Illegitimate Births

Overcoming a Tough Start

What hope is there for a child born to a prostitute? Society tends to have low expectations—and sometimes downright hostility—for people born out of wedlock. Such was the case for Jephthah (Judg. 11:1).

The product of his father's dalliance with a prostitute, Jephthah was not only excluded but expelled from his more “respectable” family (Judg. 11:2). Like many rejects, he led the life of a criminal (Judg. 11:3), though he and his gang of raiders may have harassed the Ammonites more than the Israelites.

The irony of Jephthah's life was that when Israel faced war with Ammon, the leaders of his hometown came looking for Jephthah to deliver them! They offered no apology; they merely appealed for help. To his credit, Jephthah agreed to help them after negotiating his terms (Judg. 11:9–11), and God gave him the victory (Judg. 11:33).

Jephthah's life is a good illustration of the truth that God does not judge people on the basis of appearances (Deut. 10:17; 1 Sam. 16:7; Rom. 2:11). He can overcome any background and use any set of circumstances to accomplish His purposes.