Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom

Can You Say Shibboleth

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2018-11-21

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver expounds Judges 12:1-7, where 42,000 Ephraimites died because of pride, anger, and their inability to pronounce 'Shibboleth.' He traces Ephraim's history of arrogance and desire for dominance, contrasting it with Christ's servant heart. The sermon warns against demanding conformity, ridiculing brethren, and failing to control the tongue, urging humility and a servant's heart to avoid God's opposition.

[John Weaver] Alright, the passage was from Judges chapter 12, verses 1-7. The title of the message is, Can You Say Shibboleth? in this text 42,000 men died in one battle. And it was simply because of pride, anger, and the inability to pronounce the word correctly. Proverbs 16 and verse 18 tells us that pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. And the truth of the matter is pride always brings us low, it deceives and it destroys. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 29 and verse 23 that a man's pride shall bring him low.

[John Weaver] And even today we have a multitude of pastors and preachers and even Christians that are struggling to be champions and leaders, not necessarily because they want to lead a people but they are just simply wanting dominance and they are wanting control. not content for God being sovereign. We want to be the ones calling the shots ourselves. And I pointed out how that Arthur W. Pink said years past, one reason we do not like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves. And the truth of the matter is this, the problem that exists today among pastors, preachers, and Christians is that we have lost a servant's heart. We certainly have lost the humility of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Listen very carefully to The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 and 6,"...let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant." being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross." So the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ took upon Himself the form of a servant. I want you to hold Judges chapter 12, but if you would please turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 22. And as you turn to Luke chapter 22 I want to quote to you Mark chapter 10 and verse 45, Mark 10 in verse 45 our Lord said, for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. So our Lord then said He came to minister. Notice if you would in Luke chapter 22 beginning there with verse 24 the Bible tells us, and there was also a strife among them.

[John Weaver] Now we are talking about the Twelve, the Apostles. There was a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest." Isn't that amazing? And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But you shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger, and he that is chief as he that doth serve.

[John Weaver] For whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth is not he that sitteth at meat But I am among you as he that serveth Remember Jesus Christ took upon Himself the form of a servant. And obviously our Lord certainly had a servant's heart and He demonstrated that truth in John chapter 13 when our Lord took a towel and girded Himself and then washed the feet of His disciples. So He did indeed take the place of a servant. He was willing to be meek and lowly at heart.

[John Weaver] Now, you look in Judges chapter 12 there is no humility, there is no meekness, there is no serving in our text. There is only pride, death, and destruction. Jephthah was a mighty warrior. In fact he was a fighter par excellence we might say. But one of the problems with Jephthah was the fact that he was the son of a harlot. his brothers kicked him out because they did not want him to have an inheritance from their father. So if you look in Judges chapter 11, and I want us to read verses 1 and 2. Judges 11, verses 1 and 2, Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was a son of a harlot, Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead's wife bare him sons, and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange woman." Now Jephthah indeed was a mighty man of valor. He got kicked out from his family's inheritance.

[John Weaver] He separated himself from his brethren because he was despised and disowned by his own brothers. But in the process of time now, the Ammonites have gathered together to war against the Gileanites. And of course, now the Gileadites are now seeking for someone to lead them in battle and help them defeat the Ammonites. And so now they turn back to Jephthah. Remember, he's a mighty man of valor.

[John Weaver] So look in Judges 11, beginning there with verse 5. In fact, let's read verse 4. And it came to pass in the process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob. And they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not you hate me and expel me out of my father's house? And why do you come unto me now when you're in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

[John Weaver] the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, the Lord be witness between us if we do not so according to thy words." So God used Jephthah to defeat the Ammonites. He may have been what the world today would call a bastard, or an illegitimate child, yet he was used by God, and used greatly I might add. So let me just Ask you to put down a little principle in your mind and in your heart and here's the principle. I want to emphasize God uses whom he chooses and he chooses whom he uses One does not have to meet our standards to be used by God and In fact, you have to remember even in the book of 2 Peter 2 and verse 16, God used a dumb ass. The Bible says in 2 Peter 2 that the dumb ass speaking forbade the madness of the prophet. So obviously when God used Balaam's ass to correct him, reproach him and reprove him if God can use an animal then obviously God can use whomever he chooses and the truth of the matter is God does not need to use any of us we are not a Indispensable we are dispensable because God

[John Weaver] uses whomever he chooses now. Let me just show you something I want you to turn in your Bibles holding judges 12 but to the book of James chapter 4 and 1st Peter chapter 5 I Want you to see two verses in order that I might emphasize One word look if you would please in the book of James chapter 4 and notice if you would verse 6 James 4, verse 6, then we'll go over to 1 Peter 5. James 4, verse 6, the Bible says, But he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace unto the humble. Now I want to call your attention to this statement, God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble. Now if you will turn over just a few pages to first Peter chapter 5 and verse 5 Look what the Bible says now likewise you younger Submit yourselves unto the elder. Yeah, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God resisted the proud and give the grace to the humble Now I read those passages just to tell you that that the word resisteth in James 4 and verse 6 and in 1 Peter 5 and verse 5 are

[John Weaver] the same identical Greek word. For instance, the Greek word is antitasomai and it literally means to resist, to oppose, to fight against, range in battle against." So I want you to look at 1 Peter 5 and verse 5 again and you can apply this to James 4 and verse 6 as well. He says, likewise you younger submit yourselves unto the elder, yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God fights against the proud. God sets Himself in battle array against the proud. God opposes the proud.

[John Weaver] I give the grace unto the humble. So when we are proud, arrogant, and haughty, God Himself opposes us, fights against us, and sets Himself in battle against us. When we are demanding, controlling, and seeking fleshly dominance and control, God places Himself in battle against us.

[John Weaver] Now, Ephraim Judges chapter 12 is an example of what I'm talking about at this particular point it is true that Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph and God set Ephraim above Manasseh if you would look in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 48 and You remember how Joseph brought his two sons for Jacob to bless them before he died? Manasseh was the older son and of course Joseph had him where Jacob's right hand would be on his head. But the Bible tells us that Jacob guided his hands wittingly and he put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh. course it displeased Joseph. And Joseph said, this is not so my father, this is my first born. He said, I know it my son, I know it, but this is what God is going to do. So in Genesis 48 and verse 20, And he blessed them that day, saying, And thee shall all Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh.

[John Weaver] And he said, Ephraim before Manasseh. So although Manasseh was the oldest child of Ephraim was set forth as one who received the prominence. Now evidently from this prophecy Ephraim undoubtedly developed what you and I would call a Diotrephes complex. I mentioned that a few weeks back, but may I remind you that Diotrephes was the man in 3 John who would not receive the Apostle John or anyone that John sent. In fact, anyone who wanted to identify with John or any of John's ambassadors, he would kick them out of the church. And John said, when I come, I'm going to take care of Diotrephes.

[John Weaver] But in the next verse, he says, Demetrius has a good testimony. So it's almost insane today when you look and you see people who are wanting to be a Diotrephes and not a Demetrius. yet you see that on every hand.

[John Weaver] Now, if you would look in your Bibles to the book of Joshua chapter 17 I want you to note how Ephraim thought himself to be a great people. Look in Joshua chapter 17 and begin if you would please there with verse 14. Genesis 17, I'm sorry Joshua chapter 17 beginning there with verse 14. Joshua 17, verse 14, And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, by the way the children of Joseph that would be Ephraim and Manasseh, spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot, and one portion to inherit, seeing that I am a great people?

[John Weaver] Forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto. And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for yourself therein the land of the Perizzites, and of the Giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us. And all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power. Thou shalt not have one lot only, but the mountain shall be thine, for it is a wood. and thou shalt cut it down, and the outgoings of it shall be thine, and thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong." Now the interesting thing is they come to Joshua and said, we are a great people.

[John Weaver] When you and I read the word great, we think normally of the way most people would, that they were numerous. were plenty, that they were multitudinous. And certainly that word is used that way in our Bibles. But this same word is also translated as Captain 24 times. So, they are not only saying that we are a great people, they are saying that we are leaders, we are in charge so to speak.

[John Weaver] And I want you to note Ephraim evidently has a habit of wanting to be first and getting upset if they are not first. So if you look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 7, Joshua chapter 7 we'll begin reading with verse 24 and we'll read through chapter 8 and verse 3.

[John Weaver] Now you remember how Gideon defeated the Midianites. although Gideon had a huge army God says you've got too many and so they let everyone who was afraid to go back home and then they God cut him down and said you still got too many and so God gave a test and finally Gideon ended up with 300 men to defeat the Midianites now later on of the other Israelites were called into the battle. But originally it was just Gideon and his 300, right? Ok, now watch this, because now they get upset because they only got in on the mopping up action.

[John Weaver] So here we go in Joshua chapter 7, I said Joshua did I not? Ok, it is Judges, I'm sorry, Judges chapter 7. Judges chapter 7 beginning there with verse 24 Judges 7 verse 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim now remember this is after the battle has really begun saying come down against the Midianites and take before them the waters of Beth Barah and Jordan then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and took the waters under Beth Barah and Jordan and they took two And they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeb they slew at the winepress of Zeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gideon on the other side of Jordan. And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Watch now, why hast thou served us thus, that thou callest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?

[John Weaver] And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I now done in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezar? And God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, or Ebezib, and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to remember it was God who gave Gideon the 300. Gideon had nothing to do with it. the initial battle when they were destroying themselves and he needed help chasing them he called from the others. And now they are saying, what in the world are you doing? You should have called us to begin with. Well the battle was the Lord's it was not necessarily Gideon. You remember it was the sword of the Lord and of Gideon, but it was the sword of the Lord first. And so what Gideon does is he appeases them. And he appeases them by appealing to to the greatness of their deeds and the smallness of his deeds. He's giving them the first place.

[John Weaver] He said, What was I in comparison to you? I mean, you got Oreb and Zeb. You got the princes. And once he appeased their pride and their anger was abated. So Gideon in this passage took the position of a servant. He humbled himself and said, I don't need the glory. I don't need the praise. You can have it. I mean, that's that's all there is to it. And that's all it took to satisfy the Ephraimites.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note Ephraim was upset with Gideon because they were not in the battle originally. When you look in Judges chapter 12, now they are upset with Jephthah because they were not in the battle originally as well. And now, they not only are upset with Jephthah, I want you to note that they now threaten to murder him and his family. Look in verse 1. Judges 12 verse 1, And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and went northward and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passeth thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thine house upon thee with fire." Really? Burning him alive? Burning his family alive? Now, according to verses 2 and 3, Jephthah did call them.

[John Weaver] But they did not arrive timely. Look in verse 2, And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon. And when I called you, you delivered me not out of their hands. When I saw that you delivered me not, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon. And the Lord delivered them into my hand.

[John Weaver] Wherefore then are you coming to me this day to fight against me? Now, please remember if you would, Ephraim has always wanted the position of control out of dominance. That's why they were upset with Gideon. When you believe that you are in the position of control, or at least should be in control, there's no rush. It does not matter concerning the situation. It does not matter the lives that are at stake. It does not matter the issues that are involved.

[John Weaver] I mean the truth is when you take a superior and dominating and domineering attitude then you are going to march to the beat of your own drummer is what it amounts to. The truth of the matter is Ephraim's attitude was simply this, I will get there when I get there and they will just have to wait for me. They cannot start without me. Well, Jephthah saw his opportunity and he took it. Well, the Ephraimites were not there. Now they come out to fight against Jephthah.

[John Weaver] They're threatening to burn him and his family alive. And they're going to defeat and destroy the Gileadites because they defeated the Ammonites. Now, ostensibly, ostensibly because they were not given the opportunity to control the war or participate in the way that they desired and they're going to fight against the Gileadites.

[John Weaver] Now, look what Jephthah asked in verse 3. He tells them what happened. Then he says, Wherefore then are you come out unto me this day to fight against me? Why are you provoking an attack? And by the way, This is the first instance in the Bible where Israelite was fighting Israelite. They were not fighting a common enemy. They're going to be fighting each other. And they came purposely to pick a fight.

[John Weaver] The battle between the Gideonites and the Ephraimites was a battle over control and dominion. I want you to look in verse 4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim and the men of Gilead smoked Ephraim because they said You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites now You need to understand who is fighting and why they are fighting.

[John Weaver] Now I've already pointed out this is a war between the Israelites. They're not fighting a common enemy, they're fighting each other.

[John Weaver] Now let me explain something to you and I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. The Gileadites were Manassites. They were from the tribe of Manasseh. You will look in your Bibles holding judges 12 go if you would please to Deuteronomy chapter 3 to begin with Deuteronomy chapter 3 then we'll go to Joshua Deuteronomy 3 and look if you would please at verse 13 Deuteronomy 3 and verse 13 Bible says and the rest of Gilead and all Bashan being the kingdom of Og Gave on to the half tribe of Manasseh all the region of Argob and all with all Bashan which was called the land of the Giants, so the half tribe of Manasseh Got this land of Gilead look if you would to the book of Joshua chapter 17 and verse 1 Joshua 17 in verse 1 the Bible says there was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh for he was the firstborn of Joseph to wit for maker the firstborn of Manasseh the father of Gilead because he was a man of war therefore he had Gilead and Bashan so Gilead then was

[John Weaver] the firstborn child of Manasseh Manasseh was the firstborn child of Joseph. So, skip down to verses 5 and 6. And there fell ten portions to Manasseh beside the land of Gilead in Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan, because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons, and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead. So, here's what you have. You remember that Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh got land on this side of Jordan and the other half-tribe of Manasseh with the other tribes got land on the other side of Jordan. So you have some on the west side, you have some on the east side.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to listen to what Matthew Henry said. In his commentary He said, and I'm quoting, pride was at the bottom of this quarrel. Only by pride comes contention. Proud men think all the honors lost that go beside themselves, and then who can stand before envy? Ah, listen now, the Ephraimites had the same quarrel with Gideon who was a Manasseh on their side of Jordan, that would be the east side, Ephraim and Manasseh were nearer kin than any of the tribes, being both of the sons of Joseph. And yet they were more jealous one of another than any of the other tribes. He goes on to point out that Jephthah was of Manasseh on the other side of Jordan. So you have Gideon on this side of Jordan and Ephraimites are mad at him. Now you have Jephthah on this side of Jordan and all the Ephraimites are mad at him. go on to say, Jacob having crossed hands and given Ephraim the presence, looking as far forward as the kingdom of the ten tribes, which Ephraim was the head after the revolt from the house of David, that tribe not content with that honor in the promise was displeased if Manasseh had any honor done

[John Weaver] to it in the meantime. It is a pity that that kindred or relationship should be an inducement, it is a pity that kindred or relationship should be an inducement to love and peace should be ever an occasion as it often proves of strife and discord. So he said, it should be love and peace but it is always ending up strife or discord. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions among brethren are the bars of a castle.

[John Weaver] Now, let me reemphasize something. I want you to go back to Judges chapter 12 and I want you to look at verses 2 and 3. Because I want you to see the defense that Jephthah gives. Look if you would, Judges 12 verse 2. Remember now that pride, arrogance is at the bottom of this quarrel. Verse 2, and Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon.

[John Weaver] And when I called you, you delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that you delivered me not, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Wherefore then are you come up unto me this day to fight against me?"

[John Weaver] Now let me just point something out. These men, the Ephraimites, came for a fight. They were going to have it. The Bible does not tell us how many men came for the fight But if 42,000 of them were killed, I would imagine that have to be 50 or 60 thousand of them So they came prepared for war So here is Jephthah's defense. Look I called you You didn't get here timely.

[John Weaver] I Had an opportunity To defeat the Ammonites, I took that opportunity and I defeated them. God delivered them into my hand. That's all there is to it. I was not upset with you. I was not offended at you. You just didn't get here in time. So that defense, of course, would be what you and I would call reasonable and temperate. He just explained what had happened. But his defense is met with the greatest of insults from men who were intent on provoking a fight.

[John Weaver] Their response was one of scoffing and contempt because they called the Gileadites fugitives from Manasseh. Look if you would in verse four. Then Jephthah gathered all gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they said You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites You look up the word fugitives They're saying that the Gileadites were runaways and outcasts an obscure set of men with no name not worthy of anything living between these two illustrious tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh although the Gileadites were Manassites themselves Matthew Henry did a paraphrase on verse 4 and here's what he wrote Here's their response, according to Matthew Henry. You Gileadites that dwell here on the other side of Jordan are but fugitives of Ephraim, the scum and the dregs of the tribes of Joseph, of which Ephraim is the chief. You're the refuse of the family and are so accounted among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites. Who cares for you?

[John Weaver] All your neighbors know what you are. You're no better than fugitives and vagabonds separated from your brother and driven into a corner. I don't know about you, but that's pretty inflammatory. I mean, you know, it's just simply saying that they're absolutely worthless. So here's pride, arrogance and haughtiness exemplified simply because the Ephraimites were not in control and they wanted control and they wanted dominance. So their attitude was it will be my way or else. It is my way or the highway.

[John Weaver] Here is the height of a domineering spirit, which today we call political correctness. It is the same when you call someone a racist or a bigot or a heretic or ignorant or a fool. you are expressing strong disapproval for what they say or what they think or what they believe simply because you can't control what they think and what they believe. Political correctness extends not only into the realm of religion but unhappily it extends also in the realm of Christianity.

[John Weaver] So we now castigate and denigrate our brethren whom we disagree and in some cases We even disallow them to be Christians just like these Ephraimites or telling these Gileadites You're not really of us. You're nothing but scum Wow, let me show you something. Do you remember that Moses got into trouble with God? For calling his people rebels Now it is true that the Israelites were basically rebellious people God himself said that and Well, I guess it's kind of like, you know, if you've got a sister and you call her ugly, that's one thing. But if somebody else calls her ugly, then there's a fight. Well, God can call his own people whatever he wants to call them. But Moses, in Numbers chapter 20, got so exasperated with them, he said, Here now, ye rebels, must I fetch water out of this rock for you? So instead of speaking of the rock, as God told him, he smoked the rock. Let me show you another passage. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 5.

[John Weaver] You probably have never really looked at this passage in this light, but look in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 22. Matthew 5 verse 22. Look what God says, He says, but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother Rekha shall be in danger of the counsel. That is you will have to give an account. But whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. Now I want to call your attention to the fact he said if you're angry with your brother without a cause God is going to judge you for that. But if you call your brother, Rakeh, you are in danger of being called before the council that is being judged by men. But if you call your brother a fool you are in danger of hell fire. Now the word Rakeh was a term of reproach that was popular in that day. It literally means an empty headed senseless stupid man So when someone said Rekha, it means you're empty-headed your senses.

[John Weaver] You're stupid. You're worthless. You're nothing That is essentially what they're saying in Judges chapter 12 to the Gileadites you're worthless you're scum you're fugitive and this was a highly insensitive insult that was considered a public affront. And now that all these men have come to battle, Jephthah said, you want it? You've got it. We're going to fight. And so a battle ensued and the proud, haughty, arrogant, foul-mouthed Ephraimites were defeated.

[John Weaver] Many therefore, I'm sure, sought to escape. The Bible tells us 42,000 men were killed. The Gileadites took the ford of Jordan, where they had to cross over. And when they asked them, are you an Ephraimite? They'd say no, because they didn't want to be killed. And so they said, well you have to say Shibboleth. And of course they could not say Shibboleth, they would say Shibboleth. And then they were killed. So look in Judges Chapter 12, verses 5 and 6, And the Gileadites took the passage of Jordan before the Ephraimites. And it was so that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over, that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? And if he said, Nay, then they said unto him, Say now, Shibboleth. And he said, Shibboleth. for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him and slew him at the passage of Jordan, and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand." So the word Shibboleth actually means a stream.

[John Weaver] The word Sibboleth means a burden. So there was a discrepancy between the accent or the accents of the tribes. You know, we have people in this country that have so many different accents. Years ago, Alice and I stayed with a family that had three children. They lived in New Orleans. And neither, the two boys and the sister, neither one of them had the same accent. All of them had different accents. Unbelievable. Years ago, I landed in Boston, Massachusetts, and here was a Boston, Massachusetts state trooper standing there with his pants on, a leather strap here, and the strap around the chin, and I asked him, this was a long time ago, I said, could you please direct me to Eastern Airlines, because I had to

[John Weaver] change planes, and Eastern was in existence at that time, and he answered me, and I just looked at him and I said, Pardon and he said it again and I looked at him and I said Thank you And I walked away and to this day. I have no idea what he said to me And he was speaking English It was just a strong Massachusetts broke I've got a good friend who's from New Hampshire and he always talks about the heart your heart has to be right the heart I Mean, you know And here is the way it was in those days they could not say Shibboleth. And when they would say Shibboleth they were killed because they knew that they were Ephraimites.

[John Weaver] Do you understand that one of our biggest problems even today is our tongue? I fought as I read this. I would guarantee you if those Ephraimites had a second chance, they would have bitten their tongue and not called the Gileadites scum and refugees. And no, it would have saved 42,000 lives. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter three. Hebrews James, James chapter 3.

[John Weaver] Let's begin reading there with verse 2. James 3, verse 2. Look what he says, James 3 and verse 2, For many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is the perfect man enable also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire out of hell.

[John Weaver] For every kind of beast, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. But the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be." So note if you would, he said, the tongue is a very small member, but it boasts great things and it kindles a fire, and it sets on fire the course of nature and is set on fire out of Hell. And the tongue, he said, is such an small number but it just cannot be controlled. And those 42,000 dead men I can assure you wished that the tongue had been controlled.

[John Weaver] Now let me try to make a couple of applications and tie everything together for you. I asked at the beginning and told you the title of this message was, Can You Say Shibboleth. What do I mean by that question? Well, when the Gileadites ask, can you say Shibboleth? Obviously, those Ephraimites could not pronounce that word correctly. So actually, the Gileadites were saying, are you a Gileadite? If you're a Gileadite, you're going to have to prove it, because you're going to have to say Shibboleth. So here is what I mean by that. Can you say Shibboleth? Does that mean that you have to agree with me on every detail, and pronounce everything the way I pronounce it, and see everything the way I see it in order to be my brother in Jesus Christ?

[John Weaver] And the answer is no. An Israelite is an Israelite. whether he can say Shivaleth or not. A Christian is a Christian whether or not he can say Shivaleth or not. You cannot, you cannot reduce Christianity to conformity to one man's views, or one man's understanding, or one man's perception. There are differences in speech There are differences in accents and there are differences in understanding And God does not call each one of us to have the understanding of the others Just like there were differences between Ephraim and Gilead in their speech there are differences between the northern kingdom and even the southern kingdom Do you remember when Peter had denied our Lord, or was in the process of denying Him? First of all in Matthew 26 and verse 73 the Bible says, and after a while they came to Him that stood by Him and said unto Peter, surely thou art one of them for thy speech betrayed thee. You are not one of us. And then when you get to Mark 14 verse 17, again He denied, and after a little while that stood by said to Peter, Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

[John Weaver] We know you are a Galilean. We know you are one of them because you talk like a Galilean. You sound like a Galilean. The truth of the matter is this folks, there are differences and there are always going to be differences. You don't have to have divisions, but you can have differences. I was preaching up in Maine years ago, and I was using the illustration, and I got to talking about bitties. And I noticed everybody kind of doing like this. And I said, you know, a baby chicken.

[John Weaver] Someone says, oh, peep peeps. Well, I said, if you were to call them that, they're biddies down south, you know. And then I got to talking about a catfish. And again, the same thing, you know, looking around, catfish, what's a catfish? I said, you know what a catfish is? It's that fish with whiskers. It's got the skin and not scales and got the sharp spines. Oh, they said, you mean a horned pout. No, I mean a catfish. You know, that's a catfish. But, you know, I'm just saying, you're going to have differences. That's all there is to it. But it is pure, unadulterated arrogance and pride and haughtiness to demand that everyone agree with you, or you're going to fight against them, expose them, vilify them, and destroy them. fact that I cannot pronounce Shibboleth the way you pronounce Shibboleth does not mean that I'm not a Christian. It does not mean that I'm not one who truly believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, nor does it mean that I'm in rebellion to Him. All it means at the present time I do not have the present ability to see things as you see, or pronounce the way you pronounce.

[John Weaver] That's all it means. I don't have to say Shibboleth the way you say Shibboleth, and you don't have to say Shibboleth the way I say Shibboleth. Here's the second one. Jephthah is certainly to be praised in defending himself and his people against the Ammonites. The Ammonites attacked, it was pure self-defense. That's all there is to it. Moreover, Jephthah was not responsible for the pride and arrogance and haughtiness of the Ephraimites.

[John Weaver] They came prepared for war. They provoked and they attacked and Gilead defeated them. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. However, when it came to the Thords of Jordan, I would not know and I could not say whether that was justice or vengeance. And there is a difference between those two because the people were already defeated. And these were men that were scattered just simply trying to get back home.

[John Weaver] So that would be up in the air as far as I am concerned. I don't know it could have been God's justice and certainly these men would have been included in the 42,000 that were slain in that battle. But it would not have happened had it not been from the Ephraimites. So the main responsibility lay with the Ephraimites themselves. And the third application is this, we have to learn valuable lessons from this passage.

[John Weaver] Let me give them to you. First of all, we are not God and we do not have the absolute right to demand that others see things exactly the way we see them. We do not have that right. Secondly, We have no right to ridicule and mock and reject our brethren who do not see things as we see them. Once again, God is the one who gives illumination. God is the one who gives understanding. Now, I have no right to ridicule you and mock you just because you do not see things that I see. And you have no right to ridicule and mock me just because I don't see things the way you see them.

[John Weaver] Third, I would say we need to learn to not be hasty in our speech and to control our tongues. And I'm sure that if those Ephraimites could have taken back their words and say 42,000 lives that have been more than willing to eat those words, had they known the outcome. So we need to make sure that we control our tongues.

[John Weaver] Fourthly, it is our mouths that get us trouble. I want you to look in your Bibles to Proverbs 21 and verse 23. I quote this verse often, I think about it often, and I try to apply it. That does not mean that I'm always successful, but I certainly understand it and I certainly believe it. In Proverbs 21 and verse 23 the Bible just simply says this, Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles. Whoso keepeth his mouth and keepeth his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble.

[John Weaver] Each one of us in times past has said things that we wish we'd never said. And we brought trouble and heartache upon ourselves because of our mouth. There's a time to speak up, the Bible tells us, but there's also a time to bite that tongue and to stay quiet. And God says, if you control your mouth, if you control your tongue, if you keep them, you'll keep your soul from trouble.

[John Weaver] And the fourth application is very clear. I think based upon this, if we have a servant's heart, We are going to seek to be meek and humble and the Lord will reward us. And by the way, don't be afraid of the word meek. The word meek does not mean that you are a mealy mouth foot mat for everybody. The word meek just simply refers to discipline, strength under God. You are under His law and you are under His power and you go when He says go and you fight when He says fight and not just of yourself. And when you stop and think about James 4 and verse 6 and 1st Peter 5 in verse 5 where the Bible says that God Resisted the proud and gives grace to the humble I'd much rather have his blessings than his curses and I'd much rather have his help and support than his wrath and anger And if we have a servant's heart We're always going to be willing to serve Because our Lord took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in likeness of men.

[John Weaver] Ephraim and Judges 12 did not have a servant's heart and therefore they were destroyed before God because of their own pride and their own domineering spirit. A man's pride shall bring him low. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray today for your grace and your mercy and your goodness and your kindness would be extended to us. Help us, Lord, to learn from this passage. Help us, Lord, to apply the truths and the principles of thy word. And we do ask you, Father, for a servant's heart. Make us, Lord, humble and meek and willing to serve and to honor thee in all that we say and do. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, amen.

[John Weaver] so

Can You Say Shibboleth

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	jQPn1OtfKmw
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom
Genre	Sermon
Date	2018-11-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 085: Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom — Chapter 13
Source Timed Segments	66

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Cost of Pride

42,000 men died in one battle due to pride, anger, and mispronunciation. Pride always brings destruction.

Scripture Reading — Judges 12:1-7

Alright, the passage was from Judges chapter 12, verses 1-7. The title of the message is, "Can You Say Shibboleth?" In this text, 42,000 men died in one battle. And it was simply because of pride, anger, and the inability to pronounce the word correctly. Proverbs 16 and verse 18 tells us that pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. And the truth of the matter is pride always brings us low, it deceives and it destroys. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 29 and verse 23 that a man's pride shall bring him low.

The Problem of Lost Servant Hearts

Many pastors and Christians seek dominance and control, having lost the humility and servant heart of Christ.

And even today we have a multitude of pastors and preachers and even Christians that are struggling to be champions and leaders, not necessarily because they want to lead a people but they are just simply wanting dominance and they are wanting control. Not content for God being sovereign. We want to be the ones calling the shots ourselves. And I pointed out how that Arthur W. Pink said years past, one reason we do not like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves. And the truth of the matter is this, the problem that exists today among pastors, preachers, and Christians is that we have lost a servant's heart. We certainly have lost the humility of Jesus Christ.

Listen very carefully to the Bible. The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 and 6,

Scripture Reading — Philippians 2:5-8

"...let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross."

So the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ took upon Himself the form of a servant. I want you to hold Judges chapter 12, but if you would please turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 22. And as you turn to Luke chapter 22 I want to quote to you Mark chapter 10 and verse 45, Mark 10 in verse 45 our Lord said, "For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." So our Lord then said He came to minister. Notice if you would in Luke chapter 22 beginning there with verse 24 the Bible tells us, "And there was also a strife among them."

Christ's Example of Servanthood

Jesus took the form of a servant, came to minister, and demonstrated humility by washing the disciples' feet.

Listen very carefully to the Bible. The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 and 6,

Scripture Reading — Philippians 2:5-8

"...let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross."

Now we are talking about the Twelve, the Apostles. "There was a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest." Isn't that amazing? "And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But you shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger, and he that is chief as he that doth serve." "For whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? But I am among you as he that serveth." Remember Jesus Christ took upon Himself the form of a servant. And obviously our Lord certainly had a servant's heart and He demonstrated that truth in John chapter 13 when our Lord took a towel and girded Himself and then washed the feet of His disciples. So He did indeed take the place of a servant. He was willing to be meek and lowly at heart.

Now, you look in Judges chapter 12 there is no humility, there is no meekness, there is no serving in our text. There is only pride, death, and destruction. Jephthah was a mighty warrior. In fact he was a fighter par excellence we might say. But one of the problems with Jephthah was the fact that he was the son of a harlot. His brothers kicked him out because they did not want him to have an inheritance from their father. So if you look in Judges chapter 11, and I want us to read verses 1 and 2. Judges 11, verses 1 and 2, "Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was a son of a harlot, Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead's wife bare him sons, and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange woman." Now Jephthah indeed was a mighty man of valor. He got kicked out from his family's inheritance.

He separated himself from his brethren because he was despised and disowned by his own brothers. But in the process of time now, the Ammonites have gathered together to war against the Gileadites. And of course, now the Gileadites are now seeking for someone to lead them in battle and help them defeat the Ammonites. And so now they turn back to Jephthah. Remember, he's a mighty man of valor.

So look in Judges 11, beginning there with verse 5. In fact, let's read verse 4.

Scripture Reading — Judges 11:4-11

"And it came to pass in the process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob. And they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not you hate me and expel me out of my father's house? And why do you come unto me now when you're in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?"

Jephthah's Background and God's Sovereign Choice

Jephthah, a mighty warrior and son of a harlot, was rejected by his brothers but chosen by God to deliver Israel.

So look in Judges 11, beginning there with verse 5. In fact, let's read verse 4.

Scripture Reading — Judges 11:4-11

"And it came to pass in the process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob. And they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not you hate me and expel me out of my father's house? And why do you come unto me now when you're in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?" "And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, the Lord be witness between us if we do not so according to thy words."

So God used Jephthah to defeat the Ammonites. He may have been what the world today would call a bastard, or an illegitimate child, yet he was used by God, and used greatly I might add. So let me just ask you to put down a little principle in your mind and in your heart and here's the principle. I want to emphasize God uses whom he chooses and he chooses whom he uses. One does not have to meet our standards to be used by God. And in fact, you have to remember even in the book of 2 Peter 2 and verse 16, God used a dumb ass. The Bible says in 2 Peter 2 that the dumb ass speaking forbade the madness of the prophet. So obviously when God used Balaam's ass to correct him, reproach him and reprove him, if God can use an animal then obviously God can use whomever he chooses and the truth of the matter is God does not need to use any of us. We are not indispensable. We are dispensable because God

God Opposes the Proud

James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 teach that God actively resists and fights against the proud but gives grace to the humble.

uses whomever he chooses now. Let me just show you something. I want you to turn in your Bibles holding Judges 12 but to the book of James chapter 4 and 1 Peter chapter 5. I want you to see two verses in order that I might emphasize one word. Look if you would please in the book of James chapter 4 and notice if you would verse 6. James 4, verse 6, then we'll go over to 1 Peter 5. James 4, verse 6, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — James 4:6

"But he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace unto the humble."

Now I want to call your attention to this statement,

Scripture Reading — James 4:6

"God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble."

Now if you will turn over just a few pages to 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 5. Look what the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — James 4:6

"Likewise you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble."

Now I read those passages just to tell you that the word "resisteth" in James 4 and verse 6 and in 1 Peter 5 and verse 5 are

the same identical Greek word. For instance, the Greek word is antitassomai and it literally means to resist, to oppose, to fight against, range in battle against. So I want you to look at 1 Peter 5 and verse 5 again and you can apply this to James 4 and verse 6 as well. He says, "Likewise you younger submit yourselves unto the elder, yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God fights against the proud. God sets Himself in battle array against the proud. God opposes the proud." "And giveth grace unto the humble." So when we are proud, arrogant, and haughty, God Himself opposes us, fights against us, and sets Himself in battle against us. When we are demanding, controlling, and seeking fleshly dominance and control, God places Himself in battle against us.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 48

Now, Ephraim in Judges chapter 12 is an example of what I'm talking about at this particular point. It is true that Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph and God set Ephraim above Manasseh. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 48 and you remember how Joseph brought his two sons for Jacob to bless them before he died? Manasseh was the older son and of course Joseph had him where Jacob's right hand would be on his head. But the Bible tells us that Jacob guided his hands wittingly and he put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh. Of course it displeased Joseph. And Joseph said, "This is not so my father, this is my first born." He said, "I know it my son, I know it, but this is what God is going to do." So in Genesis 48 and verse 20, "And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall all Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh."

Ephraim's History of Pride and Control

Ephraim, though set above Manasseh, developed a domineering spirit, seen in their complaints to Joshua and their anger at Gideon.

And he said, "Ephraim before Manasseh." So although Manasseh was the oldest child, Ephraim was set forth as one who received the prominence. Now evidently from this prophecy Ephraim undoubtedly developed what you and I would call a Diotrephes complex. I mentioned that a few weeks back, but may I remind you that Diotrephes was the man in 3 John who would not receive the Apostle John or anyone that John sent. In fact, anyone who wanted to identify with John or any of John's ambassadors, he would kick them out of the church. And John said, "When I come, I'm going to take care of Diotrephes."

But in the next verse, he says, "Demetrius has a good testimony." So it's almost insane today when you look and you see people who are wanting to be a Diotrephes and not a Demetrius. Yet you see that on every hand. Now, if you would look in your Bibles to the book of Joshua chapter 17 I want you to note how Ephraim thought himself to be a great people. Look in Joshua chapter 17 and begin if you would please there with verse 14. Joshua 17, verse 14,

Scripture Reading — Joshua 17:14-18

"And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying,"

by the way the children of Joseph that would be Ephraim and Manasseh,

Scripture Reading — Joshua 17:14-18

"spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot, and one portion to inherit, seeing that I am a great people?" "Forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto. And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for yourself therein the land of the Perizzites, and of the Giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us. And all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power. Thou shalt not have one lot only, but the mountain shall be thine, for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down, and the outgoings of it shall be thine, and thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong."

Now the interesting thing is they come to Joshua and said, "We are a great people."

When you and I read the word "great," we think normally of the way most people would, that they were numerous, were plenty, that they were multitudinous. And certainly that word is used that way in our Bibles. But this same word is also translated as "Captain" 24 times. So, they are not only saying that we are a great people, they are saying that we are leaders, we are in charge so to speak. And I want you to note Ephraim evidently has a habit of wanting to be first and getting upset if they are not first. So if you look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 7, Joshua chapter 7 we'll begin reading with verse 24 and we'll read through chapter 8 and verse 3.

Now you remember how Gideon defeated the Midianites. Although Gideon had a huge army God says you've got too many and so they let everyone who was afraid to go back home and then God cut him down and said you still got too many and so God gave a test and finally Gideon ended up with 300 men to defeat the Midianites. Now later on some of the other Israelites were called into the battle. But originally it was just Gideon and his 300, right? Ok, now watch this, because now they get upset because they only got in on the mopping up action.

Scripture Reading — Judges 7:24-8:3

So here we go in Judges chapter 7, I said Joshua did I not? Ok, it is Judges, I'm sorry, Judges chapter 7. Judges chapter 7 beginning there with verse 24. Judges 7 verse 24, "Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim," now remember this is after the battle has really begun, "saying come down against the Midianites and take before them the waters of Beth Barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and took the waters under Beth Barah and Jordan. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeb they slew at the winepress of Zeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gideon on the other side of Jordan. And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Watch now, why hast thou served us thus, that thou callest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?" "And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I now done in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezar? And God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeb; and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that."

Now, I want you to remember it was God who gave Gideon the 300. Gideon had nothing to do with it. After the initial battle when they were destroying themselves and he needed help chasing them he called from the others. And now they are saying, "What in the world are you doing? You should have called us to begin with." Well the battle was the Lord's it was not necessarily Gideon. You remember it was the sword of the Lord and of Gideon, but it was the sword of the Lord first. And so what Gideon does is he appeases them. And he appeases them by appealing to the greatness of their deeds and the smallness of his deeds. He's giving them the first place.

He said, "What was I in comparison to you? I mean, you got Oreb and Zeb. You got the princes." And once he appeased their pride their anger was abated. So Gideon in this passage took the position of a servant. He humbled himself and said, "I don't need the glory. I don't need the praise. You can have it. I mean, that's all there is to it." And that's all it took to satisfy the Ephraimites.

The Conflict in Judges 12

Ephraim threatened Jephthah for not calling them to battle; Jephthah defended himself, but Ephraim's insults led to war and 42,000 deaths.

Now, I want you to note Ephraim was upset with Gideon because they were not in the battle originally. When you look in Judges chapter 12, now they are upset with Jephthah because they were not in the battle originally as well. And now, they not only are upset with Jephthah, I want you to note that they now threaten to murder him and his family. Look in verse 1. Judges 12 verse 1, "And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and went northward and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passeth thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thine house upon thee with fire." Really? Burning him alive? Burning his family alive? Now, according to verses 2 and 3, Jephthah did call them.

But they did not arrive timely. Look in verse 2, "And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon. And when I called you, you delivered me not out of their hands. When I saw that you delivered me not, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon. And the Lord delivered them into my hand." "Wherefore then are you coming to me this day to fight against me?" Now, please remember if you would, Ephraim has always wanted the position of control out of dominance. That's why they were upset with Gideon. When you believe that you are in the position of control, or at least should be in control, there's no rush. It does not matter concerning the situation. It does not matter the lives that are at stake. It does not matter the issues that are involved.

I mean the truth is when you take a superior and dominating and domineering attitude then you are going to march to the beat of your own drummer is what it amounts to. The truth of the matter is Ephraim's attitude was simply this, "I will get there when I get there and they will just have to wait for me. They cannot start without me." Well, Jephthah saw his opportunity and he took it. Well, the Ephraimites were not there. Now they come out to fight against Jephthah. They're threatening to burn him and his family alive. And they're going to defeat and destroy the Gileadites because they defeated the Ammonites. Now, ostensibly, ostensibly because they were not given the opportunity to control the war or participate in the way that they desired and they're going to fight against the Gileadites.

Now, look what Jephthah asked in verse 3. He tells them what happened. Then he says, "Wherefore then are you come out unto me this day to fight against me?" Why are you provoking an attack? And by the way, this is the first instance in the Bible where Israelite was fighting Israelite. They were not fighting a common enemy. They're going to be fighting each other. And they came purposely to pick a fight.

The battle between the Gileadites and the Ephraimites was a battle over control and dominion. I want you to look in verse 4. "Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites." Now you need to understand who is fighting and why they are fighting. Now I've already pointed out this is a war between the Israelites. They're not fighting a common enemy, they're fighting each other.

Now let me explain something to you and I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. The Gileadites were Manassites. They were from the tribe of Manasseh. You will look in your Bibles holding Judges 12 go if you would please to Deuteronomy chapter 3 to begin with, Deuteronomy chapter 3 then we'll go to Joshua. Deuteronomy 3 and look if you would please at verse 13. Deuteronomy 3 and verse 13, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 3:13

"And the rest of Gilead and all Bashan being the kingdom of Og gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob with all Bashan, which was called the land of the Giants."

So the half tribe of Manasseh got this land of Gilead. Look if you would to the book of Joshua chapter 17 and verse 1. Joshua 17 in verse 1 the Bible says, "There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan." So Gilead then was

the firstborn child of Manasseh. Manasseh was the firstborn child of Joseph. So, skip down to verses 5 and 6. "And there fell ten portions to Manasseh beside the land of Gilead in Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan, because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons, and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead." So, here's what you have. You remember that Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh got land on this side of Jordan and the other half-tribe of Manasseh with the other tribes got land on the other side of Jordan. So you have some on the west side, you have some on the east side.

Now, I want you to listen to what Matthew Henry said. In his commentary he said, and I'm quoting, "Pride was at the bottom of this quarrel. Only by pride comes contention. Proud men think all the honors lost that go beside themselves, and then who can stand before envy?" Ah, listen now, "The Ephraimites had the same quarrel with Gideon who was a Manasseh on their side of Jordan, that would be the east side, Ephraim and Manasseh were nearer kin than any of the tribes, being both of the sons of Joseph. And yet they were more jealous one of another than any of the other tribes." He goes on to point out that Jephthah was of Manasseh on the other side of Jordan. So you have Gideon on this side of Jordan and Ephraimites are mad at him. Now you have Jephthah on this side of Jordan and all the Ephraimites are mad at him. He goes on to say, "Jacob having crossed hands and given Ephraim the precedence, looking as far forward as the kingdom of the ten tribes, which Ephraim was the head after the revolt from the house of David, that tribe not content with that honor in the promise was displeased if Manasseh had any honor done

to it in the meantime. It is a pity that kindred or relationship should be an inducement to love and peace should be ever an occasion as it often proves of strife and discord." So he said, it should be love and peace but it is always ending up strife or discord. "A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions among brethren are the bars of a castle." Now, let me reemphasize something. I want you to go back to Judges chapter 12 and I want you to look at verses 2 and 3. Because I want you to see the defense that Jephthah gives. Look if you would, Judges 12 verse 2. Remember now that pride, arrogance is at the bottom of this quarrel. Verse 2, "And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon."

"And when I called you, you delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that you delivered me not, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Wherefore then are you come up unto me this day to fight against me?" Now let me just point something out. These men, the Ephraimites, came for a fight. They were going to have it. The Bible does not tell us how many men came for the fight. But if 42,000 of them were killed, I would imagine that have to be 50 or 60 thousand of them. So they came prepared for war. So here is Jephthah's defense. "Look I called you. You didn't get here timely."

"I had an opportunity to defeat the Ammonites, I took that opportunity and I defeated them. God delivered them into my hand. That's all there is to it. I was not upset with you. I was not offended at you. You just didn't get here in time." So that defense, of course, would be what you and I would call reasonable and temperate. He just explained what had happened. But his defense is met with the greatest of insults from men who were intent on provoking a fight.

Their response was one of scoffing and contempt because they called the Gileadites fugitives from Manasseh. Look if you would in verse four. "Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites." You look up the word "fugitives." They're saying that the Gileadites were runaways and outcasts, an obscure set of men with no name not worthy of anything living between these two illustrious tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, although the Gileadites were Manassites themselves. Matthew Henry did a paraphrase on verse 4 and here's what he wrote. Here's their response, according to Matthew Henry. "You Gileadites that dwell here on the other side of Jordan are but fugitives of Ephraim, the scum and the dregs of the tribes of Joseph, of which Ephraim is the chief. You're the refuse of the family and are so accounted among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites. Who cares for you?"

"All your neighbors know what you are. You're no better than fugitives and vagabonds separated from your brother and driven into a corner." I don't know about you, but that's pretty inflammatory. I mean, you know, it's just simply saying that they're absolutely worthless. So here's pride, arrogance and haughtiness exemplified simply because the Ephraimites were not in control and they wanted control and they wanted dominance. So their attitude was it will be my way or else. It is my way or the highway. Here is the height of a domineering spirit, which today we call political correctness. It is the same when you call someone a racist or a bigot or a heretic or ignorant or a fool. You are expressing strong disapproval for what they say or what they think or what they believe simply because you can't control what they think and what they believe. Political correctness extends not only into the realm of religion but unhappily it extends also in the realm of Christianity.

The Tongue's Destructive Power

James 3 warns that the tongue is a fire, set on fire by hell, and cannot be tamed; Ephraim's insults cost 42,000 lives.

Do you understand that one of our biggest problems even today is our tongue? I thought as I read this, I would guarantee you if those Ephraimites had a second chance, they would have bitten their tongue and not called the Gileadites scum and refugees. And no, it would have saved 42,000 lives. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter three. Hebrews, James, James chapter 3. Let's begin reading there with verse 2. James 3, verse 2. Look what he says, James 3 and verse 2,

Scripture Reading — James 3:2-10

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire out of hell." "For every kind of beast, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. But the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be."

So note if you would, he said, the tongue is a very small member, but it boasts great things and it kindles a fire, and it sets on fire the course of nature and is set on fire out of Hell. And the tongue, he said, is such a small member but it just cannot be controlled. And those 42,000 dead men I can assure you wished that the tongue had been controlled.

Applications: Can You Say Shibboleth?

We must not demand conformity, ridicule brethren, or speak hastily. A servant's heart brings God's grace, not His opposition.

Now let me try to make a couple of applications and tie everything together for you. I asked at the beginning and told you the title of this message was, "Can You Say Shibboleth." What do I mean by that question? Well, when the Gileadites ask, "Can you say Shibboleth?" obviously, those Ephraimites could not pronounce that word correctly. So actually, the Gileadites were saying, "Are you a Gileadite? If you're a Gileadite, you're going to have to prove it, because you're going to have to say Shibboleth." So here is what I mean by that. Can you say Shibboleth? Does that mean that you have to agree with me on every detail, and pronounce everything the way I pronounce it, and see everything the way I see it in order to be my brother in Jesus Christ?

And the answer is no. An Israelite is an Israelite, whether he can say Shibboleth or not. A Christian is a Christian whether or not he can say Shibboleth or not. You cannot, you cannot reduce Christianity to conformity to one man's views, or one man's understanding, or one man's perception. There are differences in speech. There are differences in accents and there are differences in understanding. And God does not call each one of us to have the understanding of the others. Just like there were differences between Ephraim and Gilead in their speech there are differences between the northern kingdom and even the southern kingdom. Do you remember when Peter had denied our Lord, or was in the process of denying Him? First of all in Matthew 26 and verse 73 the Bible says, "And after a while they came to him that stood by him and said unto Peter, Surely thou art one of them for thy speech betrayeth thee." You are not one of us. And then when you get to Mark 14 verse 70, again he denied, and after a little while they that stood by said to Peter, "Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto."

We know you are a Galilean. We know you are one of them because you talk like a Galilean. You sound like a Galilean. The truth of the matter is this folks, there are differences and there are always going to be differences. You don't have to have divisions, but you can have differences. I was preaching up in Maine years ago, and I was using an illustration, and I got to talking about biddies. And I noticed everybody kind of doing like this. And I said, "You know, a baby chicken."

Someone says, "Oh, peep peeps." Well, I said, "If you were to call them that, they're biddies down south, you know." And then I got to talking about a catfish. And again, the same thing, you know, looking around, "Catfish, what's a catfish?" I said, "You know what a catfish is? It's that fish with whiskers. It's got the skin and not scales and got the sharp spines." Oh, they said, "You mean a horned pout." No, I mean a catfish. You know, that's a catfish. But, you know, I'm just saying, you're going to have differences. That's all there is to it. But it is pure, unadulterated arrogance and pride and haughtiness to demand that everyone agree with you, or you're going to fight against them, expose them, vilify them, and destroy them. The fact that I cannot pronounce Shibboleth the way you pronounce Shibboleth does not mean that I'm not a Christian. It does not mean that I'm not one who truly believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, nor does it mean that I'm in rebellion to Him. All it means at the present time I do not have the present ability to see things as you see, or pronounce the way you pronounce.

That's all it means. I don't have to say Shibboleth the way you say Shibboleth, and you don't have to say Shibboleth the way I say Shibboleth. Here's the second one. Jephthah is certainly to be praised in defending himself and his people against the Ammonites. The Ammonites attacked, it was pure self-defense. That's all there is to it. Moreover, Jephthah was not responsible for the pride and arrogance and haughtiness of the Ephraimites.

They came prepared for war. They provoked and they attacked and Gilead defeated them. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. However, when it came to the fords of Jordan, I would not know and I could not say whether that was justice or vengeance. And there is a difference between those two because the people were already defeated. And these were men that were scattered just simply trying to get back home.

So that would be up in the air as far as I am concerned. I don't know, it could have been God's justice and certainly these men would have been included in the 42,000 that were slain in that battle. But it would not have happened had it not been from the Ephraimites. So the main responsibility lay with the Ephraimites themselves. And the third application is this, we have to learn valuable lessons from this passage. Let me give them to you. First of all, we are not God and we do not have the absolute right to demand that others see things exactly the way we see them. We do not have that right. Secondly, we have no right to ridicule and mock and reject our brethren who do not see things as we see them. Once again, God is the one who gives illumination. God is the one who gives understanding. Now, I have no right to ridicule you and mock you just because you do not see things that I see. And you have no right to ridicule and mock me just because I don't see things the way you see them.

Third, I would say we need to learn to not be hasty in our speech and to control our tongues. And I'm sure that if those Ephraimites could have taken back their words and saved 42,000 lives they would have been more than willing to eat those words, had they known the outcome. So we need to make sure that we control our tongues. Fourthly, it is our mouths that get us trouble. I want you to look in your Bibles to Proverbs 21 and verse 23. I quote this verse often, I think about it often, and I try to apply it. That does not mean that I'm always successful, but I certainly understand it and I certainly believe it. In Proverbs 21 and verse 23 the Bible just simply says this, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles." Whoso keepeth his mouth and keepeth his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble.

Each one of us in times past has said things that we wish we'd never said. And we brought trouble and heartache upon ourselves because of our mouth. There's a time to speak up, the Bible tells us, but there's also a time to bite that tongue and to stay quiet. And God says, if you control your mouth, if you control your tongue, if you keep them, you'll keep your soul from trouble. And the fourth application is very clear. I think based upon this, if we have a servant's heart, we are going to seek to be meek and humble and the Lord will reward us. And by the way, don't be afraid of the word meek. The word meek does not mean that you are a mealy mouth foot mat for everybody. The word meek just simply refers to discipline, strength under God. You are under His law and you are under His power and you go when He says go and you fight when He says fight and not just of yourself. And when you stop and think about James 4 and verse 6 and 1 Peter 5 in verse 5 where the Bible says that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble, I'd much rather have his blessings than his curses and I'd much rather have his help and support than his wrath and anger. And if we have a servant's heart we're always going to be willing to serve. Because our Lord took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in likeness of men.

Ephraim in Judges 12 did not have a servant's heart and therefore they were destroyed before God because of their own pride and their own domineering spirit. A man's pride shall bring him low. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray today for your grace and your mercy and your goodness and your kindness would be extended to us. Help us, Lord, to learn from this passage. Help us, Lord, to apply the truths and the principles of thy word. And we do ask you, Father, for a servant's heart. Make us, Lord, humble and meek and willing to serve and to honor thee in all that we say and do. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Destructive Nature of Pride

Summary: Pride leads to destruction, as seen in the 42,000 Ephraimites who died because of their arrogance and haughty spirit.

Evidence: Proverbs 16:18 is quoted: 'Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.' The entire conflict in Judges 12 stems from Ephraim's pride.

The Servant Heart of Christ vs. Human Dominance

Summary: Jesus modeled humility and servanthood, but many today seek control and dominance, losing the servant's heart.

Evidence: Philippians 2:5-8 and Mark 10:45 are cited to show Christ's servant nature, contrasted with the strife among the disciples in Luke 22.

God's Opposition to the Proud

Summary: God actively resists and fights against the proud, but gives grace to the humble, as stated in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5.

Evidence: The Greek word 'antitassomai' is explained to mean 'to resist, oppose, fight against, range in battle against.'

The Danger of an Uncontrolled Tongue

Summary: The tongue is a small member that can cause great destruction, as illustrated by Ephraim's insults leading to war.

Evidence: James 3:2-10 is read, emphasizing that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, and cannot be tamed.

Unity Amidst Differences

Summary: Christians do not need to conform to one another's views or speech to be brethren; differences should not lead to division.

Evidence: The Shibboleth test is used as a metaphor: an Israelite is an Israelite regardless of pronunciation; similarly, a Christian is a Christian despite differences.

Key Arguments

Pride was the root cause of the Ephraimite conflict.

Summary: Ephraim's history shows a pattern of wanting dominance and control, leading to their attack on Jephthah.

Evidence: Ephraim's complaint to Joshua (Joshua 17:14), their anger at Gideon (Judges 7-8), and their insulting the Gileadites as 'fugitives' (Judges 12:4).

Jephthah's defense was reasonable, but Ephraim's response was inflammatory.

Summary: Jephthah explained he called them but they did not come; Ephraim responded with contempt, provoking the battle.

Evidence: Judges 12:2-4 shows Jephthah's explanation and Ephraim's insult calling Gileadites 'fugitives.'

God uses whom He chooses, regardless of human standards.

Summary: Jephthah, though an illegitimate son, was used mightily by God, demonstrating God's sovereign choice.

Evidence: Judges 11:1-2 shows Jephthah's background; 2 Peter 2:16 is referenced to show God can even use a donkey.

The tongue's destructive power is immense and must be controlled.

Summary: Ephraim's insults led to 42,000 deaths; James 3 warns that the tongue is a fire that cannot be tamed.

Evidence: James 3:2-10 is quoted; Proverbs 21:23 says keeping the mouth and tongue keeps the soul from troubles.

Demanding conformity is arrogance; differences do not negate brotherhood.

Summary: The Shibboleth test was a matter of accent, not identity; Christians should not require uniformity in all views.

Evidence: The speaker states: 'An Israelite is an Israelite, whether he can say Shibboleth or not. A Christian is a Christian whether or not he can say Shibboleth or not.'

Scripture References

Judges 12:1-7

Context: The main text of the sermon, describing the conflict between Jephthah and Ephraim and the Shibboleth test.

Proverbs 16:18

Context: Quoted to show that pride goes before destruction.

Proverbs 29:23

Context: Cited to emphasize that a man's pride shall bring him low.

Philippians 2:5-8

Context: Read to show Christ's humility and servant heart.

Mark 10:45

Context: Quoted to show Jesus came to minister, not to be ministered unto.

Luke 22:24-27

Context: Read to illustrate the disciples' strife about greatness and Jesus' teaching on servanthood.

John 13

Context: Referenced as the example of Jesus washing the disciples' feet.

Judges 11:1-2

Context: Read to show Jephthah's background as a mighty man of valor and son of a harlot.

Judges 11:4-11

Context: Read to show how the elders of Gilead sought Jephthah to lead them against Ammon.

2 Peter 2:16

Context: Cited to illustrate that God can use a donkey, emphasizing His sovereign choice.

James 4:6

Context: Read to show God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

1 Peter 5:5

Context: Read to reinforce that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

Genesis 48

Context: Referenced to explain how Ephraim was set above Manasseh by Jacob's blessing.

Joshua 17:14-18

Context: Read to show Ephraim's complaint about their inheritance and their claim to be a great people.

Judges 7:24-8:3

Context: Read to show Ephraim's anger at Gideon for not calling them initially to battle.

Deuteronomy 3:13

Context: Read to show that Gilead was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Joshua 17:1, 5-6

Context: Read to confirm that Gilead was part of Manasseh's inheritance.

Numbers 20

Context: Referenced to show Moses' sin in calling the people rebels.

Matthew 5:22

Context: Read to warn against calling a brother 'Raca' or 'fool,' which parallels Ephraim's insults.

James 3:2-10

Context: Read extensively to illustrate the destructive power of the tongue.

Historical References

Arthur W. Pink

Context: Quoted as saying, 'One reason we do not like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves.'

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Context: Quoted extensively on the pride at the bottom of the quarrel and the relationship between Ephraim and Manasseh.

Diotrephes (3 John)

Context: Mentioned as an example of a domineering spirit who would not receive the Apostle John.

Demetrius (3 John)

Context: Contrasted with Diotrephes as having a good testimony.

Important Quotes

Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Significance: Sets the theme that pride leads to destruction, directly tied to the 42,000 deaths in Judges 12.

God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace unto the humble.

Significance: Key verse repeated to emphasize God's active opposition to the proud, central to the sermon's warning.

You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.

Significance: The insult that provoked the battle, illustrating the destructive power of the tongue.

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

Significance: Practical application from Proverbs, urging control of speech to avoid the kind of disaster seen in Judges 12.

An Israelite is an Israelite, whether he can say Shibboleth or not. A Christian is a Christian whether or not he can say Shibboleth or not.

Significance: The central application: differences in understanding or practice do not negate Christian brotherhood.

Discussion Questions

In what ways does pride manifest itself in our desire for control and dominance, and how can we cultivate a servant's heart like Christ?

Context: The sermon contrasts Ephraim's pride with Christ's humility (Philippians 2).

How does the truth that 'God resisteth the proud' (James 4:6) change the way we view conflicts and our own attitudes?

Context: The Greek word 'antitassomai' is explained as God actively fighting against the proud.

What can we learn from Jephthah's background about God's sovereign choice to use unlikely people?

Context: Jephthah was the son of a harlot and rejected by his brothers, yet God used him mightily.

Why is it so dangerous to insult or belittle fellow believers, and how does Matthew 5:22 raise the stakes?

Context: Ephraim's insult of 'fugitives' parallels calling someone 'Raca' or 'fool.'

How can we balance the need for doctrinal truth with the call to accept differences among genuine Christians?

Context: The Shibboleth test is used as a metaphor for not demanding conformity in all things.

What practical steps can we take to control our tongues, especially when we are angry or offended?

Context: James 3 and Proverbs 21:23 are cited to show the tongue's power and the need for restraint.

Applications

Cultivate a servant's heart

Summary: We should seek to be meek and humble, following Christ's example of servanthood, rather than seeking dominance.

Evidence: Philippians 2:5-8 and Mark 10:45 are used to show Christ's servant heart; the speaker urges, 'if we have a servant's heart, we are going to seek to be meek and humble.'

Do not demand conformity

Summary: We have no right to demand that others see things exactly as we do; differences do not negate Christian brotherhood.

Evidence: The speaker states: 'we are not God and we do not have the absolute right to demand that others see things exactly the way we see them.'

Avoid ridiculing brethren

Summary: We must not mock or reject fellow believers who disagree with us; God alone gives illumination.

Evidence: The speaker says: 'we have no right to ridicule and mock and reject our brethren who do not see things as we see them.'

Control your tongue

Summary: We must be careful with our words, as the tongue can cause great trouble; keeping our mouth keeps our soul from troubles.

Evidence: Proverbs 21:23 is quoted; the speaker notes that the Ephraimites would have taken back their words if they could.

Trust God's sovereign choice

Summary: God uses whom He chooses, regardless of human standards; we are not indispensable.

Evidence: Jephthah's background and 2 Peter 2:16 are used to show God can use anyone, even a donkey.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T14:38:19Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T03:21:08Z

Clean Transcript

Can You Say Shibboleth

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Alright, the passage was from Judges chapter 12, verses 1-7. The title of the message is, "Can You Say Shibboleth?" In this text, 42,000 men died in one battle. And it was simply because of pride, anger, and the inability to pronounce the word correctly. Proverbs 16 and verse 18 tells us that pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. And the truth of the matter is pride always brings us low, it deceives and it destroys. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 29 and verse 23 that a man's pride shall bring him low.
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And even today we have a multitude of pastors and preachers and even Christians that are struggling to be champions and leaders, not necessarily because they want to lead a people but they are just simply wanting dominance and they are wanting control. Not content for God being sovereign. We want to be the ones calling the shots ourselves. And I pointed out how that Arthur W. Pink said years past, one reason we do not like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves. And the truth of the matter is this, the problem that exists today among pastors, preachers, and Christians is that we have lost a servant's heart. We certainly have lost the humility of Jesus Christ.
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Listen very carefully to the Bible. The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 and 6, "...let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross." So the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ took upon Himself the form of a servant. I want you to hold Judges chapter 12, but if you would please turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 22. And as you turn to Luke chapter 22 I want to quote to you Mark chapter 10 and verse 45, Mark 10 in verse 45 our Lord said, "For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." So our Lord then said He came to minister. Notice if you would in Luke chapter 22 beginning there with verse 24 the Bible tells us, "And there was also a strife among them."
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Now we are talking about the Twelve, the Apostles. "There was a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest." Isn't that amazing? "And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But you shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger, and he that is chief as he that doth serve."
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"For whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? But I am among you as he that serveth." Remember Jesus Christ took upon Himself the form of a servant. And obviously our Lord certainly had a servant's heart and He demonstrated that truth in John chapter 13 when our Lord took a towel and girded Himself and then washed the feet of His disciples. So He did indeed take the place of a servant. He was willing to be meek and lowly at heart.
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Now, you look in Judges chapter 12 there is no humility, there is no meekness, there is no serving in our text. There is only pride, death, and destruction. Jephthah was a mighty warrior. In fact he was a fighter par excellence we might say. But one of the problems with Jephthah was the fact that he was the son of a harlot. His brothers kicked him out because they did not want him to have an inheritance from their father. So if you look in Judges chapter 11, and I want us to read verses 1 and 2. Judges 11, verses 1 and 2, "Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was a son of a harlot, Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead's wife bare him sons, and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange woman." Now Jephthah indeed was a mighty man of valor. He got kicked out from his family's inheritance.
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He separated himself from his brethren because he was despised and disowned by his own brothers. But in the process of time now, the Ammonites have gathered together to war against the Gileadites. And of course, now the Gileadites are now seeking for someone to lead them in battle and help them defeat the Ammonites. And so now they turn back to Jephthah. Remember, he's a mighty man of valor.
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So look in Judges 11, beginning there with verse 5. In fact, let's read verse 4. "And it came to pass in the process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob. And they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not you hate me and expel me out of my father's house? And why do you come unto me now when you're in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?"
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"And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, the Lord be witness between us if we do not so according to thy words." So God used Jephthah to defeat the Ammonites. He may have been what the world today would call a bastard, or an illegitimate child, yet he was used by God, and used greatly I might add. So let me just ask you to put down a little principle in your mind and in your heart and here's the principle. I want to emphasize God uses whom he chooses and he chooses whom he uses. One does not have to meet our standards to be used by God. And in fact, you have to remember even in the book of 2 Peter 2 and verse 16, God used a dumb ass. The Bible says in 2 Peter 2 that the dumb ass speaking forbade the madness of the prophet. So obviously when God used Balaam's ass to correct him, reproach him and reprove him, if God can use an animal then obviously God can use whomever he chooses and the truth of the matter is God does not need to use any of us. We are not indispensable. We are dispensable because God
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uses whomever he chooses now. Let me just show you something. I want you to turn in your Bibles holding Judges 12 but to the book of James chapter 4 and 1 Peter chapter 5. I want you to see two verses in order that I might emphasize one word. Look if you would please in the book of James chapter 4 and notice if you would verse 6. James 4, verse 6, then we'll go over to 1 Peter 5. James 4, verse 6, the Bible says, "But he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace unto the humble." Now I want to call your attention to this statement, "God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble." Now if you will turn over just a few pages to 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 5. Look what the Bible says, "Likewise you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble." Now I read those passages just to tell you that the word "resisteth" in James 4 and verse 6 and in 1 Peter 5 and verse 5 are
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the same identical Greek word. For instance, the Greek word is antitassomai and it literally means to resist, to oppose, to fight against, range in battle against. So I want you to look at 1 Peter 5 and verse 5 again and you can apply this to James 4 and verse 6 as well. He says, "Likewise you younger submit yourselves unto the elder, yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God fights against the proud. God sets Himself in battle array against the proud. God opposes the proud."
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"And giveth grace unto the humble." So when we are proud, arrogant, and haughty, God Himself opposes us, fights against us, and sets Himself in battle against us. When we are demanding, controlling, and seeking fleshly dominance and control, God places Himself in battle against us.
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Now, Ephraim in Judges chapter 12 is an example of what I'm talking about at this particular point. It is true that Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph and God set Ephraim above Manasseh. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 48 and you remember how Joseph brought his two sons for Jacob to bless them before he died? Manasseh was the older son and of course Joseph had him where Jacob's right hand would be on his head. But the Bible tells us that Jacob guided his hands wittingly and he put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh. Of course it displeased Joseph. And Joseph said, "This is not so my father, this is my first born." He said, "I know it my son, I know it, but this is what God is going to do." So in Genesis 48 and verse 20, "And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall all Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh."
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And he said, "Ephraim before Manasseh." So although Manasseh was the oldest child, Ephraim was set forth as one who received the prominence. Now evidently from this prophecy Ephraim undoubtedly developed what you and I would call a Diotrephes complex. I mentioned that a few weeks back, but may I remind you that Diotrephes was the man in 3 John who would not receive the Apostle John or anyone that John sent. In fact, anyone who wanted to identify with John or any of John's ambassadors, he would kick them out of the church. And John said, "When I come, I'm going to take care of Diotrephes."
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But in the next verse, he says, "Demetrius has a good testimony." So it's almost insane today when you look and you see people who are wanting to be a Diotrephes and not a Demetrius. Yet you see that on every hand.
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Now, if you would look in your Bibles to the book of Joshua chapter 17 I want you to note how Ephraim thought himself to be a great people. Look in Joshua chapter 17 and begin if you would please there with verse 14. Joshua 17, verse 14, "And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying," by the way the children of Joseph that would be Ephraim and Manasseh, "spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot, and one portion to inherit, seeing that I am a great people?"
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"Forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto. And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for yourself therein the land of the Perizzites, and of the Giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us. And all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power. Thou shalt not have one lot only, but the mountain shall be thine, for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down, and the outgoings of it shall be thine, and thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong." Now the interesting thing is they come to Joshua and said, "We are a great people."
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When you and I read the word "great," we think normally of the way most people would, that they were numerous, were plenty, that they were multitudinous. And certainly that word is used that way in our Bibles. But this same word is also translated as "Captain" 24 times. So, they are not only saying that we are a great people, they are saying that we are leaders, we are in charge so to speak.
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And I want you to note Ephraim evidently has a habit of wanting to be first and getting upset if they are not first. So if you look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 7, Joshua chapter 7 we'll begin reading with verse 24 and we'll read through chapter 8 and verse 3.
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Now you remember how Gideon defeated the Midianites. Although Gideon had a huge army God says you've got too many and so they let everyone who was afraid to go back home and then God cut him down and said you still got too many and so God gave a test and finally Gideon ended up with 300 men to defeat the Midianites. Now later on some of the other Israelites were called into the battle. But originally it was just Gideon and his 300, right? Ok, now watch this, because now they get upset because they only got in on the mopping up action.
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So here we go in Judges chapter 7, I said Joshua did I not? Ok, it is Judges, I'm sorry, Judges chapter 7. Judges chapter 7 beginning there with verse 24. Judges 7 verse 24, "Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim," now remember this is after the battle has really begun, "saying come down against the Midianites and take before them the waters of Beth Barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and took the waters under Beth Barah and Jordan. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeb they slew at the winepress of Zeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gideon on the other side of Jordan. And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Watch now, why hast thou served us thus, that thou callest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?"
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"And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I now done in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezar? And God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeb; and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that."
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Now, I want you to remember it was God who gave Gideon the 300. Gideon had nothing to do with it. After the initial battle when they were destroying themselves and he needed help chasing them he called from the others. And now they are saying, "What in the world are you doing? You should have called us to begin with." Well the battle was the Lord's it was not necessarily Gideon. You remember it was the sword of the Lord and of Gideon, but it was the sword of the Lord first. And so what Gideon does is he appeases them. And he appeases them by appealing to the greatness of their deeds and the smallness of his deeds. He's giving them the first place.
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He said, "What was I in comparison to you? I mean, you got Oreb and Zeb. You got the princes." And once he appeased their pride their anger was abated. So Gideon in this passage took the position of a servant. He humbled himself and said, "I don't need the glory. I don't need the praise. You can have it. I mean, that's all there is to it." And that's all it took to satisfy the Ephraimites.
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Now, I want you to note Ephraim was upset with Gideon because they were not in the battle originally. When you look in Judges chapter 12, now they are upset with Jephthah because they were not in the battle originally as well. And now, they not only are upset with Jephthah, I want you to note that they now threaten to murder him and his family. Look in verse 1. Judges 12 verse 1, "And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and went northward and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passeth thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thine house upon thee with fire." Really? Burning him alive? Burning his family alive? Now, according to verses 2 and 3, Jephthah did call them.
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But they did not arrive timely. Look in verse 2, "And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon. And when I called you, you delivered me not out of their hands. When I saw that you delivered me not, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon. And the Lord delivered them into my hand."
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"Wherefore then are you coming to me this day to fight against me?" Now, please remember if you would, Ephraim has always wanted the position of control out of dominance. That's why they were upset with Gideon. When you believe that you are in the position of control, or at least should be in control, there's no rush. It does not matter concerning the situation. It does not matter the lives that are at stake. It does not matter the issues that are involved.
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I mean the truth is when you take a superior and dominating and domineering attitude then you are going to march to the beat of your own drummer is what it amounts to. The truth of the matter is Ephraim's attitude was simply this, "I will get there when I get there and they will just have to wait for me. They cannot start without me." Well, Jephthah saw his opportunity and he took it. Well, the Ephraimites were not there. Now they come out to fight against Jephthah.
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They're threatening to burn him and his family alive. And they're going to defeat and destroy the Gileadites because they defeated the Ammonites. Now, ostensibly, ostensibly because they were not given the opportunity to control the war or participate in the way that they desired and they're going to fight against the Gileadites.
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Now, look what Jephthah asked in verse 3. He tells them what happened. Then he says, "Wherefore then are you come out unto me this day to fight against me?" Why are you provoking an attack? And by the way, this is the first instance in the Bible where Israelite was fighting Israelite. They were not fighting a common enemy. They're going to be fighting each other. And they came purposely to pick a fight.
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The battle between the Gileadites and the Ephraimites was a battle over control and dominion. I want you to look in verse 4. "Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites." Now you need to understand who is fighting and why they are fighting.
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Now I've already pointed out this is a war between the Israelites. They're not fighting a common enemy, they're fighting each other.
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Now let me explain something to you and I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. The Gileadites were Manassites. They were from the tribe of Manasseh. You will look in your Bibles holding Judges 12 go if you would please to Deuteronomy chapter 3 to begin with, Deuteronomy chapter 3 then we'll go to Joshua. Deuteronomy 3 and look if you would please at verse 13. Deuteronomy 3 and verse 13, the Bible says, "And the rest of Gilead and all Bashan being the kingdom of Og gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob with all Bashan, which was called the land of the Giants." So the half tribe of Manasseh got this land of Gilead. Look if you would to the book of Joshua chapter 17 and verse 1. Joshua 17 in verse 1 the Bible says, "There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan." So Gilead then was
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the firstborn child of Manasseh. Manasseh was the firstborn child of Joseph. So, skip down to verses 5 and 6. "And there fell ten portions to Manasseh beside the land of Gilead in Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan, because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons, and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead." So, here's what you have. You remember that Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh got land on this side of Jordan and the other half-tribe of Manasseh with the other tribes got land on the other side of Jordan. So you have some on the west side, you have some on the east side.
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Now, I want you to listen to what Matthew Henry said. In his commentary he said, and I'm quoting, "Pride was at the bottom of this quarrel. Only by pride comes contention. Proud men think all the honors lost that go beside themselves, and then who can stand before envy?" Ah, listen now, "The Ephraimites had the same quarrel with Gideon who was a Manasseh on their side of Jordan, that would be the east side, Ephraim and Manasseh were nearer kin than any of the tribes, being both of the sons of Joseph. And yet they were more jealous one of another than any of the other tribes." He goes on to point out that Jephthah was of Manasseh on the other side of Jordan. So you have Gideon on this side of Jordan and Ephraimites are mad at him. Now you have Jephthah on this side of Jordan and all the Ephraimites are mad at him. He goes on to say, "Jacob having crossed hands and given Ephraim the precedence, looking as far forward as the kingdom of the ten tribes, which Ephraim was the head after the revolt from the house of David, that tribe not content with that honor in the promise was displeased if Manasseh had any honor done
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to it in the meantime. It is a pity that kindred or relationship should be an inducement to love and peace should be ever an occasion as it often proves of strife and discord." So he said, it should be love and peace but it is always ending up strife or discord. "A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions among brethren are the bars of a castle."
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Now, let me reemphasize something. I want you to go back to Judges chapter 12 and I want you to look at verses 2 and 3. Because I want you to see the defense that Jephthah gives. Look if you would, Judges 12 verse 2. Remember now that pride, arrogance is at the bottom of this quarrel. Verse 2, "And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon."
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"And when I called you, you delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that you delivered me not, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Wherefore then are you come up unto me this day to fight against me?"
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Now let me just point something out. These men, the Ephraimites, came for a fight. They were going to have it. The Bible does not tell us how many men came for the fight. But if 42,000 of them were killed, I would imagine that have to be 50 or 60 thousand of them. So they came prepared for war. So here is Jephthah's defense. "Look I called you. You didn't get here timely."
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"I had an opportunity to defeat the Ammonites, I took that opportunity and I defeated them. God delivered them into my hand. That's all there is to it. I was not upset with you. I was not offended at you. You just didn't get here in time." So that defense, of course, would be what you and I would call reasonable and temperate. He just explained what had happened. But his defense is met with the greatest of insults from men who were intent on provoking a fight.
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Their response was one of scoffing and contempt because they called the Gileadites fugitives from Manasseh. Look if you would in verse four. "Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites." You look up the word "fugitives." They're saying that the Gileadites were runaways and outcasts, an obscure set of men with no name not worthy of anything living between these two illustrious tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, although the Gileadites were Manassites themselves. Matthew Henry did a paraphrase on verse 4 and here's what he wrote. Here's their response, according to Matthew Henry. "You Gileadites that dwell here on the other side of Jordan are but fugitives of Ephraim, the scum and the dregs of the tribes of Joseph, of which Ephraim is the chief. You're the refuse of the family and are so accounted among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites. Who cares for you?"
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"All your neighbors know what you are. You're no better than fugitives and vagabonds separated from your brother and driven into a corner." I don't know about you, but that's pretty inflammatory. I mean, you know, it's just simply saying that they're absolutely worthless. So here's pride, arrogance and haughtiness exemplified simply because the Ephraimites were not in control and they wanted control and they wanted dominance. So their attitude was it will be my way or else. It is my way or the highway.
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Here is the height of a domineering spirit, which today we call political correctness. It is the same when you call someone a racist or a bigot or a heretic or ignorant or a fool. You are expressing strong disapproval for what they say or what they think or what they believe simply because you can't control what they think and what they believe. Political correctness extends not only into the realm of religion but unhappily it extends also in the realm of Christianity.
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So we now castigate and denigrate our brethren whom we disagree and in some cases we even disallow them to be Christians just like these Ephraimites are telling these Gileadites, "You're not really of us. You're nothing but scum." Wow, let me show you something. Do you remember that Moses got into trouble with God? For calling his people rebels. Now it is true that the Israelites were basically rebellious people. God himself said that. And well, I guess it's kind of like, you know, if you've got a sister and you call her ugly, that's one thing. But if somebody else calls her ugly, then there's a fight. Well, God can call his own people whatever he wants to call them. But Moses, in Numbers chapter 20, got so exasperated with them, he said, "Here now, ye rebels, must I fetch water out of this rock for you?" So instead of speaking to the rock, as God told him, he smote the rock. Let me show you another passage. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 5.
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You probably have never really looked at this passage in this light, but look in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 22. Matthew 5 verse 22. Look what God says, He says, "But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother Raca shall be in danger of the counsel." That is you will have to give an account. "But whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire." Now I want to call your attention to the fact he said if you're angry with your brother without a cause God is going to judge you for that. But if you call your brother Raca, you are in danger of being called before the council that is being judged by men. But if you call your brother a fool you are in danger of hell fire. Now the word Raca was a term of reproach that was popular in that day. It literally means an empty headed senseless stupid man. So when someone said Raca, it means you're empty-headed, you're senseless.
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You're stupid. You're worthless. You're nothing. That is essentially what they're saying in Judges chapter 12 to the Gileadites: you're worthless, you're scum, you're fugitives. And this was a highly insensitive insult that was considered a public affront. And now that all these men have come to battle, Jephthah said, "You want it? You've got it. We're going to fight." And so a battle ensued and the proud, haughty, arrogant, foul-mouthed Ephraimites were defeated.
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Many therefore, I'm sure, sought to escape. The Bible tells us 42,000 men were killed. The Gileadites took the ford of Jordan, where they had to cross over. And when they asked them, "Are you an Ephraimite?" they'd say no, because they didn't want to be killed. And so they said, "Well you have to say Shibboleth." And of course they could not say Shibboleth, they would say Sibboleth. And then they were killed. So look in Judges Chapter 12, verses 5 and 6, "And the Gileadites took the passage of Jordan before the Ephraimites. And it was so that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over, that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? And if he said, Nay, then they said unto him, Say now, Shibboleth. And he said, Sibboleth, for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him and slew him at the passage of Jordan, and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand." So the word Shibboleth actually means a stream.
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The word Sibboleth means a burden. So there was a discrepancy between the accent or the accents of the tribes. You know, we have people in this country that have so many different accents. Years ago, Alice and I stayed with a family that had three children. They lived in New Orleans. And neither, the two boys and the sister, neither one of them had the same accent. All of them had different accents. Unbelievable. Years ago, I landed in Boston, Massachusetts, and here was a Boston, Massachusetts state trooper standing there with his pants on, a leather strap here, and the strap around the chin, and I asked him, this was a long time ago, I said, "Could you please direct me to Eastern Airlines," because I had to
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change planes, and Eastern was in existence at that time, and he answered me, and I just looked at him and I said, "Pardon?" and he said it again and I looked at him and I said, "Thank you." And I walked away and to this day, I have no idea what he said to me. And he was speaking English. It was just a strong Massachusetts brogue. I've got a good friend who's from New Hampshire and he always talks about the "heart," your heart has to be right, the "heart." I mean, you know. And here is the way it was in those days: they could not say Shibboleth. And when they would say Sibboleth they were killed because they knew that they were Ephraimites.
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Do you understand that one of our biggest problems even today is our tongue? I thought as I read this, I would guarantee you if those Ephraimites had a second chance, they would have bitten their tongue and not called the Gileadites scum and refugees. And no, it would have saved 42,000 lives. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter three. Hebrews, James, James chapter 3.
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Let's begin reading there with verse 2. James 3, verse 2. Look what he says, James 3 and verse 2, "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire out of hell."
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"For every kind of beast, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. But the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be." So note if you would, he said, the tongue is a very small member, but it boasts great things and it kindles a fire, and it sets on fire the course of nature and is set on fire out of Hell. And the tongue, he said, is such a small member but it just cannot be controlled. And those 42,000 dead men I can assure you wished that the tongue had been controlled.
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Now let me try to make a couple of applications and tie everything together for you. I asked at the beginning and told you the title of this message was, "Can You Say Shibboleth." What do I mean by that question? Well, when the Gileadites ask, "Can you say Shibboleth?" obviously, those Ephraimites could not pronounce that word correctly. So actually, the Gileadites were saying, "Are you a Gileadite? If you're a Gileadite, you're going to have to prove it, because you're going to have to say Shibboleth." So here is what I mean by that. Can you say Shibboleth? Does that mean that you have to agree with me on every detail, and pronounce everything the way I pronounce it, and see everything the way I see it in order to be my brother in Jesus Christ?
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And the answer is no. An Israelite is an Israelite, whether he can say Shibboleth or not. A Christian is a Christian whether or not he can say Shibboleth or not. You cannot, you cannot reduce Christianity to conformity to one man's views, or one man's understanding, or one man's perception. There are differences in speech. There are differences in accents and there are differences in understanding. And God does not call each one of us to have the understanding of the others. Just like there were differences between Ephraim and Gilead in their speech there are differences between the northern kingdom and even the southern kingdom. Do you remember when Peter had denied our Lord, or was in the process of denying Him? First of all in Matthew 26 and verse 73 the Bible says, "And after a while they came to him that stood by him and said unto Peter, Surely thou art one of them for thy speech betrayeth thee." You are not one of us. And then when you get to Mark 14 verse 70, again he denied, and after a little while they that stood by said to Peter, "Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto."
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We know you are a Galilean. We know you are one of them because you talk like a Galilean. You sound like a Galilean. The truth of the matter is this folks, there are differences and there are always going to be differences. You don't have to have divisions, but you can have differences. I was preaching up in Maine years ago, and I was using an illustration, and I got to talking about biddies. And I noticed everybody kind of doing like this. And I said, "You know, a baby chicken."
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Someone says, "Oh, peep peeps." Well, I said, "If you were to call them that, they're biddies down south, you know." And then I got to talking about a catfish. And again, the same thing, you know, looking around, "Catfish, what's a catfish?" I said, "You know what a catfish is? It's that fish with whiskers. It's got the skin and not scales and got the sharp spines." Oh, they said, "You mean a horned pout." No, I mean a catfish. You know, that's a catfish. But, you know, I'm just saying, you're going to have differences. That's all there is to it. But it is pure, unadulterated arrogance and pride and haughtiness to demand that everyone agree with you, or you're going to fight against them, expose them, vilify them, and destroy them. The fact that I cannot pronounce Shibboleth the way you pronounce Shibboleth does not mean that I'm not a Christian. It does not mean that I'm not one who truly believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, nor does it mean that I'm in rebellion to Him. All it means at the present time I do not have the present ability to see things as you see, or pronounce the way you pronounce.
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That's all it means. I don't have to say Shibboleth the way you say Shibboleth, and you don't have to say Shibboleth the way I say Shibboleth. Here's the second one. Jephthah is certainly to be praised in defending himself and his people against the Ammonites. The Ammonites attacked, it was pure self-defense. That's all there is to it. Moreover, Jephthah was not responsible for the pride and arrogance and haughtiness of the Ephraimites.
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They came prepared for war. They provoked and they attacked and Gilead defeated them. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. However, when it came to the fords of Jordan, I would not know and I could not say whether that was justice or vengeance. And there is a difference between those two because the people were already defeated. And these were men that were scattered just simply trying to get back home.
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So that would be up in the air as far as I am concerned. I don't know, it could have been God's justice and certainly these men would have been included in the 42,000 that were slain in that battle. But it would not have happened had it not been from the Ephraimites. So the main responsibility lay with the Ephraimites themselves. And the third application is this, we have to learn valuable lessons from this passage.
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Let me give them to you. First of all, we are not God and we do not have the absolute right to demand that others see things exactly the way we see them. We do not have that right. Secondly, we have no right to ridicule and mock and reject our brethren who do not see things as we see them. Once again, God is the one who gives illumination. God is the one who gives understanding. Now, I have no right to ridicule you and mock you just because you do not see things that I see. And you have no right to ridicule and mock me just because I don't see things the way you see them.
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Third, I would say we need to learn to not be hasty in our speech and to control our tongues. And I'm sure that if those Ephraimites could have taken back their words and saved 42,000 lives they would have been more than willing to eat those words, had they known the outcome. So we need to make sure that we control our tongues.
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Fourthly, it is our mouths that get us trouble. I want you to look in your Bibles to Proverbs 21 and verse 23. I quote this verse often, I think about it often, and I try to apply it. That does not mean that I'm always successful, but I certainly understand it and I certainly believe it. In Proverbs 21 and verse 23 the Bible just simply says this, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles." Whoso keepeth his mouth and keepeth his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble.
#62 | 51:16 to 52:03 | cleaned
Each one of us in times past has said things that we wish we'd never said. And we brought trouble and heartache upon ourselves because of our mouth. There's a time to speak up, the Bible tells us, but there's also a time to bite that tongue and to stay quiet. And God says, if you control your mouth, if you control your tongue, if you keep them, you'll keep your soul from trouble.
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And the fourth application is very clear. I think based upon this, if we have a servant's heart, we are going to seek to be meek and humble and the Lord will reward us. And by the way, don't be afraid of the word meek. The word meek does not mean that you are a mealy mouth foot mat for everybody. The word meek just simply refers to discipline, strength under God. You are under His law and you are under His power and you go when He says go and you fight when He says fight and not just of yourself. And when you stop and think about James 4 and verse 6 and 1 Peter 5 in verse 5 where the Bible says that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble, I'd much rather have his blessings than his curses and I'd much rather have his help and support than his wrath and anger. And if we have a servant's heart we're always going to be willing to serve. Because our Lord took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in likeness of men.
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Ephraim in Judges 12 did not have a servant's heart and therefore they were destroyed before God because of their own pride and their own domineering spirit. A man's pride shall bring him low. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray today for your grace and your mercy and your goodness and your kindness would be extended to us. Help us, Lord, to learn from this passage. Help us, Lord, to apply the truths and the principles of thy word. And we do ask you, Father, for a servant's heart. Make us, Lord, humble and meek and willing to serve and to honor thee in all that we say and do. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, amen.
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so
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T14:38:19Z

Can You Say Shibboleth

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver expounds Judges 12:1-7, where 42,000 Ephraimites died because of pride, anger, and their inability to pronounce 'Shibboleth.' He traces Ephraim's history of arrogance and desire for dominance, contrasting it with Christ's servant heart. The sermon warns against demanding conformity, ridiculing brethren, and failing to control the tongue, urging humility and a servant's heart to avoid God's opposition.

Introduction: The Cost of Pride

42,000 men died in one battle due to pride, anger, and mispronunciation. Pride always brings destruction.

Scripture Reading — Judges 12:1-7

Alright, the passage was from Judges chapter 12, verses 1-7. The title of the message is, "Can You Say Shibboleth?" In this text, 42,000 men died in one battle. And it was simply because of pride, anger, and the inability to pronounce the word correctly. Proverbs 16 and verse 18 tells us that pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. And the truth of the matter is pride always brings us low, it deceives and it destroys. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 29 and verse 23 that a man's pride shall bring him low.

The Problem of Lost Servant Hearts

Many pastors and Christians seek dominance and control, having lost the humility and servant heart of Christ.

Listen very carefully to the Bible. The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 and 6,

Scripture Reading — Philippians 2:5-8

"...let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross."

Christ's Example of Servanthood

Jesus took the form of a servant, came to minister, and demonstrated humility by washing the disciples' feet.

Listen very carefully to the Bible. The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 and 6,

Scripture Reading — Philippians 2:5-8

"...let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross."

So look in Judges 11, beginning there with verse 5. In fact, let's read verse 4.

Scripture Reading — Judges 11:4-11

"And it came to pass in the process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob. And they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not you hate me and expel me out of my father's house? And why do you come unto me now when you're in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?"

Jephthah's Background and God's Sovereign Choice

Jephthah, a mighty warrior and son of a harlot, was rejected by his brothers but chosen by God to deliver Israel.

So look in Judges 11, beginning there with verse 5. In fact, let's read verse 4.

Scripture Reading — Judges 11:4-11

"And it came to pass in the process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob. And they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not you hate me and expel me out of my father's house? And why do you come unto me now when you're in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?" "And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, the Lord be witness between us if we do not so according to thy words."

God Opposes the Proud

James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 teach that God actively resists and fights against the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Scripture Reading — James 4:6

"But he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace unto the humble."

Now I want to call your attention to this statement,

Scripture Reading — James 4:6

"God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble."

Now if you will turn over just a few pages to 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 5. Look what the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — James 4:6

"Likewise you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble."

Now I read those passages just to tell you that the word "resisteth" in James 4 and verse 6 and in 1 Peter 5 and verse 5 are

Scripture Reading — Genesis 48

Now, Ephraim in Judges chapter 12 is an example of what I'm talking about at this particular point. It is true that Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph and God set Ephraim above Manasseh. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 48 and you remember how Joseph brought his two sons for Jacob to bless them before he died? Manasseh was the older son and of course Joseph had him where Jacob's right hand would be on his head. But the Bible tells us that Jacob guided his hands wittingly and he put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh. Of course it displeased Joseph. And Joseph said, "This is not so my father, this is my first born." He said, "I know it my son, I know it, but this is what God is going to do." So in Genesis 48 and verse 20, "And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall all Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh."

Ephraim's History of Pride and Control

Ephraim, though set above Manasseh, developed a domineering spirit, seen in their complaints to Joshua and their anger at Gideon.

Scripture Reading — Joshua 17:14-18

"And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying,"

by the way the children of Joseph that would be Ephraim and Manasseh,

Scripture Reading — Joshua 17:14-18

"spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot, and one portion to inherit, seeing that I am a great people?" "Forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto. And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for yourself therein the land of the Perizzites, and of the Giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us. And all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power. Thou shalt not have one lot only, but the mountain shall be thine, for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down, and the outgoings of it shall be thine, and thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong."

Now the interesting thing is they come to Joshua and said, "We are a great people."

Scripture Reading — Judges 7:24-8:3

So here we go in Judges chapter 7, I said Joshua did I not? Ok, it is Judges, I'm sorry, Judges chapter 7. Judges chapter 7 beginning there with verse 24. Judges 7 verse 24, "Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim," now remember this is after the battle has really begun, "saying come down against the Midianites and take before them the waters of Beth Barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and took the waters under Beth Barah and Jordan. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeb they slew at the winepress of Zeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gideon on the other side of Jordan. And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Watch now, why hast thou served us thus, that thou callest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?" "And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I now done in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezar? And God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeb; and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that."

The Conflict in Judges 12

Ephraim threatened Jephthah for not calling them to battle; Jephthah defended himself, but Ephraim's insults led to war and 42,000 deaths.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 3:13

"And the rest of Gilead and all Bashan being the kingdom of Og gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob with all Bashan, which was called the land of the Giants."

The Tongue's Destructive Power

James 3 warns that the tongue is a fire, set on fire by hell, and cannot be tamed; Ephraim's insults cost 42,000 lives.

Scripture Reading — James 3:2-10

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire out of hell." "For every kind of beast, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. But the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be."

Applications: Can You Say Shibboleth?

We must not demand conformity, ridicule brethren, or speak hastily. A servant's heart brings God's grace, not His opposition.

Can You Say Shibboleth

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	jQPn1OtfKmw
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom
Genre	Sermon
Date	2018-11-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 085: Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom — Chapter 13
Source Timed Segments	66

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Cost of Pride: 42,000 men died in one battle due to pride, anger, and mispronunciation. Pride always brings destruction.
The Problem of Lost Servant Hearts: Many pastors and Christians seek dominance and control, having lost the humility and servant heart of Christ.
Christ's Example of Servanthood: Jesus took the form of a servant, came to minister, and demonstrated humility by washing the disciples' feet.
Jephthah's Background and God's Sovereign Choice: Jephthah, a mighty warrior and son of a harlot, was rejected by his brothers but chosen by God to deliver Israel.
God Opposes the Proud: James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 teach that God actively resists and fights against the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Ephraim's History of Pride and Control: Ephraim, though set above Manasseh, developed a domineering spirit, seen in their complaints to Joshua and their anger at Gideon.
The Conflict in Judges 12: Ephraim threatened Jephthah for not calling them to battle; Jephthah defended himself, but Ephraim's insults led to war and 42,000 deaths.
The Tongue's Destructive Power: James 3 warns that the tongue is a fire, set on fire by hell, and cannot be tamed; Ephraim's insults cost 42,000 lives.
Applications: Can You Say Shibboleth?: We must not demand conformity, ridicule brethren, or speak hastily. A servant's heart brings God's grace, not His opposition.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Pride was the root cause of the Ephraimite conflict.

Ephraim's history shows a pattern of wanting dominance and control, leading to their attack on Jephthah.

Ephraim's complaint to Joshua (Joshua 17:14), their anger at Gideon (Judges 7-8), and their insulting the Gileadites as 'fugitives' (Judges 12:4).

Jephthah's defense was reasonable, but Ephraim's response was inflammatory.

Jephthah explained he called them but they did not come; Ephraim responded with contempt, provoking the battle.

Judges 12:2-4 shows Jephthah's explanation and Ephraim's insult calling Gileadites 'fugitives.'

God uses whom He chooses, regardless of human standards.

Jephthah, though an illegitimate son, was used mightily by God, demonstrating God's sovereign choice.

Judges 11:1-2 shows Jephthah's background; 2 Peter 2:16 is referenced to show God can even use a donkey.

The tongue's destructive power is immense and must be controlled.

Ephraim's insults led to 42,000 deaths; James 3 warns that the tongue is a fire that cannot be tamed.

James 3:2-10 is quoted; Proverbs 21:23 says keeping the mouth and tongue keeps the soul from troubles.

Demanding conformity is arrogance; differences do not negate brotherhood.

The Shibboleth test was a matter of accent, not identity; Christians should not require uniformity in all views.

The speaker states: 'An Israelite is an Israelite, whether he can say Shibboleth or not. A Christian is a Christian whether or not he can say Shibboleth or not.'

Scripture References

Judges 12:1-7: The main text of the sermon, describing the conflict between Jephthah and Ephraim and the Shibboleth test.
Proverbs 16:18: Quoted to show that pride goes before destruction.
Proverbs 29:23: Cited to emphasize that a man's pride shall bring him low.
Philippians 2:5-8: Read to show Christ's humility and servant heart.
Mark 10:45: Quoted to show Jesus came to minister, not to be ministered unto.
Luke 22:24-27: Read to illustrate the disciples' strife about greatness and Jesus' teaching on servanthood.
John 13: Referenced as the example of Jesus washing the disciples' feet.
Judges 11:1-2: Read to show Jephthah's background as a mighty man of valor and son of a harlot.
Judges 11:4-11: Read to show how the elders of Gilead sought Jephthah to lead them against Ammon.
2 Peter 2:16: Cited to illustrate that God can use a donkey, emphasizing His sovereign choice.
James 4:6: Read to show God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5: Read to reinforce that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.
Genesis 48: Referenced to explain how Ephraim was set above Manasseh by Jacob's blessing.
Joshua 17:14-18: Read to show Ephraim's complaint about their inheritance and their claim to be a great people.
Judges 7:24-8:3: Read to show Ephraim's anger at Gideon for not calling them initially to battle.
Deuteronomy 3:13: Read to show that Gilead was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 17:1, 5-6: Read to confirm that Gilead was part of Manasseh's inheritance.
Numbers 20: Referenced to show Moses' sin in calling the people rebels.
Matthew 5:22: Read to warn against calling a brother 'Raca' or 'fool,' which parallels Ephraim's insults.
James 3:2-10: Read extensively to illustrate the destructive power of the tongue.

Historical References

Arthur W. Pink: Quoted as saying, 'One reason we do not like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary: Quoted extensively on the pride at the bottom of the quarrel and the relationship between Ephraim and Manasseh.
Diotrephes (3 John): Mentioned as an example of a domineering spirit who would not receive the Apostle John.
Demetrius (3 John): Contrasted with Diotrephes as having a good testimony.

Important Quotes

Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Sets the theme that pride leads to destruction, directly tied to the 42,000 deaths in Judges 12.

God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace unto the humble.

Key verse repeated to emphasize God's active opposition to the proud, central to the sermon's warning.

You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.

The insult that provoked the battle, illustrating the destructive power of the tongue.

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

Practical application from Proverbs, urging control of speech to avoid the kind of disaster seen in Judges 12.

An Israelite is an Israelite, whether he can say Shibboleth or not. A Christian is a Christian whether or not he can say Shibboleth or not.

The central application: differences in understanding or practice do not negate Christian brotherhood.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways does pride manifest itself in our desire for control and dominance, and how can we cultivate a servant's heart like Christ?

[Context]

The sermon contrasts Ephraim's pride with Christ's humility (Philippians 2).

[Question]

How does the truth that 'God resisteth the proud' (James 4:6) change the way we view conflicts and our own attitudes?

[Context]

The Greek word 'antitassomai' is explained as God actively fighting against the proud.

[Question]

What can we learn from Jephthah's background about God's sovereign choice to use unlikely people?

[Context]

Jephthah was the son of a harlot and rejected by his brothers, yet God used him mightily.

[Question]

Why is it so dangerous to insult or belittle fellow believers, and how does Matthew 5:22 raise the stakes?

[Context]

Ephraim's insult of 'fugitives' parallels calling someone 'Raca' or 'fool.'

[Question]

How can we balance the need for doctrinal truth with the call to accept differences among genuine Christians?

[Context]

The Shibboleth test is used as a metaphor for not demanding conformity in all things.

[Question]

What practical steps can we take to control our tongues, especially when we are angry or offended?

[Context]

James 3 and Proverbs 21:23 are cited to show the tongue's power and the need for restraint.

Applications

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