LESSON 4
She Made Her Father and Jehovah Happy
What promise is Jephthah making to Jehovah?
It was not easy, but Jephthah’s daughter did what her father promised
Do you see the girl in the picture?— She is the daughter of a man named Jephthah. The Bible does not tell us her name, but we know that she made her father and Jehovah happy. Let’s learn about her and her father, Jephthah.
Jephthah was a good man and spent a lot of time teaching his daughter about Jehovah. He was also a strong man and a good leader. So the Israelites asked him to lead them in the fight against their enemies.
Jephthah prayed for God’s help to win. Jephthah promised that if he won, he would give to Jehovah the first person who came out of his house when he returned home. This person would live and work for the rest of his or her life at God’s tabernacle. The tabernacle was the place where people went to worship God back then. Well, Jephthah won the fight! Do you know who came out of his house first when he returned home?—
Yes, Jephthah’s daughter! She was his only child, and now Jephthah would have to send her away. This made him very sad. But remember, he had made a promise. Right away, his daughter said: ‘Father, you made a promise to Jehovah, so you have to keep it.’
Every year, the friends of Jephthah’s daughter went to visit her
Jephthah’s daughter was sad too. At the tabernacle, she could not get married and have children. But she wanted very much to keep her father’s promise and to make Jehovah happy. That was more important to her than getting married or having children. So she left home and lived at the tabernacle for the rest of her life.
Do you think that what she did made her father and Jehovah happy?— Yes, it did! If you are obedient and you love Jehovah, you can be like Jephthah’s daughter. You too will make your parents and Jehovah very happy.