Tag: Gideon
Mighty Warrior!
Scripture reading for March 11th: Judges 6-8
Poor self-image and discouraging self-talk are common symptoms of a life out of touch with the Lord. It is so easy to focus on our lack and inabilities. We always seem to magnify our weaknesses, see only the flaws, and are quick to blame them on someone else. Sometimes, we simply rehearse them over and over and stew in the negativity.
For seven years the Israelites had been under attack by the Midianites. They cried out to God for help and He sent them a prophet. The prophet told them about God’s mighty power in delivering them from Egypt and His warning not to worship the gods of the Amorites. They had not listened to the Lord!
God then sent his Angel to Gideon and he found him hiding in a wine press, threshing grain. The Angel’s first words to Gideon: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!” (Judges 6:12) Gideon’s first response was not one of faith. He believed that the Lord had abandoned them. This messenger sent Gideon on a mission to deliver Israel. (Judges 6:14) Gideon protested that his clan is the weakest in Manasseh and that he is the weakest of all!
The angel had told him to use the strength he had–little or great! God would be with him and that would make all the difference in the world. God sees each person as special and has a job that they can do. He specializes in taking weak people and infusing them with His strength. When they choose to believe His Word, nothing shall be impossible to them! (1st Corinthians 1:25-29)
As Gideon prepared to deliver Israel, he gathered an army together, but God reduced it from 32,000 to 300! He took away their weapons and gave them torches and pitchers! He told them to break the pitchers and wave the torches and shout! (Judges 7:13-20) Gideon won a great victory with 300 men and a healthy trust in God!
With God on your side, there are more for you than against you! “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!”
Abimelech, the self-appointed leader!
Scripture reading for March 12: Judges 9-12
All authority come from God and the Bible declares that God places people in authority. (Psalm 75:6-7) When God places someone in authority, His anointing and counsel guide that person. The person must stay under God’s anointing and follow His directions closely. As we have observed the various leaders so far in Scripture, we see how God has placed them where He wanted them and used them as they followed Him.
For example, Gideon was a man placed by God in a position of leadership. Gideon interacted with God to be certain of what to do and how to do it. He certainly was not perfect and made some glaring mistakes, but brought peace to the land for a period of time. He had 71 sons and a large family. When Gideon passed away, a leadership crisis arose. The Israelites went back to idol worship and one of Gideon’s sons sought to take over.
Abimelech arose to take over his father’s place. Abimelech was the son of a slave girl. He had 70 brothers who were produced through his father by other mothers. He went to his mother’s town and relatives and proposed to take over leadership. They paid him some money from an idol temple and he hired mercenary soldiers. They then killed 69 of his seventy brothers. Jotham, the youngest, was the only one who escaped. Jotham spoke a word of prophesy from Mt. Gerazim at Abimelech’s coronation ceremony then quickly escaped. He basically pronounced a judgment on Abimelech’s leadership and those who followed. (Judges 9:7-21)
The Scriptures state that God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem. God did this to avenge the shedding of innocent blood of the seventy brothers. Abimelech and the citizens of Schechem had conspired to commit that murder and now they would become enemies themselves! (Judges 9:22-24) This evil spirit would destroy them both and was God’s judgment on a self-appointed leader and those who joined with him in rebellion!
What can we learn from this today? God does place people in leadership for our good, protection, and blessing. When a leader follows the Lord, the people and leader are blessed. When someone tries to place themselves in leadership by his own power, craftiness, or manipulation, then both the leader and those who scheme with him come under God’s judgment! We must be vigilant today in our country. Politics and media are always at work trying to manipulate people. Politicians use religion and try to destroy their rivals. In the workplace, people scheme and plot to get advantage. In the church at times, people seek to appoint themselves. Beware– God’s judgment will come on those who appoint themselves!
Shechem’s punishment: “So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire over the people inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.” (Judges 9:49)
Abimelech’s punishment: “Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. Abimelech had his armor-bearer kill him so he did not die at the hands of a woman.
“Mighty Warrior!”
Scripture reading for March 11: Judges 6-8
Poor self-image and discouraging self-talk are common symptoms of a life out of touch with the Lord. It is so easy to focus on our lack and the way we are made. We always seem to magnify our weaknesses, see only the flaws, and are quick to blame them on someone else. Sometimes, we simply rehearse them over and over to ourselves and stew in the negativity. Gideon was just such a man during the days of the Judges. The God we serve loves to use the weak and flawed and make them into mighty warriors, even in spite of themselves!
For seven years the Israelites had been under attack by the Midianites. They cried out to God for help and He sent them a prophet. The prophet told them about God’s mighty power in delivering them from Egypt and His warning not to worship the gods of the Amorites. This was their problem. They had not listened to the Lord!
God then sent his Angel to Gideon. We find Gideon hiding in a wine press, threshing grain. The Angel’s first words to Gideon: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!” (Judges 6:12) Gideon’s first response is not one of faith. He was not sure why the Midianites were attacking them. He believed that the Lord had abandoned them. This messenger then sent Gideon on a mission to deliver Israel–in the strength he had. (Judges 6:14) Gideon again protests that his clan is the weakest in Manasseh and that he is the weakest of all! What a self-image problem! Or could it be that he is seeing accurately through his natural eyes?
The angel had told him to use the strength he had–little or great! God would be with him and that would make all the difference in the world. God sees each person as special and has a job that they can do. He specializes in taking weak people and infusing them with His strength. When they choose to believe His Word, nothing shall be impossible to them! (1st Corinthians 1:25-29)
As Gideon prepared to deliver Israel, he gathered an army together. God reduced it from 32,000 to 300! He took away their weapons and gave them torches and pitchers! He told them to break the pitchers and wave the torches and shout! Gideon’s faith was strengthened by supernatural signs that he asked for. God met him where he was. God sent him into the enemy camp to hear a prophetic dream about his victory. He obeyed and in the strength he had, delivered Israel from the Midianites! (Judges 7:13-20)
If you are struggling today with a poor self-image or have been engaging in negative self-talk, let this greeting from the Word of God touch your heart today! With God on your side, there are more for you than against you! Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!”