December 16, 2020
Judges 7:9-18
That same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah, your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward, your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah, his servant, to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.” And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”
As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.” And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
Are you fearful, I will answer that one for you, sure you are Covid-19 proved how many who go by the name Christian did all kinds of things, so many of you changed up your lifestyle, because of fear of the unknown. I must confess, Jan and I were foolish by the world's standards. being in our seventies, we did not change but trusted in what God had promised in his word. Yes, we wore a mask when required, but God showed me and I am a man who has weak faith in a big God, that He would be our protector.
That is why I get so excited when I read this account of Gideon going into the camp of the Midian. God who is all-knowing, understood Gideon's fear and told him to take his servant Purah with him if he was fearful. I’ve never seen locusts come in unbelievable swarms but my mother told us stories of seeing them when she was a girl on the farm, come in huge swarms and destroy the crops. That is what the Midianites and the Amalekites look like to Gideons, but God. Yes, God's word to Gideon proves true and it still does to all who will be still and listen.
He came back and did with 300 men what God instructed him to do and as we will see tomorrow, it was one of the great battles, for it was not Gideon and 300 men, but God who defeated the Midianites and the Amalekites. Let me leave you with Isaiah 41:10, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” And Psalm 91:9-12, “If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
No comments:
Post a Comment