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THIS IS A STORY about champions
Have you ever wondered why God picks some people to do certain tasks and makes them champions who affect the lives of other people, change the destiny of nations and either write or rewrite history whilst a far greater proportion of good men and women drift in life, achieve nothing and their whole lives seem pointless, this story may provide a few answers.
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The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD handed them over to Midian seven years, and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the Qedemites came and attacked them. They encamped against them and destroyed the produce of the land, even as far as Gaza. They left nothing for Israel to eat, as well as no sheep, ox or donkey. For the Midianites came with their cattle and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were without number, and they entered the land to waste it. So Israel became poverty-stricken because of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD. When the Israelites cried out to Him because of Midian, the LORD sent a prophet to them. He said to them, “This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I W E ar e a l l de st ine d f o r g r e atne ss i n God brought you out of Egypt and out of the OU might not think so, but God’s word works, but it has to be place of slavery. I delivered you from the God does and if there is applied and those who apply it are power of Egypt and the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you champion material in you, the ones who succeed. It has and gave you their land. I said to you: I perhaps you need something to nothing to do with race, culture, am Yahweh your God. Do not fear the release it. education or ethnic backgrounds. gods of the Amorites whose land you live We have been conditioned over They can often be more of a in. But you did not obey Me.’” the centuries to believe that hindrance than their relative merit The Angel of the LORD came, and He sat anyone God uses has to be special. and may keep people locked in a under the oak that was in Ophrah, which We have been conditioned to box or in a rut from which they belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine believe that one must attend a find it difficult to emerge into the vat in order to hide it from the Midianites. bible college or seminary or stand real liberty Jesus brought us. Then the Angel of the LORD appeared to behind a pulpit in a church to be effective, but God takes great We can have family heritages. I do. him and said: “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” delight in picking real people with I come from Jewish stock dating Gideon said to Him, “Please Sir, if the real problems in real life situations back to the early settlement days LORD is with us, why has all this to achieve His purpose. of Australia, but as with all such happened? And where are all His wonders God is not a respecter of persons things, my lineage now goes back that our fathers told us about? They said, according to Acts 10:34. Everyone to Jesus! ‘Hasn’t the LORD brought us out of is equal but it seems that some folk If you have failed in the past, go Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned are more equal than others. Their back to your roots and I mean your us and handed us over to Midian.” The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in apparent favoritism is nothing roots in Christ to the day you other than applying the principles hopefully made Him the Lord and the strength you have and deliver Israel from the power of Midian. Am I not of the Kingdom of God and master of your life. sending you?” Judges 6:1-14 putting them to work.
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Your past never sees your future
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O not keep going back to your old life and allow what happened or did not happen to hinder your walk in God. God has a future for you. If your sins are forgiven, God has forgotten them, so please do not dig them up and keep hearkening back to the past. Your past never sees your future. If you have not yet received Jesus as your savior, you can—right now! Why wait and put up with whatever it is you are tolerating? If it hasn’t worked for you yet, try something different. The split second you make Jesus Lord, everything changes! Your past is forgiven and forgotten and God is able to give you a brand new life with a bright and wonderful future. He has plans for you according to Jeremiah 29:11 and they will all come together at the right time. You do not need any special qualities or abilities. All that God needs is your trust, obedience and willingness to take the steps He requires. He had a plan for a Hebrew slave boy who should have been killed at birth but made him to be a prince in Egypt. Forty years later, that boy, now a man, killed an Egyptian and fled into the desert into obscurity to become a sheepherder. Yes, I am talking of Moses. Moses the deliverer became Moses the murderer, but he had a quality God wanted. It was an open heart, a listening ear, an inquisitive nature and being available. He took bold steps of faith and was obedient to the word of the Lord to him. One day he saw a burning bush and took positive steps to do something. He quit what he was doing and took the effort to find out what was happening. God was looking for his response and He is looking for yours! The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. He looked — and the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed!
So Moses thought, “I will turn aside to see this amazing sight. Why does the bush not burn up?” When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” Exodus 3:2-4. Please note that God did not take any steps until Moses had first taken his! Someone once said that it is like chess in which God always takes His turn but He never moves until you have made yours. Many believers shrug things off thinking they were not interesting and never take steps to do what they need to do and miss the day of their visitation. They never make their move when it is their turn. Sometimes we have to quit what we are doing and act on what God says and when we take our stand, God steps in. He just could be waiting now for you to make the next move! It is pure foolishness to keep doing the same things every time and expect different results. If you are suffering with illness, by all means seek medical assistance, but please, oh please do not sit and wallow in self-pity and give up! Do not ignore the symptoms, because they are there and real, but become aggressive in your faith and keep confessing and speaking God’s word, not what is or is not happening. If you have more month than money, do not stop sowing seed! Without seed in the ground there will never be a harvest and you will always have something to sow. You may say you can’t afford to tithe. You cannot afford not to tithe! Your financial crisis, job loss, failing health might be a product of your own mind that has spoken the results. Stop it and change! Make your move. When Moses the murderer made his move and obeyed what God said, he became Moses the deliverer.
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When Jesus was walking on the water, Peter saw Him and so did all the other disciples. He could have done nothing about it, but called out to the Lord. Jesus told him to come. Every one of them could have made their move and reached Jesus, but only one did. I see this often. Some people sink whereas others do not. The difference is that some people take drastic faith actions and others do not. The choice is always ours. Peter had to do something or drown in that boat. He made his choice and took that step that worked whilst he focused on Jesus. If you stay in the boat my friend, all you will see is other people with their own problems, but if you get out, you are in the company of the King! Saul was going to Jerusalem to kill the Christians. He was a man with a mission, but the problem was that it was the wrong mission. We can be dedicated to a mission also, but please ensure that it is the correct one. Just because you want to do something for God or it seems like a good idea does not mean that it is a God mission. Sincerity does not achieve it and he was very sincere about what he believed he was doing, until Jesus revealed Himself. Saul responded, asking, “Who are you Lord”? Jesus told him the truth. Here is an important and often overlooked fact. People can receive the truth, get all the necessary answers and see all kinds of manifestations, but never act on it. Thankfully Saul did. He was trembling and astonished as many people could be, but his words revealed what was in the man. Trembling and astonished he asked, Lord, what do You desire me to do? Acts 9:6. He was a very well educated and influential man… a Jew’s Jew, with all the contacts in high places and called Jesus, Lord!
God never changes! Think on the implications of that for a moment. In the same breath, he submitted to the plan of the Master. That was the greatness in the man God had seen. You may have greatness inside you, waiting for God to release. Look with me now at another man with such greatness that had to be released. His name was Gideon and his story is found in Judges chapters six and seven. He was the fifth judge and fought the Midianites twice. The first occasion was following God’s instructions in Judges 7:1–8:3 and the second time on his own initiative in Judges 8:4–21. It shows me that God has to be in it for real success. Israel’s apostasy had fallen to such a low state that they started to suffer. When they became desperate, they cried out to God for help and He answered them by sending a prophet to rebuke them for their covenant infidelity. It was a familiar pattern that happened all too frequently until Israel cried out for deliverance. God sent a prophet, not a judge, to correct Israel. He will not tolerate rebellion, disobedience and faithlessness. Although we are saved by grace and are living in a New Testament covenant, God has not and never will change!
There was a fourfold cycle that happened and any astute Christian leader can see the principles working in the lives of the sheep Jesus placed in his care. The fourfold elements areApostasy: the Israelites do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. What is not of faith is sin which is just as serious as deliberate rebellion
Servitude: God allows the nation to be conquered and oppressed by a neighboring nation, government or people Supplication: The people cry out to God for help. This happens when people often reach rock bottom and know that they either sink or swim. They have to admit and confess their sin and repent Salvation: God sent a judge to deliver the Israelites. He sent a Judge to us to deliver us. His name is Jesus. The cycle repeated itself after the judge died and this was a time in Israel when the people were unstable. God had brought them into the Promised Land, but they never made a total commitment to His edicts. They sinned by disregarding God’s commands and the enemy invaded them. Under those conditions, hard times followed until the people repented and cried to God for help. He then sent a deliverer. One such deliverer is a man with problems, but a man with a quality hidden in his heart towards God that God knew was there. All that had to be done was to bring it out and release the man. The first six verses of chapter six reveal that God’s people were subjected to brawling, strife and contention under a state of judgment. The Midianites were oppressing them. Midian was the son of Abraham by his second wife Keturah. I find this interesting because the promise was made in Genesis 17:19 that his descendants would come through Sarah, not someone else. He had already made a big mistake with Hagar and Ishmael. It seems to me that when God has a plan—He has A PLAN, not some other version of it that we modify to suit ourselves! When we do that, trouble eventually follows.
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I will not go into more details here but Gideon was affected by an act Abraham made previously! Your own actions affect others. God’s people were suffering under the hand of an oppressor and called out in desperation for God’s intervention and He sent a prophet with a word. HEAR THIS word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt: You only have I known (chosen, sympathized with, and loved) of all the families of the earth; therefore I will visit upon you all your wickedness and punish you for all your iniquities. Do two walk together except they make an appointment and have agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den if he has taken nothing? Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth where there is no trap for him? Does a trap spring up from the ground when nothing at all has sprung it? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be alarmed and afraid? Shall misfortune or evil occur [as punishment] and the Lord has not caused it? Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy? Amos 3:1-8. Greatness may be hidden in you but you have to walk in agreement with God and with others. There is a principle of cause and effect that can change your whole destiny. God has a plan for every one of us and He takes great delight in telling a prophet, who goes beforehand to reveal it.
He sent a prophet to them who said in plain terms what had happened and why. Sometimes we need to be told. If things are not working out, there must be a reason. His own covenant people had broken the covenant and deliberately disobeyed God. No one can repeatedly ignore God’s wishes and not have some form of repercussion. It is not as if He curses us or punishes us. He is a Good God who wants to bless us.
It relates to a leading man or noble, the body (particularly the belly), a stag or deer, door posts, jambs and pilasters and porches and part of a temple or palace such as Solomon's temple, his palace complex, and the temple of Ezekiel 40-48. The term is never used in connection with any other building. There is also a reference to a ram or male sheep that is the first or the leader of the flock. There is so much symbolism involved in this simple little phrase I cannot share it all, but at the risk of overly spiritualizing this, may I suggest that you consider the whole plan of redemption in this simple act of sitting down under the tree.
When we come out from under the terms of the covenant, we risk exposing ourselves to what may or may not come. The prophet did his job and our story now gets interesting. Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak (terebinth) at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. Judges 6:11
Something else that is very interesting is how the angel and Gideon started talking. It seems that he was sitting for a little time before revealing himself to the man. Many people think that the angel was invisible and in some way made his presence tangibly evident. That may be true, but there is something very important to consider when he appeared to Gideon and it is vastly different to Gideon suddenly seeing a physical manifestation.
It would seem that this is no ordinary angel, but one rather special. We need to remember that this is a Jewish story and the Hebrew accounts often use terms like The angel of Yahweh as seen in Genesis 16:7 and Exodus 3:2 and elsewhere. Other terms such as The Name indicate that this may in fact be God in human form (see Genesis 48:15–16 and Exodus 23:20–23). The angel represents an important component of early Godhead thinking in Israel so this could have been a literal visitation in bodily form to Gideon.
The angel was carefully observing the man. God is doing that to you too you know. He is sizing you up, checking on what is inside your heart. The Hebrew meanings are varied, the first ones being see, look at, and inspect. Other meanings include- to regard, perceive, feel, understand learn and enjoy. It also means to show be seen or to reveal oneself. This happened but an important meaning is to look intently at one another. God was looking at Gideon and deemed him suitable for the task of being a deliverer.
Gideon was at that time threshing wheat by or in the winepress, which is very unusual, but he was not in hiding as commonly thought. The Hebrew language says that he did so to cause it to flee from the enemy. He was not being passive and furtive but standing up inside to ensure that the enemy did not get it. Hiding is a different matter as that is conceding defeat before the event.
This is similar to what God says to Noah, Thee have I seen righteous in Genesis 7:1. Another sense is to provide. See Genesis 22:8-14. The angel spoke to Gideon, saying something of vital importance. It is something every one of us should earnestly desire to hear. Imagine going about your everyday life and the Lord suddenly says, “Hey! I am with you”! Listen up now. This is no flippant comment, but a profound prophetic statement of fact.
The angel sat beneath an oak tree observing him. Why sit? He could stride up to deliver his message but he sat down. Well, sitting is resting. Servants do not sit beside their master but stand to serve. When Jesus rose from the dead and returned to Heaven, He sat beside the Father, because sitting represents completion, resting and exercising authority. He had finished that part of His mission and His labor in that regard was over. Praise God! Paul said in Ephesians 2:5-6 that when we were made alive in Christ our futile struggling was dealt a death blow to enable us to rest in Him, or be seated with Him in Heavenly places with Him.
He told Gideon, “You are a mighty man of valour”. If God said it... it is true! And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage. Judges 6:12.
The epistle to the Hebrews tells us to strive, not to survive or win, but to enter into that rest. It’s much easier to let Him take the load… so let Him do it!
God does not lie! If He thought Gideon was such a man, then he was! If God said it... it is true! I have heard preaching that implies otherwise. This is like telling God that He made a mistake and chose the wrong person.
Oak or terebinth trees have much significance in the Old Testament. The reference to the Oak means much more than a big tree! Oak trees often refer to sacred places and pagan worship, but I found something that really got my attention.
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Little words like IF... They say that Gideon started to put himself down saying something like, “Who me? I am a nobody. I am the lowest of the lowest family in the lowest tribe of Israel”. They said that he was complaining but whilst he was whining, the Lord told him, “Go in this thy might”!
That shocked me because I know that He wants us all well and I am always ready to pray for folk, but there was a real problem. They really did not want to be healed! They liked the attention they received and how people fussed over them, so put up with their ailments to get that attention. I think that is crazy, but they lived like that. Another couple had what is called psychosomatic illness. They had nothing wrong with them at all, but kept talking about sickness so much that they developed the ailments they spoke over themselves. There were no reasons for their ailments. The doctors were mystified because all tests were negative but they still had the symptoms. The reality was that there was nothing wrong with them at all, but they had it so firmly entrenched in their minds that they were sick, this produced or created the problems. After prayer and counseling they stopped that approach, started to see themselves whole and kept speaking healing scriptures. Declaring god’s word is imperative. Everything else has its place but will never achieve a thing without confession of the word of the Lord. Within a matter of weeks, they were healed.
Muttering and murmuring is offensive to God and can shut down the blessing but in this case there had to have been something else involved. We shall see more of this shortly. At this point, there is something we have to seriously consider and not shrug off. We get excited about the blessings seen in Deuteronomy 7:11-15, chapters 8,15, 28 and elsewhere. We can quote, blessed in the city, blessed in the country, blessed coming in and blessed going out and all of this is very true, but we avoid the terms and conditions. Sure we are living in the Grace of God now and not under the Law, but He has standards of excellence and purity that He never breaks. He cannot deny Himself. No matter how we gloss over it, sin is sin. God made such promises with conditions. The little word If is listed with the promises. If we do what He asks us… If we obey His voice… If we hearken to His word… If we do what the word says, the blessings come. If we do not the blessings cannot come. We cannot earn anything of course. Our good deeds or works do not cut it. What we receive from God is really a free and lavish gift and He does expect us to live well and righteously, but we cannot earn them. Clearly, God has spelt it out for us. We can do what God wants without becoming legalistic about it and remember that whatsoever is not of faith is sin. If God said we can do it, we can do it.
Many people complain constantly about things instead of giving thanks for what God has already done. We do not thank God for trouble and problems but we are to thank Him in all situations, not mutter and murmur and complain. Many people are sick or broke because of the power of their tongue!
The Lord might have asked them to lighten their load and sell unnecessary items cluttering their homes but they have not done it yet and wonder why things are bad because of disobedience. The Lord may have asked them to clean their homes because He has to live there also but their place looks like a refuse tip. These are the practical things that can make or break people, but they refuse to change then ask God, “Why is it like this”? The answer is, “Do what He says, don’t complain, speak the word and keep speaking it”.
Many wonderful people suffer financially and in their health despite the work of the cross because they simply disregard the Lord’s instructions. The statement, “Choose life or choose death” cannot be plainer. How do we choose life? How do we choose death? We make the choices by feeding on the word, speaking the word, doing what the word says to do and quitting doing what we know displeases God. People may not be blessed because they have not yet done what the Lord last told them to do and they then wonder why things are not going well for them. They are always in financial crisis but never tithe or sow seed and waste money on unnecessary shopping. They are constantly ill but keep eating the junk food that makes them ill. They do not confess the healing scriptures, but complain about the symptoms and mouth off. If they started thanking God for the scourging Jesus took to provide healing they would be healed. I knew some people who complained about their illnesses and kept asking for prayer until the day came when the Lord told me to stop praying for them.
As I said, it is a serous matter, but is a way of life for many believers and they are always living less than God’s best. Israel was living less than God’s best because they ignored to do what God had asked them. They never overcame the enemy. They never went in to possess all of the land. They went so far and no further. Little wonder it seemed that God had forsaken them. He had to, because He cannot live with sin. Disobedience is sin. So too is faithlessness for as I said earlier, what is not of faith is sin.
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You have a testimony If you think I am being harsh, look at Deuteronomy 31:17. It is not as if God is punishing anyone for goofing off. He is not like that. He wants us to repent quickly, change our ways and get on side with Him so that all of the blessings can be lavished on us. John wroteMy dear children, I'm writing this to you so that you will not sin. Yet, if anyone does sin, we have Jesus Christ, who has God's full approval. He speaks on our behalf when we come into the presence of the Father. He is the payment for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. We are sure that we know Christ if we obey his commandments. The person who says, “I know him,” but doesn't obey his commandments is a liar. The truth isn't in that person. But whoever obeys what Christ says is the kind of person in whom God's love is perfected. That's how we know we are in Christ. Those who say that they live in him must live the same way he lived. 1 John 2:1-6. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin which does not [involve] death [that may be repented of and forgiven].
I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10:10 We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him [Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him]. 1 John 5:17-18
There is much more John said about sin, but he made a wonderful statement that makes me rejoice. There is hope. Jesus destroyed he works of the devil and dealt with the power of sin and will deliver us if we want Him to. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]. 1 John 3:8
His commands are not grievous to us, but are there to help us stay inside His umbrella of provision and protection. Get out from under that place and whatever happens is not His fault but our own. Gideon was coming up face to face with the results of such a situation. God’s covenant people muttered and murmured and rebelled. God had to allow things to develop because they had in essence broken covenant.
You have a testimony even if you do not think is is a great one. It is wonderful because Jesus set you free. God’s mercies are new every morning, but He cannot change and accommodate anything less than His best.
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INDFUL of such things, Gideon was rehearsing the history of the nation. It is like I have often said, “God. You are not a respecter of persons. You did this before. You did that for so-and-so. If you did it for them, you can do it for me”, being mindful all the time that I never become negative or complaining and mindful that I have to do it right myself. He was in essence saying that he had heard of the miracles that brought them out of Egypt; the plagues; Passover; opening up the Red Sea; the feeding of the multitude and the provision of water in the desert.
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NO FEEBLE ONE IN THEIR MIDST He remembered that there was no feeble person in their midst and how their shoes never wore out for forty years. I often recount the blessings of the past, the healings that have occurred, the provision of God that has never yet left us homeless or broke and more and encourage myself that if God had done it before, He can do it again. I rehearse the blessings and the promises in God’s word and more and I keep thanking Him for the small things. When Gideon started to reply to the angel (seen in verse thirteen), the Hebrew word Sapar that was used is like performing a number count, or taking a census and reading a record of something that had happened in the past. Something along these lines is found in Revelation 12:13But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. You and I do have a testimony It is telling God and whoever else cares to listen what God has done for you thus far and there can always be more. David told everyone about the time he slew the lion and a bear and had a testimony that carried him to victory over Goliath. Giants fall. No matter how big your problem it will fall. Do not preach or talk about what you are going through, because you are merely going through something, but not yet out the other side. You might not yet know the outcome, but once you have gone through it, you then have that testimony, so it is best to remain silent whilst focussing on your objective. Remember that without a test, you cannot have a testimony. All one would have is a moany!
Gideon was not being as weak and negative as you may have heard elsewhere, but rehearsing what God had done before and asking why can’t He do it again! There may have been a sense of complaining in his reply and I think it was due to perplexing questions he had, but the bottom line is that he knew what God had done before and was wondering why He could not do it again. It is like saying, “God, I know we have sinned. I know what has happened to us. Can’t we get back on track and see those miracles happen again”? That is the stuff God was looking for. He wanted someone to work with and someone who would admit and repent of his sin, get on with the job despite any doubts and shortcomings. Another aspect to that word If is this. It is Yēsh in the Hebrew and it is a word that draws attention to something. An example is found in Genesis 23:8 when Abraham negotiated to buy land where he could bury Sarah. The Gospels gives a powerful illustration of thisAnd behold, a leper came up to Him and, prostrating himself, worshiped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me by curing me. And He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed. And Jesus said to him, See that you tell nothing about this to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, for a testimony [to your healing] and as an evidence to the people. Matthew 8:2-4. The leper knew what Jesus could do and what He had done for others and asked Jesus to consider him also. Jesus, who is always more than
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willing and never turned anyone away, told him that He was willing to heal him and the man was healed. Notice also that Jesus told him to go to the priest in accordance with the laws concerning leprosy in Leviticus 13 and 14. Gideon was talking of the plight of the people but he was also asking God the same things as that leper! Verse 14 says that the Angel looked upon him and called his statements his source of might! And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? Judges 6:14. That word looked deserves attention. It is Panah in the Hebrew and it basically means to turn and face someone or something. Gideon got the angel’s attention and he turned to face the man, to peer intently right into his very being. Could you handle it if God suddenly stood in front of you and stuck His nose against yours and stared right into your eyes? Well, you are the apple of His eye aren’t you? Do you realize what that means? This is a term that relates to pupil! The relationship God wants with us is so intimate that He we are so close to each other that He can see His own reNlection in your eye and you can see His! Imagine what you would see! Think about that for a moment. The angel looked right into the depths of Gideon and despite his obvious weaknesses and Nlaws saw a champion. You can have problems galore, but God can see through all that and see the champion in you too. All that is required it to be released… but do not focus on your shortcomings… look at Jesus! This is where many people with potential fail. They are locked into the past and do not seem to be able to get out of it.
No feeble excuses Perhaps they do not want release and they are buried with the dead bones of yesterday. Some people never seem to want to get out of that grave. They like it and with that approach, I feel sorry for them because they will have what they say. They keep talking about past hurts and injustices done to them. Get over it! Forgive those who hurt you and let God heal the wounds. They make feeble excuses like a lack of education or talent. We are dealing with God almighty. There are no feeble excuses when He is around. God turned two men called Bezaleel and Aholiab into master craftsmen— jewelers, goldsmiths, artisans with talents par excellence out of slaves who knew nothing but making mud bricks like the rest of their countrymen did for 430 years! No one knew how to do such stuff! Don’t tell me that you cannot read! Don’t tell me that you cannot speak. Don’t tell me that you cannot ask for and receive the wisdom of God for anything. Don’t try to tell me that you can’t do a thing because someone else in your life let you down. That’s a copout. Stop making excuses for your own mindsets, bad habits or bad memories. If you confessed Jesus… they are gone! It is not a matter of what you can or cannot do in the natural. God can and does give people abilities and understanding beyond the norm and can enhance anyone’s natural talents and abilities. I know at Nirst hand that this works, because I had a speech problem and an inferiority complex so big that I cried for the sheer frustration of it until Jesus came into my life and everything changed in a split second. Habits beyond my control were overcome. My life was new. Paul said that when we are in Christ we become new creatures. Old things passed away and everything became new.
Old habits were dealt a deathblow. Fears and phobias were nailed to the cross with Christ. Inadequacies and supposed lack of opportunity or education are covered in the blood. Stop making excuses and spitting the dummy. Get on with the job and stop dwelling in the past. Get on with the job Gideon had just heard from God and started to look at his family lineage, saying to the one who just called him a mighty man of faith that he was the lowest of the low. That’s calling God a liar. Don’t do that! Gideon said that he came from Manasseh, but like many Christians do, forgot what the name Manasseh means. Joseph was his father and if anyone had reason to gripe and grumble… it was he. He called his son that name because he wanted to forget the past and get on with living. Manesseh means Causing to forget. Try doing that! You lose friends that way. No one likes being around grumblers. You may be passed over or lose opportunities. You might even miss out on the call of God completely if you do not change that behavior, could Ninish up a sick, broke, bitter and lonely person whose life has no meaning. God will not relent if He has a plan for you and the angel was not deterred, replying, “Look. I am with you. I called you. I will give you whatever is required to get the job done and you will get it done. You do not have to depend on your own resources or abilities. Trust me”! One bible version says it this wayAnd the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” Judges 6:16. I am not going to talk about “Gideon’s Nleece.” Putting a 2leece before the Lord is dumb. It sure isn’t faith! We have the mind of Christ and the word of God and the Holy Spirit is here to lead us into all truth. He is your guide and teacher.
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Use your faith, not some form of game of chance. Gideon did not have what we do. Gideon did ask if he had heard from an angel or not and that it was indeed the Lord who was talking. He didn’t doubt that he heard something, but wanted to make sure. And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.” Judges 6:17-18. I believe that at this point, Gideon was not sure of the identity of this person. A prophet had just spoken to the people, so he may have wondered if this was another prophet of God before him. That is acceptable.
Oh my Lord When Gideon first replied, Oh my lord… The traditional text uses Adonai that means Lord. It did not say Yahwey that clearly refers to the Divine. The named Adoniy means my lord and is used to address someone of authority. He just was not certain. Later, we shall see that he suddenly realizes that this was no mere man. Gideon intended to make an offering or give a tribute, knowing that it would take a little time to do so. These things often need much preparation physically and spiritually. One thing that causes many believers to falter is the time element. We live in an instant society. We have instant coffee, instant microwave, meals, drive through services supposedly designed to avoid waiting in queues.
Waiting!
He wanted to make sure that the angel would wait! We often say that we are waiting on God about something. He is always ready. The delays are not with God. They are on the receiving end. His reply in Jesus is Yea and Amen! God had a task for him and it required some preparation. He had a task for Noah and that also required some preparation—120 years of it in fact, but when Noah Ninished building the ark the rain came. God was waiting for Noah! 2 Peter 3:9 statesThe Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. No sir! We are not waiting for God. He is waiting for us and he was patiently waiting for Gideon. Then Gideon went in and prepared a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them to Him under the oak and presented them. Judges 6:19. An ephah is approximately two thirds of a bushel in dry measure or 22 liters in liquid measure. It was therefore no small task.
He also had to slaughter a kid, drain its blood, prepare it and cook it—all while the angel waited. When Gideon returned with his gift, the angel gave instructions that need investigation. The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. Judges 6:20.
When he did so, the angel stretched his hand out and touched the meat, the bread and the rock with the end of his staff. When he did, Nire came up out of the rock and consumed the offerings. The rock was not consumed and it was all that remained. The angel then departed out of Gideon’s sight and at that point, the man realized that this was no prophet, but the angel of the Lord. He was dismayed and the Lord reassured him, speaking peace to him. He touched the Nlesh Nirst.
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The Hebrew word for Nlesh relates to human Nlesh, a person or the body. It also means to publish, bear good tidings, preach and show forth The word refers basically to animal musculature and the human body, blood relations, mankind, living things and life itself. The bread was then touched and similarly consumed and we must ask ourselves if there is something of signiNicance in this. I think there is. I think now of Jesus who saidVerily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:47-51.
Pour out the broth Such scriptures as Isaiah 65 talk a Look at the broth now. The angel told Gideon to pour the broth. Why? Broth like this is the fatty watery residue that remains after boiling meat in a pot. In my opinion it is useless and fit for nothing, but pagans often boiled meat including pork and consumed the lot during their pagan rites and ceremonies. bout this. The first part refers to people who sacrifice in gardens, burn incense on altars of brick, sit amongst the graves, spend nights in tombs and consider themselves to be great. “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; I appeared to those who did not look for me. I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ to a nation that did not invoke my name. I spread out my hands all day long to my rebellious people,
who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable, and who did what they desired. These people continually and blatantly offend me as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards and burn incense on brick altars. They sit among the tombs and keep watch all night long. They eat pork, and broth from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans. They say, ‘Keep to yourself! Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’ These people are like smoke in my nostrils, like a fire that keeps burning all day long. Look, I have decreed: I will not keep silent, but will pay them back; I will pay them back exactly what they deserve, for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,” says the LORD. “Because they burned incense on the mountains and offended me on the hills, I will punish them in full measure.” Isaiah 65:1-7.
Stop thinking the old way and renew the mind by the word of God. I could continue, but that paints a graphic enough picture. When that fire came out of the rock—not down onto the rock and the angel disappeared, Gideon realized that he had just had a Divine encounter and fell on his face. He did not see the angel any longer but heard his voice telling him not to be afraid so Gideon built an altar unto the Lord. When we have a Divine encounter, we build an altar in our hearts to the Lord. Gideon called that place Jehovahshalom (the Lord our peace). Shalom! What a word. It means that there is nothing missing, nothing broken, nothing out of place. It describes completion and fulfillment. When we are in Christ, when we structure our lives on the Rock Christ Jesus, the stability and security we need in a troubled world bring us that perfect peace Jesus promised to give us. Gideon now had a task to fulfill and he started by getting rid of evil.
The latter half of Isaiah speaks of much better things. What was happening?
This is where it has to start. It is not only the obvious things like getting rid of idols. What about unbelief? The bible says that what is not of faith is sin, so unbelief is sin and if it is not checked… reach your own conclusions.
The rock remained
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HEN the angel touched the offering, fire consumed everything, but the rock remained! Is not Jesus the Rock?
Gideon started with what represented false gods and destroyed them. What is a false God? Well, anything that takes precedence over God is false. We can worship anything. It may be our job or home, our hobbies, our pets, our spouse or anything that takes precedence over God and His word. Sickness and poverty may also come under the category of falsehood, although some circles seem to accept them. They don’t exist in Heaven and do not belong in the lives of God’s people.
The bible tells me that the Rock followed God’s people in the wilderness. Moses spoke to the rock and water gushed out. I believe that symbolically at least the angel told Gideon not to put anything unclean, evil, without faith on Jesus. Pour it out! Spill it! Get rid of it! Get rid of unbelief. Don’t put a thing on Jesus!
Gideon may have been afraid but he did do it. He destroyed the idolatry and took ten of his father’s servants to do it. Ten represents Divine order. There are the Ten Commandments. Gideon started off right and made sacrifice to God before embarking on his mission.
In our era, we may say to get rid of sin in our lives. We must crucify the old nature because if we do not, the old nature will be constantly warring inside us, battling against the spirit. Paul had this problem until he had revelation of what was happening. We will never succeed if all we have is sense knowledge.
The enemy came in force and according to Judges 6:33, camped in a place called Jezreel, which means God will sow. Whatever we sow will produce a harvest. It may be a good harvest or one not so good, but never forget that what we sow we will reap according to Galatians 6:7-10. Gideon sounded the call to assembly. See Numbers 10:9. The response is interesting. Manesseh (causing to forget), Asher (happy), Zebulun (habitation) and Napthali (wrestling) came. There is a pattern here.
If we only receive the things of God in our minds, we will fall, because the natural mind is at enmity with God. We receive them in our hearts. We are spirit beings. God is a spirit. We must relate to Him in the dimension of the spirit, otherwise our minds will try to reason things out, we will become confused and we will allow the devil access to play games with us. If we do not put a stop to that, the racing thoughts and imaginations will wreak havoc in our lives. That place is the devil’s playground. For further study on this, read James chapter one. He says that a double minded man is completely unstable and that what churns around in someone’s mind uncontrollably is what he dwells on and that it eventually becomes sin when activated.
We can never be at peace and be happy if we do not forget the past! That is where you will remain. Once we forget by forgiving and letting go, peace or happiness follows. We can dwell there in peace and with this as our base, can go to war or wrestle the enemy and win.
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Make your plans ANY times in scripture we see how God’s people achieved success only after making strategic plans and following a strategy and Gideon was no exception. Many Christians never make plans and drift and they wonder why things do not go as well as they want. Yes, the Spirit can lead us, but God also has expectations of us. Acts 15:28 saysIt seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us…
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Here is an example how we can and should make plans that fit in with the will of God, but it is surprising how many believers just drift along and never really plan a thing, whilst asking the Lord for direction. This includes things in everyday living. It does not work. Gideon assembled an army and camped beside the well of Harod that means a place of trembling where God revealed his strategy. He wanted suitably qualified men and told Gideon how to choose them. Of the 32000 men who arrived, 22000 left and they were entitled to do so according to the account of Deuteronomy 20. I wondered why this number did not qualify and realized that this represented disorganization and disintegration. We find that in the devil’s camp, but not in the Kingdom of God. The number 22 equals 2 times 11. God’s perfect order is 10, which is one less that 11, therefore the number represented an attempt to improve on or add to God’s perfect rule. It can’t be done. Similarly, the number 12 represents God’s perfect rule. The implication is that he did not want any attempt to detract from or fall short of the mark. The way this works for you and for me is this: Do it right the first time Do not add to what God is saying and doing Do not take anything away.
This is very much like hearkening to the voice of the Lord and thus achieve success. God’s direction to Joshua was to meditate on His word so that he could have good success. Gideon now had 10000 men but God had a plan to ensure only the best were left. He applied a simple test. Sometimes we cloud the issue and make it difficult when it should be easy. Let me paraphrase Judges 7:4-8. “Gideon. Let them drink from the pool. Whoever cups water in his hands to drink is in. I want them. Whoever bows down on his knees and sticks his face into the water to drink is out. I do not want them.” Please notice that every man answered the call and every man drank the same water, but only 300 passed the test. We are all called and we are all offered the same benefits and privileges, but we do not all pass the test and are chosen. It is not that God has favorites, but we can qualify to become “his favorites” by the way we go about things. The 300 who drank, knelt by the bank, put one hand onto their sword and put the other into the water to scoop some water and drink. They were ready for anything. They partook of the blessings, but did not bury their heads in them! The remainder were more interested in themselves and their own needs and became oblivious to what was happening around them. Many are called, but few are chosen! God told him, “Those 300 are the men I want you to lead”. They took their food and trumpets with them and the others were sent home. Apparently Gideon was still a little apprehensive, so God told him to get up and get going because the victory was already won. My friend, when God fights on your behalf, the battle is already won. See 1 Samuel 17:47 and Psalm 18:17, 48.
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God told him, “Take your servant Purah down to the enemy camp and watch”. The name Purah relates to ornamental foliage, a shoot or a branch, which speaks of fruitfulness. This means that fruitfulness was to be his servant, but not his objective. Gideon had a plan and put the plan to work. Please remember that. You have to have a plan and you must work that plan. If it is not the right one, the Holy Spirit will guide and correct you but if you have nothing to work with, you will not achieve anything significant. Gideon’s plan was to split his men into three groups. He equipped each of them with a trumpet, an empty pitcher and a lamp that was inside the pitcher, instructing them to watch him and do what he did. He did not give anyone a sword! This reminds me that we have to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We all have an individual walk with God. You have to do your own praying and believing and you must carry your own sword. No one else can read the word of God for you. You will die if you do not.
Gideon told them to watch him and follow his lead. Paul said to do what he did and that is perfectly acceptable when you are capable of leading. He saidImitate me as I imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1. See also 1 Corinthians 4:16.
G od’ s wo rd w or k s ! He had a great plan. He waited until the new watch had arrived. They had not yet been able to settle down properly and their eyes were not yet accustomed to the darkness of night when Gideon and his men surrounded the camp and crept into the camp fringes. It can be creepy at such time when your eyes are playing tricks on you as shadows move and change shape. Gideon’s instructions were the same for all. And he said to them, Look at me, then do likewise. When I come to the edge of their camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, For the Lord and for Gideon! Judges 7:17-18. Imagine what would have happened if some men did not want to follow this lead. Imagine the results of someone telling his group not to bother doing what Gideon said but to follow him instead. Lucifer did that. It happens a lot in churches. It happens everywhere. I am so glad that the 300 remained faithful. Every man remained faithful to the task, treading carefully whilst looking at his leader. Something here sounds familiar to me. We follow our leader. We walk how He walks. We say what He says. We do what He does. We obey His commands… (don’t we?). At the appropriate moment, Gideon acted and the 300 followed suit. So Gideon and the 100 men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when the guards had just been changed, and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets and shattered the pitchers, holding the torches in their left hands, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow [leaving no chance to use swords], and they cried, The sword for the Lord and Gideon! Judges 7:19-20. Please notice that they held the lamps in their left hands and their trumpets in their right hands. This left them no chance to use swords. This battle was not fought and won in the natural realm. Like our own conNlicts, the real enemy we face is not that other person who cut you off at the trafNic lights, or pushed ahead of you in a queue. The real enemy is not that person who offends you or hurts you. That is why we are best off forgiving those who transgress against us and to stop holding onto grudges, but forgive, because that attitude keeps us locked into those things and we never progress in life. The weapons of our warfare are not natural weapons. If they were we would Night in the natural and the outcome would depend on our own strengths and abilities. Paul saidFor though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6.
This is why we are to feed on the word of God, spend time with Him, pray and train ourselves in the ways of the Kingdom. We were once living in one kingdom and are now living in another and need to learn how to live right. It is called renewing the mind and it essential because the devil tries to get us back into the old ways. When for example we feel symptoms of some sickness coming on us, instead of reacting and talking dumb, “Why does this thing always hit me?” and “How long do I have to put up with that?” we need to see what God says about it. Those thoughts play havoc in the mind and if we do not deal with it immediately, start dwelling on it, talking about it and then we get what we said! The more we talk about things like that, the more we draw attention to the problems and the more we do that the more we talk about them and the spiral continues until we actually create the very thing we do not want! Stop! Speak God’s word on it and let it go. The war happens when we feel the pain, which is real and yield to it in the natural realm instead of saying what God says about it. The doctor’s report is fact, but the truth is what God says about sickness. When illness strikes me, I talk to it. I tell it that I was healed 2000 years ago by Jesus’ stripes. It works! It is not always easy, but it is God’s way and it works. The war happens when we have bills coming in and debts seem to mount up and we start to worry and say things like, “What are we going to do?” instead of turning to the word of God and declaring what He says about debt. When my wife Marjorie and I faced a serious situation, we started speaking to that mountain that suddenly reared its ugly head against us and said, what David said. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
The battlefield is not in trenches in a field somewhere. It is in the mind. When we are born again, our spirits are saved. That’s it. We are totally complete in Him right there and then, but the realm of the soul and our bodies are not.
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The Sword of the LORD For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Psalm 37:21-26. We were suddenly faced with an intolerable situation Ninancially and health wise. I thought I would lose my darling wife. We both thought that we would have to live in our car. Things just happened, but we refused to complain and worry. We kept our peace and allowed our light to shine and exercised our faith whilst practicing what we preached and God did the impossible. That battleNield is full of graves where fallen Christians remain because of their fear, negativity, complaining and not controlling their old Nlesh nature. They do not realize that once they have made Jesus the Lord of their lives, a whole great new life is theirs. They exchanged the old one with His life and he now lives within. Let His light shine. It is in there. This is the kind of thing that Gideon and his men did. They took up their positions as Gideon commanded and we also need to take our positions in Christ as He wishes. They held their lamps in their left hands and their trumpets in their right hands and, as one man, turned to face the enemy and smashed those clay pots. Paul says that we have a treasure hidden inside us. I urge you to read 2 Corinthians 4 carefully, especially verses 1-6.
Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God. If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get. Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. Look at what he said next. …we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7. Those men broke that old outer clay pot and revealed the light hidden inside. When we do the same, we have the victory. Those men also blew their trumpets, clearly sounding a clear, loud and melodious sound. That word is Qara, meaning to summon and proclaim.
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The world out there needs to hear our message like that. The day will soon arrive when we will hear such a blast from Heaven and we will all go home to be with the Lord. Oh what a day that will be. They also shouted the same words, The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. We can and aught to say the same things that God says. We can and should wield the same sword of the Spirit, which is the word of the Lord. These things caused the enemy to Nlee before them. They can cause your enemy to Nlee before you. My friend, God had a champion in Gideon who needed to know that he was a champion. There is a champion in you too. All that it takes to release him is to see yourself as God sees you, start saying what He says and do what He asks you. If you do what He asks of you, the rest is up to Him. One day you too may be included in the list of champions in Hebrews chapter eleven, possibly in verse 32 alongside Gideon. Rise up you mighty man of God (no gender implied) and be victorious
R O BERT CART ER Is the president and founder of Bashan Ministries which is a a non-denominational organization with global headquarters in Adelaide, South Australia. His greatest delight is seeing other people blessed and experiencing the fulness of God in ways they have not experienced before.
PASTOR ROBERT CARTER
Robert’s crusades and ministers training conferences are known for he often tangible presence of God. Miracles of healing occur and people testify of how they have experienced an intimacy of relationship with God that they have never before experienced.
Ba sh an Min ist ries PO Box 65 Stirling 5152 South Australia email info@bashanministries.org web site www.bashanministries.org copyright Š 2014 Bashan Ministries Reprinted February 2016
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