“When Pride Divides the People of God”
Focus Text: Judges 12:1–15 (CSB)
Main Idea: Offense can cost you everything when pride overrides unity.
REFLECT
What was the Ephraimites’ complaint? (v.1)
“Why didn’t you call us to fight the Ammonites?”
They felt left out and disrespected.
Reflection Question: Have I ever been offended by how someone moved forward without me?
What was Jephthah’s response? (v.2–3)
He said he did call them, but they didn’t respond, so he went to battle without them.
Reflection Question: When God gives me an assignment, do I wait for man’s approval or walk in obedience?
REVEAL
What happened when pride escalated the situation? (v.4–6)
Civil war broke out between Jephthah’s men and the Ephraimites.
Jephthah used a test—how they pronounced “Shibboleth”—to identify and kill 42,000 Ephraimites.
Reflection Question: What are the “Shibboleths” I use today—ways I wrongly judge or divide people?
What do the final verses (v.8–15) tell us about the next three judges?
Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon brought administrative order, but no major deliverance is mentioned.
Reflection Question: Am I settling for order over revival? Am I maintaining peace without pursuing purpose?
RECEIVE (Scriptures to Meditate On)
Proverbs 13:10 (CSB) – “Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, but wisdom is gained by those who take advice.”
Matthew 5:9 (CSB) – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”
Philippians 2:3 (CSB) – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”
RESPOND (Challenge + Prayer)
This Week’s Challenge:
Take inventory of any offenses you’ve been holding—big or small. Pray over each one and ask the Lord if pride is the root. Then take one step toward healing that area: forgive, release, or reach out.