The Ephraimites took humbrage against Jephthah and the Gileadites for not including them in their conquest of Ammon. Jephthat contended that he asked for their help, and they refused. This led to a military conflict. Gilead was a family of the tribe of Ephraim, and they were considered fugitives by the rest of Ephraim. The Gileadites and Jephthah took the fords of the Jordan before Ephraim arrived there, and required that they say the word Shibboleth. Because of a linguistic anomaly between the Gildeadites and the Ephraimites, the Gileadites pronounced it differently, and thus they could tell if the Ephraimites were Gileadites or not. If they were not, they were killed. forty-two thousand Ephraimites died that day. After this, Jephthah judged Israel for six years.
The moral of the story is this: no matter what opposition comes your way, God can take you to your place of destiny and place you where you need to be to fulfill His purpose in your life. Don’t stop trying because someone opposes you. Instead, serve God with all your heart and be courageous!
Devoted To You 