Pastor Rusty MiltonJudges 12:1-7 ESV“Angry Ephraim”You must not let anger overshadow the wonderful works of God's salvation. If we allow anger to go unchecked in our hearts, it will foster the desire for self-glory and dull our understanding of grace. We see this in Judges 12:1-7, when Ephraim confronts Jephthah for what they perceived to be their exclusion from his campaign against the nation's oppressors. But, by their allegations, one can surmise that their true frustration lay with the loss of glory they believed they suffered by not going into battle. Jepthah defends himself by simply laying out the truth: Ephraim was called to join the troops, but chose to ignore the muster to arms. Ephraim's response is sophomoric and filled with insults. How should we apply this to our lives? Brothers and sisters in Christ should never engage in slander and denigration. Yet, the righteous will face unbiblical accusations; there are always seasons of insults and accusations. Our response? Indignation--righteous anger--is appropriate, but never self-centered anger. Indignation leads to a focus on grace and healing, not vainglorious attacks.Judges 12English Standard VersionJephthah's Conflict with Ephraim12 The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. 3 And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” 4 Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.” 5 And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,” 6 they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.7 Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.