Graduate 89: Advent, Day 12
Gideon, the Judge
Judges 2:6-23; 6:1-8:28
There is so much that could be drawn from this material, I really don’t know where to start. After the death of Joshua, the nation of Israel enters a long period in which they go back and forth between following God faithfully and straying from him to worship and follow other gods. At no point do they cease to follow God entirely, but they combine the worship of God with the worship of Baal and Ashteroth and other deities. That is why they are described as “playing the harlot after other gods.” (The modern equivalent might be, “cheating with other gods.”) This is clearly contrary to the first of the Ten Commandments in which God states clearly, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Back and forth, back and forth. Yet, it is impossible to point the finger derisively at this people’s stubbornness without feeling without the sting of that rebuke in our own lives and communities. Two questions: How often and easily do we stray from the path that God has marked out for us? And how well are we doing at training and encouraging our brothers and sisters and children in the ways of God?
I do not think that one can seriously review these stories of God’s deliverance without marveling at the extent of His mercy and grace as over and over the people turn from Him and then cry out for deliverance. And God raises up a deliverer in Gideon. Again, we see the Great Reversal in this “valiant warrior” whose family is “the least in Manasseh” and is the “youngest of my father’s house” and is met by God’s messenger while hiding his grain in the winepress. Moreover, God takes an army of 22,000 and whittles it down to 300; that is his fighting force—and they defeated an army of over 120,000.
There really is too much to treat here—about trusting God and the assurances that God gives and participating in God’s work and stepping out in faith and standing strong in adversity and allowing the Lord to fight for you and recognizing the handiwork of God and God’s faithfulness. Are you getting the impression that it’s really all about God? Because it is. (Compare Luke 15:11ff—the parable of the prodigal son.) Again, I cannot but marvel at the goodness of God towards His people. It gives me that much more hope that He will stand by me as I slog through life—because of who God is.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
Judges 2:6-23; 6:1-8:28
There is so much that could be drawn from this material, I really don’t know where to start. After the death of Joshua, the nation of Israel enters a long period in which they go back and forth between following God faithfully and straying from him to worship and follow other gods. At no point do they cease to follow God entirely, but they combine the worship of God with the worship of Baal and Ashteroth and other deities. That is why they are described as “playing the harlot after other gods.” (The modern equivalent might be, “cheating with other gods.”) This is clearly contrary to the first of the Ten Commandments in which God states clearly, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Back and forth, back and forth. Yet, it is impossible to point the finger derisively at this people’s stubbornness without feeling without the sting of that rebuke in our own lives and communities. Two questions: How often and easily do we stray from the path that God has marked out for us? And how well are we doing at training and encouraging our brothers and sisters and children in the ways of God?
I do not think that one can seriously review these stories of God’s deliverance without marveling at the extent of His mercy and grace as over and over the people turn from Him and then cry out for deliverance. And God raises up a deliverer in Gideon. Again, we see the Great Reversal in this “valiant warrior” whose family is “the least in Manasseh” and is the “youngest of my father’s house” and is met by God’s messenger while hiding his grain in the winepress. Moreover, God takes an army of 22,000 and whittles it down to 300; that is his fighting force—and they defeated an army of over 120,000.
There really is too much to treat here—about trusting God and the assurances that God gives and participating in God’s work and stepping out in faith and standing strong in adversity and allowing the Lord to fight for you and recognizing the handiwork of God and God’s faithfulness. Are you getting the impression that it’s really all about God? Because it is. (Compare Luke 15:11ff—the parable of the prodigal son.) Again, I cannot but marvel at the goodness of God towards His people. It gives me that much more hope that He will stand by me as I slog through life—because of who God is.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 2:00 AM
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