Unneccesary Promises

I have often found myself trying to make deals with God: "If you do this for me, Lord, I will...."

Do you do this?

In my journey (and journaling) of the Old Testament, I have come to realize how silly and prideful these promises are. The Maker of the Universe and everything in it needs to cut a deal with YOU? Really? He has creates the entire universe and everything in it…but you have a “great deal” for Him? I don’t think so.

I do believe He sometimes gives us these desires to either prove His existence or teach us another lesson. And if we strike a “deal” with Him, I am sure He expects us to follow through on our promises to Him.

But if we have faith in Him and His plans for the future---why do we feel the need to bargain with Him?? We certainly aren't going to get the better part of the deal when we gamble against the One who not only SEES the future but CREATES it!

I was struck by the story of Jephthah in my recent reading. The story is found in Judges 11.

Background: (Judges 11: 1-11)

Jephthah was a tough warrior—an Israelite, the son of Gilead and a prostitute. His step-brothers threw him out of the house and he fled and joined up with some “riffraff”. Time passed and the Ammonites began fighting Israel. The elders of Gilead called for Jephthah
and asked him to lead them in their battles.

Jephthah says to them, “Why now? You hate me, but now you need me and want me to help you now that you are in trouble?”

Certainly NOT the picture of grace and forgiveness, is he? He is ANGRY.

The elders tell him that they will make him the leader of all the Gileadites if he comes to help them. He makes them repeat this promise before God and then agrees.

Now that there is something in it for HIM, he will help them.

JEPHTHAH talks to the Ammonites: (Judges 11 12-28)

Jephthah sends messages to the Ammonite leaders asking them why they are attacking his people. The king responds that the Israelites stole the land from his people when they came out of Eygpt 300 years before. Jephthah tell him “it was GOD, the God of Israel who pushed out the Amorites in favor of Israel; so who do you think you are to try to take it over?” “It is an evil thing you are doing by starting a fight.”

Jephthah KNOWS that God gave the Israelites the land.
He KNOWS God is on his side in this battle.
That should be all he needs to enter this battle confidently.

JEPHTHAH makes a deal with God: (Judges 11 29-33)

God’s spirit came upon Jephthah and he went across the land to battle the Ammonites. He made a vow before God, “If you give me a clear victory over the Ammonites, then I will give to God whatever comes out the door of my house to meet me when I return in one piece from among the Ammonites. I’ll offer it up in a sacrificial burnt offering”

Why did Jephthah feel this deal was necessary?
God didn’t ASK him to make this sacrifice.
Jephthah knew that it was God’s will that Israel keep their land.
Was he worried that the “glory” of the victory would go to someone else?
Was it so important to Jephthah that he show his relatives who had disowned him
how strong and powerful he was that he was willing to sacrifice anything to prove it?

Jephthah went off to fight the Ammonites and beat the soundly. The Ammonites were “brought to their knees by the people of Israel”

JEPHTHAH comes home: (Judges 11: 34-40)

Jephthah came home. His daughter (his only child) ran out of the house to welcome him home, dancing to tambourines. Jephthah remembered his promised, saying “I am despicable. My heart is torn to shreds. I made a vow before God and I can’t take it back”

His daughter said “You made a vow. You must keep it. God did His part”

Jephthah fulfilled the vow he had made.

Do you think God used Jephthah’s promise to teach a lesson to him?
Are you as amazed as I at the acceptance of his daughter to fulfill that promise?
Would Jephthah have made this “bargain” with God if he had known ahead of time
what sacrifice he would be making?


When we make deals with God, we don’t ever know what the end result will be. If we truly trust God and we have offered control of our lives over to Him, there is no need to strike a bargain. HIS will be done….not our own. How arrogant is it of any of us to presume that we know better than God what is best for us?

When we try to strike a deal, we are saying that WE KNOW BETTER THAN HIM and/or that our own desires are more important than the furthering of God’s kingdom.

You would never sign a sales agreement without looking it over and seeing what it the final cost will be; but that is exactly what you are doing when you make these deals with God. He may give you your desires….but it may be at a cost that you cannot even begin to fathom.

I would rather have faith and live out His plan for my future.
I am going to stop “bargaining” away the plans He has for me and my life and live out the life He has designed for me.

His plan is better than any idea I could have ever dreamed up for myself. I give my future, my desires, my life over to the Lord. I am certain He will do a much better job managing it than I.