This was one of the rare times that someone actually posed a question to the leader of the attacking tribes, in this case the Ammonites, "why are you attacking us?" Wars and battles are fought for action and reactionary reasons but rarely if ever with any reason to dialogue and work it out verbally. The Ammonites felt it was their land to protect and that the Israelites were trespassers in their land. Jephthah, on the other hand, explained to him via a historical context that the land wasn't theirs from the outset but rather belonged originally to the Amorites during the days of the Exodus.He also said to the king, that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all of the people and the land to Israel. He explained that the Amorites actually took that land from the Moabites.
I think Jephthah was not afraid to fight but he wanted to do so under the right reasons and was seeking to find other ways to avoid unnecessary conflicts. I was impressed with his knowledge of the history and the landscape of the area which he lived and sought to defend.
All in all, a relatively decent day which culminated in my supermarket run last night. Still easing into the gym cycle and still have a little bit of a cough but I need to get back into the swing of things...
Praise for today: Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145: 3
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