Burunche’s Blog

Judges 9: 50 – 57 ”Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it. But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.

When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire. But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’”

So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died. And when the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home. In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers. And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.”

Well, it finally happened! Abimelech’s earlier successes went to his head and he decided to extend his conquest to Thebez, a village 9 miles northeast of Shechem. But things didn’t turn out as expected. The citizens of Thebez locked themselves into their huge tower. Abimelech probably was rubbing his hands with glee; all that he and his men had to do was to gather up wood pile it up against the tower and burn them to a crisp just as they had to the people of Shechem.

Evidently the residents of Thebez had already stocked this tower with deadly missiles that could be dropped on attackers. Seizing an upper millstone, one brave lady dropped it on Abimelech’s head. Just as Abimelech had murdered the sons of Gideon on a single stone, now a single stone would prove to be his undoing. The only thing Abimelech could do was to beg his armor bearer to stab him and end his life quickly in a vain attempt to avoid the lady from Thebez being credited with killing him. Fat chance! It’s likely that Abimelech’s body wasn’t even cool before the ladies of Thebez were singing mocking songs about him as they came down the stairs from their tower. Abimelech’s men quietly slunk away into obscurity.

APPLICATION: When the Israelites defeated the tribes east of the Jordan, the Reubenites and Gadites came to Moses and asked permission to settle in that area because they had large herds and flocks and the land was excellent grazing land. Moses gave permission but warned these tribes that they had to commit themselves to helping the other tribes conquer Canaan. Moses further warned them that if they failed to carry out this commitment, God would punish them. Numbers 32:23 says, ““But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” 

God is merciful and gives us many opportunities to behave righteously. But God is also a God of justice. When Gideon’s son Jotham stood on Mount Gerizim and pronounced curses on the men of Shechem and on Abimelech, he was speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Jotham pronounced doom for Abimelech and for those from Shechem and Beth – millo if they failed to repent.

How does this scripture illustrate God’s mercy? Had these evil – doers repented and sought God’s forgiveness, they would have saved themselves. But Abimelech and his supporters were certain that they could get away with murder and mayhem. When these men chose to massacre the people of Shechem and when they attacked Thebez, they sealed their own doom.

“But what does this have to do with me?” You might ask. “Hey! I’m a good person! I don’t run around murdering people.” But search your heart. Is there anyone with whom you are angry? Anyone at school, at work, or in your family whom you are avoiding because you don’t want anything to do with them? How honest are you?

God does not grade on a curve; sin is sin. And all of us are sinners in need of a Savior. If there were ever even one perfect man or woman who was totally sinless, then the potential would exist for the rest of us to be sinless as well. But while we are appalled at the blood thirstiness of Abimelech, we are unaware of the darkness within our own hearts. The only reason that a just God has not already turned us all into cinders is that Jesus Christ already paid the price for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross at Calvary.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins. Help everyone who reads this to turn to you and to beg for salvation. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 9:30 – When Zebul the governor of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he burned with anger. So he covertly sent messengers to Abimelech to say, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. Now then, tonight you and the people with you are to come and lie in wait in the fields. And in the morning at sunrise, get up and advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do to them whatever you are able.” So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

Now Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelech and his men came out from their hiding places. When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountains!” But Zebul replied, “The shadows of the mountains look like men to you.” Then Gaal spoke up again, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming by way of the Diviners’ Oak.”

“Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!” So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech, but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. And many Shechemites fell wounded all the way to the entrance of the gate. Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.

The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech. So he took his men, divided them into three companies, and waited in ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and attacked them. Then Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two companies rushed against all who were in the fields and struck them down. And all that day Abimelech fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.

On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith. And when it was reported to Abimelech that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there, he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his ax in his hand and cut a branch from the trees, which he lifted to his shoulder, saying to his men, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”

So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.

Some of the stories in the Book of Judges would give “Game of Thrones” a run for its money! Let’s review: God used Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites, and Gideon had 72 sons, one of them being Abimelech and another Jotham. Abimelech was the son of a concubine but was power – hungry and convinced his mother’s brothers to back him as he murdered 70 of Gideon’s legitimate sons. Jotham escaped the slaughter and then pronounced curses on Abimelech and his supporters from Shechem and Beth – millo. When backing Abimelech failed to yield the wealth and power the men of Shechem had expected, they began highway robbery. Soon a fellow named Gaal showed up to challenge Abimelech. As it turned out, Gaal was “all hat and no cattle.”

Zebul, the Shechem city governor, (probably another one of the uncles), was loyal to Abimelech and informed Abimelech about Gaal’s threats. When Abimelech showed up, Gaal was defeated; however, Abimelech also took his revenge on the city of Shechem, destroying the city and sowing the ground with salt so that nothing would ever grow there again. The Shechemite leaders, presumably including Zebul and all of Abimelech’s uncles, took refuge in the tower inside the temple of Baal – berith. This was a fateful decision because Abimelech and his men set fire to the tower, killing a thousand men and women. All of this happened because “God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully, in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers. Judges 9:23-24

APPLICATION: Galatians 6:7 tells us, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” The men of Shechem conspired to mass murder of Gideon’s seventy sons, and now they and their entire city were destroyed.

The men of Shechem made the fatal mistake of turning their backs on God and assuming that He was not watching their actions. But actions always have consequences. In recent times, the concept of “situation ethics” has become popular – judging any situation on its own merits without regard to standards. But if there are no standards, how can you assess anything? We might not want rules for ourselves, but we are incensed when others fail to follow the same rules we choose to flout. Human nature has not changed; neither has the nature of God. Another translation of Galatians 6:7 reads, “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked..” When we insist that we can do anything we choose without fear of divine retribution, we are mocking God, behaving as if God is not omnipresent (present everywhere), omniscient (all – knowing), or omnipotent(all – powerful.) God’s nature does not change because we choose to ignore Him.

The evil we do today sows the seeds of disaster for us tomorrow. Human beings are created with a need to worship something greater than themselves. Fail to worship God, and you are setting yourself up for destruction. Fail to teach your children about God, and they will copy your example and find something or someone else lesser to worship. But remember the men of Shechem. The Shechemites refused to worship the God who had delivered them and fixed their affections on Baal – berith (“Lord of the flies”) instead. The very evil that these men had instrumented caught up with them.

PRAYER: Father God, we open our hearts to You. Show us those things that do not please You and clean up our hearts and minds! Let us truly know You as our God and King. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 9:22 – 29 “After Abimelech had reigned over Israel for three years, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully, in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.

The leaders of Shechem set an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.

Meanwhile, Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem put their confidence in him. And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.

Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech? If only this people were under my authority, I would remove Abimelech; I would say to him, ‘Muster your army and come out!’”

When you compare Abimelech with his relatives from Shechem, it’s difficult to know who was worse. Abimelech was a greedy, power – hungry tyrant, but then there were his uncles. Had Abimelech’s uncles been righteous men, when he came up with the crazy idea of seizing power, they would have laughed and told him to go home and forget it. Gideon’s seventy sons would still have been alive and the entire course of history in that area would have been different. But Abimelech and the uncles were cut from the same bolt of cloth. It’s quite likely that Abimelech shot off his mouth a few too many times, insulting his relatives. And when supporting Abimelech didn’t pay off as expected, the men of Shechem began systematic armed robbery of all the travelers on the hilltops where the paths were narrow and easily barricaded.

This bunch of deplorables found themselves a new leader in Gaal, son of Ebed, who showed up with some of his brothers. Gaal was another big talker, making threats about Abimelech, and the men of Shechem were fed up with Abimelech.

APPLICATION: The big mistake the men of Shechem made in the first place was that they turned their backs on God and worshiping Him. Once these men plunged into baal worship with its orgies and its drinking bouts, they simply lurched from one bad leader to another. Being driven by lusts, these men had no clue what their tribes actually needed, nor did they realize the destruction that would eventually come upon them. There was no thought given to the things that would protect families and help their area develop.

Today, many people have made the same mistake as the foolish men of Shechem. Driven by a sense of entitlement, many people flout traffic laws, cheat on school work, steal from companies, and do as little work as possible while on their jobs. But actions still have consequences.

It was George Santayana who said that ‘”Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Today there are many people who are attempting to rewrite history to suit particular agendas. But truth has a nasty habit of coming out, no matter how hard one tries to suppress it. There are many parts of human history that make grim reading; however, if we refuse to learn from the past, we will definitely repeat mistakes that could have been avoided.

The men of Shechem refused to worship God, settling for something easier and more convenient. But in turning away from the One True Living God, those men set themselves and their families up for disaster.

Times have changed, but human nature has not. We all are still sinners in need of a Savior. And there is no other way to salvation apart from Jesus. Christ. You are free to choose to follow Christ or to ignore Him. But at the end of time, you will still face Him.

PRAYER: Father God, please let everyone who reads these words take them to heart. Help them to know how much You love them and how much You long for them to love You. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 9:7 – 21 “When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: “Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to you. One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves.

They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’

Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and reign over us.’ But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, to hold sway over the trees?’

Then the trees said to the grapevine, ‘Come and reign over us.’ But the grapevine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’

Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and reign over us.’ But the thornbush replied, ‘If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’

Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have done to him as he deserves— for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian, but you have risen up against my father’s house this day and killed his seventy sons on a single stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shechem because he is your brother— if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you. But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.” Then Jotham ran away, escaping to Beer, and he lived there for fear of his brother Abimelech.”

Jotham was Gideon’s youngest son and the only survivor of Abimelech’s massacre. Mount Gerizim is roughly 2.6 miles from the original site of Shechem. Evidently there must have been something about the configuration of Mount Gerizim that would allow sound to travel long distances. At any rate, Jotham bravely confronted the men of Shechem and Beth – millo with their perfidy and then escaped.

To whom was Jotham referring when he mentioned the olive tree, the fig tree, the grape vine, and the bramble? In some rabbinic traditions, the olive tree represented Othniel, Caleb’s son – in – law, who delivered Israel and who judged them for forty years. The fig tree represented Deborah, who together with Barak defeated the Canaanites, while the fruitful grapevine represented Gideon. The bramble obviously represented Abimelech. The men of Shechem and Beth – millo were willing to ignore Gideon’s refusal to rule in hopes that they would gain wealth and power by supporting Abimelech. Eventually, Abimelech truly proved to be a bramble tree, tearing and wounding those around him.

One telling statement Jotham made was the description of Abimelech as “the son of his (Gideon’s) maidservant. Generally, the offspring of concubines did not enjoy the same status as that of sons born into a marriage. Jotham was reminding Abimelech’s supporters that the men they murdered had far better claims to be rulers than did Abimelech.

APPLICATION: Gideon became a leader because God called him and then empowered him. Gideon risked his life on the battlefield and still refused to become king. Abimelech wanted everything to be handed to him and had done nothing to earn anyone’s respect.

Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Through the years, we have had experience with a number of chiefs and elders in various places in Ghana. Those chiefs who have cared about their people work for their good.

The question for each of us is this: how do we handle leadership positions when we are thrust into them? If we humble ourselves and ask God for help, He will inspire us and give us the grace and the courage to do the right thing. But if we become petty tyrants bent on our own wants and desires, we are failing God. We can grimace at Abimelech, but we must find good role models of leadership if we are to leave a blessed legacy behind us.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to follow You and to seek You in all the work to which You call us. Help us to take Jesus as our Example and to follow in His footsteps and not in those of greedy self – aggrandizing leaders. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 9:1 – 6 “Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother, “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”

And when his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him. He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself. Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo gathered beside the oak at the pillar in Shechem and proceeded to make Abimelech their king.”

Remember Abimelech, the son of the concubine? This guy is a snake in the grass! Although Abimelech is a semi – legitimate son as opposed to his seventy half – brothers, his lust for power knows no bounds. Look at theses arguments:

1. Being ruled by seventy versus one. Huh? There is no indication that Gideon was trying to found a ruling dynasty in the first place. When asked by the Jews to become their ruler, Gideon refused. Judges 8:23 “But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.”

2. There is no indication that any of Gideon’s sons wanted to rule over anybody either.

3. Abimelech’s big problem was that he hadn’t inherited as much from his father as had his half – brothers.

4. Abimelech was trying to act on the meaning of his name. “Abimelech” means “My father is king.”

5. Abimehech’s uncles were more than happy to try to seize power over Israel, provided that their nephew would take the lead. After all, if their nephew succeeded, then they would become rich and powerful. If their nephew failed, they could always claim that they really didn’t believe in him…. of course, those seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal – Berith might be difficult to explain. So Abimelech’s uncles allied themselves with “worthless men,” eventually sealing their own doom.

One question is this: how did one man manage to murder seventy other men? The only reasonable answer is that those “worthless men” who were hired with the money from the temple must have helped. A second question follows: why did the men of Shechem and Beth – millo think they would get away with mass murder of the sons of the man who had delivered Israel?

The problem again was one of parents refusing to teach their children. Forty years – two generations – elapsed between the time of Gideon’s victory and his death. The Israelites continued to refuse to teach their children about the One True Living God and all the wonders that He had done on their behalf. Two generations was long enough for people to forget about God and Gideon and to chase after Baal – berith.

APPLICATION: When we are choosing someone to follow, how carefully do we examine their credentials and their character? These days, social media and mainstream news media have so muddied the waters that it is difficult to ascertain the truth about potential leaders. Carefully orchestrated publicity campaigns may hide or downplay major character failings of one individual while exaggerating those of a second individual.

In the story of Abimelech, it would appear that his uncles really didn’t think things through very much. They probably figured that they were in a reasonably remote area and that nobody would oppose their power play. But these men forgot that God selected Gideon and that God empowered Gideon to be successful in battle. They really didn’t think Baal – berith had power, but they forgot that Elohim did.

During our decades as missionaries, we have observed an important fact: any organization, be it a mission, a church, or a para – church organization, only functions along Christian principals if the leaders are truly committed Christians willing to do what it takes to see that their organization runs along Christian lines. If the topmost leadership is not thoroughly committed, the organization will operated just like any secular business. Leadership is critically important.

In a previous day and age, sports figures and others were admired for their character. We all want heroes. But be careful! Sometimes those who are most heroic are the most obscure while those who are highly publicized turn out to be weak individuals who will falter and fail under pressure. Remember: you are likely to copy those individuals whom you most admire. Choose wisely!

PRAYER: Father God, help us to search out men and women of integrity and to let their examples inspire us. But most of all, Lord, help us to copy Jesus, the ultimate example. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 8:28 – 35 “In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon, and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down. Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives. His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

Later, Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god. The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel.”

Well, Israel is at it again! Gideon’s body has barely cooled when the Israelites are off into Baal worship. Forty years is two generations, plenty of time for people to forget when nobody teaches them about the goodness of God in the first place.

What did Gideon teach his sons? Did Gideon really teach his sons the truth about how God had used him to deliver Israel, or did Gideon edit the story to make himself look braver and stronger than he actually was? Did Gideon think that it was somebody else’s job to teach those 70 sons about God’s miraculous deliverance?

Who or what was Baal – berith? Wikipedia offers this information from the Rabbinic literature: The idol Baʿal Berith, which the Jews worshipped after the death of Gideon, was identical, according to the Rabbis, with Baʿal Zebub, “the lord of flies,” the god of Ekron (2 Kings 1:2). He was worshipped in the shape of a fly; and Jewish tradition states that so addicted were the Jews to his cult that they would carry an image of him in their pockets, producing it, and kissing it from time to time. Baʿal Zebub is called Baʿal Berith because such Jews might be said to make a covenant (Hebrew: berith) of devotion with the idol, being unwilling to part with it for a single moment (Shab. 83b; comp. also Sanh. 63b). According to another conception, Baʿal Berith was an obscene article of idolatrous worship, possibly a simulacrum priapi (phallic symbol.) This is evidently based on the later significance of the word “berit,” eaning circumcision.”

All indications are that Baal worship generally involved sexual orgies as a means of encouraging the earth to be fruitful. This kind of religious was a no – holds – barred affair, in contrast to the rules and regulations God had set forth for the Jews. For someone who had never been taught about the goodness of God, the grace of God, or the mercy of God, such a choice would be a no – brainer: “Baal – how fun! Elohim – BORING!!!”

APPLICATION: God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the other laws so that the Jews would follow a holy life style. God already knew exactly how evil and perverted Baal worship and Ashtorah worship was. God also knew those restrictions that would help keep the Jews healthy in mind, body, and spirit. Who knows how many Jews died prematurely because they refused to heed God’s laws and wandered off into Baal worship instead?

When God gave Moses the laws for the Jews, He expressly forbade them from worshiping any kind of idol. The Jews were not even allowed to carve the form of any animal or person on their altars. Jewish altars were to be made of undressed stones and to be extremely plain. God knew that the second that the Jews had anything they could make into an idol, they would do so immediately. Look at what happened with Aaron and the golden calf or Gideon and the ephod.

What are you worshiping? What is most important to you? As I am writing this, I am reflecting on our experiences of Sunday afternoon, August 29^th. After rushing back to the U.S. so that we could see my brother – in – law, we found him dead in his house that afternoon. By the grace of God, we had gotten to spend a significant amount of time with him over the previous two days. My late brother – in – law loved mechanical things and had a classic car that he would proudly drive to cruise nights. He also had a jeep and a pickup truck, as well as a four – wheeler. Now all those vehicles are sitting useless in the drive and in the garage. Blessedly, my brother – in – law was a Jesus follower and had been for forty years, but for many of his friends, their vehicles are idols.

There is an old saying that goes, “Only one life; twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for God will last.” The only thing any of us can ever do FOR God is to worship Him; He must do everything else in our hearts.

Jesus told his disciples a parable recorded in Luke 12:16 – 21 “And He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. And he was reasoning within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere I will store up my fruits?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns, and will build greater ones, and will store up there all my grain and goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things laid up for many years; take your rest; eat, drink, be merry.”’ And God said to him, ‘Fool! This night, your soul is required of you; and what you did prepare—to whom will it be?’ So is the one treasuring up for himself, and not being rich toward God.”

My brother – in – law collapsed in his kitchen while fixing his supper. He was alone. There was no time left to follow God; however, he had chosen to serve God forty years ago and was continuing. None of us knows the day or hour in which we will die.

2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “ Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” You must choose now, but choose wisely! Eternity may come upon you without warning.

PRAYER: Father God, help each and every one who reads this to come to a saving knowledge of Your Grace and of Your Salvation. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 8:22 – 27 “Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.” Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

“We will give them gladly,” they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it. The weight of the gold earrings he had requested was 1,700 shekels, (1,700 shekels is approximately 42.7 pounds or 19.4 kilograms.) in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple garments of the kings of Midian, and the chains from the necks of their camels. From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.”

Gideon has won an amazing victory and everybody is ecstatic. When the Israelites approach Gideon and want to set him up as a king, he responds appropriately that it is the Lord who must rule over Israel. If the story had ended here, everything would have been great. Gideon would have had an unblemished reputation as a hero of faith. But unfortunately, Gideon makes a terrible mistake; he collects gold and creates an ephod.

To understand where things went wrong, we need to remind ourselves what an ephod was in the first place. An ephod was part of the garments for the high priest. The ephod was an outer garment created from costly material, gold, and precious stones that was worn over the other priestly garments. No other priest was to wear the ephod. Inside the ephod were the Urim and Thummim, small objects that were used for priestly divination. Some sources feel that when the high priest wore the ephod and was seeking guidance from the Lord, certain jewels on the breastplate would even light up or rearrange themselves to give an answer.

At any rate, this story sadly illustrates several points:

1. The Israelites had failed to teach their children about God and about his commandments, despite having made several covenants to that effect.

2. There was nobody holding the office of high priest in Israel at that point, or if there was, the Israelites had gotten out of the habit of consulting the high priest. Evidently there were no priests in the area in which Gideon was living. Certainly, Gideon was not from the tribe of Levi and therefore had no right whatsoever to have anything to do with an ephod.

3. We don’t know what had happened to the priestly garments Moses had Bezaleel and Oholiab create for the high priest. Perhaps those garments were in Jerusalem and therefore far away.

4. Given any chance at all, the Israelites would immediately fall back into idol worship and would find any excuse to do so.

5. Despite the fact that God had just done miracles and that Gideon had spoken to God, Gideon didn’t really want any more direct confrontations with God. Divination would actually put a little distance between Gideon and God.

6. Gideon was listening to the wrong spirits. Where did Gideon get the idea to make an ephod in the first place? Such a thing was certainly not something that Gideon had ever done before. This part of the story closely resembles Aaron’s creation of the golden calf. Satan was inspiring Gideon at this point.

There were many instances in the Old Testament where leaders consulted the ephod; however, this may be the only instance where a Levitical priest was not involved. Once more, Israel was wandering off, worshiping a creation rather than the Creator.

APPLICATION: The lessons are obvious but necessary. Teach your children about God and His Kingdom or your children will wander off into some kind of idolatry. Humans are made to worship and will either worship One True Living God or something lesser.

We are generally most vulnerable spiritually when we have just chalked a major success. As long as we are struggling, we generally remain humble; a little success can go to our heads and leave us wide open for satanic appeals to our pride and our vanity.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” How can we hear the voice of God? We must study His Word, the Bible. We must take time to be quiet before Him and wait to hear what He might tell us. And we must always remember that God alone is worthy of worship and that nothing else should take His place.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us even when we mess up. Help us to always look to You, particularly when we are successful, so that we do not become “legends in our own minds.” Help us to worship You and follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 8:18 – 21 “Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.” “They were my brothers,” Gideon replied, “the sons of my mother! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” So he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword; he was fearful because he was still a youth. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.”

Gideon has noticed that his brothers are missing; if they had lived, they would have reported themselves to him. Evidently, Gideon’s brothers were murdered and not killed in the heat of the battle. Had Gideon’s brothers died in battle, Gideon would have accepted that loss as unfortunate but to be expected.

Gideon’s whole family must have been quite handsome and must have resembled one another. Why does Gideon mention that his brothers were the sons of his mother and not of his father? It’s likely that Gideon’s father may have had several wives. In such situations, the siblings belonging to one woman would feel a much closer bond to one another than they would to their half – brothers and sisters. Many times in polygamous families, a man might favor one wife over another; woe betide you, if you were a child of an un – favorite wife! Gideon loved his brothers so much that he would even have spared Zebah and Zalmunna had they not murdered his brothers.

Why did Gideon ask his son to kill the kings rather than doing it himself in the first place? To be killed by a youth was shameful; Gideon wanted to graphically demonstrate that these kings had REALLY been defeated and disgraced. As an inexperienced warrior, Gideon’s son balked at the idea of killing someone in cold blood. The statement “For as the man is, so is his strength” might have been a popular proverb in that part of the world at that time. Pricked in his conscience, Gideon killed the two Midianite kings.

Why did Gideon strip the crescent – shaped ornaments off the Midanite camels? These ornaments would have been made of gold or silver or both and would have been quite valuable. It is also likely that these ornaments were only hung on the necks of the royal camels and not on the camels of all the rest of the Midianites. By taking these ornaments, Gideon was graphically demonstrating his complete victory over the Midianites and their allies. The modern equivalent might be to capture the opposing generals’ vehicles.

APPLICATION: Evil must be defeated completely! Any form of compromise will lead to complete disaster. The Ephraimites have already killed Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite princes, and now Gideon has captured and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings. Most of the Midianites and their allies have been destroyed. For the time being, Gideon’s victory is now complete.

When facing evil, there can be no compromise. Many times, we wish for an easy way out of a difficult situation. We might begin boldly but once things become tough, we wish we could be somewhere else. But the problem is that evil that is not completely eradicated will always come back and it may come back far stronger than it was before. Jesus warned his disciples in Matthew 12:43 – 45 that “When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there; and the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”

The Jews to whom Jesus was speaking were under the crushing rule of the Roman Empire. By AD 70, the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and had taken Masada, that impregnable fortress built by Herod overlooking the Dead Sea. Jesus was trying to warn his listeners that “going along to get along” would not save them, either physically or spiritually.

Around the world today, Christians are confronting a flood – tide of evil on many fronts. Young people who have not been taught about the One True Living God are creating their own deities in their own images. Many churches and religious groups have compromised to get members rather than demanding that would – be members hew to certain standards. But compromise has never saved anybody or any organization.

Each of us must examine our own hearts and ask ourselves what we truly believe and why we believe it. If we are following the One True Living God, well and good. But if anything else has crept in unnoticed, we need to repent and to turn back to God. Compromise will lead to moral and spiritual disaster. Christians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India,China, and Russia are already being hunted down as criminals. If persecution reaches you, would you stand the test of faith or compromise to save your own skin? Let us all pray that when the hour of testing comes, we will be ready and willing to stand for righteousness and not to compromise.

PRAYER: Father God, this morning we lift up all who are being killed for their faith. We lift up the families torn apart by conflict. We lift up the parents who might have to watch their children being massacred. We lift up children who are watching their parents being killed before their eyes. Lord, help these believers to stay strong. And help us, so that when our time comes to stand for you, we will neither falter or fail. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 8:1-15 “Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently. But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.

Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit. So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”

“Very well,” Gideon replied, “when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will tear your flesh with the thorns and briars of the wilderness!” From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth. So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men—all that were left of the armies of the people of the east. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen. And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise. When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, Gideon pursued and captured these two kings of Midian, routing their entire army.

After this, Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle along the Ascent of Heres. There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.

And Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your weary men?’” Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briars of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth. He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.”

EASILY OFFENDED!!! The Ephraimites were incensed! Why hadn’t Gideon called them out to the main battle? Why didn’t Gideon allow them to have the chance for LOTS of loot? For the answer, we must return to Gideon’s conversation with the angel of the Lord. When the angel gives Gideon his assignment to defeat the Midianites, Gideon reminds him that he, Gideon, is from the smallest clan in the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon wasn’t certain that anybody would come if he called. By the time Gideon called the tribe of Ephraim to control the Jordan River, he had chalked up some successes and could show the Ephraimites that it was worth their trouble to join him. But Gideon gives an extremely tactful answer: he points out that by controlling passage across the Jordan River, the Ephraimites have been able to capture both Midianite princes. Once these commanders have been captured, their forces must flee or surrender. Demonstrating commendable humility, Gideon points out to the Ephraimites that theirs is a critically important victory, without which anything Gideon has done would be worthless.

What about the men of Succoth and Penuel? These Israelite cities lie east of the Jordan River. The Midianites have been looting these cities as well as those on the west side of the Jordan. An Israelite victory will preserve these two cities as well. In addition, the Israelites who have claimed land on the east side of the Jordan have made a covenant with the rest of Israel that anytime those on the west bank of the Jordan need assistance, those on the east bank will come quickly to their aid. But the city fathers of these two cities have conveniently forgotten that covenant and are now hoping for cheap deliverance to which they will not have to contribute. Perhaps the men of Penuel and Succoth may even be plotting to attack Gideon’s forces as they return in exhaustion from chasing the Midianites, collecting as much loot as possible in the process. In the end, the men of Succoth are whipped with briar branches while the men of Penuel are destroyed.

APPLICATION: There are several lessons to take from this passage:

1. When you are called to help, don’t quibble about your assignment. The Ephraimites were incensed because they weren’t called earlier; however, the job given to them was critically important and they did it well. Had Oreb and Zeeb not been captured, they could have regrouped and returned to attack Israel.

2. Don’t trash talk someone who is saving you! The men of Succoth and Penuel were crazy! All they had to do was to give Gideon and his men food and water; Gideon was not asking them to fight, even though by the ancient covenant, he could have.

3. Don’t break covenants. In Biblical times, covenants were considered sacred. The men of Succoth and Penuel ignored their covenant obligations and paid dearly for it. Was Gideon being too harsh? Assistance from Israelites on the east side of the Jordan could mean survival or annihilation for the rest of Israel. By the way, where were the men of Succoth and Penuel when the Midianites were passing by in the first place? While we may feel that the punishment meted out to these two cities seems harsh, we must remember that God was directing Gideon. God wanted to teach all of Israel that covenants were made to be kept.

These days, individuals, companies, political parties, and even countries appear to feel no need to keep covenants. Promises are readily thrown away, leaving those who have counted on those promises with little or no recourse. Jesus told His disciples “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ ” (Matthew 5:37) No matter what those around us do, we should maintain integrity, realizing that if we remain faithful, God will bless us and if we break covenants and oaths, we have removed ourselves from God’s protection.

PRAYER: Father God, we lift up those around the world who have trusted in promises made by governments and other groups and who are suffering due to broken promises. Lord, help us to be people of truth and faith and to act on our covenant agreements, even when it is difficult to do so. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 7: 15 – 25 “When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hands.” And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.

“Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said. “When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”

Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran. And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set the swords of every man in the camp against each other. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath. Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.

Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah. They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.”

Picture this: You are a Midianite soldier, sound asleep in your tent in the middle of the night. It’s 10 PM. The soldiers on duty for the first watch from 6 PM to 10 PM have just handed over. All is quiet. Suddenly you hear the blaring sound of 300 ram’s horn trumpets and your sleep – heavy eyes are blinded by the light of 300 torches. Along with the noise of the ram’s horns, you hear loud shouts like those of an already victorious army. As you struggle to get up and find your weapons, an unreasonable panic seizes you. Stumbling outside, you no longer see those around you as allies but rather as attackers, and you begin thrusting your sword in every direction, trying to defend yourself. The panic gets worse; all you can think of is to escape. You find yourself in a crowd of men, all running helter skelter toward the East. The more you run, the more frightened you feel. At some point, you throw away your sword so that you can run even faster.

The map shows the original battle as a red circle. Gideon calls for help from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, and they pursue the Midianites. Then Gideon calls for the Ephraimites who are close to the fords to guard the fords of the Jordan, making it impossible for the Midianites to cross safely. The Ephraimites also capture and behead Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian. What began as the initiative of one man has now involved thousands.

APPLICATION: There are several things we can learn from Gideon’s successful attack on the Midianites:

1. Gideon followed God’s instructions to the letter. Imagine Gideon trying to explain to his 300 picked soldiers ahead of time that they needed to carry torches and ram’s horns. There must have been a number of the Israelite soldiers who were convinced that Gideon was crazy, but they probably shrugged their shoulders and said, “Why not? This isn’t any crazier than expecting 300 men to defeat thousands.” .

2. Once the battle was engaged, Gideon called for help and got it. God had a plan for the initiation of the battle; however, there was nothing to prevent Gideon from involving the surrounding tribes. Experienced development workers have learned the hard way that if you want a project to be sustained, the local people must become actively involved and buy into it. By involving Naphtali, Asher, Manasseh, and Ephraim, Gideon ensured that these tribes also felt a sense of ownership in the victory.

3. Gideon made sure that the battle was won as completely as possible. The Midianites had made life hell for the Israelites for years. Gideon needed to defeat the Midianites so completely that they would no longer be a threat for generations to come.

When we read about the entire Midianite army panicking, it seems difficult to believe. But this is not the only such event described in the Bible. There are other descriptions of huge armies panicking and killing one another. In the case of Gideon and his men, they became Holy Spirit – possessed and turned into a phenomenal force. Who knows what those Midianite solders actually heard and saw?

We used to live in midtown Memphis, Tennessee. Living next door were four men attending a Baptist seminary. One night my husband and I were in a local convenience store when we met a young man who was being stalked by several attackers. The attackers had followed this fellow into the store. This fellow was drunk but sober enough to realize he was in trouble. I remained in the store with this young man while my husband ran to our Baptist friends for help. The seminary student who returned with my husband was tall but wiry. We were amazed to realize that as this student pastor entered that store, suddenly his physique changed, and he began resembling the Incredible Hulk. The would – be attackers took one look and left, never to return. God created an illusion that saved this man’s life.

Want to succeed in life’s battles? Follow God’s instructions, call for help, and make sure the battle is completely won before stopping. Who knows? God might turn you into a super – hero!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for giving us perfect strategies for our battles. Help us to be willing to follow Your directions, even when they seem crazy or unworkable. Thank you that if we will follow instructions, You will give us victories. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.