The chapter starts with the leaders making asking Jephthah to be their leader against the enemy.
Before the battle, Jephthah makes a tragic vow regarding the sacrifice of whoever would come out of his home when he returns in victory. He returns and is greeted by his daughter.
We ask ‘Why does he make this vow?’ And ‘Why go through with it?’ We discover that the influence of the surrounding nations is strong on Jephthah and also over Israel – they follow their practice and their thinking.
We then must be challenged by the influence of the world over us and ensure especially that our thinking about God is right. We must fill our lives with more of God than we do of the world.