July 16, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Judges? Here’s today’s reading:
Judges 6 (NIV)
Gideon
1 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country........Continue Reading
Again God needs to raise up another leader for the Israelites. They don’t seem to learn but need constant reminders and guidance.
Gideon himself kept questioning God and asking for proof for him to believe. It amazes me how faithful and patient God is with us! He continued to grant the requests of Gideon to show him He was God.
Lots of things jumped out at me in this chapter with much for us to learn as well. First, how sad it is when God’s people are subject to God’s discipline by virtue of their own disobedience. And what hubris Gideon and we have when we blame the hardship that we have brought on, on God. And to think it takes 7 years of drastic conditions for them to cry out to God. And how interesting that Gideon is threshing wheat in a winepress….desperate times calls for desperate measures I guess…well with God’s work it will all change. Second, it is the angel of the Lord engaging here and isn’t it interesting that He calls Gideon mighty warrior. God always sees more in us than we do and how wise it is for us to grab hold of that, believe and accomplish what God has for us. Third we see Gideon ask for his first sign. How often do we doubt God when He already has made things evident? As a reflection of his doubt, Gideon asks for three signs…..do we look for reasons to abandon God’s plans as well……and yet God obliges each time. Fourth, Gideon takes the bold step to tear down the altar of Baal, but he does it at night…may I be more brave than that. And lastly, what a great point Gideon’s dad makes….if Baal is a god, then he should be able to defend himself. Hopefully this just reenforced in the Jews mind how foolish it was to follow a god who could be destroyed in such a way…..
Judges 6
Judges 5-6
Judges 6
Loaded chapter. At first brush I say how dare Gideon test God like that. On the other hand,, he does ask God to something only He can do. Regardless, it’s still not a good idea to test God.
14The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
17Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”
And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”
I was thinking of the pattern in Judges and how the generations forget the Lord. Gideon has obviously heard of the deeds in Egypt, but has not experienced them.
“Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
Personally, I think the appearance of the Angel of the Lord would be a sufficient proof, but perhaps it wasn’t obvious that he was the Angel of the Lord?
Is the Angel of the Lord, Jesus?
I believe it is…but more specifically, the second person of the trinity….He is not Jesus until born of Mary.