Year 1, Day 263: Judges 12

Random Chapter

Judges 12 is a fairly difficult chapter about which to make some sense.  The story isn’t difficult to read, but the question that comes hard is, “What does this teach us?”  What can we learn about a man who goes out and fights a tribe of people who come against him because he didn’t call for their help?

Shame

Well, for starters we can learn the importance of shame in a culture.  Shame is something that the modern world is having a harder time understanding because our relationships have less and less importance to our ability to survive.  In ancient days, you would do anything to avoid being shamed because a shamed person would lose their connections.  If they lost their connections, they would likewise lose their ability to support themselves, obtain food and water, and call for help when protection was needed.  If they were shamed, they were likely facing abandonment or even death.

Our culture doesn’t have this perspective.  If someone shames us, we just make new friends.  Stores – especially stores like Wal-mart that have no need of relationship with their customers – will still sell goods to anyone that can afford them whether or not they are “good people.”  In the modern world we can live just fine whether we are shamed or not. 

Don’t get me wrong.  The level or quality of our life might change depending upon public shame.  Bbut we will still be able to live.  Shame just doesn’t carry the same public implications as it used to, and because of that we struggle making anything from this story about Jephthah and the Ephraimites.

Shame and Public Image

With this perspective, we can gain something from this story.  Jephthah goes out to fight the Ammonites, and according to Jephthah he called to Ephraim to help him and they did not come.  Of course, the Ephraimites say that Jephthah never called for their help.  Either way, the Ephraimites didn’t go out to fight.  If they weren’t invited, then their complaint is legitimate and they might feel shame from the other tribes for not going with Jephthah. If they had been invited and didn’t go, then their shame is legitimate.  Either way, this story is about the way the other people are going to view the Ephraimites.  This story is about the Ephraimites’ concern over their image.

This is something that we can learn from.  Regardless of what we think about the concept of communal shame, the truth is that human beings do care about what other people think of them.  While shame may not affect our ability to survive any more, it does still affect who we are and how we relate to others.  When we are in positions of power, we need to be diplomatic about this concept.  It is a sensitive topic to most people and we should respect that.

As an example, let’s look back to Gideon’s story in Judges 8.  There the Ephraimites come to Gideon with a feeling of shame.  Gideon resolves the shame by humbling himself and elevating the Ephraimites.  In that instance, the problem is resolved without conflict.  In Judges 12, however, Jephthah takes a different approach.  Jephthah argues with the Ephraimites and reinforces their shame rather than resolving it.  Because Jephthah reinforces the shame, the Ephraimites now are in a position to feel the need to prove their honor and a fight breaks out.  42,000 people die because of the inability for Jephthah to handle the concept of public shame with any kind of grace. 

And no, I’m not putting the entire fault on Jephthah.  But the difference between Jephthah and Gideon is worth bringing to light.  Leaders need to be careful how they use shame – if they use shame.  It is a powerful tool and needs to be wielded with carefulness.

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