Judg 12:1, Then the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the sons of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you." 
    	This morning, we will spend a little time with something that needs to be dealt with in every Christian, whether man, woman, or child. It doesn’t matter how old we are! It doesn’t matter how long we have been a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ! It doesn’t matter how spiritually adept we may think we are! There is that within us which needs to continually be dealt with in the residue of that core essence of our old nature. 
We will find, when we look carefully at this account of the men of Ephraim and their attitude and demeanor and behavior, that we might as well be looking into a mirror. Sure, we may be utterly offended by this statement. That is until we ask the Holy Spirit to reveal that which is deep down in the depths of our hearts. That He would show us what needs to be purged, needs to be utterly cleansed away. It is the horrible remnants of that old nature of self-entitlement and self-gratitude which will rear its ugly head at every opportunity in order to make a stand for that which we think that we deserve from this life. 
As much as we read this account and tell ourselves that those men of Ephraim were so wrong and so vile in their treatment of Jephthah, it forces us to reflect on their motivation. Why did they take this miserably disastrous action against a man who was only following the will of the Lord?
It was because they believed that they deserved to share in the spoil of the victory over the sons of Ammon. They thought that Jephthah was withholding from them what they imagined was their just and deserved portion of the spoils of this victory. It is all a matter of me, me, and me, with no regard to utter irrationality of their demands. 
Jephthah detailed how he had asked for their help. They refused to participate in the defense of their own fellow Israelites. The call for help had gone forth, but their hearts were not open to the idea of putting themselves at risk by serving in the fight against those who were seen as so powerful. They might have been killed or maimed for no good reason in fighting against such a mighty foe just to help some other tribe of their people. 
However, once the battle was over, they took offense at the victorious result. They came claiming that they should have a portion of the spoils. This was despite the fact that they had not put life and limb on the line. Then, in their absolutely senseless indignation, they told Jephthah that they were going to kill him and his family by burning down his home. It was a threat, not just against his property, but in respect to the utter destruction of his heritage and lineage! 
We move forward in the history of the Israelites. We are admittedly skipping over other numerous accounts of the selfish motivations of those who were supposed to the be the testimony, to all the world, of the Sovereignty and the Holiness and the Majesty of the One True Living Lord God Jehovah, The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. 
In 2 Sam 19:41-43, we have before us the account of the aftermath of the uprising and devastating result of the revolt of Absalom against his father, King David. He had tried to wrest away the kingdom of Israel from his father. Absalom died as a result of this action, and the people of Judah and the people of Israel found themselves deep in conflict as David retained his sovereignty. 
The Tribe of Judah, who had supported Absalom, wanted David to rule from Jerusalem. The tribes of Israel, the northern part of the land, who had fought for David in the course of this revolt, wanted David to rule from the North. 
In this passage, we see how the selfish attitudes of both sides flared and smoldered with jealousy and anger and frustration. Sadly, this is so often true of you and of me as we look at how we have been passed over or ignored or considered with mere aplomb by those with whom we are involved.
2 Sam 19:41-43, And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, "Why had our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king and his household and all David's men with him over the Jordan?" Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense, or has anything been taken for us?" But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, "We have ten parts in the king, therefore we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Was it not our advice first to bring back our king?" Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel. 
	There was animosity and jealousy and frustration at the core of this account which would eventually be manifested as the nation would be torn apart into the two distinct countries. There would be Israel to the north and Judah in the south. The matter of jealousy and self-centered unforgiveness and anger and thinking that one is somehow put off by another resulted in the manifested splitting asunder of the nation of God. They were of the same heritage. They were all chosen by God. They had worked together and conquered the land that was given to them by God in the fulfillment of His Promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet they could not set aside their now evident selfish desires and motivations and learn to continue working together as one people
	The Psalmist, in Ps 109:1-4, brings forth the encouragement to not let ourselves be ruled by, hindered in our growth, or enslaved to the maleficent intent of anger and jealousy and contention. He rather called out to God to deal accordingly with all that had been hurled against the Psalmist so unjustly and corruptly. He prayed that God would take complete hold of the situation.
	Ps 109:1-4, O God of my praise, Do not be silent! For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without cause. In return for my love they act as my accusers; But I am in prayer. 
	Rather than trying to take the deceitful lies and accusations back to the source and argue against it in the arena of public opinion and unfruitful disavowal, the Psalmist left it in the hands of God. There was a giving up to the Lord to cover the falsehoods and the unjustness of it all. Rather than fussing and fuming over the lack of respect and the assault on his righteous stand of love in the midst of this perverse generation, the Psalmist cried out to the Lord and sought and relied on the fact that God was in charge of it all.
       	This lesson continues for us in the wisdom of Proverbs. We begin with Prov 13:10. Prov 13:10, Through presumption comes nothing but strife, But with those who receive counsel is wisdom. 
	It is amazing how often we make assumptions or presumptions about why people do what they do. So often we put ourselves at the forefront of what takes place, insinuating that they did this or that just to get at us in some form or fashion. It brings us back to the men of Ephraim as they accused Jephthah of somehow working against their best interests. The complete irrationality of it all compounds the ignorance of the men of Ephraim in the course of their own destruction. Jephthah had no thought of doing something to steal away anything from these Ephraimites. He was simply obeying the Lord in the course of his judgment for the sake of God’s people.
	We read about the manner in which we are to just let go of anything which would cause discord within us in Prov 17:13+14. Prov 17:13+14, He who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out. 
    	When we hold something within our hearts against anyone else, God puts us on the level of being evil! If we allow a quarrelsome and jealous manner to infuse our dealing with anyone, we are inviting that residue of evil intent and anger and unforgiveness and frustration and dissention to infest our minds and our hearts in a virulent attack! We are opening ourselves up to the whole vicious arena of wickedness, allowing it to burst forth in the self-centered fight for its very existence in our beings. It wants to grasp hold of us in the death grip of its vile and disgusting nature in an absolute revolt against any love and gentleness and forgiveness and seeking after the good of others. 
	Then, in Prov 26:4, we have the truth of what we become when we give into anything like this jealous rage of our old nature in its groaning and undulating demise. Prov 26:4, Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. 
God tells us that we are a fool when we hold onto all this contemptible garbage! The Lord doesn’t sugar coat it! When we act out of jealousy or irrational fear or selfishness or anger or frustration or unforgiveness, we are a fool! We will be seen as a fool by those who watch our behavior and our actions. Consider how stupid those men of Ephraim were in threatening Jephthah. 42,000 died in that utter foolishness in going against the one who had been chosen by God to deliver the people.
Again, we have the wisdom of the Lord in Prov 27:1-4. Prov 27:1-4, Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips. A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them. Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy? 
    	The Lord exposes the intent of our self-centered hearts when we are jealously dealing with others in the foolishness of our bitterness and wrath. It is an instigator of actions and thoughts and attitudes which serve no other purpose than to weigh us down in misery and self-pity and frustration. It brings forth only destruction as of a flood, devastating our relationships with others and hindering our ongoing with the Lord!
	This is reinforced in Eccl 4:4. Eccl 4:4, And I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. 
That jealousy, upon which, sadly, our whole system of commerce is based, having more and better than our neighbors, is nothing other than striving after the wind. It bears no good fruit. It serves no purpose. It is as if we are children, running to catch the leaves blowing fiercely and violently in the wind. It is utter foolishness and frustration.
	We now look to how the Lord Jesus, in John 10:25-32, had to deal with this very issue. It was the course that led to His crucifixion, as the old humanity tried to shield itself from the death that was required for the new nature of Christ to be established. 
	There was great animosity and jealousy and hatred and selfish intent heaped upon Jesus because He was showing the perfect way to live on this earth. He absolutely brought the hidden and flawed deeds and motives of the religious leaders into the light and they hated Him for that!
John 10:25-32, Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these bear witness of Me. "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. "I and the Father are one." The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" 
	He was eventually hung on the cross to die the most egregious of deaths because of His true and perfect example of a sinless and holy life. This age could not bear the witness of what should have been the course of every man, so it flung its deadly grasp of desperation upon the Only Begotten of the Father. 
	For those who are called of the Father, who believe in Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son, those for whom Jesus bled and died and then rose again in triumphant victory over death and sin and shame, there is now a brand new nature at work. We are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and living His life in which jealousy and anger and frustration and unforgiveness have no place! The residue of that old nature is churning and choking in the death knells of Christ’s glorious victory over the core selfishness and utter vileness of that old nature.
	Accordingly, as highlighted by James, there is that within us which no longer has any place and is to have no more rule upon our attitudes and our actions and our thoughts. Please consider what we are told in James 3:13-18.
	James 3:13-18, Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 
    	This is very clear and concise in the force of the truth of Who Jesus Christ is and how He now has rule in our lives! These things, which so easily beset us in our dealings with others, need to be absolutely cleansed away from us. We are no longer to be characterized by those elements of that old, defiled, and evil nature. Our behavior, within our homes, within our families, within our fellowship, within our neighborhoods, within our work places, within our communities at large, at school, at rest, in other words who we are now in Christ as His people, needs to constantly and consistently reflect the purity and the love and the selflessness of Him Who has called us out of this realm into His glorious and manifested life everlasting!
	James, in James 4:1+2, lays it upon us to set aside any conflict, any jealousy, any quarrelsome attitude, anything which would divide or separate! We are to seek after the Lord with all our heart and mind and being and ask Him to put to death all that is not of Him! Rather than envy and strife, our hearts toward each other needs to be to the glory of God!
	James 4:1+2, What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 
	We are brought right back to the men of Ephraim who sought to deal so falsely and vilely with their own brothers of Israel. In that folly of selfish irrationality, they brought about only their own destruction. That is what we find in our lives when we refuse to set aside everything other than Jesus Christ and His life in us. So be it!
Then the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the sons of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you." Amen.

This morning’s benediction is 2 Tim 1:14. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. Amen.