The Armor of God Part 4: Gideon Part 2: THE BATTLE AND THE 300!! JUDGES 7
Judges 6:
So where we left off at the end of Judges chapter 6 last time, Gideon had not once, but TWICE, put fleeces out to the Lord as a way of testing whether. God was truly greater than baal, because Gideon still was not convinced because all of Israel was in TEBEL, confusion, by having the Lord do specific things with the dew of the ground and a sheep's fleece Gideon put out. Baal was known as god of the rain, storm, and dew so if the Lord in Gideon’s mind could truly do this, do greater than what baal was supposed to be known for, God was then greater for sure than baal.
The fleece was not a positive thing, it is not a sign of spiritual maturity or one with great Faith. We are not to put the Lord thy God to the test like this. HOWEVER, through God’s Mercy he ALLOWS it because the Lord has to get Gideon to trust Him to take Gideon victorious through this upcoming battle, and to be the great judge the Lord has called Gideon to be…
Judges 7:1:
The Hebrew moreh is derived from the verb yarah, "to teach," "to direct," and indicates one who directs, or gives oracular answers. We might therefore read "hill of the teacher," the height being associated with such a person who had his seat here. The hill is named only in describing the position of the Midianites before Gideon's attack.
NOTE: Gideon’s name, Jerubbaal, meaning “let baal strive against him.”
Keep in mind the midianites are in a valley, it seems nothing good in God’s word happens in a valley. Psalm 23: “yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”
If we put these two pieces together right off the bat in Judges chapter 7 there is much symbolic meaning. For the true teacher, Almighty God, was about to teach the Midianites and baal a lesson about striving against His people Israel and luring them into idol worship!
Judges 7:2-2:
Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are too many people with you for Me to hand over Midian to them, otherwise Israel will boast [about themselves] against Me, saying, "My own [a]power has rescued me.'"
What is interesting here is now the Lord is going to TEST Gideon, where as in the end of Chapter 6 Gideon Tested God. Well now Gideon is going to get some tests from God to ensure he will listen too but HAVE FAITH in the instructions and power of the Lord Adonai.
The Lord says to Gideon that basically he has too many men with Him for God to get the glory for the Victory, because the Victory is a sure thing. You see The Lord is THE WORD!
Hebrews 4:12 12:
For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. Exposing and judging the thoughts and intentions of the heart…The Lord already knew because Israel have lead themselves into TEBEL, confusion, with this mixing of idolatry with the law of the Lord that Israel, being their hearts were already corrupted would not give God the Glory for this Victory but themselves!. They would boast (paar in hebrew) in their own strength The Lord already knew this.. The Lord wanted Israel to understand that He is the one who gives Israel its Victories. This is all part of bringing them out of tebel (confusion) So the Lord was going to put Israel and Gideon in a position where they not only had to trust the Lord for their safety but to give them the Victory, in turn glorifying the Lord.
The Lord then has Gideon issue 2 tests, a WEEDING out process, with Israel’s men, because after all the tares are removed the true wheat remains.
Judges 7:3:
So now, proclaim in the hearing of the people, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men returned [home], but ten thousand remained. That is 2 out of 3 men left.
This was just following the law of Deuteronomy 20:8: Then the officers shall speak further to the soldiers and say, ‘Who is the man who is afraid and lacks courage? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not cause his brothers’ courage to fail like his own.’
Because fear is contagious. It can have disastrous demoralizing effects on an army of large group of people. There is a prophetic mouthful for what we have seen happen with this whole Covid issue. The fear has spread quicker worldwide than any virus did. It seems a staggering amount of people were infected with fear more so than any viral contagion. We are having a paper towel and toilet paper shortage because of fear. Fear is an amazing and excellent way to control a large group of people. Just look at any dictator is history going all the way back to Pharoah, they controlled the people through fear.
The Lord is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and already knew the hearts of those 22,000 men had way too much fear in them which could hijack and take Control away from what the lord wanted to do. If there were 32000 men total and 22,000 were fearful, that means majority rules and they could of completely prevented the other 10,000 from following the Lord’s instruction.
22,000 was enough to cause mass panic and in mass panic there is confusion, TEBEL. The Lord is trying here to deliver them out of tebel not throw them into even greater confusion than they already are.
Look what is happening today. There are groups and media outlets hell bent on throwing the masses into deeper and greater confusion and fear as a way of stealing their liberation and gaining power that they would then severely abuse.
It is the FEAR that becomes contagious that then causes people to give up FREEDOMS for a safety that is not safe because that safety is being provided by very corrupt people hungry for power over the people not to empower the people.
NOTE: So total Israel starts out with 32,000 men!
Right off the bat, “whoever is scared can run their heinies home now!!! Then just like that 22,000 men hightailed it home!So now they are left with 10,000 BUT the Lord tells Gideon, NOOO that is still too many!!
Judges 7:4-5:
Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many people; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, “You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels down to drink.”
So out of the 10,000 those who drank the water but scooping it up in their hand and bringing it to their mouth was 300, the rest all 9,700 other men kneel down to drink. The separation between the two categories is vastly different and Gideon is left with 300 men, the cream of the crop the best of the best to go in with.
So this is how it works, all 10,000 men left would have to get down on their knees because there was no other practical way back then to drink from a stream. HOWEVER exactly how they drank from that stream would be the determining factor.
So those who use their hands like a cup and bring the water up to their mouths would be put in one group. And those who pet their mouths down to the water and drank it like a dog would be in another group.
So here is the idea. The ones who cupped the water in their hands and brought it up to their mouths were instinctively better fighters because they were wary, even while they drank being aware of their surroundings, always watching. The ones who put their face down to the water, were looking at the water and not what was around them and instinctively were not good fighting men.
So the first test lets the fearful go home. And the second test weeds out those who are careless.The result from this weeding process of the Lord were a mere 300 men were left to go to battle with Gideon. As far as the lord was concerned this was the right balance so He would have to give them the Victory. They would now have to solely depend on Him and have FAITH in His power because in the natural the odds were completely stacked against Gideon and the 300! Only 1% of the men who showed up willing to fight were going to be used. It Kind of gives a different perspective to the verse in Matthew.
Matthew 18:12-13:
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost? And if it turns out that he finds it, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. The midianites and Amalekites had 135,000 including women and children as that is how these nomadic armies functioned, the families traveled with them 135,000 forces to 300 This is a ratio of 400 midianites to every one Israelite soldier. OVERWHELMING ODDS in the midianites and Amalekites favor!
Now The Lord wanted to make this idolatrous generation of Israel VERY aware that he was still watching, he is Still Acting , He is still saving. He is still the God of Israel and he is still Ruling and reigning on the throne. There is none other like Adonai and he still loves Israel even though they have grossly strayed.
Gideon obeyed God on the weeding out of the 300 men. He is not totally comfortable with all of this, he is still skeptical. When we step out of our comfort zones under the leading of the Lord, God does not expect us to remain comfortable. This is the entire point!
We do uncomfortable things in faith. So do not think you are not demonstrating faith when facing a very difficult challenge, a challenge that really makes you step way out on a limb with the Lord, and you have fears and worries along the way. We are in the flesh we are going to have them, especially when the Lord is stretching our faith and processing us to raise us up for His Glory. Because you see the Lord is taking us through the same process He took Gideon. Getting us to TRUST in His abilities as Almighty God and Have FAITH that no matter the odds the Lord will Deliver us because he said it and so shall it be!
Ask any soldier, army, marines, who has ever been in combat if they were afraid…And there answer, ABSOLUTELY, the issue becomes controlling that FEAR so you control the fear instead of the FEAR controlling you and dictating your actions. So,Even though Gideon would have to be in appearance sure and confident to His men, the 300 chosen, nothing frightens troops more and makes them uneasy than a wavering leader in the face of adversity.
Judges 7:7-8:
And the Lord told Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will rescue you, and will hand over the Midianites to you. Let all the other people go, each man to his home.” So the three hundred men took people’s provisions [for the journey] and their trumpets [made of rams’ horns] in their hands. And Gideon sent [away] all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but kept the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. So Gideon in a way has a birds eye view of the midianite/Amalekite Army. They are camping in a valley, not a very good sign for them
So this is different than the battle of Joshua. The Israeli forces here were a militia while the midianites were a nomadic group of bandits, they were raiders they knew how to attack camps and take them for all they had,so the Midianites are deployed by Mt Moreh, but they are in the valley, the Jezreel valley, which is where they nomadic bandit groups preferred to come every year.
They valley of Jezreel is so key to practically every battle concerning Israel. Why this is so key is because in the book of revelation when the Bible speaks of the battle of Armageddon, that battle takes place in the Jezreel Valley.
So here we have in the old testament a picture a snapshot of this battle of Armageddon in Revelation…Those who oppose the antichrist (baal in this case), and this enormous army of bandits who serve baal (the anti Christ).
Judges 7:9-10 :
Now on that same night the Lord said to Gideon, “Arise, go down against their camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down [by yourself], go with Purah your servant down to the camp.
Because the Lord discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart, he knows Gideon is still not fully convinced that the Lord is going to deliver them. Remember God is undoing in Gideon many years on indoctrination that came from mixing baal worship with that of the Lord. So Gideon takes his servant and goes down to the outpost of the camp of the midianites and the Amalekites
Now this is what they say.
Judges 7:12:
Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying [camped] in the valley, as countless as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
However, the Lord ALLOWS Gideon to be privy to a conversation being had within the camp between 2 guards. In this time that Gideon was in dreams were considered very important and were taken quite seriously.
Judges 7:13-14:
When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling a dream to his friend. And he said, “Listen carefully, I had a dream: there was a loaf of [b]barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.” And his friend replied, “This [dream] is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has given Median and the entire camp into his hand.”
Now why would this soldier interpret this dream in such a manner that is fatal for their army? Why does he see Israel being symbolized by a barley loaf or round , tselil in Hebrew? This is a flat bread sort of cooked on a griddle like surface, so in this dream there is round barley loaves tumbling into a tent.
First of all they were very aware how many, 32000 men, had initially answered the call of Gideon to battle. If these biblical numbers are accurate it meant midian had a 4 to 1 advantage over Israel. Now if this was a racehorse in the Kentucky derby and a horse had 4 to 1 odds over the rest of the field at face value you would think that horse was sure to win. However these favorable odds were not comforting to this midianite soldier.
Secondly in Gideon’s time barley was used by the poor to make bread. Barley was far less desired than wheat when it comes to bread making. Barley was used because it ripened in late winter to early spring where wheat would ripen during the summer months.
Barley at times has been used to represent Israel in the Bible, including in this instance. However take notice of what season the nomadic midianite army arrives in the valley. We find this answers here in
Judges 6:11:
Then the angel of Adonai came and sat under the pistachio tree in‘Ofrah that belonged to Yo’ash the Avi‘ezri. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from Midyan.
Gideon was threshing wheat, wheat matures in summer, so the midianites were arriving in the valley of Jezreel to confiscate the wheat harvest from Israel. You see the Lord is doing this with Gideon step by step to bring him out of tebel, confusion, and into knowing what the Lord god Adonai says is true and just. The Lord is also building Gideons FAITH by doing this with him because its 135,000 to 300. So Gideon needs steadfast faith in the Lord that he will indeed deliver them. That truly God is far greater than baal or any other false idol there is.
So what does Gideon do when he hears all of this......
Judges 7:15:
When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down in worship. Then he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hand.”
He bows down immediately and worships the Lord! There is the submission, there is Gideon completely now submitting to the lord and giving himself over to be utilized for the Lord’s purposes! Now he is filled with the Spirit of the Lord and boldness and faith. He tells his men to arise, get up now!!! Gideon was ready to march right on in!
Throughout the Bible Israel has used deception or a sneak attack in the dark hours of the night to triumph over their enemies (deceive the deceiver). He was armored up, he was braced with the armor of God, the Spirit of the Lord, and his faith was now at the level it needed to be to triumph against such a vast army. You see in this case with the natural odds overwhelmingly against Gideon God, Adonai, is the equalizer. It did not matter they had only 300 men because they had an army of millions of waring angels ready to go to battle with them. They had the Lord leading and instructing them. When the lord says he is going to give you the victory, it is a sure thing. Gideon now KNOWS this.
Now Gideon does something very interesting.....
Judges 7:16
Then he divided the 300 men into three columns, and he put into the hands of all of them shofarot and empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers.
NOTE: Shofarot definition: A trumpet made of a ram's horn, blown by the ancient Hebrews during religious ceremonies and as a signal in battle, now sounded in the synagogue during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur.
The clay pots were used to conceal the torches light so the midianites would not see them coming
Gideon divides the men into 3 groups of 100 each. He gives each of them a shofar and empty pitchers with torches in those pitchers. There in 3 groups but 1 army, they are three but they are 1 surrounding the camp. Sound familiar (Father, Son, Holy Spirit, They are 3, but they are one).
He gives them these instructions:
Judges 7:17-18:
Then he said to them, “Watch me, and do what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, whatever I do, you do the same. When I and everyone with me blow the shofar, then you blow your shofars all around the whole camp, and shout, “For Adonai and for Gideon!”
Now why for Adonai and for Gideon?
Because it fulfills the dream of the Midianite soldier using his own words Judges 7:14:
And his friend replied, “This [dream] is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has given Midian and the entire camp into his hand.” God supernaturally gives this dream to this Midianite soldier so Gideon could hear it. You see the Midianites made a choice of their free will to come, However the Lord was now making a choice to supercede their will to defeat them!
Judges 7:19-21:
Gideon and the hundred men with him, arrived at the edge of the camp, a little before midnight, just after they had changed the guard. They blew the shofars and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. All three companies blew the shofars, broke the pitchers and held the torches in their left hands, keeping their right hands free for the shofars they were blowing; and they shouted, “The sword for Adonai and for Gideon!” Then, as every man stood still in place around the camp, the whole camp was thrown into panic, with everyone screaming and trying to escape.
Now it was unusual for all men in an army to have their own shofars, usually only the leaders had them, But this was a supernatural battle where all men would need a shofar
All 300 blowing those shofars was a battle cry that reached the Heavens and compelled the Lord to respond. All of them IN ONE ACCORD, blowing the shofars in agreement, in obedience, releases the fierce power of God, the Lion of Judah, against the midianite/Amalekite army
The number 300 is associated with Victory over the enemy. But not just any victory. A Victory that comes by the by the hand of God that defies human ability (livingwordin3D.com).
It is interesting Gideon divided them into companies of 100 each. Abraham was 100 when Isaac, THE PROMISE, was birthed forth. So what was promised has been birthed. The Lord promised Gideon if he had faith and did what the Lord told him to do he would attain the promised Victory that the Lord was going to give. So it is very interesting they were divided into 3 groups of 100. They were about to receive the fulfillment of this promised Victory.
Now something VERY interesting happens in Judges 7:22:
Gideon’s men blew their 300 shofars, and Adonai caused everyone in the camp to attack his comrades; and the enemy fled beyond Beit-Sheetah near Tz’rerah, as far as the border of Avel-M’cholah, by Tabat.
This is very interesting because first we see all Israel in tebel, confusion, doing things they should not be doing mixing idolatry with the worship of Almighty God. The Lord brings Gideon out of tebel, confusion, and into FAITH and serving the Lord. And now the entire midianite/amalekite camp is thrown into complete confusion and they turn on each other and attack each other
.
In the mythology of Canaan, baal, the god of life and fertility, locked in mortal combat with Mot, the god of death and sterility. If Baal triumphed, a seven-year cycle of fertility would ensue; but, if he were vanquished by Mot, seven years of drought and famine would ensue this was the end of a 7 year oppressive rule the midianites had over Israel.
The Lord was sending a message with this. Not only Gideon and the 300, but other tribes, were called upon then to come fight and pursue the midianites who were fleeing for their lives.
So this was the Lord’s way of symbolically saying the midianites and baal’s free ride off the people of God is OVER and they were now going to experience some famine because baal has been defeated by Adonai, Almighty God!
This demonstrates that no matter the odds against you, when you submit to the Lord and His leadership and put on the armor of God, no matter how many gather against you the Almighty God and the weapons he provides of your warfare that are not carnal but MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN AND DESTRUCTION OF STRONGHOLDS, you will have the Victory if You trust in Him, His strategy, and have FAITH in Who Almighty God is!
Psalm 91:2-4
Who say to Adonai, “My refuge! My fortress!My God, in whom I trust!” —
he will rescue you from the trap of the hunter and from the plague of calamities; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his truth is a shield and protection.
There is the shield of faith right in verse 4. The shield of faith is TRUTH. Faith in the Lord is trusting in His authority, power, ability to lead you through what you could not be victorious on your own. This is exactly what the Lord did with Gideon and was one of the greatest Victories Israel had against their enemies.
Israel then entered 40 years of peace (there is that number 40 again) under Gideon’s leadership as a Judge!
Showing posts with label READ THE BIBLE WITH AMANDA GRACE-BIBLE STUDY NOTES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label READ THE BIBLE WITH AMANDA GRACE-BIBLE STUDY NOTES. Show all posts
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
READ THE BIBLE WITH AMANDA GRACE-JULY 7-7-2020
READ THE BIBLE WITH AMANDA GRACE-THE ARMOR OF GOD PART 3! GIDEON!
I Kings Chapter 6
So chapter 6 opens with the statement that Israel had done evil in the sight of the Lord, and just as they had done in Egypt and were handed over, they are handed over this time to the Midianites for 7 years, oppressed for 7 years. You see Israel makes the same mistake they made in Egypt of Blending the worship of God with the worship of false gods. In this case they blended the worship of God with the worship of baal, spiritual harlotry, blasphemous to God.7 in Hebrew is Shvah [f.], sheevah [m.] Rest, wholeness, completeness, being ripe, order, stability, and holiness.
So we can look at this as the Lord attempting to bring back into order and stability Israel to the covenant because it is very clear they have strayed.
So the Lord allowed Israel to be stripped of all the provision He gave them to show them that baal could NOT provide for them in serving him what Almighty God could in choosing to serve the One True Living God.
Because without the covering, protection, and blessing of the Lord, in mixing godly practices with ungodly idols, it always lead Israel to TEBEL, CONFUSION!
Judges 6:8-11:
That the Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites, and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. And I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land, and I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live.” But you have not listened to and obeyed My voice.’”
Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the wine press [instead of the threshing floor] to [hide it and] save it from the Midianites.
The Angel of the Lord, the MALACH YHWH, appears under the terebinth tree. Gideon is doing something very unusual.
He is beating wheat in the wine press, instead of at the threshing floor where wheat is normally processed during that time, in order to HIDE IT from the midianites.
So we see here Gideon is resourceful, he figures out ways to do things differently in order to DECEIVE the midianites, it looks as if he is at the winepress processing grapes, when in reality he is using it to process wheat that they desperately need because the midianites have left them completely impoverished.
So you would not normally use a wine press for wheat BUT under the right circumstances a wheat can be processed a whole new way, Gideon looked at things differently. Make no mistake this was an act of bravery, deceiving the midianites to provide wheat for his family.
And the Lord was about to do things differently in appointing Gideon a Judge
And look what the angel of the Lord says to Gideon, they have a VERY interesting exchange that is VERY telling:
Judges 6:12-18:
The Lord is with you, O brave man.” But Gideon said to him, “Please my lord, if the Lord is with us, then why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wondrous works which our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” But Gideon said to Him, “Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the least [significant] in Manasseh, and I am the youngest (smallest) in my father’s house.” The Lord answered him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as [if they were only] one man.” Gideon replied to Him, “If I have found any favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speaks with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come back to You, and bring my offering and place it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you return.”
The angel of the Lord says “the lord is with YOU” Gideon responds, “if the Lord is with us then why has all this happened” that is not what the lord said, he says to Gideon “the Lord is with YOU” It is Gideon who has found favor in the site of God NOT all of Israel.
Which according to the culture of Israel would be a bit off considering that Gideons family is the LEAST in the tribe of Manasseh and Gideon is the youngest in his Father’s house.
You know who else was the YOUNGEST in his Father’s house who was raised up to be an incredible leader to save Israel: BOTH Joseph and David BOTH the least, the smallest. I believe Moses was the youngest in his house.
You see the Lord loves to take whom man would write off, whom man would not choose and raise them up to do great and mighty things that are a testament to the power of Almighty God!
This was no regular angelic messenger this was the ANGEL OF THE LORD. If you notice in the scriptures the angel of the Lord appears when something big is about to change
Matthew 20:16:
Exodus 29:36:
And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.
You see before this 7 years of oppression could end, there had to be an atonement made for the sins of Israel rebelliously worshipping baal and Asherah and intermingling it with the worship of the Lord (doesn’t that sound familiar with what we see today..)
NOTE:2nd reason for the bull
In the mythology of Canaan, baal, the god of life and fertility, locked in mortal combat with Mot, the god of death and sterility. If Baal triumphed, a seven-year cycle of fertility would ensue; but, if he were vanquished by Mot, seven years of drought and famine would ensue.
However this would not be mot putting an end to this BUT Almighty God!
It was said that baal sired divine bull calf from a heifer. All this was part of his fertility role, which, when fulfilled, meant an abundance of crops and fertility for animals and mankind.
So Gideon in this offering now that he has been set apart will atone for the sins of Israel through this offering, and it is the Lord’s way and sending notice to baal and his worshippers that the jig is up! Your feeding off of Israel is over and you are entering famine!
He tears down the altar of baal and cuts down the Asherah besides it under the Lord’s instruction and builds an altar to the Lord in that place instead.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
What is a stronghold? Gideon is told to go to the stronghold?
A stronghold was a difficult to access place of defense, many were on cliffs or mountain tops. This is why the baal and Asherah altars were placed there so it would be made more difficult to tear them down.
So the Lord tells Gideon to go up to a place that is difficult to access tear down those pagan altars and build an altar to him and make this very prophetically symbolic sacrifice.
However, Gideon is in a PROCESS of learning to trust the Lord, remember they have not been fully serving the Lord for over 7 years. So Gideon takes 10 men and goes under the cover of night, which the Lord allows, because Gideon is afraid of his RELATIVES, not even the midianites his father’s household! And the Lord allows him to do so because the Lord is building TRUST and FAITH with Gideon. 2 vital things he will need and is needed with the armor of God.
Now he takes 10 men, ten is VERY significant here:
First the number 10 in Hebrew:The Hebrew word for the number ten is pronounced, `eser and looks like this:עשר
The first character is the `ayin, ×¢, and symbolically means to see, eye, discern, or divine providence.
The second character is the Shin, ש, and symbolically means the tree of life, burning bush, God’s spirit, etc.
The third character is the Resh, ר, and symbolically means a humble or penitent man like he is bending over in prayer.
So even the word for the number ten in Hebrew has a similar message, if we will be humble, we shall have the spirit to see or discern between right and wrong, truth and error, light and darkness so that we can partake of the fruit of the tree of life or arrive at the burning bush or the presence of God. Hence, if we are humble God’s Hand can direct our lives so that we can return and live with Him again.(reliefsocietywomen.com).
This is exactly what is occurring. Israel needs to be brought back into the presence and will of God, they need to humble themselves, as Gideon did with the angel of the Lord, and return to the Lord in order to be fruitful again.
So the next morning the men of the city see that these altars have been destroyed and and altar to the Lord has not only been erected in its place but there was a SACRIFICE a sacrifice to the Lord that was like planting the flag on that mountain of WHO Israel would now serve.
They discover it is Gideon who has done this and immediately want him executed, HOWEVER I believe Gideon’s father, his FATHER, at that moment was filled with the wisdom of the Lord and this is his response.
Judges 6:31-32:
“Will you plead for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever pleads for Baal shall be put to death while it is still morning. If Baal is a god, let him defend himself, because someone has torn down his altar.” Therefore on that day he named Gideon Jerubbaal, meaning, “Let Baal plead,” because he had torn down his altar.
If baal is as powerful as you all claim then he does not need you to defend him, let baal show up and defend himself…. Who does this sound like?
ELIJAH on Mt Carmel making the worshippers of baal gather and forcing baal to have to defend himself, which he COULD NOT against almighty God and His anointed.
Judges 6:33-35:
Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east assembled together; and they crossed over [the Jordan] and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.So the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon [and empowered him]; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together [as a militia] to follow him. He sent messengers throughout [the tribe of] Manasseh, and the fighting men were also called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to [the tribes of] Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.
So the ites are assembling against Israel.
Here is where we see the armor of God come upon Gideon, The Spirit of the Lord CLOTHED Gideon, it empowered him. He is a soldier of the living God now and he gathers ALL the fighting men.
Just a short time ago Gideon was hiding wheat in a wine press, the lowliest tribe, the lowliest of his family and now he has been raised up by the Lord to lead Israel into battle to break the shackles of oppression of the midianites.
Judges 6:36-40:-Sign of the Fleece
I Kings Chapter 6
So chapter 6 opens with the statement that Israel had done evil in the sight of the Lord, and just as they had done in Egypt and were handed over, they are handed over this time to the Midianites for 7 years, oppressed for 7 years. You see Israel makes the same mistake they made in Egypt of Blending the worship of God with the worship of false gods. In this case they blended the worship of God with the worship of baal, spiritual harlotry, blasphemous to God.7 in Hebrew is Shvah [f.], sheevah [m.] Rest, wholeness, completeness, being ripe, order, stability, and holiness.
So we can look at this as the Lord attempting to bring back into order and stability Israel to the covenant because it is very clear they have strayed.
Judges 6:6:
So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help].
So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help].
So the Lord allowed Israel to be stripped of all the provision He gave them to show them that baal could NOT provide for them in serving him what Almighty God could in choosing to serve the One True Living God.
Because without the covering, protection, and blessing of the Lord, in mixing godly practices with ungodly idols, it always lead Israel to TEBEL, CONFUSION!
Judges 6:8-11:
That the Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites, and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. And I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land, and I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live.” But you have not listened to and obeyed My voice.’”
Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the wine press [instead of the threshing floor] to [hide it and] save it from the Midianites.
The Angel of the Lord, the MALACH YHWH, appears under the terebinth tree. Gideon is doing something very unusual.
He is beating wheat in the wine press, instead of at the threshing floor where wheat is normally processed during that time, in order to HIDE IT from the midianites.
So we see here Gideon is resourceful, he figures out ways to do things differently in order to DECEIVE the midianites, it looks as if he is at the winepress processing grapes, when in reality he is using it to process wheat that they desperately need because the midianites have left them completely impoverished.
So you would not normally use a wine press for wheat BUT under the right circumstances a wheat can be processed a whole new way, Gideon looked at things differently. Make no mistake this was an act of bravery, deceiving the midianites to provide wheat for his family.
And the Lord was about to do things differently in appointing Gideon a Judge
And look what the angel of the Lord says to Gideon, they have a VERY interesting exchange that is VERY telling:
Judges 6:12-18:
The Lord is with you, O brave man.” But Gideon said to him, “Please my lord, if the Lord is with us, then why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wondrous works which our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” But Gideon said to Him, “Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the least [significant] in Manasseh, and I am the youngest (smallest) in my father’s house.” The Lord answered him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as [if they were only] one man.” Gideon replied to Him, “If I have found any favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speaks with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come back to You, and bring my offering and place it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you return.”
The angel of the Lord says “the lord is with YOU” Gideon responds, “if the Lord is with us then why has all this happened” that is not what the lord said, he says to Gideon “the Lord is with YOU” It is Gideon who has found favor in the site of God NOT all of Israel.
Which according to the culture of Israel would be a bit off considering that Gideons family is the LEAST in the tribe of Manasseh and Gideon is the youngest in his Father’s house.
You know who else was the YOUNGEST in his Father’s house who was raised up to be an incredible leader to save Israel: BOTH Joseph and David BOTH the least, the smallest. I believe Moses was the youngest in his house.
You see the Lord loves to take whom man would write off, whom man would not choose and raise them up to do great and mighty things that are a testament to the power of Almighty God!
This was no regular angelic messenger this was the ANGEL OF THE LORD. If you notice in the scriptures the angel of the Lord appears when something big is about to change
Matthew 20:16:
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
ANOTHER THOUGHT: Gideon DID NOT know how to recognize God because their worship and practice had been TEBEL confused with pagan worship. So when the angel of the Lord appears, Gideon does NOT recognize right away who he is!!
You see Gideon threshing wheat at the wine press was a metaphor for what ISRAEL WAS DOING. They were DECEIVING themselves into thinking they could thresh WHEAT< the word and laws of God through the press of pagan baal worship. They were serving the Lord the complete wrong way because they had been deceived. Wheat should never be put through a press utilized for making a fermented beverage that got people drunk. That is what baal worship did to Israel, it corrupted their spirits as if they were drunk on this spiritual harlotry. Wheat is meant to be threshed NOT pressed. Because as much as you press wheat WINE WILL NOT come out, and as much as they tried to press the laws of God into baal worship they did not get the happy merry result they were looking for, but instead lost everything.
So Gideon has to come back INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THE LORD AND His laws in order to become the Judge he has been ordained to be. Gideon had to rededicate himself FULLY to the Lord and his service in order for the Spirit of the Lord to come upon him and be raised up to be one of the greatest judges in Israel.
However, this means Gideon had to forsake all this intermixing of religious practice, he had to completely forsake baal worship and surrender to the will of Almighty God. Gideon was being consecrated, set apart, for this incredible service to the Lord.
So what does Gideon do first after he RECOGNIZES that this indeed is the angel of the Lord.
Judges 6:17-18:
Gideon replied to Him, “If I have found any favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speaks with me.Please do not depart from here until I come back to You, and bring my offering and place it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you return.”
Gideon makes an offering to the Lord and the Lord ALONE. He gives up an animal of his and sacrifices from his flock unto the Lord which begins to bring Gideon back into ALIGNMENT with the Will of God and the Covenant the lord made with the people of Israel.
Now there is something prophetically symbolic about what Gideon offers to the Lord, a young Goat. Not a sheep or a lamb, a GOAT.
You see the Goats could be symbolic for this baal practice that had intermixed with the people of Israel, the sheep, the flock of the Lord’s. In offering a goat symbolically right there the Lord was separating the sheep from the goats.
Matthew 25:31-33:
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory and majesty and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him [for judgment]; and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right [the place of honor], and the goats on His left [the place of rejection].
The goat was taken and sacrificed. The lord starting with Gideon, was taking the goats the baal worship the idolatry and separating it from his people, reconciling them back to Him and His Will.
The second thing Gideon does under the instruction of the Lord, now that he has been set apart, would set Israel apart. This is where the Lord as THE WORD would be the dividing line operating through Gideon.
Judges 6:25-27:
Now on that same night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this mountain stronghold [with stones laid down] in an orderly way. Then take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice using the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did just as the Lord had told him; but because he was too afraid of his father’s household (relatives) and the men of the city to do it during daylight, he did it at night.
So this is Gideon's first test of faith and obedience. Because doing it and acting upon what the lord tells you is much harder than just hearing it.
Gideon is told to take the 2nd bull who is 7 years old. Why 7? Because the midianites have been oppressing the Jews for 7 years and this offering would signify the ending of their rule of terror.
ANOTHER THOUGHT: Gideon DID NOT know how to recognize God because their worship and practice had been TEBEL confused with pagan worship. So when the angel of the Lord appears, Gideon does NOT recognize right away who he is!!
You see Gideon threshing wheat at the wine press was a metaphor for what ISRAEL WAS DOING. They were DECEIVING themselves into thinking they could thresh WHEAT< the word and laws of God through the press of pagan baal worship. They were serving the Lord the complete wrong way because they had been deceived. Wheat should never be put through a press utilized for making a fermented beverage that got people drunk. That is what baal worship did to Israel, it corrupted their spirits as if they were drunk on this spiritual harlotry. Wheat is meant to be threshed NOT pressed. Because as much as you press wheat WINE WILL NOT come out, and as much as they tried to press the laws of God into baal worship they did not get the happy merry result they were looking for, but instead lost everything.
So Gideon has to come back INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THE LORD AND His laws in order to become the Judge he has been ordained to be. Gideon had to rededicate himself FULLY to the Lord and his service in order for the Spirit of the Lord to come upon him and be raised up to be one of the greatest judges in Israel.
However, this means Gideon had to forsake all this intermixing of religious practice, he had to completely forsake baal worship and surrender to the will of Almighty God. Gideon was being consecrated, set apart, for this incredible service to the Lord.
So what does Gideon do first after he RECOGNIZES that this indeed is the angel of the Lord.
Judges 6:17-18:
Gideon replied to Him, “If I have found any favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speaks with me.Please do not depart from here until I come back to You, and bring my offering and place it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you return.”
Gideon makes an offering to the Lord and the Lord ALONE. He gives up an animal of his and sacrifices from his flock unto the Lord which begins to bring Gideon back into ALIGNMENT with the Will of God and the Covenant the lord made with the people of Israel.
Now there is something prophetically symbolic about what Gideon offers to the Lord, a young Goat. Not a sheep or a lamb, a GOAT.
You see the Goats could be symbolic for this baal practice that had intermixed with the people of Israel, the sheep, the flock of the Lord’s. In offering a goat symbolically right there the Lord was separating the sheep from the goats.
Matthew 25:31-33:
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory and majesty and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him [for judgment]; and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right [the place of honor], and the goats on His left [the place of rejection].
The goat was taken and sacrificed. The lord starting with Gideon, was taking the goats the baal worship the idolatry and separating it from his people, reconciling them back to Him and His Will.
The second thing Gideon does under the instruction of the Lord, now that he has been set apart, would set Israel apart. This is where the Lord as THE WORD would be the dividing line operating through Gideon.
Judges 6:25-27:
Now on that same night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this mountain stronghold [with stones laid down] in an orderly way. Then take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice using the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did just as the Lord had told him; but because he was too afraid of his father’s household (relatives) and the men of the city to do it during daylight, he did it at night.
So this is Gideon's first test of faith and obedience. Because doing it and acting upon what the lord tells you is much harder than just hearing it.
Gideon is told to take the 2nd bull who is 7 years old. Why 7? Because the midianites have been oppressing the Jews for 7 years and this offering would signify the ending of their rule of terror.
NOTE: Now why a bull?
Exodus 29:36:
And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.
You see before this 7 years of oppression could end, there had to be an atonement made for the sins of Israel rebelliously worshipping baal and Asherah and intermingling it with the worship of the Lord (doesn’t that sound familiar with what we see today..)
NOTE:2nd reason for the bull
In the mythology of Canaan, baal, the god of life and fertility, locked in mortal combat with Mot, the god of death and sterility. If Baal triumphed, a seven-year cycle of fertility would ensue; but, if he were vanquished by Mot, seven years of drought and famine would ensue.
However this would not be mot putting an end to this BUT Almighty God!
It was said that baal sired divine bull calf from a heifer. All this was part of his fertility role, which, when fulfilled, meant an abundance of crops and fertility for animals and mankind.
So Gideon in this offering now that he has been set apart will atone for the sins of Israel through this offering, and it is the Lord’s way and sending notice to baal and his worshippers that the jig is up! Your feeding off of Israel is over and you are entering famine!
He tears down the altar of baal and cuts down the Asherah besides it under the Lord’s instruction and builds an altar to the Lord in that place instead.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
What is a stronghold? Gideon is told to go to the stronghold?
A stronghold was a difficult to access place of defense, many were on cliffs or mountain tops. This is why the baal and Asherah altars were placed there so it would be made more difficult to tear them down.
So the Lord tells Gideon to go up to a place that is difficult to access tear down those pagan altars and build an altar to him and make this very prophetically symbolic sacrifice.
However, Gideon is in a PROCESS of learning to trust the Lord, remember they have not been fully serving the Lord for over 7 years. So Gideon takes 10 men and goes under the cover of night, which the Lord allows, because Gideon is afraid of his RELATIVES, not even the midianites his father’s household! And the Lord allows him to do so because the Lord is building TRUST and FAITH with Gideon. 2 vital things he will need and is needed with the armor of God.
Now he takes 10 men, ten is VERY significant here:
First the number 10 in Hebrew:The Hebrew word for the number ten is pronounced, `eser and looks like this:עשר
The first character is the `ayin, ×¢, and symbolically means to see, eye, discern, or divine providence.
The second character is the Shin, ש, and symbolically means the tree of life, burning bush, God’s spirit, etc.
The third character is the Resh, ר, and symbolically means a humble or penitent man like he is bending over in prayer.
So even the word for the number ten in Hebrew has a similar message, if we will be humble, we shall have the spirit to see or discern between right and wrong, truth and error, light and darkness so that we can partake of the fruit of the tree of life or arrive at the burning bush or the presence of God. Hence, if we are humble God’s Hand can direct our lives so that we can return and live with Him again.(reliefsocietywomen.com).
This is exactly what is occurring. Israel needs to be brought back into the presence and will of God, they need to humble themselves, as Gideon did with the angel of the Lord, and return to the Lord in order to be fruitful again.
So the next morning the men of the city see that these altars have been destroyed and and altar to the Lord has not only been erected in its place but there was a SACRIFICE a sacrifice to the Lord that was like planting the flag on that mountain of WHO Israel would now serve.
They discover it is Gideon who has done this and immediately want him executed, HOWEVER I believe Gideon’s father, his FATHER, at that moment was filled with the wisdom of the Lord and this is his response.
Judges 6:31-32:
“Will you plead for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever pleads for Baal shall be put to death while it is still morning. If Baal is a god, let him defend himself, because someone has torn down his altar.” Therefore on that day he named Gideon Jerubbaal, meaning, “Let Baal plead,” because he had torn down his altar.
If baal is as powerful as you all claim then he does not need you to defend him, let baal show up and defend himself…. Who does this sound like?
ELIJAH on Mt Carmel making the worshippers of baal gather and forcing baal to have to defend himself, which he COULD NOT against almighty God and His anointed.
Judges 6:33-35:
Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east assembled together; and they crossed over [the Jordan] and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.So the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon [and empowered him]; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together [as a militia] to follow him. He sent messengers throughout [the tribe of] Manasseh, and the fighting men were also called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to [the tribes of] Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.
So the ites are assembling against Israel.
Here is where we see the armor of God come upon Gideon, The Spirit of the Lord CLOTHED Gideon, it empowered him. He is a soldier of the living God now and he gathers ALL the fighting men.
Just a short time ago Gideon was hiding wheat in a wine press, the lowliest tribe, the lowliest of his family and now he has been raised up by the Lord to lead Israel into battle to break the shackles of oppression of the midianites.
Judges 6:36-40:-Sign of the Fleece
Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to rescue Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of [freshly sheared] wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and it is dry on all the ground [around it], then I will know that You will rescue Israel through me, as You have said.” And it was so. When he got up early the next morning and squeezed the dew out of the fleece, he wrung from it a bowl full of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let your anger burn against me, so that I may speak once more. Please let me make a test once more with the fleece; now let only the fleece be dry, and let there be dew on all the ground.” God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and there was dew on all the ground [around it].
I am going to say this… putting out a fleece is not necessarily a positive thing. In fact, it is a sign of a lack of faith if you really think about it.
Gideon in putting out the fleece was not asking God what he should do. The Lord by revelation had already given Gideon his set of marching orders.
What Gideon was trying to do from the Lord was get a guarantee that the Lord would grant him victory IF he did this.
Gideon was seeking confirmation from the lord on His terms, this rooted canaanite thinking he still had, and I will explain.
You see the Lord is moving Gideon away from Canaan and midianite rule BUT not he has to begin to take the Canaanite OUT OF GIDEON. Sound familiar? The Jews were taken out of Egypt BUT then God had to take Egypt out of the people!
I found this fascinating Insight on (Making and Maturing)!
Gideon was trying to get a guarantee that the God of Israel was greater than Baal. This the least known and yet most crucial piece of information regarding Judges 6:33-40. Baal was the Canaanite god of the storm (rain, lightning, etc.) and the dew. the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan In one tale told about baal, his weakness results in a drought of both rain and dew. In fact, baal’s daughter Talia (thalia) is thought to be responsible for dew. Guess what the Hebrew word for dew in Judges 6:33-40 is? Tal. There is no doubt that Gideon here is testing God to see if he really is greater than baal. Gideon isn’t quite convinced that Baal isn’t the real deal yet. You must understand he has been conditioned to believe these other false gods are just as powerful which was a lie from the pit of hell Israel naïvely believed. So the fleece tests are the result of Gideon’s Canaanite way of thinking, and his lack of faith in Yahweh, the God of Israel. You see Gideon wants to have faith in the lord, BUT HIS FLESH is tugging at him, there is a battle for Gideon in the realm of the spirit because the enemy knows Gideon is being raised up to crash his party he had been having with the midianites, Amalekites, and canaanites.
However Gideon is outing God to the Test.
Putting God to the test in His Word is sinful. In Deuteronomy 6:16 God says, “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” In Judges 6:39 Gideon says, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece.” Gideon even uses the same verb for testing found in Deut. 6:16. If we count Gideon’s request for a sign from God’s messenger Judges 6:17-18, he’s tested God three times so far.
Exodus 17:6-7:
I am going to say this… putting out a fleece is not necessarily a positive thing. In fact, it is a sign of a lack of faith if you really think about it.
Gideon in putting out the fleece was not asking God what he should do. The Lord by revelation had already given Gideon his set of marching orders.
What Gideon was trying to do from the Lord was get a guarantee that the Lord would grant him victory IF he did this.
Gideon was seeking confirmation from the lord on His terms, this rooted canaanite thinking he still had, and I will explain.
You see the Lord is moving Gideon away from Canaan and midianite rule BUT not he has to begin to take the Canaanite OUT OF GIDEON. Sound familiar? The Jews were taken out of Egypt BUT then God had to take Egypt out of the people!
I found this fascinating Insight on (Making and Maturing)!
Gideon was trying to get a guarantee that the God of Israel was greater than Baal. This the least known and yet most crucial piece of information regarding Judges 6:33-40. Baal was the Canaanite god of the storm (rain, lightning, etc.) and the dew. the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan In one tale told about baal, his weakness results in a drought of both rain and dew. In fact, baal’s daughter Talia (thalia) is thought to be responsible for dew. Guess what the Hebrew word for dew in Judges 6:33-40 is? Tal. There is no doubt that Gideon here is testing God to see if he really is greater than baal. Gideon isn’t quite convinced that Baal isn’t the real deal yet. You must understand he has been conditioned to believe these other false gods are just as powerful which was a lie from the pit of hell Israel naïvely believed. So the fleece tests are the result of Gideon’s Canaanite way of thinking, and his lack of faith in Yahweh, the God of Israel. You see Gideon wants to have faith in the lord, BUT HIS FLESH is tugging at him, there is a battle for Gideon in the realm of the spirit because the enemy knows Gideon is being raised up to crash his party he had been having with the midianites, Amalekites, and canaanites.
However Gideon is outing God to the Test.
Putting God to the test in His Word is sinful. In Deuteronomy 6:16 God says, “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” In Judges 6:39 Gideon says, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece.” Gideon even uses the same verb for testing found in Deut. 6:16. If we count Gideon’s request for a sign from God’s messenger Judges 6:17-18, he’s tested God three times so far.
Exodus 17:6-7:
Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; there you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may [have something to] drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. He named the place [where this miracle occurred] Massah (test) and Meribah (contention) because of the quarreling of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the [patience of the] Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”
Gideon is very much trying the patience of the Lord BUT the Lord is allowing this, why?
There is an answer that fits in accordance with God’s Word. It is God’s covenant faithfulness, or his grace. The Lord in a way is coming down to meet Gideon and this Canaanite worldview. It isn’t meant to condone or encourage testing God or demanding signs from Him. Instead, God’s grace and patience shown to Gideon over and over highlights the greatness of his grace towards both Gideon and Israel as they find their way out of this idolatrous quagmire they have rationalized themselves into. The Lord in many ways holds Gideon’s hand throughout the entire process, building his faith more and more which each step, getting Gideon to trust Him and understand that truly there is NONE above Him. The Lord addresses his lack of faith, his faulty theology because years of idolatry as watered it down and brought Gideon and Israel to luke warm. The lord through this also helps Gideon Overcome his FEAR. This is why when the Spirit of the lord comes upon Gideon we begin to see him turn the corner. The Lord needs to build Gideon’s faith and get Him to fully trust Him for what He is about to require of Gideon, where he will be put in a position where it will be nothing Short of the Armor of God and the lord’s power and might that deliver’s Israel.
This we will get into with part 4-armour of God (Par 2 Gideon)!
Gideon is very much trying the patience of the Lord BUT the Lord is allowing this, why?
There is an answer that fits in accordance with God’s Word. It is God’s covenant faithfulness, or his grace. The Lord in a way is coming down to meet Gideon and this Canaanite worldview. It isn’t meant to condone or encourage testing God or demanding signs from Him. Instead, God’s grace and patience shown to Gideon over and over highlights the greatness of his grace towards both Gideon and Israel as they find their way out of this idolatrous quagmire they have rationalized themselves into. The Lord in many ways holds Gideon’s hand throughout the entire process, building his faith more and more which each step, getting Gideon to trust Him and understand that truly there is NONE above Him. The Lord addresses his lack of faith, his faulty theology because years of idolatry as watered it down and brought Gideon and Israel to luke warm. The lord through this also helps Gideon Overcome his FEAR. This is why when the Spirit of the lord comes upon Gideon we begin to see him turn the corner. The Lord needs to build Gideon’s faith and get Him to fully trust Him for what He is about to require of Gideon, where he will be put in a position where it will be nothing Short of the Armor of God and the lord’s power and might that deliver’s Israel.
This we will get into with part 4-armour of God (Par 2 Gideon)!
Saturday, June 20, 2020
BIBLE STUDY-JUNE 6-20-2020
THE ARMOR OF
GOD PART 2 -THE ARMOR IN ACTION- DAVID AND GIDEON
DAVID: 1
Samuel chapter 17-David anointed BEFORE facing Goliath
1 Samuel
16
The Lord said
to Samuel, “How long will you grieve for Saul, when I have rejected him as king
over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the
Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for Myself among his sons.” But
Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”
And the Lord said, “Take
a heifer from the herd with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the
Lord.’ You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice,
and I will show you what you shall do [after that]; and you shall anoint for Me
the one whom I designate.” So, Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem.
And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “Do you come in
peace?” And he said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come
with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited
them to the sacrifice.
So,
it happened, when they had come, he looked at Eliab [the eldest son] and thought,
“Surely the Lord’s anointed
is before Him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look
at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him.
For the Lord sees not as
man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then
Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But Samuel said,
“The Lord has not chosen
this one either.” Next Jesse had Shammah pass by.
And Samuel said, “The Lord has
not chosen him either.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel.
But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has
not chosen [any of] these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons
here?” Jesse replied, “There is still one left, the youngest; he is tending the
sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send word and bring him; because we
will not sit down [to eat the sacrificial meal] until he comes here.”
David Anointed
So, Jesse sent word and brought him
in. Now he had a ruddy complexion, with beautiful eyes and a handsome
appearance. The Lord said
[to Samuel], “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” Then Samuel took the
horn of oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and the Spirit
of the Lord came
mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
So, we see the Lord tell Samuel to stop grieving
for Saul, that ship has sailed, and 2 fill his HORN with OIL and GO!!! There is a
season for mourning, and there is a season for moving forward. Rest assured
that God does not want us to remain in our brokenness and grief forever. He has
a plan that is far above what we see right in front of us – a destination –
that He will empower us to move into if only we will follow His lead,
instructions, and keep moving.
A horn in Hebrew means basically a container, so fill your container
with oil and go! The Lord is telling Samuel Equip yourself and move on from
Saul and towards the future of Israel! The Lord is giving Samuel a good kick in
the pants, or tunic for that matter, because there is a timetable to anoint a
new King because a fierce opponent is about to arise against Israel and Saul is
NOT equipped to fight him.
What was David’s training before Samuel arrives to anoint him? David was
responsible for protecting the flock of HIS FATHER'S SHEEP, the lion and the
bear and monitoring and keeping watch day in and day out was the boot camp the
Lord had him enrolled in for this phase of His life. Soon David would be
transitioned to protecting the sheep of Israel, HIS FATHER in Heaven’s flock.
So, you see the anointing had to come BEFORE David ever was positioned in
front of Goliath. David was literally Samuel’s last look! Samuel thought for
sure based on physical appearance that David’s brothers were Kingly material.
However, being anointed of the Lord and armored of the Lord, the Lord
looks at the heart, the Lord evaluates the heart when it comes to equipping and
positioning. This had to do with obedience and faith not physical stature. The
armor of God has to do with obedience and Faith it has nothing to do with
physical stature, the best weaponry, the most physically fit. This pertains to
spiritual fitness.
So, Samuel ANOINTS, sanctifies, and sets apart, David for service unto
the Lord as the next King of Israel. BUT David is young, and the Lord needs to
process him some more to get him ready. However once David is anointed, The
Spirit of the Lord comes upon him, included in that is the armor of God, and He
comes under the Divine protection of Almighty God.
FAST FORWARD to 1 Samuel 17:
1 Samuel
17:36
David starts
out as the delivery guy delivering lunch to his brothers, BUT he is anointed he
is set apart, he is protected. He is going to finish as a Victorious Soldier.
1 Samuel
17:32-36
David said to Saul, “Let no man’s courage
fail because of him (Goliath). Your servant will go out and fight with this
Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this
Philistine to fight him. For you are [only] a young man and he has been a
warrior since his youth.” But David said to Saul,
“Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and
took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it
and attacked it and rescued the lamb from its mouth; and when it rose up
against me, I seized it by its whiskers and struck and killed it. Your
servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine
will be like one of them, since he has taunted and defied the armies
of the living God.” David said, “The Lord who
rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will
rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
See David knows a few things before this battle:
That the Lord has delivered him more
than once from an enemy sent to harm, him and his FATHER’S flock.
That he has been anointed, he is
sanctified, protected, set apart, and armored in the Spirit.
That he is in covenant with the Lord and
Goliath and the philistines ARE NOT “This uncircumcised Philistine will be like
one of them BECAUSE he TAUNTED and DEFIED the armies of the living God.
David is
calling goliath and enemy of God, uncircumcised, out of covenant, which MEANS,
out from under the protection of the Lord. So, this out of covenant Philistine
is threatening an in-covenant people and David KNOWS IT!
Lets for a
moment talk about Goliath’s armor because Goliath was completely armored, he
was about 9 feet tall and completely armored.
1 Samuel
17:5-7
He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore
a coat of scale-armor (overlapping metal plates) which weighed 5,000
shekels of bronze. He had bronze shin protectors on his legs and a
bronze javelin hung between his shoulders. The [wooden] shaft of his
spear was like a weaver’s beam; the blade-head of his spear weighed six
hundred shekels of iron. And a shield-bearer walked in front of him.
Coat
of armor =125lbs
Blade
head of the Spear=19lbs
Shield=8.5
feet tall approx.
Okay so there
is a PARTICULARLY important prophetic meaning to the fact goliath was wearing bronze
armor.
Daniel
2:31-36
“Your Majesty, you had a vision. You saw a large
statue. This statue was very bright. It stood in front of you, and it looked terrifying. The
head of this statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were made of
silver. Its stomach and hips were made of bronze. Its
legs were made of iron. Its feet were made partly of iron and partly of
clay. While you were watching, a stone was cut
out, but not by humans. It struck the statue’s iron-and-clay feet and smashed
them. Then all at once, the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were
smashed. They became like husks on a threshing floor in summer. The wind
carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that
struck the statue became a large mountain which filled the whole world. This
is the dream. Now we will tell you it is meaning.
The BRONZE and IRON on the statue were the weaker
Kingdoms, far less than the kingdoms representing gold and silver. HOWEVER, it
was a STONE that destroyed this enormous “statue” along with the BRONZE and
IRON parts of it
Goliath’s ARMOR is all bronze and IRON and a
STONE is about to be flung right at him.
So, Goliath has INCREDIBLE earthly armor BUT
there is a flaw in it because he lacks ANY spiritual armor of protection which
is the greater of the two!
1 Samuel 17:38-40
Then Saul dressed David in his garments and put a
bronze helmet on his head and put a coat of mail (armor) on him. Then
David fastened his sword over his armor and tried to walk, [but he could not,]
because he was not used to them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot go with
these, because I am not used to them.” So, David took them off. Then he
took his [shepherd’s] staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth
stones out of the stream bed and put them in his shepherd’s bag which he had,
that is, in his shepherd’s pouch. With his sling in his hand, he approached the
Philistine.
So, Saul attempts to give David EARTHLY
ARMOR of bronze and David CAN HARDLY MOVE! And if he cannot move around, he
becomes a sitting duck. Just like the enemy attempts to weigh us down by placing
things upon our lives that make it difficult for us to move with the Lord. So,
what does David do? He strips off that bulk armor and he grabs 2 particularly
important things:
His
Shepherd's STAFF (Remember Moses had a staff when he went to face off before Pharaoh). He takes 5
smooth stones out of the stream bed.
Psalm 23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A
Psalm of David
The Lord is
my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me],
I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
He refreshes and restores my soul (life);
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow
of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.
This Psalm embodies the battle between David and Goliath and
demonstrates how the Lord, leading us as our Shepherd, his protective hand will
be upon us as we face these circumstances. When we walk with Him in true
steadfast Faith, Called and anointed of God as His Children, wearing the Armor
of God, we shall see a table prepared for us in the presence of Our enemies, they
will fall! We get the Victory; Almighty God gets the Glory!
You see
that armor Saul gave David had not been proven in the eyes of David, it had NOT
ever protected him in a battle.
HOWEVER the Shepherd's Staff and His slingshot
with the favor of Almighty God had been proven over and over with the lion and
the bear when it came to protecting the flock, and again David was facing off
against an enemy threatening the Lord’s Flock, His people Israel.
Those 5 smooth Stones that David picked up I
believe had incredibly significant meaning.
First of all, I believe that the other “giants”
that David faced prior to Goliath as the Lord was protecting Him, it took no more
than 5 stones to defeat them perhaps.
The number 5 also represents Grace and Grace is a
measure the Lord pours out into our lives that enables us to endure a circumstance
that otherwise is not humanly possible to come out of victorious and restored.
Goliath was not the only one of his kind. Goliath had
brothers plus there were other descendants of gigantic men from Gath (1st
Chron 20:5-8), from the same place that Goliath had come from (1
Sam 17:4). Apparently, David was ready in the event any of Goliath’s
brothers came with him or any of the other so-called giants that came from
Gath. David did what we are to do. He made provisions for the future and was
ready for any trouble in advance, but he still relied on and trusted in God to
fight the battle for him. God is sovereign. HOWEVER, there is a much more prophetic and symbolic reason
David chose stone as his weapon of choice.
Psalm
18:2 Amplified Bible (AMP)
The Lord is
my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;
My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.
My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.
Why
did David think like this? Because when defending the flock against the Lion
especially, Lions usually hunt in prides or packs so David knew that the Lions family
members may suddenly arise on the scene and he had to be prepared the same with
Goliath. All David had been through and endured PREPARED him for this moment!
1
Peter 5:8 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined],
be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.
HOWEVER,
David has another weapon, he has been anointed to be King and he is wearing the
ARMOR OF GOD!! He also has the weapon of the covenant!
1 Samuel 17:41-44
The Philistine came and approached David, with
his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked around and
saw David, he derided and disparaged him because he was [just] a
young man, with a ruddy complexion, and a handsome appearance. The
Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with [shepherd’s]
staffs?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also
said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky
and the beasts of the field.”
First mistake
Goliath makes is he does not take his opponent seriously.
Second mistake
he mocks the shepherd’s staff which truly represents the Lord.
Thirdly goliath cursed David by his gods which are way-way-way inferior to Almighty God whom
David is in a covenant with and has been anointed by.'
Fourthly
Goliath makes the major mistake of failing to understand that Israel and David
are in a covenant with Almighty God and he is out of covenant and an enemy of
God, not a good position to be in in battle.
1 Samuel
17:45-47
Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to
me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of
the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have
taunted. This day the Lord will
hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I
will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of
the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that
there is a God in Israel, and that this entire
assembly may know that the Lord does not save with the
sword or with the spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and
He will hand you over to us.”
Ephesians 6:13-16
Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that
you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in
the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands],
to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So
stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness
produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the[protective] shield
of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
This is Faith
in Action!! David has no earthly armor. He is anointed, he has the Armor of God,
and he has immovable faith in the Lord because the Lord has delivered him over
and over from dangerous opponents. David also knows that Goliath is out of
covenant, uncircumcised, and has not only defied the armies of the living God
BUT cursed them!
Genesis
12:3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you, and I
will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses
(despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you and in you all the families (nations)
of the earth will be blessed.”
Once Goliath
cursed Israel, he was a dead man walking! He was cursed, he was fallen, he was
defeated in the realm of the Spirit before the battle EVER took place in the
natural.
1 Samuel
17:47
And that this entire assembly may know that
the Lord does not save with the sword or with the spear; for the battle is
the Lord’s and He will hand you over to us.”
1 Samuel
17:48-52
When the Philistine rose and
came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet
the Philistine. David put his hand into his bag
and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine on his
forehead. The stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell face down on the
ground.
So, David triumphed over the
Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck down the Philistine and
killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. 51 So
he ran and stood over the Philistine, grasped his sword, and drew it out of its
sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw
that their [mighty] champion was dead, they fled. The men of Israel and
Judah stood with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance to
the valley and the gates of Ekron.
Think about this, first stone out of the bag
direct hit!! David ran towards the battle head on! He was not going to give
Goliath time to strategize, position, or draw out a weapon! Why did it only
take one stone? Because the Lord only needs one time, one time to strike His
enemies, this was a prophetic statement to the philistines! Their champion was
fallen, they hid behind him and now they were exposed!! It foreshadowed the
amount of defeat the philistines would suffer in the coming years as David rose
to King. And to solidify matters David used goliath’s own sword to finish him
off, goliath’s own sword is what solidified his fate! The Lord had David strike the head and cut the
head off to scatter the remainder the opposition!
Goliath NEVER got a shot at David, did not even
get close enough to him!! Why, the anointing and armor of God is more
protective, more powerful than any giant and its armor you could face. It was
about timing the timing of God under the hand of His protection brings forth
the Victory for the Glory of God! It was in fact a shepherd with nothing but
the armor of God and a stone, defeated a champion warrior because physical
strength is no match against the power of Almighty God!
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