looks like the Israelites refrained from doing evil (for a while).

பங்காளி சண்டைய ஆரம்பிச்சுடானுங்க???!!!
-(v4) The Gileadites struck them (Ephraimites) down because the Ephraimites had said “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Mannaseh”.
-(v7) Forty two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.
-We need to be extra careful with the words we use. The words we use should not hurt others. Because it will not only affect the individual but also the entire community.