I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Judges 11-13.

Yesterday we looked at the story of Abimelech becoming ruler over part of Israel  Today we have the story of Jephthah becoming ruler over another part of Israel.  Both men were estranged from their brothers.  In Abimelech’s case, he appears to have chosen to go out from among his brothers and seek the support of his mother’s people against them.  In Jephthah’s case, his brothers drove him out and he had no one to turn to for help.  Both men acquired followers who were little more than thugs.  However, I think the difference in the way they acquired those followers is telling.  Abimelech took the money which the people of Shechem gave him and hired some thugs to do his bidding.  Jephthah. on the other hand, attracted followers as he made his way in the world.  We have no reason to believe that Jephthah’s followers were any less thugs than Abimelech’s, but Jephthah’s followers followed him because of his leadership qualities while Abimelech’s followed him because he gave them money.