In the book of Judges, chapter 8, there is the final defeat of the Midianites.
At first, those who were left behind on the initial raid were angry and upset with Gideon, questioning why they weren't involved. He then turned the tables on them and said they did more than he by defeating the two Midianite chiefs Oreb and Zeeb.
They were no longer upset.
As they traveled in pursuit of the Midianites who fled, Gideon and his people came to a town. He asked for some food. They were denied sustenance. Gideon told them once he has defeated the final Midianite people, he will come back and beat them with thorns and briers.
He travled on to the next town, who told him the same thing. Again, he said he will tear down his tower once he has defeated the Midianite people.
Then, Gideon did as he had advised: once the final Midianite people were defeated, the people who denied them were punished.
And until his death forty years later, there was peace in the land.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
A trumpeting victory
In the book of Judges, chapter 7, Gideon gathered up 32,000 Israelite men and set out to defeat the Midianites.
But the Lord said there were too many Israelites and if He gave them victory, they would say it was they who did it instead of through the Lord. So Gideon sent those who were afraid back home, which left him with 10,000 men.
Still too many.
The Lord told Gideon to take them all to the river, and watched what the Israelites would do. Of the remaining 10,000 men, 300 scooped up water with their hands instead of kneeling down into the water. Those 300 were chosen to attack the Midianites.
Prior to the attack, Gideon and a servant sneaked down into the enemy camp. There, he heard of how afraid they were of Gideon. He went back, divided up jars of oil and trumpets, and using psychological warfare, blew the trumpets from three different sides. This startled the enemy, who ended up attacking each other.
Those that remained were attacked the by 300 . . . and victory was achieved.
But the Lord said there were too many Israelites and if He gave them victory, they would say it was they who did it instead of through the Lord. So Gideon sent those who were afraid back home, which left him with 10,000 men.
Still too many.
The Lord told Gideon to take them all to the river, and watched what the Israelites would do. Of the remaining 10,000 men, 300 scooped up water with their hands instead of kneeling down into the water. Those 300 were chosen to attack the Midianites.
Prior to the attack, Gideon and a servant sneaked down into the enemy camp. There, he heard of how afraid they were of Gideon. He went back, divided up jars of oil and trumpets, and using psychological warfare, blew the trumpets from three different sides. This startled the enemy, who ended up attacking each other.
Those that remained were attacked the by 300 . . . and victory was achieved.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Healthy ways of living
In the book of Proverbs, chapter 6, we find all sorts of warnings. Or, as I like to call them, healthy ways of living.
The first deals with promises. Do not promise something that you aren't able to do. Also, do not promise to be responsible for someone else's debts. Both are like an animal getting trapped.
Next is laziness. Are ants lazy? Just take on look at an ant hill and you'll know the answer is no.
Lying is next. It is one of the things God hates. Lying does nothing but stir up trouble in the end. It is always better to be truthful, even if it hurts.
The last half of the chapter deals again with adultry. The best verse is 26: "A man can hire a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultry will cost him all he has." Take one look at those who have cheated on their spouse, and you know they've lost much more than gained for the small affair they had.
The first deals with promises. Do not promise something that you aren't able to do. Also, do not promise to be responsible for someone else's debts. Both are like an animal getting trapped.
Next is laziness. Are ants lazy? Just take on look at an ant hill and you'll know the answer is no.
Lying is next. It is one of the things God hates. Lying does nothing but stir up trouble in the end. It is always better to be truthful, even if it hurts.
The last half of the chapter deals again with adultry. The best verse is 26: "A man can hire a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultry will cost him all he has." Take one look at those who have cheated on their spouse, and you know they've lost much more than gained for the small affair they had.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Meet Gideon
The Israelites never seem to learn. Once again, in chapter 6 of the book of Judges, they find themselves under the rule of another people, the Midianites this time. Because they're afraid of them, the Israelites have hid themselves in caves while the Midianites take all of their livestock and decimate their land.
Then, the people of Israel, after seven years of terrible rule, cry out to the Lord for help.
The Lord answered their prayers. Through a man named Gideon. Gideon, by his own account, was the most unimportant man in the weakest tribe of all Israel. Yet the Lord chose him.
Gideon had a problem though. He needed to be constantly convinced that what the Lord was telling him was the truth. He had a difficult time believing. After gathering all of the Israelites together, Gideon asked God to give him a sign, that what he was doing was correct. He laid out a piece of wool and said that if in the morning there's dew on the ground and not on the wool, he'd believe. The next morning, it happened. To double convince himself, he asked God to do just the opposite.
God did so.
Gideon was ready to take the Israelites into battle against the Midianites.
Then, the people of Israel, after seven years of terrible rule, cry out to the Lord for help.
The Lord answered their prayers. Through a man named Gideon. Gideon, by his own account, was the most unimportant man in the weakest tribe of all Israel. Yet the Lord chose him.
Gideon had a problem though. He needed to be constantly convinced that what the Lord was telling him was the truth. He had a difficult time believing. After gathering all of the Israelites together, Gideon asked God to give him a sign, that what he was doing was correct. He laid out a piece of wool and said that if in the morning there's dew on the ground and not on the wool, he'd believe. The next morning, it happened. To double convince himself, he asked God to do just the opposite.
God did so.
Gideon was ready to take the Israelites into battle against the Midianites.
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