Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-03-20
A Synopsis Of a Sermon.
Preached IN the NJ E. Church, Sunday,
1NurcA 9th, 1873, by j. d. Cole.

Then said they unto him say now Shloeoi-
eth Judges, 12:6.
Jephthah was son Of Jair born
under the shame of concubinage; after
his fathers death he was disinherited
by his half-brothers on account Of a 80
called illegitimacy of birth.
He then went into the land of Job.
Being man of bold and daring char
acter he soon gathered around him =
band of idle young men, whose chief
engagements were to rob and plum
der.
Their attacks, however were princi-
pally on the Ammonites, sparing the
Israelites, tAis the Israelites regarded
as favor. The course they pursued
was like throwing sparks of fire into
gunpowder; Q how it stirred up their
animosities. They at once declared
war against Israel to recover certain
lands, that they claimed were taken
from their ancestors about three hun
dred years before. This difficulty led
the chiefs of Gilead to invite Jephthah
to take charge Of their interests. after
somewhat lengthy agreement on the
part of the chiefs, Jephthah consented
to lead them through the warcampaign
upon which they were about entering.
Jephthah told the Ammonites
/. They had no title to the land
and
2. That Israel had possessed it the
last three hundred years and 3rd thatG cd
had as much right to give Israel pos
session, as their God Chewash had to
give them (the Ammonites) possess
ion.
To war they went. The Gileadites
under Jep. conquered. Then the
Ephraimites, a certain tribe Of Israel,
were angry because they had no part
in the victory, or more properly speak
ing, in sharing the spoil. Jep. invited
the Ephraimites, in the outset to join
him, but they obstinately refused, but
when victory was gained then they
clamored for portion. They assem-
bled tumutuously and with many
threats, and many abusive and cor1-
tamptuous expressions toward the Gil
eaditcs and more particularly toward
Jephthah, threatening to burn his
house over his head. Jephthah was
not the man to smooth down their
ruffled plumes, and finding them bent
on mischief he called out his army,
which was exasperatcd at being called
fugitives Of Ephrasm, &c. a battle
was Immediately fought the Ephraim-
ties were defeated, and having crossed
the Jordan to the eastern side, out of
their own territory, entire destruction
awaited them-The Gileadites formed
at once into line, swung into the
rear and cut off the defeated Ephraim-
ties retreat across the river
As Israelitcs of all tribes were cross
ing and re-crossing, test was necessa-
ry to distinguish the Ephraimites from
others, so that when any man approach
ed to cross the river he was asked "art
thou an Ephraimitc If he said nay,
then said they unto him, say now Shib-
boleth and he said Sibboleth for he
could not frame to pronounce it right.
Then they took him and slew him at
the passage of Jordan and there fell
at that time of the Ephraimitcs AZ,
600"
Now let us explain few lessons
taught in this subject-The world has
had it's ,ShibJoleth, from time immem-
orial tW now, in its Signs, Symbols,
Dash, Stripes, Streaks, Dots, Points,
Asterisks, Underlining, Jottings,
Badges, Checks, Counter checks, Coun-
tersigns, Counterfcils, Tallies, Labels,
Tickets, Billets, Cards, Beacons,
Cynosures, Watchircs, Rockets, Blue
lights, and Tocsins.
The worlds ,Shibboleths have been
her chief means Of protection and de-
fense. In the world of grace we find
our ShiJboleths established.
God has given us Shibboleths by
which We may test him. To his peo-
pie he has pronounced Shibboleth in
the Rainbow, in the Pillar of cloud by
day and the Pillar of fire by night, in
the opening of the Red sea, in the
eur.liny water-brook that flowed from
the Smitten rock, in the uplifted bra.
zen-serpent, and in the gift of His Son,
and through Him all needful spiritual
blessings to world.
He has given US our Shibboleths by
which He may know that we are known
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