Oath as Inner Covenant

Neville's Inner Vision

Viewed through the Goddard lens, the scene is a drama of inner states. The elders’ oath, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words, is not merely a treaty with others but a declaration to your I AM that you will align with a definite inner word. Jephthah’s going with the elders and being made head and captain is the outward birth of an inner decision you have already rehearsed in mind. When he utters all his words before the LORD at Mizpeh, he is speaking his intention to the One Presence you call God—your own awareness. In this sense, the entire passage is a demonstration of the assumption fulfilled: you select a state you desire to live from and persist until the outer world confirms it. The oath is a covenant within you; the assembly of elders is the chorus of your faculties agreeing to cooperate with your command. The presence of God is the steady awareness that witnesses the shift and underwrites the new leadership of your life. Your practice: assume the end, feel it real, and let your inner word regulate your action.