Re-write of Judges 11 'The Vow'

I will be taking a Story not commonly shared or well-known to be heard about from the Holy Bible, found specifically in the book of Judges: Chapter 11. The story of a man named Jephthah, this re-write however will be based around his daughter who is mentioned briefly towards the end of this chapter. She is nameless in this Chapter but the first description of her is playing a tambourine, so from this the main character will be named 'Tammy'. This re-write will take place in the Kingdom of Tonga when Christianity is freshly accepted and now being practiced in the Islands.

Old habits die hard, from living lives of incest; fornication; lust; murder; cannibalism just to name a few, this new thing called 'Christianity' was proving to be freedom for some but detrimental for others. The introductions to this new lifestyle by the European missionaries were a hit with the locals except to one of the leading warriors of the capital tribe of Kolo (Town). The Sanctity of marriage was preached and began being practiced by the people in the Kingdom. People stopped being in polygamous relationships, everyone started to embrace the sacredness of sharing life with one person and bearing children in a form ‘acceptable’ in Gods sight.

Tammy was a young woman who loved her family, especially her father and was a beautiful Christian that grew up in the Church and knowing God. Her father was a natural leader, he led the men and women of the tribe to go to church and practice Christian values in their homes. However when questions were asked about past events in ones life, Jephthah never shared. Tammy was alright with her father not being able to share as she thought it was because he had nothing to hide.

One day Jephthah was called by the reigning council in Kolo by the spokesperson for the regional war leader. Jephthah did not explain much to Tammy about his urgent trip away, and rumours started to fly around their village of Kolomotu’a (the old town) a province of Kolo. People would peak of how Jephthah was called because his past was coming back to catch up on him, word got to Tammy and she at first denied all words of gossip going round the village. There were rumors of Jephthah being an ex convict and they called him I to pay for his crime; another story in the mill was he committed adultery with numerous amounts of women and that is why Tammy’s mother left them and he is being called for punishment. More heinous rumors were spread and pierced Tammy as they grew more and more.

After a while however she started to question the honestly of her father, she had a best friend in the village by the name of Sione, they had grown up as neighbors all their lives. He looked out for her like a sister but his emotions toward Tammy were more than just friendship feelings. She confided in him that she was questioning her faith as she is beginning to doubt her father and the reliability of his hidden past in comparison to the talks slithering through the town. Sione encouraged her to confront her father as soon as he would return home from his call out.

Sione would ask questions to his parents and grandfather who was still alive about Jephthah and if these rumours were indeed fact, he also scoped around genealogy of whether they were blood relatives with Tammy and Jephthah in case his feelings were of sin through incest and lustful thoughts. When Sione then got the all clear that they were not family he started to ask questions to Tammy, in his defense to ‘get her mind off her “dad” issue’. Tammy’s father was due back in a day so her stress levels and anxieties around how to approach her dad with this confrontation.

Sione decided to confess his feelings toward Tammy, yet she does not react in the way he hoped for. She played the ‘cousin’ card, claiming they had grown up in the tribe and they were family. She started to weep as Sione tried to explain himself getting confirmation from his family that they were not blood relatives with her and they were not going to be in sin if they were to pursue their feelings.

Tammy confessed one day in their journey of growing up with Sione that she felt feelings toward him but could not act on those feelings for they would be committing incest and be exiled from the church and village. Sione reminded her of this very day and she denied ever saying such things. She chased Sione away in decline to his invite to courtship. Sione went away lost and confused about what had just happened but he was determined to prove Tammy wrong and he too waited for Jephthah to return so that he would seek permission from him and confirm to Tammy they are not blood related and courtship can occur.

Jephthah returned briefly to the village and this caused more rumors to stir in the village. Tammy spent the day in town so when she returned, Jephthah was packing in a hurry and Tammy asked him where he was going this time, he said he couldn’t say, Tammy threw the basket of bananas and coconuts she carried from the family plantation and demanded she be told what was going on. “You do not know how much it hurts me to hear what people say about you! There are people who say I am a child of a criminal, a daughter of an adulterer.” In tears she fell to her knees, looked up to her father and said “have I lived a life of lies? Am I to believe what is being said? Because you are not here to confirm nor deny such words of darkness that fill the mouths and air around me! Please tell me this much, why did they call you?”

Jephthah in tears also picked up his daughter, sat her down and explained. . . “No one in this town knows the pain I have been through and the generational curses that have followed me through the years. I only want what’s best for you, I thought without you knowing would be a fresh start for the newer generations to come.” He explained how Christianity came in to the Kingdom, it was a fresh new lifestyle practiced by the locals. The way in which the Kingdom was entrapped in was so dark, with Christianity, it gave order and named actions wrongfully practiced.

Rape, sexual abuse, it was a norm before Missionaries came in and showed otherwise. Tammy looks confused, "so what are you saying?" Jephthah replies "your grandfather was a man who was a great leader, a very popular man in deed. He was a man of great leisure also, meaning he did not comply with what was given by the Christian missionaries at first. His 'generational curse' as was said by the missionaries at the time was adultery. He had a wife but said she did not fulfill his sexual desires in which a man of his stature should do. He had this woman of the night who would be his sexual filler and she bore a child before his wife did, she gave birth to a son. When his wife finally gave him a family of their own, their sons chased me out. *Tammy in shock* So i was exiled here where no one knew who i was and i liked it that way, this town had nobody but more and more people came through and found life here because I accepted them for who they were in the past. Tammy interrupted and cried even more in her father’s arms. Apologizing for what happened to him and how shocked she was to hear he was ill treated by his own family. She was determined to make things right

Meanwhile Sione is still uneasy and hears of Jephthah being in town, so he rushes over to Tammy’s house to have her proved wrong and seek consent from Jephthah for him to court Tammy. With order trough Christian values being practiced around the Kingdom, this gave women of the land high worth, meaning they were treasured and kept. Tammy is happy to see Sione and seeks his forgivenss or the way she treated him, once reconciliation was set, Sione then asked Jephthah for auhorization to 'get to know his daughter in courtship '. Jephthah said yes with peace knowing he could trust his daughter to make the right decision and with her knowing the truth of her origins and his.

As Jephah leaves on the h day of the week, on Sabbath Tammy goes to church and is confident to share with the worshipers of the revelation around her genealogy while silencing he rumor mill travelling around the village.She also pleads with the people to pray for Jephthah and the men who are sacrificing their lives in battle against the attacking tribe of Niutoua- the highland of the Kingdom. They had cast war against Kolo for territory and because they are still practicing pagan traditions and customs and will to over rule over the entire Kingdom; especially those who have adopted Christian lifestyle. She seeks God through prayer amongst the village to gain victory in this fight for life.

Tammy had full support from the village people and also remorse from those who confessed that they were some of those who spread gossip in the town and asked God and Tammy for forgiveness. She accepted their apologies and they began to pray and fast for the victory, and to confirm to those who were still in doubt of the God they serve. Tammy and Sione were only fortunate to see each other and spend time with each other in the church on Sundays. Jephthah did not want his generational ties with pre marital sex to be passed onto his daughter, so she stayed with the leading elder and his wife of the church while Jephthah was away.

So they spent most of their time in prayer and counsel of boundaries within a Christian foundation and cultural contex of a young virgin- she was to talk with Sione under supervision at all times, they were not to hold hands or touch each other in the case of sexual immorality because the missionaries had shared with them holding hands out of wedlock was a sin. Jephthah deceived Tammy in fear by saying not to hold Sione’s hand as it will make her pregnant. Of course Tammy taking her fathers word as gold was very cautious when Sione’s hands would go near her.

One Sunday was a double blessing for Tammy and Sione also as they were sent a message speaking of Victory from the Kolo warriors over the Niutoua highlanders. The church was filled with shouts of joy and praises to God. Even those who were unsure whether the God everyone was talking about was real had affirmation that He is. Tammy announced to the fellowship that she was to celebrate this victory on their return on the 4^th day of the week that had just begun. Everyone cheered in excitement and started discussions on what to bring as an offering of thanksgiving.

Sione was in deep dialogue with some of the men while Tammy was in a group of women praying in thanks for the victory won. The next few days Tammy was in Town arranging the lamb that will be prepared for the feast and the finest tapa cloth made out of the rarest bark tree and the whitest fine mat for her father to be seated on when he was to return. She has been given a tambourine by one the missionaries that visited the village a few yrs back and was leaving it to be played at a special occasion and was decided that it was to be played for this very welcoming home.

The day had come and everything was ready, the village had gathered to welcome Jephthah and the soldier’s home from a victorious battle. Everyone was in the backyard with the numerous tables of food, fresh juicy mangoes; papaya’s and banana’s to 3 lambs and horses still sizzling off the spit. Cooked taro leaves in fresh coconut cream to cassava and taro for the sides. Sione had been up all night with the men preparing the feast while the women wove more fine mats to wrap the warriors in when they were to arrive.

Tammy went into the house to get her Tambourine ready when she heard the gate lock open and she knew it was her father. She went running in excitement playing her tambourine and shouting welcome home father, Praise God for the victory! But she didn’t get the reaction she thought would be received. Jephthah screamed in shock and dropped to the ground wailing. “NO!! Not you, anything but you” drenched in his tears he went on to say “Why did you have to be the one!?!” Tammy started to tear up also but did not understand what was going on, she ran to her father, fell to the ground and asked what was wrong. He explained “the night before the attack, I bowed humbly before God and made a vow that if he was to award me the victory over the Highlanders, then I would give God back a burnt offering as a sacrifice of thanksgiving” Tammy was confused as Jephthah started to wail again like he was crying over a death. So she asked “so why are you crying? We have many offerings of thanksgiving in a feast at the back; the whole village has come to celebrate” Jephthah cried even more shaking his head, “you do not understand, I am to sacrifice. *sniffle* to sacrifice the first thing to welcome me when I arrive back home” Tammy: “yeah that’s. . . “She paused in shock as she realized the sacrifice that is to be burnt as an offering was to be . . . her.

As Jephthah continued to wail, Tammy stopped him. She wiped her fathers’ tears with her dress and said “do not fret, you have come from a past that was dark, and not by your own fault, you get exiled by your own blood. You didn’t let that stop you, you have been serving God faithfully and you have raised a daughter that loves the Lord and loves you. And now that you have been called by God, you requested His help and in exchange, my life is nothing compared to the victory gained for the people of Kolo.

She started to tear up as she said to him, only one request. Let me go to the outer island of Pangai, with my dear church sisters of the village and let us go and mourn my death, as I have found love but it will be incomplete as I am yet to wed so will die a virgin. I also do not want to waste Sione’s time any longer, so I will end it with him so that he is able to find him a good wife and have a family that will love him like I love you father. So do not be sad, celebrate in the victory.

Tammy picked up her father and led him to the back of the house, where Jephthah was welcomed in fine mats and tapa cloth for him but they were taken back with the fact that he was not that excited and started to weep on occasions. Sione took Tammy aside while everyone was placing gifts of thanksgiving to Jephthah and asked her what was wrong. Tammy explained the ‘vow’ and Sione fell to his knees and Tammy quickly stopped him from crying out loud, and he pushed her away for the first time. He became raged in fury because he revealed to Tammy that this was going to be a double celebration. He got the all clear by the leading elder that he was ready to seek consent from Jephthah for Tammy’s hand in marriage.

Tammy started to well up again as it was time to end things with Sione so that he can get over her. She explained to him the last wish she had to her father and that enraged Sione even more because he was willing to get married to her there and then and live as a widow for the rest of his life. Tammy could not do that to him. So she broke the courtship and the relationship to go any further. She asked Sione not to chase after her to the island and to let her die in peace knowing that he will be better off without her. He left the party and Tammy did not see him even when she left to the island of Pangai.

Tammy wept for a few days once they got to the island but the girls persuaded her to live the last month of her life happy and full of fun memories. What she didn’t know was that Sione jumped on a boat and secretly found the island which she was on with her friends. He was on a mission to be with her so that she will not die a virgin and his love can be complete. He found Tammy alone on the beach and surprised her but Tammy did not like that all

Sione pleaded with Tammy for her to return to the mainland with him to be wed and consummate the unity before she makes any decisions around her being burnt as an offering of sacrifice for the vow her father made.

“Let’s get married, is our love not real?” Sione said “I do not wish of you to die a virgin”

Tammy looks at Sione with doubt. “So it’s all about the sex to you? Really, is our love real? If it is then do you not love me enough to respect this decision that I have made.

Sione’s voice rises in anger “how can you say that this is your decision when it is a vow you did not make? This is your fathers mess to clean not yours

I rebuke that in Jesus name! Get ye behind! If you do not understand, then you are not the man of God that was awarded to me. The darkness of doubt that lingers in your mind overtakes the love we once shared. Praise be to God for ending this as and when I did

Sione turns away from Tammy saying “That’s just it Tammy, I can’t understand, I just don’t understand. . . Why?”

Tammy moves close to Sione lifting her hand to place it on Sione’s shoulder but pulls back before touching him remembering her father’s words of sexual immorality by any touch, sighs and says

“One day I pray you will”

Sione stormed off into the bushes in rage, Tammy broke down in tears and looked to the heavens with her arms wide open and said

“Oh Lord my God, I know you hear and see these tears streaming down this innocent and fragile face, coming to you as refuge and strength with this need of mine. Lord this decision, you know is not in vain. Many will live and die not understanding my actions. Even if I am to die today I will rest in peace knowing that I have remained faithful to the creator of Heaven and Earth. My heart aches for Sione so I seek you to ease his pain and mind. May it be of your will for him to find love with someone else? Forgive me if I have done wrong before you, may I rest in freedom and the generational curses of my father’s past end with me. Thank you for hearing my prayer”

That was the last time Tammy saw Sione on the island, her sisters from church found her on the beach and came to tend to her crying. They comforted her and commended her on this decision she is making and confirmed to her that Sione needs to check his motive because he has lost out on her now. She is better off ending it with him so that she will be at peace with what is ahead.

The month passed quickly and back in Kolomotu’a prayerful preparation and sorrowful construction of the altar that Tammy will be given back to God on. Jephthah mourned day and night for the vow his daughter will seal as a thanksgiving gift for winning the battle over Niutoua. The town would try to encourage him but nothing would cease the tears, a father’s broken heart unable to be mended.

As the boat canoe carrying Tammy and the girls back to the mainland, the girls cried as Tammy sang all the way back to her fate. Her voice was heard on the mainland and everyone started to see where Jephthah was. He was at the home, preparing Tammy’s white gown he asked the local ladies to prepare. He said that because Tammy was unable to wear white on her wedding day, she was to come pure in white before God in sacrifice.

The elder from the church came to see Jephthah before Tammy’s final arrival to give him encouragement and assurance that this was meant to happen. “Jephthah, you are a man of great strength, humility and compassion. And now you are giving away your daughter, not to any man, but to the man of all men. The one who placed us here so that we may learn from the master; angels await a time where you will be as selfless to others and especially God. Be in peace by brother, God is with you and will continue to be. Tammy will be given and you and future generations will reap what you sow today.”

Jephthah heard Tammy’s melodious voice in the distance and his begin to fill with pain running down his face. He knew then it was time.

As Tammy is led to the altar in white by her father, mothers with their weeping daughters whisper in their ears “today is Tammy’s wedding day with the Lord” Jephthah heard one of the mothers and tried to hold in his tears. Tammy with a peaceful smile on her face wipes a tear that escaped her fathers eye and says “Thank you Father, I love you, know I will rest in peace.”

As Tammy says this she sees a familiar face in the crowd, with someone clinging to his right arm. Sione is there with tears running down his face and his wife whom he wed with as soon as he came back from the island Pangai motu. She smiled and nodded with agreement that, it was meant to be.

That day turned black and gloomy as the sunset, the village sang songs in mourning over the death of a beautiful young virgin who sacrificed her life to fulfill the vow between her father and God. That day would be remembered over years to come. Sione had a daughter with his wife who came into the world the same day Tammy was sacrificed. Before Jephthah passed he gave something to Sione to give to his daughter and to read to all the virgins of the mainland who would come far and wide on the anniversary of Tammy’s day for her legacy to be carried on even with him gone.

Sione opened it up and started to cry as he cried the day Jephthah returned home from the battle that the vow was made for. So he did as Jephthah asked and as soon as his daughter Tammy was able to read she would go to the place where her namesake was sacrificed on her birthday and read a poem left by Tammy herself entitled “THE VOW” which read. . .

Many will live and die without understanding,

Only God knows why I went through with it,

And now I pray you will too.

My hope is that you will hear with your heart and

Be drenched with the Holy Spirits anointing;

I rest only for a little while and am at peace with that

My father did not chose to live an out casted life by his own blood

So my decision was not in vain,

As Jesus was the bridge of Grace for humanity,

May I be used as a smaller bridge of reconciliation for

The family my father could not have but will have as I leave

Do not weep for me with tears of sorrow nor pain

Know that I lived loved and trust me laughed

So do the same,

Live to the will of God and not your own,

For my death was not in vain

As it sealed the vow not only between our people

But for many generations to come.