Sof 59 May 2003 Jephthah and His Daughter God’s general Jephthah, outcast uncertain of salvation, testing God for proof of favour saviour of his people from vow to victory to terrible time of reckoning rode home.
But father grant me this, that I may roam the hills with my companions and mourn that I must die a virgin.
His daughter dancing came to meet him on this the first day of her life’s last days. (Judges 11:37) He did not kiss her would not greet her could not meet her eyes.
The alchemy of guilt turned love to blaming and Jephthah saw himself not his daughter She wandered in the hills for sixty days, argued with her father’s God. The wind riffled her hair and teased her breasts. She thought of lovers she would never know.
The days too few to take her leave of every precious thing her senses ached with beauty and the pity of it. At night she wept and slept exhausted.
The earth began to claim her.
She found no sign her father’s God would take her side only a brilliant moon which night by night grew small until the victim of his vow. of her self she stood Steadfast on the calm shore bargained with God’s gambler for time to say goodbye. keen-edged, a silver sickle, it bade her turn for home where God the father waited honour-bound to slay his child.