Judges 6:28-35
I really like this passage. The people gather, enraged at the destruction of the Baal idol, seeking to preserve the honour of this god. What an answer Gideon's father gives, 'Let Baal defend his own honour, if he is a god.' Would we be brave enough to give such an answer to defend the honour of our God? Is this how Christians respond in our nation to perceived insults towards the Lord?
Back to business, the Midianites and Amalekites come up into the land against the people once more. This is Gideon's time, he does nothing in secret, the trumpet is blown, messengers sent out and an army is gathered.
Judges 6:36-40
What is Gideon doing here? He was given a great sign of assurance from the Lord why is he seeking another?
There is the trivial response to this passage, 'Lord, I think you want me to buy a BMW car. So if you let me see so many BMW cars then I'll know it is a sign from you.' How absurd.
The Lord responds with great patience to Gideon, who really doesn't deserve this patience. It is no excuse for us to talk of laying out a fleece before the Lord.
Showing posts with label Judges 6. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judges 6. Show all posts
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Judges 6:11-27
Now we meet Gideon.
Judges 6:11-18
Gideon, the smallest son, in the least family, in an insignificant tribe is to be lifted out of his obscurity to be the saviour for the nation.
The angel of the Lord appears and gives a very strange address to Gideon. Gideon is hiding his handful of wheat from the Midianites he certainly is not behaving like a might man of valour.
Somehow he becomes persuaded that it is the Lord who is speaking to him. He asks the Lord to wait until he brings out a present for him.
Judges 6:19-24
This is the passage which offers Gideon all the assurance he should need. He offers his gift to the Lord, the gifts are received and the Lord vanishes from his sight. Even after he has vanished the word of the Lord still comes again to Gideon, 'Peace be to you. Do not fear'.
Is it an angel of the Lord who has appeared to Gideon, or is it the Lord himself? At one level, since the angels are all ministering spirits who perfectly reflect the word of the Lord given to them there is no practical difference. But, there are angels, a category of creation who are not the Lord.
Is Gideon merely being polite, 'my lord', or 'sir'. That certianly won't work for v. 15.
I don't think we need to go so far as to read this as a pre-incarnational visit of the Lord Jesus. The Lord is able to appear to his people in whatever form he chooses, according to his own purpose.
Judges 6:25-27
This section ends with Gideon fulfilling the word of the Lord and destroying the Baal statue and the Asherah in his own father's garden! Gideon is in himself an unlikely person to choose to lead the nation into a war, but his father has foreign idols in the garden, how much less likely can Gideon become?
Judges 6:11-18
Gideon, the smallest son, in the least family, in an insignificant tribe is to be lifted out of his obscurity to be the saviour for the nation.
The angel of the Lord appears and gives a very strange address to Gideon. Gideon is hiding his handful of wheat from the Midianites he certainly is not behaving like a might man of valour.
Somehow he becomes persuaded that it is the Lord who is speaking to him. He asks the Lord to wait until he brings out a present for him.
Judges 6:19-24
This is the passage which offers Gideon all the assurance he should need. He offers his gift to the Lord, the gifts are received and the Lord vanishes from his sight. Even after he has vanished the word of the Lord still comes again to Gideon, 'Peace be to you. Do not fear'.
Is it an angel of the Lord who has appeared to Gideon, or is it the Lord himself? At one level, since the angels are all ministering spirits who perfectly reflect the word of the Lord given to them there is no practical difference. But, there are angels, a category of creation who are not the Lord.
Is Gideon merely being polite, 'my lord', or 'sir'. That certianly won't work for v. 15.
I don't think we need to go so far as to read this as a pre-incarnational visit of the Lord Jesus. The Lord is able to appear to his people in whatever form he chooses, according to his own purpose.
Judges 6:25-27
This section ends with Gideon fulfilling the word of the Lord and destroying the Baal statue and the Asherah in his own father's garden! Gideon is in himself an unlikely person to choose to lead the nation into a war, but his father has foreign idols in the garden, how much less likely can Gideon become?
Monday, 17 May 2010
Judges 61:1-10
Judges 6 is the beginning of the Gideon narrative. Running through to chapter 8 this is the first major narrative, extending beyond one chapter in the book of Judges. I suppose Deborah and Barak have two chapters, but chapter 5 reworks the base narrative of chapter 4 in poetic form.
Judges 6:1-6
Once again the people of Israel do evil. This time their enemies are the Midianites, aided by the Amalekites. In passing let me say, I've never met anyone who is interested in who the Midianites were or what colour of clothes the Amalekites wore. It is too easy, and a great temptation to major on minors, does our knowledge of the Midianites or Amalekites change the meaning of the word of God? Will knowing about this background help us to live lives as disciples of Jesus? I don't think so!
Judges 6:7-10
Before raising up Gideon to save the people the Lord sends a prophet to condemn the people, to make them know that their situation is a result of their sin.
The Lord speaks of his great faithfulness from the time he brought the people up out of Egypt. We see here one of the Lord's great objectives in the Exodus, to have the people set free from Egypt know him as their God.
But, you have not obeyed my voice. There is no need to bring a specific verse or passage and say this is the one you have disobeyed. The purpose of God in Exodus and in all his speaking to the people is that they would be his people and he would be their God. Whenever they fall into evil they are not the people of God, they are living as though God were not their God!
Since the desire of God, in Exodus and Gospel, is to be our God, is it really to hard for us to have him as our God? Is there any other God we would rather have?
Judges 6:1-6
Once again the people of Israel do evil. This time their enemies are the Midianites, aided by the Amalekites. In passing let me say, I've never met anyone who is interested in who the Midianites were or what colour of clothes the Amalekites wore. It is too easy, and a great temptation to major on minors, does our knowledge of the Midianites or Amalekites change the meaning of the word of God? Will knowing about this background help us to live lives as disciples of Jesus? I don't think so!
Judges 6:7-10
Before raising up Gideon to save the people the Lord sends a prophet to condemn the people, to make them know that their situation is a result of their sin.
The Lord speaks of his great faithfulness from the time he brought the people up out of Egypt. We see here one of the Lord's great objectives in the Exodus, to have the people set free from Egypt know him as their God.
But, you have not obeyed my voice. There is no need to bring a specific verse or passage and say this is the one you have disobeyed. The purpose of God in Exodus and in all his speaking to the people is that they would be his people and he would be their God. Whenever they fall into evil they are not the people of God, they are living as though God were not their God!
Since the desire of God, in Exodus and Gospel, is to be our God, is it really to hard for us to have him as our God? Is there any other God we would rather have?
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