Today's Draw!!!!!

하임 got picked today! And she memorized the half of the Psalm 121!

You did a great job!

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Judges 11:30-31

“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, 

“If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me

when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”

내가 암몬 자손에게서 평안히 돌아올 때에 누구든지 내 집 문에서 나와서 나를 영접하는 그는 여호와께 돌릴 것이니 내가 그를 번제물로 드리겠나이다 하니라.

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What was wrong with Jephthah's promise?

What a strange promise!

He was basically saying, “God, if you give me victory, I will give you whatever comes out of my house first.”

But why would he make such a promise?

I think one reason is that Jephthah did not really understand who God was.

He seemed to think about God like the gods of the nations around Israel.

The people around Israel believed that they needed to give something to their gods in order to receive something from them.

“Give me something, and I will give you something.”

But that is not who the God of Israel is.

God is not a God we have to bribe.

God is not a God we have to manipulate.

God is not saying, “If you give me something valuable, then I will love you.”

God is the God who gives freely.

He had already rescued Israel again and again.

So Jephthah's problem was not simply that he said something foolish. He did not understand who God was.

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Remember!

Doing what is wrong does not become right just because we promised to do it.

And sometimes, saying, “I was wrong” is more faithful to God than stubbornly keeping a foolish promise.

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My words are important, but my words are never more important than God.

My pride is never more important than God.

My reputation is never more important than God.

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And we had a monthly prayer for nation! 

Today, we prayed for Syria!

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