Gideon - Great Warrior! (Part 1)

Part 1

.....There are many great men spoken about in the Bible, but there is only one that God called a "Great Warrior," and that was Gideon. Let's find out why through the study of Judges 6: 1-35.

.....We begin our study with the children of Israel who find themselves in bondage again, impoverished, and distraught, for 7 years, needing deliverance, because of their Idolatry, which was considered evil in the sight of the Lord. They had forgotten that the Lord had delivered them out of the hand of all who had oppressed them. And so in their misery, they cried out to the Lord, who had heard their cry and answered their plea, calling, commissioning, and empowering Gideon, through an Angel of the Lord, to take upon himself, the command of their forces against the Midianites, (which means Strife, or a brawling and contentious people), and the Amalekites, (which means Sorrowful and Wicked). Guideon's father was now living, but he was passed by, and this honor was put upon the son, for the father kept up in his own family the worship of Baal (v. 25), which we may suppose this son, as far as was in his power, witnessed against. He was of the half tribe of Manasseh, (which means Causing to Forget) that lay in Canaan, (which means Lowland, to be brought into subjection, or humble). The Angel of the Lord that gave him the commission said, "I will be with thee." This divine messenger appeared here to Gideon, who considered himself the lowest of the low, yet was the perfect choice by God for this mission. But Why?

(1.) He was retired—all alone. God often manifests Himself to His people when they are out of the noise and hurry of this world. Silence and solitude befriend our communion with God.

(2.) He was employed in threshing wheat, with a staff or rod (so the word signifies), such as they used in beating out fitches and cummin (Isa. 28:27), but now used for wheat, probably because he had but little to thresh, he needed not the oxen to tread it out. It was not then looked upon as any diminution to him, though he was a person of some account and a mighty man of valour, to lay his hand to the business of the husbandman. He had many servants (v. 27), and yet would not himself live in idleness. We put ourselves in the way of divine visits when we employ ourselves in honest business.

(3.) He was distressed; he was threshing his wheat, not in the threshing-floor, the proper place, but by the wine-press, in some private unsuspected corner, for fear of the Midianites. He himself shared in the common calamity, and now the Angel came to him against Midian when he himself could speak so feelingly of the heaviness of their yoke. The day of the greatest distress is God’s time to appear for His people’s relief.

.....Let us now see what passed between the Angel and Gideon, who considered himself the lowest of the low, and knew not with certainty, till after He was gone, that He was an Angel, but supposed He was a prophet.

.....The Angel appeared to him with respect, and assured him of the presence of God with him, (v. 12). He calls him a mighty man of valour, perhaps because he observed how he threshed his wheat with all his might; a man diligent in his business. Gideon was a man of a brave active spirit, and yet buried alive in obscurity, through the iniquity of the times; yet here in his presence is this Angel, or Messenger of God, empowering him to undertake something great.

.....By this word, the Angel gives him his commission. If we have God’s presence with us, this will justify us and bear us out in our undertakings. He then inspires him with all necessary qualifications for the execution of his commission. "The Lord is with thee to guide and strengthen thee, and support thee.’’ And last, He assures him of success; for, if God be for us, who can prevail against us? If He be with us, nothing can be wanting to us. The presence of God with us is all in all to our prosperity, and in whatever we do.

.....Gideon was a mighty man of valour, and yet he could bring nothing to pass without the presence of God, and that presence is enough to make any man mighty in valour, and to give a man courage at any time. Gideon questioned God by saying, "O my Lord! if the Lord be with us, why then has all this befallen us? " All this trouble and distress from the Midianites’ incursions, which force me to thresh wheat here by the wine-press—all this loss, and grief, and fright; and "where are all the miracles which our fathers told us of?"

.....Gideon, as if not conscious to himself of any thing great or encouraging in his own spirit, fastens only on the assurance the Angel had given him of God’s presence, opening up the way to put the plans and desires of God into execution.

.....More questions are raised by Gideon concerning the delay of their deliverance: "Where are all the miracles which our fathers told us of? Why does not the same power which delivered our fathers from the yoke of the Egyptians deliver us out of the hands of the Midianites?’’ As if because God did not immediately work miracles for their deliverance, though they had by their own sins forfeited His favour and help, Gideon questioned whether God had wrought the miracles which their fathers told them of, or whether He had now the same wisdom, power, and good-will toward His people, that He had had formerly. This was the people's weakness. Forgetting what God has done.

We must not expect that the miracles which were wrought when the Church was first formed in the New Testament to continue to the same degree, when we as the Body of Christ have not kept close to Him, having revolted through our own religious traditions, losing our focus of the completed, and finished work of the Cross and Christ.

Gideon finds himself in the same spot that many of us who are called and chosen by God today.

.....He desires to have his faith confirmed concerning this commission; so he fleeces God to satisfy himself of his authority, and would be able to give satisfaction to others as to Him who gave him that authority. He therefore humbly begs of this Angel, to give him a sign, (v. 17). And, the commission is then confirmed by some act of God out of the common course of nature. "Show me a sign to assure me of the truth of this concerning which thou talkest with me, that it is something more than talk, and that thou art in earnest.’’ Now, under the dispensation of the Spirit, we are not to expect signs before our eyes, such as Gideon here desired, but must earnestly pray to God that, if we have found grace in His sight, He would show us a sign in our heart, by the powerful operations of His Spirit there, fulfilling the work of faith, and perfecting what is lacking in it. But the Angel accepted the request, and so gave him a further and longer opportunity of conversation with Him, (v. 18). Those who know what it is to have communion with God desire the continuance of it.

.....Gideon desired in courting the Angel to stay, that he might bring out some provision of meat for Him. He did not take Him into the house to entertain Him there, because he desired still to be in private and to converse with Him alone, (therefore he calls not for a servant to bring the provision, but fetches it himself). Upon the Angel’s promise to stay and dine with him, he hastened to bring out a kid, which, it is likely, was already boiled for his own dinner, so that in making it ready he had nothing to do but to put it in the basket and the broth in a vessel, and so he presented it, (v. 19). Establishing a Covenant. His present, a meat offering. For what we offer to God for His glory, and in token of our gratitude to Him, will be made by the grace of God to turn to our own comfort and satisfaction.

.....The Angel ordered him to take the flesh and bread out of the basket, and lay it upon a hard and cold rock, and to pour out the broth upon it, (A Perfect Picture of the Body and Blood of Christ), for which the Angel used the meat as an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto God, showing hereby that He was not a man who needed meat, but the Son of God who was to be served and honoured by sacrifice, and who in the fullness of time was to make Himself a sacrifice. Christ. He brought fire out of the rock, to consume this sacrifice, summoning it, not by striking the rock, as we strike fire out of a flint, but by a gentle touch given to the offering with the end of His staff, (v. 21). Hereby giving Gideon a sign that he had found grace in His sight, for God testified His acceptance of sacrifices by kindling them, in public, with fire from heaven, as with Moses and Elijah, in private, as this, with fire out of the earth, which was equivalent: both were the effect of divine power; and this acceptance of his sacrifice evidenced the acceptance of his person, confirmed his commission, and perhaps was intended to signify his success in the execution of it, that he and his army should be a surprising terror and consumption to the Midianites, like this fire out of the rock.

.....The Angel then departed out of his sight immediately, did not walk off as a man, but vanished and disappeared as a Spirit. Here was as much of a sign as he could wish. Gideon, though no doubt he was confirmed in his faith by the indications given of the divinity of the person who had spoken to him, yet for the present was put into a great fright by it, till God graciously pacified him and removed his fears, by speaking to him, (v. 23). It might have been fatal to him, but He assures him it is not. The Lord had then departed out of his sight, (v. 21). Gideon could no longer walk by sight, he now had to live by faith, that faith which comes by hearing; for the Lord said to him, "Peace be unto thee, all is well, and be thou satisfied that it is so. Fear not; He that came to employ thee did not intend to slay thee; (But to Empower Thee), thou shalt not die.’’

God is always ready to revive the hearts of those that tremble at His word and presence, and to give those that stand in awe of His majesty, the assurance of His mercy, and grace, empowering them for their calling!

..

COVENANTS

.....Psalms 25: 14 says, "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant."


.....My goal today is to give you a little bit of background about covenants, and show you in the Bible, three different styles of covenant that God developed.


.....Covenant in Genesis 17: 7 -- in Hebrew, the root word is Berit (Beh-reet), which was a pledge, treaty, or agreement made between two. The foundation of any relationship on which all promises are and should be based upon. Note that curses always came upon those that broke covenants, Jeremiah 11. In the Old Testament, God initiated the whole action, set the conditions, and defined the parameters, for the establishment of a covenant. Examples of some of the covenants made in the Old Testament were with Noah, Abraham, Moses, Israel, and the Levites

Noah - Genesis 6: 18, God's protection from flood and disaster.

Abraham - Genesis 15: 18, First blood covenant, based on a sacrifice, with the promise of prosperity.
..................- Genesis 17: 4, Promise to be the father of many nations. An oath confirmed also to Isaac, and Jacob

Moses - Deuteronomy 10, The Ten Commandments

Isreal - Exodus 31: 16, Perpetual covenant, keeping of the Sabbath

Levites - Numbers 18:19, Covenant of salt, heave offerings, tithe offerings for the priests

.....Covenant in Mark 14: 24 -- in Greek, the root word is Diatheke (Dee-ath-ay-kay), which is a will, a testament, a pact, a contract, or an agreed-upon plan to which both parties subscribe. In the New Testament, Jesus ratified a new covenant by His death on the Cross, because no man could keep from breaking the Ten Commandments, explained in Hebrews 7: 22. In Luke 22: 20, Jesus shed His blood for us, giving us a better covenant, with better promises, Hebrews 8: 6. This was prophetically spoken by Jeremiah 31: 31- 40. Also, the Law cannot annul the covenant confirmed before God, in Christ, (Gal. 3:17). That is why the 1st covenant (The Law) is obsolete, growing old, ready to vanish away, (Heb. 8: 13).

.....The three styles, types, or levels of covenant today are the Shoulder to Shoulder or Side-by-Side, the Face-to-Face, and the Back-to-Back.


.....In the Shoulder to Shoulder covenant, (shallow), God established this in Genesis when He created Eve to be Adam's helpmate. Today, it is seen in dating, and common cause situations, such as community revivals, benefit drives for the needy, crusade marches, and political events. A laying down of personal agendas for a greater good.


.....In the Face-to-Face covenant, (a little deeper), referred to Genesis 32, where Jacob had to see himself and admit he was a deceiver. Then and only then God could and would deal with his heart. This level requires total honesty, with ourselves first, then with God, and then with others. We try to get a blessing without dealing with the issues that are hindering us. Until we do, we can develop no honest, healthy relationships with others and God. We just keep ending up wearing those religious masks. Marriage would be seen as a Face-to-Face covenant today.

.....In a Back-to-Back covenant, (a blessed level of relationship), we come to the understanding that this is the least complicated and yet most powerful. (1 Chronicles 11: 13 - 14, David and Eleazar) A covenant of total trust and reliance upon each other.


.....Let me put this all in the proper perspective, I want to take you back to the crucifixion of Christ. When Christ was on the Cross, the Bible says that, "He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we may be made the righteousness of God in Christ". We also know from the Word of God, that He could not look upon sin, and that, "The punishment for sin was death". So here's God at the crucifixion, looking at His Son, Jesus, who then becomes sin for you and me, (the sin of the world). At that point, the sin, being placed on Jesus, for us and as us, separated Him from His Father. God had to then turn away from Him. Jesus is completely alone at that moment. We know that because He cried out, " Father! Father! Why have you forsaken me?" God had turned away from His Son, (Back-to Back), and was then able to turn to us, (Face-to-Face). God had total trust in this covenant He was establishing when He heard His Son say, "It Is Finished!" Isn't that Powerful? Here is the least complicated part. For us to enter into this covenant today, all we have to do is believe in our hearts, and confess with our mouth, the Finished Work of the Cross and Christ! (Romans 10:9-10). That is it, because God has reconciled the world to Himself through His Son. For us to enter into that new covenant, all we have to do is believe and receive!
.

WHAT GOD HAS SHOWN ME...About Marriage

Good marriages don't just happen. It is not just because you married the right person and got lucky. Good marriages are built on more than passion. They are built on principle.

In the Scriptures, we find the best guidelines and principles for a healthy marriage. God's words and God's principles are never ever outdated...never! They are just as applicable today as they were to ancient Jews living in Israel.

I want to point us to principles God has given us in a place you might not think was intended for marriage. That place is the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20.

Let me give you those Ten Commandments. What I would like you to do is spend time reading these carefully, and then take time to pray over each one. Ask God to begin to open your heart to see how these commands could be looked at as principles for marriage. I had a friend who challenged me to do the same, and I was amazed at what I discovered.

You shall have no other gods before Me.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image...

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain...

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

The First Commandment of Marriage: Exclusivity

The first of the Ten Commandments is simply this, as found in Exodus 20:3,

"You shall have no other gods before Me."

What is God saying in this commandment? That He wants to have an exclusive relationship with you. He wants to be your one and only. He will not settle for flavor of the month.

And how appropriate in marriage as well. We are to have an exclusive relationship with our spouse.

It's been said that Henry Ford, on his golden wedding anniversary...50 years of marriage...was asked, "What's the secret of your success in marriage?" And he said, "The secret of my successful marriage is the same secret that I have in business: I stick to the same model."

In traditional wedding vows, the man and woman pledge their devotion until death parts them. For life. There is no competition.

My wife has no competition. I am not shopping for a new model. I do not want to trade in the old model. I will not be shopping in the future. One is all I need.

The Second Commandment of Marriage: Don't Love a Substitute

In the second commandment recorded in Exodus 20:4-6, we are given the second principle for a strong marriage,

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

God commanded that there be no carved images, whether in heaven, in earth, or in the sea. He wanted to make sure everything was covered. And He said not to bow down to them and worship them. God said, "Do not make images of Me and then worship them. Don not love or worship a substitute for Me. Love Me."

Religion has made pictures, statues, and idols and then called them holy. They are all imitations. They are all substitutes. And in marriage we should have no substitutes either.

Pornography is a substitute. When a man watches pornography, he is loving a substitute. He is directing his passion and his sexuality toward those images. That is a substitute, and he is robbing his wife of that intimacy.

Do not allow any substitute, no matter what it might be, to take the place of intimacy with your spouse.

The Third Commandment of Marriage: Speak Well of Your Mate

Exodus 20:7 gives us our third commandment of marriage,

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."

Many misunderstand the term, in vain. It means empty, meaningless, insincere, not showing due respect.

When we speak flippantly or lightly about someone, we erode our respect for that person. Some people are just far too casual in the way they speak of their spouse, and it erodes your respect for him or her.

In marriage, few things can affect the relationship like words. Words are containers. They can contain love; they can contain hate; they can contain joy; they can contain bitterness.

The book of James says that our tongue is like a rudder on a ship. It will send the ship of your marriage in whatever direction your words go. Some people are on the brink of divorce because they talk divorce. Just listen to the words they say. Are they negative or positive? Critical or encouraging?

Think about what you say. Are you building up your partner? Learn to speak well of your mate. Build them up with your words. Be lavish with your praise. You will be pleased with where those words will take your relationship.

The Fourth Commandment of Marriage: Spend Exclusive Time Together

The fourth commandment, found in Exodus 20:8-11,

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."

Sabbath means an intermission. It means to put down your work and rest. Take a break. And holy means separate to the Lord. "If you want a long-term relationship with Me," God says, "We have to have time together. I want special time, exclusive time. I want a whole day."

In the same way, in order to have a healthy, growing marriage, husbands and wives need time together...special time, exclusive time, sometimes extravagant time. And I think we all know that if we do not schedule it, it will not happen.

If your marriage is to thrive, you need to spend exclusive time together. You can't build a relationship and not spend time together. It is just not possible.

The Fifth Commandment of Marriage: Honor Your Spouse by Showing How Grateful You Are

The fifth commandment gives us our next principle for a healthy and vibrant marriage. It is found in Exodus 20:12,

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you."

Among other things, God is saying we must be grateful. Generally, parents spend a lot of time, labor, and money...sometimes to the point of radical sacrifice...to give their kids an edge in life.

And it is a tragedy when a child is ungrateful or unthankful. William Shakespeare said, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child." It is very difficult to have a relationship with an ungrateful, selfish person.

"Thank you" are important words to your parents, and an incredibly important phrase in marriage. It is difficult to live with someone who takes you and all of your efforts for granted.

You may be thinking, "I don't say it, but I am grateful in my heart. I truly am!" Well, hooray for you. You are blessed because in your heart you know you are grateful. But it does your spouse no good if you do not vocalize it.

If you do not demonstrate your gratitude, I doubt if you are really grateful because Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." If it is not being expressed, chances are it is not truly there.

Maybe you think you don't have a lot to be grateful for. But there must be something you can say "thank you" for. There is something you can praise your mate for. Look for those things, and accentuate the positive.

Take time today to express thanks to your spouse in some way...through an action, through a card, through words. That is how you honor your mate.

The Sixth Commandment of Marriage: Don't Destroy Your Spouse But Learn to be Gentle

The sixth commandment God gave to Israel in Exodus 20:13,
"You shall not murder."

While you might think this commandment is not too applicable, I believe it is vital. It is telling you not to destroy your spouse!

Jesus helps us understand this principle in Matthew 5. He said, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment."

Jesus went right to the root of murder: anger and hatred. If you are going to have a good, healthy, lasting marriage, you need to learn to be gentle. People who are easily angered...who are violent or have an explosive temper...destroy relationships.

If you are dating someone who blows up easily, you ought to take it as a warning sign. If they get mad at things at the drop of a hat, that anger can be turned on you very easily.

Anger erodes relationships. If you have a hot temper, get it under control, or the devil will control you through it.

Another way anger is expressed is by going stone cold...using silence and angry moodiness to punish your mate. Again, not a healthy thing for a marriage. If you anger quickly and forgive slowly, you are a hard person to live with. Work at being quick to forgive, and make the controlling of your anger a serious matter of prayer. God will help you.

If you do not master your temper, it will master you. And it will not only decay and destroy a marriage relationship, it will harm every other meaningful relationship you have in life.

We're going to skip the Seventh Commandment here -- "Do Not Commit Adultery"

-- to address it in a more in-depth manner

The Eighth Commandment of Marriage: Be a Person of Integrity

Exodus 20:15 gives us the eighth commandment for marriage,
You shall not steal.

You may be wondering how stealing applies to marriage. Simple. Not to steal is to be a person of integrity.

If you are always cheating or cutting corners, it will be hard for your spouse to respect you. Your uprightness should make your marriage partner feel proud. Your spouse and your family ought to testify of your integrity. This is really one of the things at the heart of a good marriage.

If you are married to somebody, and you know they cheat their customers, it is just hard to respect that person. You cannot respect someone who does not have integrity.

This is a big issue that many people fly right by. But it is vital to a healthy and vibrant marriage because it is hard to fully give yourself to someone who does not have integrity.

If you find that your spouse is holding back, if you feel like he or she does not respect you, take a look inside and see if you are compromising with your integrity. Do you cheat on your taxes? Do you tell that "little white lie" to protect yourself or gain an advantage?
Do you represent yourself one way, when in fact in your heart you believe something totally different? Are you like the man Solomon speaks of in Proverbs 23:7?

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

If this is an issue in your life, take it to God today. He will help you become the person of integrity He desires you to be. And when you do, you will find your spouse will come to respect you, and your marriage will be strengthened!

The Ninth Commandment of Marriage: Be Truthful

The ninth commandment for marriage speaks to the heart of any marriage, trust. It is found in Exodus 20:16,

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

Someone who would lie about their neighbor, for whatever reason, is not going to make a good marriage partner. Honesty and trust are at the heart of a good marriage.

If you take advantage of people for your own gain, speaking untruthfully to get ahead, you are not a person to be trusted. And you ultimately are the loser.

I am reminded of the guy who was in a fender bender, and he faked an injury, pretended like he hurt his arm and his shoulder. As a result, the poor little lady who had run into his car was subjected to a truly horrible situation. She was grilled by attorneys, had to give depositions, and ended up in court.

But this guy continued trying to take her for all she was worth. He didn't care because he knew she had money. He didn't care if she had to give up her house. He was looking at an opportunity to get rich.The attorney for the lady's insurance company put him on the stand and said, "I would like to know, since the accident, since you injured your arm and your shoulder, how far can you now raise your arm?"With great pain etched on his face, he said, "Well...'bout here. That's it. Just to here." Then the attorney asked, "Well, how far could you lift it before the accident?" The guy responded, raising his arm with ease, "I could lift it up to here."
Needless to say, he lost.

Anyone who is not truthful will ultimately lose. And if your spouse will lie to someone else, he or she will lie to you.

The Tenth Commandment of Marriage: Be Content with What You Have

Today we come to the final commandment for marriage. That commandment is based on the tenth commandment given to the nation of Israel in Exodus 20:17,

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

This command is very direct. Do not covet. Don't be discontent with what you have. Do not make what you don't have the focus of your life. Accentuate what you do have and what God has blessed you and your spouse with.

You do this by celebrating your husband's or wife's strengths and giftings rather than thinking, "Oh, I wish he was this way," or, "I wish she had that."

I can build a house from the ground up; and if anything mechanical breaks down, I can fix it.

While I am a Mr. Fix-It, there are other things that I am not good at. I am so grateful that Lora wanted to pull those things out of me and give wings to the gifts, ( In Christ) she saw that I do have. And I want to do the same thing for her.

You will always get into trouble if you think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Just water your own grass. Because on the other side of the fence, it's just Astroturf anyway.

I struggled with drugs while searching for answers. It was not until I was 40 years of age(13 AUGUST, 2008) and thinking about my 3 blessed children and my soulmate that the Lord showed me the powerful reality of a relationship with Christ. Since August 13, 2008, the Lord has opened my eyes to the Answers (FREEDOM IN CHRIST) which I will prophetically fulfill in Christ, spreading the gospel to the nations around the world, blowing the horn, with a clear sounding word.

When God made man, He said it is good. But then He said, "It is not good that he is alone. I am going to make a helper suitable for him." And the Bible says God took one of Adam's ribs, and He formed a woman, Eve, and brought her to the man.

God did not take four or five ribs and say, "Okay, Adam, here is Eve, and here is Lois, and here is Samantha, and here is Rachel." No, it was just one. And to have a healthy marriage relationship, that is it.

My dream is not up in the sky or up in the stars when I look up, it is right here in my heart. (In Christ)

I am committed for life. An exclusive relationship. I am not shopping, not even window-shopping. One God. One wife. That is enough.

I LOVE YOU LORA, YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER- ED

Ambassador for Christ
Pastor Edward Hajj