command – Page 2 – Old Testament Survey

Psalm 27

Psalm 27 has no reference to time in the title. However, after reading through this Psalm, similarities to the circumstances of En-Gedi and Adullam are evident where David was being pursued by friends (verse 12) and where his family met with him (verse 10).

Psalm 27 has no reference to time in the title (cf. Psalm 102, read the study of Psalm 102). However, after reading through this Psalm, similarities to the circumstances of En-Gedi and Adullam (1 Samuel 21-24) are evident where David was being pursued by friends (verse 12) and where his family met with him (verse 10).

Verse 1-David expresses his confidence in God, even though the situation is not hopeful. We have no need to fear because God is sovereign. He allows the circumstances for His glory. When we can confidently believe that, our lives will be shaped by His purpose not our fear. Fear comes to us when we respond emotionally, without correct knowledge, to a situation. What area of your life do you have fear? What is it about God you doubt?

Verses 2-3-David expresses not fear but confidence in an omnipotent God. Do we?

Verses 4-6-David has confidence that God will allow him to be with Him in His holy temple. God will deliver him. Would that be a prayer of yours? God, bring me through this week that I may stand and praise You at church on Sunday.

Verses 7-10-David is expressing his desire to know God better. He expresses his confidence in God not in humanity because he knows people offer conditional acceptance while God offers unconditional acceptance. The reference to father and mother relates to his father and mother joining him and being sent to safety in 1 Samuel 22.3. Even though they did not reject him, they could have because they are human.

Verses 11-12-David is facing danger from those he knows due to the adversaries being false witnesses and not an enemy nation. Could this be a reference to Doeg from 1 Samuel 22? He asks for God to give him a straight path. He is approaching God and seeking God. Remember that God promises a level path to all who seek Him and not their own ways (Proverbs 3.5-6)

Verses 13-14-David maintains his hope. He knows if he waits for the Lord to do His work, all will be good. These verses should remind you of Joshua 1, Isaiah 40, and Psalm 103.

What confidence do you have in God? Is He truly God in whom we seek refuge and of whom we worship? Or, is He something less than He claims to be? Who is He in your life?

1 Samuel 21-24

For the next few chapters, until the conclusion of the book, David is fleeing from Saul. We begin with David seeking sanctuary in a sanctuary. Good place to go, but not for bread and weapons. However, he found both there. Edomites are descended from Esau and are judged by God in Obadiah. We see their beginnings in Genesis 26.34-35 and Genesis 36. Esau rebels against his parents and pursues Canaanite women for wives. From this, an enemy of the Israelites springs. Saul has an Edomite as one of his leading shepherds. His name was Doeg. He tells Saul that David was protected and fed by the priests in Nob. In chapter 22 Saul orders the execution of the priest Ahimelech’s family because he helped David. The only person willing to carry out the order was Doeg. We will see David’s response to this later in 1 Samuel and in Psalm 52.

David goes to Gath with a sword of Goliath who was from . . . that’s right, Gath. When David goes to the city, the people recognize him as the soon-to-be-king. He fakes insanity and is let go.

In chapter 22 David is running from Saul toward the desolate cave of Adullum where the outcasts of Israel join his army. He takes care of his family by sending them to the Moabites. Refer to Ruth for background on the Moabites. This chapter shows the insane paranoia of Saul when he slaughters the descendants of Ahimelech for giving David bread (1 Samuel 21). Ahimelech gives Saul the background of David’s commitment to Saul. Saul still rejects David and kills Ahimelech’s family by the hand of Doeg. One, as always, escapes. His name is Abiathar. He proved faithful to David until David died. He was his high priest (Abiathar was the fourth generation from Eli).

Chapter 23 provides accounts of the relentless pursuit of Saul to kill David and David’s elude him. David stays in the wilderness of En-gedi during these days (cf. En-gedi and another En-gedi). As a bit of relief, David is introduced to Abiathar and Jonathan pledges his loyalty to David. It is strange that Saul could not find David but Jonathan could. When David wants to be found, he is; when he doesn’t want to be found, he isn’t. Does this sound like God?

Saul’s relentless pursuit continues in chapter 24. This time David could have killed Saul. Instead, David shows his loyalty to Saul because of his loyalty to God. Saul was relieving himself. The Hebrew states: “he covered his feet.” In other words, he was “dumping a load.” Saul relents from his relentless pursuit for a while. He will continue it in chapter 26. Here, however, Saul acknowledges that David will be king.

There are times we need to hide from those who pursue us, there are times we need to confront those who pursue us, and the time is always that we remain loyal to God’s Word and call in our life. Despite the circumstances, we need to remain true to His calling and purpose for us. How are you doing?

1 Samuel 17

This chapter is not only a commentary on David’s replacing Saul as the military leader it is also a comment on the army and on Saul. Saul and his army shrink in fear before Goliath. I don’t think it is a spoiler alert but David slays the giant in God’s strength for His glory.

Map of Israel before David was king. This map shows the place where David met Goliath.

It seems from verses 1-11 that the people of Israel forgot an important part of their existence; they are the people of God, making them the army of God, and making them invulnerable as long as they are working toward His purpose. God called them to rid the nation of Philistines. It seems they could not remember that God promised them the land and promised that He would be with them. Partly because of Saul and his rebellion against God, partly due to their preoccupying their mind with the circumstances of the day, and partly because they were listening to the taunts of their enemy and believing what he said. Goliath reminded them each day that he was a Philistine, who the Israelites were to drive out, and that statement is true. He then told them a lie. He told the Israelites that they belonged to Saul’s army, not God’s army. The lie was enveloped in the truth and the Israelites did not take every thought captive. In so doing, they believed the lie.

Our enemy does this to us as well. He will tell us truth. For example, you are a Christian. He then will tell the lie that we cannot be accepted by God because of sinful habits. The only way to get closer to God is by breaking those habits before we attempt to get closer. We believe the lie that is in the truth and are crushed in despair. The truth is you are a Christian (if you have accepted Him into your life). The truth is you sin (we all do). The truth is you have sinful habits. The lie comes when he tells you that you have to get better before God wants you to come to Him. We cannot get better outside of Him. It is He that we go to get better. This same scheme was used on Adam in the Garden and on Jesus in the Wilderness. One fell because he relied on his own word and the other overcame because He relied on God’s Word. We need to know the truth to be free. John 17 reminds us that God’s Word is Truth and John 14 informs us that Jesus is the Truth (the Word personified in John 1). Zechariah 3 presents this truth as Satan accuses Joshua, the High Priest, of not being acceptable to God. God then rebukes Satan with the truth. Are you accurately handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2.15)?

Goliath asks for a man to do battle with him. There is no answer, merely an interlude on what David is doing. If you recall, David was anointed as king in 1 Samuel 16. This chapter is historically out of place to confirm that David, not Saul, is the true king of Israel. After this chapter, the troops and the citizenry of Israel hail David as greater than Saul, which produces the fugitive motif of the remaining chapters. David is the hero, and Saul is the zero. The latter seeks to destroy the former.

David is obedient to his father which is a godly character trait based on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). He does even the menial tasks his father asks him to do. He tends the sheep, plays for Saul, and takes lunches to three of his brothers. Where were the other four?

It is in this chapter we begin to see another character trait of David. He is full of passion that leads him to the heights of glory as he slays Goliath and the depths of corruption as he murders his best general because of his adultery. His passion for God’s glory is clear here. Each day for forty days Goliath taunts not just God’s army but God as well. David needs to do something about that. When God is being dishonored, do you step up and demand it stop, even preparing in your mind for battle? Have you already prepared your mind with words for such instances? You should. Peter commands us to be ready for times such as these (1 Peter 3.15).

A moment with Goliath. He is more than nine feet tall. His job is to battle other strongmen from other armies and to strike fear into the hearts of those who see him. He has four brothers (2 Samuel 21.18-21) which would explain the five stones and not one. He was ready to take out Goliaths’ entire family. He went ready.
We know the rest of the story. David asks permission to fight Goliath. He actually begs Saul for this privilege. He gives testimony of all God has done in and through him. David prepares to battle Goliath. Saul gives David his armor. David refuses because he does not know how to use them. He walks out with his sling and his stones. Goliath mocks not David because he is not a man and mocks God, again. David proclaims that his power is not in his sling nor in the stones. He states his power to defeat Goliath is in God; the God of Israel will defeat Goliath. This is where David did not believe the lie. He knew this was God’s army going in God’s strength, under God’s guidance, not Saul’s nor his. He killed Goliath. The Philistines did not surrender as promised. They ran away. David took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem. Legend has it that he buried it on a hill outside the city and this is where the name “Golgotha” or “Place of the Skull” came into being. This is also the place where Christ was crucified (Matthew 27.33).

A point of interest, in 2 Samuel 21.18-22 another Bethlehemite kills another Goliath of Gath. This could be one of the brothers of Goliath. The phrase states that David and his servants killed all them. I wonder if he carried the other four stones for such a time as that. After that moment, David sings a song of thanksgiving for God’s deliverance from them and other enemies (2 Samuel 22).

The Israelites chased the Philistines, killed them. David was brought before Saul. David submitted himself to Saul’s authority. This is another character trait of David that is evident in the remaining chapters of 1 Samuel.

David and Saul’s character are compared. One followed the truth, was obedient to the Word, was submissive to authority, the authority both of his father and of Saul, and was victorious. The other lived in fear of the lies he believed and was defeated. Who would you rather be like?

1 Samuel 15

The opening verses, as many in the Old Testament, can be misunderstood. Unless we look at the passage in terms of whom God is and what He has done, verse three seems to be overkill (literally).

The opening verses, as many in the Old Testament, can be misunderstood. Unless we look at the passage in terms of whom God is and what He has done, verse three seems to be overkill (literally). However, God is punishing them for their sins. The book of Romans reminds us that there are none who are innocent and all deserve death based on rebellion against God. This would include “child and infant.” God is also judging them, specifically, for not befriending the Israelites on their journey. The latter occurred because of the former. The key in these verses (1-3) is for Saul, as God’s anointed, to “utterly destroy” the Amalekites. When we do not obey God to the letter of what He commands, we will set up ourselves for future sorrow. We will see this later in the chapter with Agag and have already seen it through Joshua and Judges.

The command God gave to Saul was to destroy all living creatures from among the Amalekites. Saul musters more than 200,000 men to battle, which shows the entirety of Israel was under his kingship by this time. He allows the Kenites to leave. They were not under God’s judgment. He allows Agag, the king, and all the animals that were healthy to survive. These were under God’s judgment. He partially follows what God commanded. This always leads to trouble.

The next verse shows God’s displeasure with Saul. Not only does Saul disobey God but he erects a monument to himself (verse 12). He then greets Samuel as if nothing wrong had happened. Samuel calls out Saul for his disobedience. Saul blames it on the soldiers then on God. He then proclaims that he followed God’s commands to the letter.

Samuel lays down God’s judgment before Saul. Saul attempts to justify himself by his actions (works do not save us). He thinks his actions are better than what God had planned. This is the basis for all our sins. We believe our plan is better than the God of the universe’s plan. Samuel provides God’s heart. Verse 22 should be committed to memory. God rejects Saul. He informs him that his sin was as bad as seeking out a witch for advice. He does this later in the book.

Saul repents. Even in his “repentance” he is blaming the people for his sins. The kingdom is now given to the unnamed rightful first king of Israel, which we will see in the next chapter. Samuel had nothing to do with Saul after that night. Samuel grieved over what happened with Saul. We should have the same heart. When in disciplining people in our sphere of influence, we should never delight in the discipline but grieve over what has happened and be in prayer for restoration. In this case, there is no restoration. When it states that God was sorry that He made Saul king, it means He also grieved over the life and work of Saul. It does not mean that He made a mistake and wanted to do it all over again.

Samuel finished the work Saul did not complete. He killed Agag. Saul must not have killed all the people of the Amalekites. A few hundred years later, in Esther 3, a descendant of Agag is mentioned whose name is Haman.

Our lack of obedience to God will come back to us in the form of discipline. Hebrews 12 reminds us that as God’s children we should expect discipline when we go against His commands. His discipline is always for restoration to fellowship with Him and His people. The consequences of our disobedience today may not come upon us quickly but may manifest themselves later in life or in our children’s life. We need to be careful, therefore, in how we live that God’s blessing rather than discipline may be found in our life and in the future for our children and for those people in our sphere of influence.

1 Samuel 14

Have you ever been caught between a high rock and a thorny place? This is where we find Jonathan, the son of Saul, today. He is in a crag whose sides are named Bozez, “Height,” and Seneh, “Thorn.”

This map will show where he was and what happened in chapter 14.

The chapter starts out normal. Jonathan does not tell his father that he is leaving. He goes with his armor bearer toward the Philistine camp. The detailed description is given of where Saul was and where Jonathan was. Jonathan then shows theological insight. Verse six gives us his words to the armor bearer: “. . . nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” His armor bearer is obedient to Jonathan. The passage does not tell whether the armor bearer had the same faith or was being loyal to Jonathan (remember, he is a prince). As Christians, would we follow the faith of someone because we were loyal to him or her? Is it wise if we are not sure of that what they are saying is biblical? Should we search it out first?

Things get a little confusing. Jonathan places his fleece before the Lord and tells his armor bearer that if the Philistines call them to come to their camp then the Lord has given Jonathan and his armor bearer the victory; if not, stand back.

When they enter, they are told to come; the come, kill twenty. Confusion, an earthquake, and panic occur. The men under Saul see, take roll, then find out who was doing this. Then they join the battle and route the Philistines. Those who had refused to join the fighting now saw victory and ran to join the forces.

It is after this miraculous victory that Saul makes a vow, an oath, that is quite ridiculous. It goes beyond what God would ask and is beyond Saul’s control. It is like Jephthah’s vow in Judges 10-12. I wrote

The vow Jephthah made should remind us not to make rash vows. We need to take every thought captive to determine if it is alignment with God’s Word (2 Corinthians 10.4-5).

Saul’s oath is if anyone eats before the evening has come that person should be cursed. Read put to death. If you remember, Jonathan was not in the camp when Saul made the curse. He was caught between a hard high place and a thorny place. Since he did not hear the oath, he ate the honey. He was informed by other troops of what his father had said. He then turned and stated that his father was causing grief in the land and the victory would have been greater had he allowed the troops to do what was normal–eat of the spoils for physical and psychological strength. Twice the troops are described as faint (28 and 31). Due to Saul’s enlargement of God’s command by Saul, the troops ate meat with blood, which is against the ceremonial law. The troops were so hungry, and they could not wait for the food to be properly prepared. Saul saw this and built a barbecue pit to cook the meat for the troops.

Saul then desires to complete the task of defeating the Philistines. The priest tells him to ask God. We need people who remind us to slow down to ask God what His will is and what direction He is working so we might join Him instead of demanding that He join us (and we fail and get frustrated). God says not to pursue. Saul gets angry and seeks God’s will about why they should not go. It is found that Jonathan disobeyed Saul’s command, in ignorance. He was still responsible for obeying the command even though he did not know the command nor did he agree with the command. Do we hold this for ourselves too? We may not know of nor agree with a school’s policy, a traffic ordinance, a family rule, but we are still responsible for keeping it.

Jonathan admits he broke the command and is accepting of the death penalty. The troops stop Saul from killing Jonathan because Saul was in the wrong and Jonathan was in the right.

The chapter ends with Saul’s victories in battle and his family tree.

Judges 15-16

If you remember, the cycle from yesterday was incomplete

Relapse: The people did evil in the eyes of God
Retribution: the Philistines ruled over the Israelites for 40 years
Repentance: Manoah and his wife called out to God for a child. God gave them Samson

Today we will complete the cycle in our study of Samson’s life.

Judges 15 presents the childish side of Samson. In Judges 14 it appeared as if Samson was spoiled in his demand for a Philistine wife. It seemed as if God uses that behavior and turns it for His glory for it accomplishes His purpose. Judges 15 shows Samson throwing a fit because he could not return to the woman he had almost married in chapter 14. When he returned to the bride, her father turned him away because Samson abandoned her. He gave her to the best man, as we see her and at the end of chapter 14. The reason for this may be cultural. I need to look into the cultural back ground for this.

God will also use this tantrum to accomplish His work. Sometimes God uses our sins to accomplish His work. Remember Joseph in Genesis who stated what his brothers intended for evil God used for good. Or, remember Paul’s reminder in Romans 8 that God causes all things to work together for His good (glory).

Samson accomplishes the defeat of the Philistines by burning the fields of the Philistines using torching foxes and setting them loose in the fields. The Philistines retaliate against his almost wife and father-in-law. In the eyes of the Philistines they were married. Samson swears vengeance on them for doing so a thing to his family.

Samson allows the men of Judah to bind him and turn him over to the Philistines as a means of killing them. When he was in the midst of them, he slew one thousand of them in the power of God with the jawbone of a donkey. It is here that the amount of years Samson ruled is given. Notice, though, that it does not state the Israelites were at rest. To finish the cycle:

Relapse: The people did evil in the eyes of God
Retribution: the Philistines ruled over the Israelites for 40 years
Repentance: Manoah and his wife called out to God for a child. God gave them Samson
Rescue: Samson led Israel for 20 years
Rest: None stated

I don’t think the Israelites rested due to the apparent spoiled nature of Samson. He never went to war to defeat the Philistines to remove them from power, he merely threw tantrums and killed many of them. Yet, he is listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 and 1 Samuel 12. God can be glorified despite us.

Judges 16 introduces the sin that led him into captivity and his “greatest” victory over the Philistines. He allowed his lust to control him, again, and visited a prostitute. He then “fell in love” with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines use her to find the source of Samson’s strength. The pity of this is that she did what she was asked and that Samson gave into her, even after he realized what she was doing. It appears his pride overwhelms his senses. The other item to pity is that Samson believed his strength was in his hair, not in his God. The Hebrew of verse 19 states that Delilah began to torment him then his strength left him. I wonder what that means.

Because of his sin, the Spirit of God left him. This is unique to the Old Testament. The New Testament shows us that the Holy Spirit is our guarantor of salvation and will not leave us. Here, however, the Spirit leaves Samson and he is powerless. Even for us, who have the Spirit dwelling in us, if we refuse to maintain our fellowship with God as He commands, we are not living in the power of the Spirit and are weak and helpless before our enemies.

Verses 23-31 of chapter 16 presents Samson’s greatest victory and that was in his death. God gave him strength as he called to Him. Although he did this out of revenge, God used it to accomplish His goals.

What would Samson’s life had been like if he used God’s presence in his life in a godly manner instead of a self-centered manner? Would the Israelites have found rest? What about us? What would our lives look like if we submitted more to the Word of God and made our daily, moment-by-moment, decisions in light of Him? Would our area of influence be holier?

Thoughts to ponder.

Judges 10-12

The next two judges are not listed with mighty actions but are listed as judging for a combined total of 45 years which is mighty enough. Tola is mentioned as a mighty warrior in 1 Chronicles 7 and Jair is mentioned in a list of importance later in 1 Chronicles.

Judges 10.1-2: The pattern that produced Tola is incomplete. There is an implied relapse, retribution, and repentance due to the sending of Tola.

Rescue: God raised Tola to save Israel
Rest: 23 years of peace

Judges 10.3-5: The same pattern holds for Jair. It is incomplete with an implied relapse, retribution, repentance, and rescue.

Rest: 22 years of peace

In looking at Jair’s method of judging, I see wisdom. He uses his thirty sons as circuit judges ruling more than thirty towns or territories, which allow Jair to judge/rule over all the area without the burden. This is reminiscent of what Moses’ father-in-law Jethro advised him to do in Exodus 18.

A period after these two judges presents the Israelites returning/relapsing to idol worship. This time it is so bad that God washes His hands of His people and refuses to rescue them. He reminded them of what He had already done for them then informed them that He would not do the same again.

They repent, remove their idols, and cry out to God. God hears and brings a deliverer, a judge, to rule over them. Second Chronicles 7.12-22 reminds us that God listens to those who are repentant and will supply a ruler. It also states that He will bring judgment on those who refuse to follow Him. Where does our nation stand? Where does the church in America fall? What about your life?

Judges 10.6-12.7: Jephthah is mentioned as a hero of the faith in 1 Samuel 12 and Hebrews 11. He is a different judge in that he was a social outcast, rejected by his family do to his father’s promiscuity. He was told he was worthless, so he behaved as someone who is worthless would be expected to behave. What we tell others can influence them to become like those whom we described. If I tell my daughter she is a godly girl and full of virtue, she will tend to walk that way. If I tell her she is not smart, she will tend to believe that as valid, whether it is true or not. What are the implications from this in our daily dialogue with others?

When the leaders of the tribes recognized their troubles and Jephthah’s gifts, they called on him. To Jephthah’s credit, he turned to God for help and recognized that his victory would come from God.

Jephthah recounts the history of Israel as his defense to the king of the Ammonites. He knows what God has done for His people. Do we know what God has done for us and through us for others? Do we remember His greatness?

Jephthah’s logic is well-thought. The Ammonites have no basis for attacking the Israelites. So, Jephthah asks the king why he would do this. The king does not answer and is defeated.

The vow Jephthah made should remind us not to make rash vows. We need to take every thought captive to determine if it is alignment with God’s Word (2 Corinthians 10.4-5). He promised to offer whatever came through his doors as a sacrifice, a burnt offering to the Lord, if God gave him the victory. Having only one child, a daughter, who did he think would come through the door? Also, isn’t human sacrificing forbidden by God? Many commentators grapple with this passage and attempt to make it less horrific. We need to remember the beginning of chapter 11. Jephthah is born from the actions his father took with a prostitute. It is commonly held that she was a foreign woman. Jephthah did not live in Israel but in the land of Tob (Syria) where human sacrifices were common. He, in the situation he found himself in, called on God in light of how he was raised to know god. So, it seems as though he did offer his daughter as a burnt offering. This passage states what he did, it does not claim he was right in doing what he did.

Jealousy is evident in Judges 12.1-7. Because of this jealousy, the Ephraimites are almost destroyed. The remainder of Judges contains accounts of judges that are based in the territory of Ephraim. When a study is conducted, at a later date, of Ephraim, it will show that this tribe was the cause of much trouble for Israel. When you picture Ephraim, picture Samaria.

Relapse: the people served the Canaanite gods
Retribution: Philistines and Ammonites oppressed Israel for 18 years
Repentance: The people acknowledged their sins and cried out to God.
Rescue: The son of a prostitute led the people to victory
Rest: 6 years of peace

After all these years and all these troubles the Israelites found themselves in due to their rebellion, you would think they would learn. However, the book of Judges continues and so does the cycle. Judges 12.8 introduces three judges and twenty-five years of time. Each ruled in separate territories, Elon in the north (Galilee), Abdon in the middle (Samaria), and Ibzan in the south (around Jerusalem/Bethlehem). This chapter is the only mention of these three judges in the Scripture. There is no mention of relapse, retribution, repentance, nor rescue. All are implied because a judge was sent.

What can be said of your life? Which portion of the cycle are you in? Are you returning to old ways, being judged because of them, in a period of repentance, is God rescuing you from your sin, or are you in a period of rest? What state do you find yourself in? Tough questions.

Judges 9

Judges 9 reintroduces one of the seventy sons of Gideon (called Jerubbaal here) who is Abimelech (Judges 8). He is listed shamefully in 2 Samuel 11. It is interesting that when something bad is occurring Gideon is called Jerubbaal.

He is conniving and deadly. His desire is to do the one thing his father refused to do. He wanted to be king over Shechem (think Samaria). He brought his mother on board (did James and John do this in the New Testament?) to aid in this plot. She convinced her clan that her son was the best son of Gideon to rule. Abimelech then began the extermination of his brothers. All died except one, Jotham the youngest. God always seems to bring the one back to haunt those who exterminated the others.

Abimelech becomes the name of a Philistine ruler and Jotham is the name of a good ruler of Judah and an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1).

Continuing with the story, Jotham pronounces a curse on Abimelech and the cities that promoted him. The curse is interesting to me because Jotham is asking us if we are serving the purpose for which we were created or are we attempting to be something we are not. Or, to quote the Wizard from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, “Be what you is, not what you is not. Folks that are what is, is the happiest lot.” The bramble bush made promises it could not keep. The common method of destroying them was to burn them, thus the curse.

The conclusion of the matter in Judges 9 is that the curse of Jotham is completed as stated. Those who allowed Abimelech to have power were consumed by fire and he would die.

When we attempt to live outside of the purpose for which God made us, our lives are lived for less greatness than He designed. Are you living in the purpose of God? If you do not know what that purpose is, read through passages that offer commands such as Romans 12.1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4.3f, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, etc. Ephesians 6 commands that we do the will of God from the heart.

When we do the known will of God, He reveals more of His purpose and will for our lives.

Judges 6-8

Judges 6 introduces us to Gideon who is only mentioned outside of Judges 6-8 in Hebrews 11 before Barak. However, his alias “Jerubbaal” is mentioned in 1 Samuel 12 along with Barak and this name is used in reference to the next judge, his son Abimelech. Gideon comes onto the scene after “the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD” again. The phrase, in the NRSV, “was evil in the sight of the LORD” eight times in Judges, thirty-four times in the history of the kings (mostly in the northern kingdom), and once in Jeremiah. A common phrase that does not occur in the New Testament. I guess we will find out what that is when we get there.

What was the evil? It seems they were worshiping the gods of the Amorites (verse 10). The Midianites and Amalekites were cruel people who would allow the Israelites hope for a season and then would crush that hope by removing from their hands all they had worked for during that season. God is a jealous God who does not allow people to replace Him with that which is not a god at all. His reply in verse 10 to the Israelite’s plea in verse 7 is interesting. He basically tells them that they call to Him as God and yet worship other gods and, it is implied, that He will not listen to their pleading because they do not listen to His. However, they do repent and then He listens. This is something we need to understand as we go through the Scriptures. God hears our pleas/prayers when we are in right fellowship with Him. In order to have fellowship with Him, we need to be in right relationship with Him too. We cannot have fellowship with someone we do not have a relationship with and we cannot have meaningful relationship with someone we are not getting to know on a personal level. This is why, I believe, Gideon went through the measures he did when God called him. If we are in fellowship with someone we know and are getting to know better, when they speak we will recognize their voice. Jesus tells us that His sheep know His voice.

Gideon is wondering who is speaking to him. If you notice, in verse 11-18, he is asking about those things he remembers his ancestors doing. He wants to know where the God of those adventures is and why He is not present with the Israelites. He wants to create his own adventures to remember. God is gracious and gives Gideon a sign and a command to tear down the altar his father has to Baal. This is Gideon’s first test to see if he fears man more than God.

What area of our lives are we being tested to see whether we fear God or man?

To his credit, he accomplishes the task (although under the cover of night).

Gideon then tests God. This is an anomaly in the Scripture. It is not suggest we “throw out a fleece” to determine what God has called us to do.

Judges 7-Throughout the book of Judges, God is intent on letting the people know that He is the one who delivers not the people. Zechariah tells us that it is not by might nor by power but by His Spirit that God produces much. In this section, God hones the army of Israel down from 32,000 to 300. He then commands Gideon to give them trumpets and lamps for battle. With these men and these tactics Gideon conquers and kills more than 100,000 men.

Judges 8 is a strange chapter. People refused to help Gideon in fear of the men he was pursuing. He vows to destroy them for not caring for him and does so after he is victorious over the Midianites. He then asks his youngest son to kill the kings but he does not because he is too young. There is much taunting in this passage.

Gideon is called to be the king. The people ask him and his sons and grandsons to rule over them. He refuses and gives credit to God. The next judge, his son, attempts to be king. Gideon then makes an altar that was not to God. He rules, dies, and the people turn to Baal once more.

The cyclical pattern we see in these chapters is as follows:

Relapse: The people did evil in the eyes of God
Retribution: 7 years of captivity to the Midianites
Repentance: After great persecution, the Israelites finally cried to God for help.
Rescue: God used Gideon to deliver the nation
Rest: 40 years of peace

What do we make a stumbling block for ourselves? How do we prostitute ourselves? When we are gone from our sphere of influence, what legacy will we have left? Who will have drawn closer to God and who will walk away?