Location and TimesJudges 11:31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
Jephthah makes a very foolish vow to the Lord. He wants God to work in His life. He thinks that by making a special promise to God that God will work on His behalf. Before the story is over it is his daughter that he has promised to sacrifice.
A big lesson to be learned here is not to loosely make promises to God. Some question if Jephthah ever kept his promise. But regardless making such a lighthearted, unthought through promise was very foolish.
God loves you. He is at work in your life. You do not need to be making these promises to God. You should be loving Him and serving Him because you do love Him not to get something from Him.
Wouldn’t it be better to walk with Him regularly and continually instead of having to thrown up emergency promises?