Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 146

Lessons from their lives Talk 12 – Elisha

Welcome to Talk 12 in our series, Lessons from their lives. Today our subject is Elisha.

Elisha is one of the best known of the Old Testament prophets.

He is well known for the amazing miracles he performed. These are mainly found in 2 Kings chapters 2-6 and include:

• Parting the waters of the Jordan (2 Kings 2:14)
• Multiplying the widow’s oil (4:1ff)
• Restoring the Shunamite’s son to life (4:8ff)
• Curing Naaman’s leprosy (5:1ff)
• Floating the iron axe head (6:1ff)
• Smiting the Aramaens with blindness (6:18).

What was the secret of his powerful ministry?

He was chosen by God and anointed for service

1 Kings 19:15-16

15.The Lord said to him (Elijah)…

16. … anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.

Elisha’s call was expressed in a very simple way

19. So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.

Elisha was eager to follow Elijah

20. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,’ he said, ‘and then I will come with you.’ ‘Go back,’ Elijah replied. ‘What have I done to you?’

Elisha was willing to make a complete break with the past

He was prepared to say goodbye to his family

20. … ‘Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,’ he said, ‘and then I will come with you.’ ‘Go back,’ Elijah replied. ‘What have I done to you?’

He sacrificed the material things which had given him security

21. So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the ploughing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

He became Elijah’s servant and was willing to play second fiddle to him

21. …Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

All this was before he even started.

To see the start of his ministry we must now turn to:

2 Kings 2:1-15

1. When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
2. Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel.
3. The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, ‘Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?’ ‘Yes, I know,’ Elisha replied, ‘so be quiet.’
4. Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went to Jericho.
5. The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, ‘Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?’ ‘Yes, I know,’ he replied, ‘so be quiet.’
6. Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them walked on.
7. Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan.
8. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ ‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied.
10. ‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise, it will not.’
11. As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
12. Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’ And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
13. Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
14. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. ‘Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
15. The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, ‘The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.’ And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

In this passage we see even more clearly the secrets of Elisha’s success. We’ve already noticed his eagerness to follow Elijah. As we shall see, is rooted in his longing for:

• Fellowshhip with Elijah
• The power of Elijah
• The God of Elijah.

Fellowship with Elijah

2. Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel.

4. Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went to Jericho.
5. Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them walked on.

11. As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

The power of Elijah

9. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ ‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied.
10. ‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise, it will not.’
11. As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
12. Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’ And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
13. Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
14. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. ‘Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

The God of Elijah

14. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. ‘Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

How does all this apply to us?

One way to understand the passage we’ve just been looking at is to see Elijah’s departure into heaven as a prophetic symbol of Christ’s ascension described by Luke in Acts 1.

As Elisha saw Elijah taken from him into heaven, so the disciples saw Jesus taken from them.

Elijah’s cloak symbolises the Holy Spirit. Just before his ascension Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:48).

As Elisha picked up the cloak that fell from Elijah and struck the water with it miraculously parting the water as Elijah had done,

so the disciples received the Holy Spirit who was sent by Jesus shortly after his ascension and were immediately involved in miraculous signs and wonders attesting that they had received the Spirit of Jesus.

And the same power is available to us today.

May God give us the same determination, commitment and zeal to stay close to Jesus, to receive his Spirit, and to use the gifts he gives us to perform mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God.

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 145

Lessons from their lives Talk 11 – Elijah

Welcome to talk 11 in our series, Lessons from their lives.

Today our subject is Elijah and we will be looking at a variety of verses from 1 Kings 17-19. We’ll be considering:

The times he lived in

The kind of person he was

The results of his obedience to God

A.   The times he lived in

The times Elijah lived in, in many ways were similar to today:

1. The nation and its leadership were far from God

1 Kings 16:29-33.

30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.

31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.

32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.

33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

2. Any who did serve the Lord felt very much alone (19:14)

I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.

3. But there were more worshippers of God than they realised (19:18)

Yet I have seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.

B.   The kind of person he was

1. Elijah was just like us (James 5:17)

‘Elijah was a human being, even as we are’.

Why does James say this?

1 Kings 19:1-4 NIV

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets  (of Baal) with the sword.

So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness.

He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

2. He was a man of prayer (James 5:17-18)

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Notice first the simplicity of his prayer for fire from Heaven:

1 Kings 18:36-37

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed:

Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.

Notice too his motive for praying this:

so these people will know that you, Lord, are God

Notice finally his persistence in praying for rain

1 Kings 18:42-46

So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

3. He was a man of the Word

Notice what it says in Deuteronomy 11:16-17

16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.

17 Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you.

Had Elijah read this?

Did he receive revelation from the Scriptures (as he had them)

or direct from the Spirit but in harmony with the Bible?

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” (1 Kings 17:1)

James tells us that Elijah prayed that it would not rain.

1 Kings does not mention this.

Did he base his prayer on Deuteronomy 11?

Did he pray before or after his visit to Ahab?

Suggested order of events:

He is aware of Deuteronomy 11:16-17

He prays accordingly

He receives revelation as to what God will do

He acts upon it and goes to Ahab

This leads us naturally to our next point:

4. He was led by the Spirit

1 Kings 17:2-3

2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:

3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, 

17:8-9

8 Then the word of the LORD came to him:

9 “Go at once to Zarephath

18:1-15             

1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”

2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria,

3 and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD.

4 While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)

5 Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.”

6 So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.

7 As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?”

8 “Yes,” he replied. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.'”

9 “What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death?

10 As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you.

11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’

12 I don’t know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth.

13 Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water.

14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!”

15 Elijah said, “As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.”

N.B.

         Obadiah (12-14) sees the Spirit as totally random and unexpected

         Elijah (15) ‘I will present myself’

                                                   – the Spirit works to principles

                                                    – the Spirit does not force himself on us

5. He was obedient

1 Kings 17:5

So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there.

8. Then the word of the Lord came to him:
9. “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”
10. So he went…

1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” 2 So Elijah went …

Note: In each of these passages, wherever God gives Elijah a command, it’s accompanied by a promise. (Cf. Matthew 28:19-21).

C. The results of his obedience

1. God provided for him

1 Kings 17:2-9

2.Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah:

3. “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.
4. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”
5. So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there.
6. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
7. Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
8. Then the word of the Lord came to him:
9. “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”

                          ravens 17:6                God in the natural

                          widow 17:7                God in the supernatural

Notice:

• God was in complete control – I have directed the ravens (4).     I have directed a widow (9)
• God met his needs, not necessarily his desires (bread and flesh, oil and flour) – monotonous diet!

2. He turned the situation around

18:30-39            We know the story well

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “ Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord —he is God! The Lord —he is God!”

Conclusion

Back to James 5:17 – just like us – we can do it!

But note the plural. God is not looking for a man, but for men and women.     

We can turn situations around.

We must be people:

of prayer

of the word

led by the Spirit

obedient to God

God will provide for us

God will use us.

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 144

Lessons from their lives Talk 10

Benaiah – Performing Great Exploits

Welcome to talk 10 in our series, Lessons from their lives. Today our subject is Benaiah. Benaiah was one of David’s mighty men and we’re given a summary of his exploits in 2 Samuel 23 :20-21.

20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab’s best men (KJV ‘lion-like’). He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

 Romans 15 :4

Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

 We shall consider:

• The nature of the enemy
• The dangers of the battle
• The weapons of our warfare

The Nature of the Enemy

Benaiah defeated :

• Two of Moab’s best men (lion-like men of Moab)
• A lion in a pit
• A huge Egyptian

Let’s take these in reverse order:

EGYPT

In biblical thought Egypt may be taken to symbolise:

• The world
• The flesh
• The pleasures of sin

The world (out of which God’s people had come)

1 Cor.10:1-2

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

 The flesh (on which God’s people must not rely

Isaiah 31:1, 3

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord !

The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together.

The pleasures of sin (which Moses had left behind)

Hebrews 11:24-26

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

THE LION

The lion is a symbol for the devil

1 Peter 5 :8

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour

MOAB

Moab symbolises :

1. Sexual perversion

Moab was the son of Lot by incestuous union with his elder daughter  (Genesis 19 :30-38)

2. Idolatry

In Numbers 25, the Moabite women seduced the men of Israel and led them into the idolatrous worship of the god Chemosh, involving child sacrifice.

3. Oppression

Judges 3 :14 tells us how the Children of Israel served Moab for 18 years.

4. Supernatural Opposition

In Numbers 22-24 Balak, king of Moab, hired Balaam to curse Israel,

BUT

How shall I curse whom God has not cursed ?

5. Demonic Power

 These were lion-like men of Moab. Not the lion, but like the lion !

 The Dangers of the Battle

 NUMBERS were against him

– TWO of Moab’s best men

APPEARANCES were against him

– lion-like men

As strong as lions ? As savage as lions ? Looked like lions ? !

CIRCUMSTANCES were against him

– snow, pit, hands cold, lion hungry !

enemy bigger

– Egyptian 7’6 tall (1 Chr.11 :23) – superior weapons (spear)

 The Weapons of our Warfare

Despite the enemies, despite the dangers, he conquered ! How ?

1. He had had experience in the fight

He was from Kabzeel. This was in Judah on the borders of Edom. There would have been many border skirmishes. He had plenty of opportunity to perform great exploits (v.20)

2. He had the promise of God

In Numbers 22 Balak, king of Moab hired Balaam to curse Israel, but in Numbers 24:17 Balaam declares that Moab would be crushed:

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab…

3. He entered into the victories of his King

• David had already defeated Moab (2 Samuel 8 :2)
• David was already a lion-killer (1 Samuel 17 :37)
• David was already a giant-killer (1 Samuel 17 :50)

So, too, JESUS has already conquered the enemy for us. He has taken the enemy’s chief weapon out of his hand and destroyed him with it !

Hebrews 2 :14 tells us that by his death he has destroyed him who had the power of death – that is the devil.

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 143

Lessons from their lives talk 9:

David – When your problem could hardly be bigger!

Welcome to talk 9 in our series, Lessons from their lives. Today our subject is David, and in particular the story of David and Goliath found in 1 Samuel 17:1-53. The story is well known, so I won’t take time to read all 53 verses. As we’ve said many times in these talks, the victories won by God’s people in the Old Testament serve as illustrations of how we can be victorious over our spiritual enemies today. As we shall see, the principles are very much the same as we have recently learned from the stories of people like Gideon and Jonathan. Today we’ll be considering:

• The enemy (or the size of the problem)
• The person who defeated the enemy (or who solved the problem)
• The victory he accomplished (or the solution to the problem)

We’ll begin by reading vv 4-11.

A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.

5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armour of bronze weighing five thousand shekels;

6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back.

7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.

9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.”

10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”

11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

In this passage we see:

• The size of the enemy
• The weapons he possessed
• The challenge he presented
• The persistence of his challenge
• and the effects it was having.

The size of the enemy

Goliath was over 9ft tall v4

– your problem could hardly be bigger!

The weapons he possessed

He was apparently invincible:

V5 his armour weighed 5000 shekels (over 9 stone – 126 lbs)

V7 his spearhead weighed 600 shekels (1 stone – 14 lbs)

The challenge he presented

v10 he defies God’s people

The persistence of his challenge

v16 it lasted for 6 weeks. The problem wouldn’t go away!

The effects of the challenge

V11   God’s people were terrified

In v24 they ran from the enemy.

Contrast David (48) who ran quickly towards him.

What was different about David?

Why was he victorious?

What can we learn about how to overcome our enemies?

1.   He saw the enemy for what he was – uncircumcised

26 Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

2.   He saw God’s people for what they were – armies of the living God

Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

3.   He saw himself for what he was:

a servant (32)

Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.

a servant with confidence in his own ability

17:34-37

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,

35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

But note v 37 – The Lord who delivered me…

God’s chosen servant  

1 Samuel 16:1

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.’

He was indestructible until his destiny was fulfilled

a servant empowered by the Spirit

16:13

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of

his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came

upon David in power

4.   He saw GOD for who He is:

Living (36)

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

Deliverer (37)    

The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.

Saviour (47)

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.

Supernatural (47) – not sword or spear

Curses of no avail (43)And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

Cf. How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?

Numbers 23:8

Completely in Control (47)

for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our

hands.

To be known by all the earth (46)

and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

victory is not just for us

51 David ran and stood on him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

Simple…        sudden…        unexpected…            TOTAL!

• Stood on him
• Destroyed him with his own sword (cf. Jesus – Hebrews 2:11)
• Brought others into victory

52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines                           

Great Bible Truths Episode 142

Lessons from their lives Talk 8:

Jonathan – When God’s people feel outnumbered and powerless

Welcome to talk 8 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today our subject is Jonathan. We’ll begin by reading a selection of verses from 1 Samuel 13 and 14.

1 Samuel 13:5-7

5. The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.
6. When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.
7. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.

1 Samuel 13:19-22

19. Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!’
20. So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their ploughshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.
21. So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

1 Samuel 13:23-14:16, 20-23

13:23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.

 14:1. One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armour-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.’ But he did not tell his father.

3. …No-one was aware that Jonathan had left.
4. On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff…
5. Jonathan said to his young armour-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’
6. ‘Do all that you have in mind,’ his armour-bearer said. ‘Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.’
7. Jonathan said, ‘Come on, then; we will cross over towards them and let them see us.
8. If they say to us, “Wait there until we come to you,” we will stay where we are and not go up to them.
9. But if they say, “Come up to us,” we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.’
10. So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. ‘Look!’ said the Philistines. ‘The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.’
11. The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armour-bearer, ‘Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.’ So Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, ‘Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.’
12. Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armour-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armour-bearer followed and killed behind him.
13. In that first attack Jonathan and his armour-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
14. Then panic struck the whole army – those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties – and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.
15. Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions.

20. Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.
21. Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22. When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit.
23. So on that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.

Today we’ll consider:

• A parallel with the situation today
• Five types of God’s people
• The example of Jonathan

A parallel with the situation today

God’s people outnumbered

5. The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

God’s people deprived of their weapons

1 Samuel 13:19-22

19. Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!’
20. So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their ploughshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.
21. So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

Our sword today is the word of God (Ephesians 6)

The enemy has always tried to deprive God’s people of access to it, by attempting to:

• Destroy it
• Discredit it
• Distract us from reading it.

Five types of God’s people

1: Those who have gone into hiding

6. When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.

2: Those who have gone over to the enemy

14:21. Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

3: Those who were loyal, but afraid

13:7. …Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.

4: Those who were loyal and unafraid

14:7. ‘Do all that you have in mind,’ his armour-bearer said. ‘Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.’

5: Those who were doing something for God

Jonathan himself. Please note 6 things we can learn from his example.

The example of Jonathan

He did not depend on the power or help of others.

His sword was enough.

Both Saul and Jonathan had swords, but only Jonathan had the courage to use it. If you have a sword, you have a responsibility to use it!

He recognised the true nature of the enemy

The enemy was uncircumcised – was not in covenant relationship with God

6. Jonathan said to his young armour-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’

He had faith in God’s power to use him

6. Jonathan said to his young armour-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’

He was willing to submit his plans to God’s will

8. Jonathan said, ‘Come on, then; we will cross over towards them and let them see us.
9. If they say to us, “Wait there until we come to you,” we will stay where we are and not go up to them.
10. But if they say, “Come up to us,” we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.’

He trusted God’s leading implicitly

13. Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armour-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armour-bearer followed and killed behind him.

While he was doing so he would have had a limited access to his sword. He was trusting God to protect him.

He received supernatural help from God

15. Then panic struck the whole army – those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties – and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 141

Lessons from their lives: Talk 7

Samuel – God’s response to the state of the nation

Welcome to talk 7 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we are looking at Samuel. I think that those of us who love the word of God are increasingly concerned at the way in which modern society pays little attention to the things that God has clearly declared in his word.  And the situation is not helped by church leaders who fail to take a stand for biblical truth, apparently afraid to call sin sin, but who rather prefer to interpret the Scriptures to conform to the current trends of worldly thinking. It’s as if we’re living in the days prophesied by Amos when he said:

‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Amos 8:11

It was just the same in the days of Eli the priest when Samuel was called by God to denounce the sins of the people. In 1 Samuel 3:1 we read:

In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

Does this mean that God was communicating less because the people simply were not listening?

Before we look at 1 Samuel 3 which describes the call of Samuel, let’s first examine the context in which the chapter is set. I am going to suggest that there were four main factors that illustrate the state of the nation and which may be contributing factors to the state of our nation today.

The state of the nation

1. There was very little earnest pleading with God.

1 Samuel 1:12-15

As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, ‘How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.’ ‘Not so, my Lord,’ Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.

Hannah had no children, so she was pouring out her soul before the Lord. This was so unusual that the priest thought she was drunk. In that godless generation that was more likely!

1. The priesthood had become professionalised and had no regard for the Lord.

1 Samuel 2:12

Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.

1. As a result, God’s sacrificial offering was being despised

1 Samuel 2:17

This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.

Their sin is described here in verses 13-16. When making an offering, the worshipper had to give the priest the fat, the breast and the shoulder. The fat was then burnt to the Lord. Hophni and Phineas were taking by force what belonged to the offerer and insulted God by demanding their portion before his was burnt on the altar. In other words they used what was intended as a sacrifice for the sins of the people as a source of profit for themselves.

1. There was sexual immorality among the priesthood.

1 Samuel 2:22

Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

In other words, the whole nation was being affected by the failure of those who were supposed to be the spiritual leaders.

God’s answer to the need

Thank God he had an answer – a woman called Hannah.

I see Hannah as a picture of the Lord’s people, pleading for blessing.

She is unfruitful – she has no children – but earnestly seeks God who answers her prayer and Samuel is born.

Now, if you can, please have your Bible open at 1 Samuel 3. You will notice that, by the end of the chapter, things have changed very much for the better. I’m going to suggest that, if Hannah is a picture of God’s people pleading for blessing, Samuel may be seen as a picture of a renewed and revived church which hears what God is saying and declares it fearlessly to the nation.

1. Samuel was the product of the prayers of God’s people as a result of their unfruitfulness.

Cf. the Pentecostal Movement/Charismatic Renewal.

1. Samuel lived in the presence of the Lord

1 Samuel 2:26

Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the Lord and with people.

1. Samuel was called at a time when the vision of the established priesthood was dim.

2. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.

Note: the lamp of God had not yet gone out (3)

1. Samuel heard and obeyed the voice of God.

4. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’
5. And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down.
6. Again the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ ‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’
7. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8. A third time the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ Then Eli realised that the Lord was calling the boy.
9. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’

Note:

Samuel was available. Here I am…

Samuel learned to recognise God’s voice v 7.

Samuel listened to God v 10

1. Samuel was willing to declare an unpopular message
2. And the Lord said to Samuel: ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.
3. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family – from beginning to end.
4. For I told him that I would judge his family for ever because of the sin he knew about; his sons uttered blasphemies against God, and he failed to restrain them.
5. Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, “The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.” ’
6. Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,
7. but Eli called him and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ ‘
8. What was it he said to you?’ Eli asked. ‘Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.’
9. So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, ‘He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.’

1. God upheld Samuel’s prophetic words

19. The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

G . Samuel was destined to be God’s instrument for the restoration of blessing to the nation.

20. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognised that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.
21. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through the word of the Lord.

4:1 And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.

Finally, it was Samuel who brought in the kingdom of David

Could we be the generation that sees the arrival of the kingdom of great David’s greater Son?

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 140

Lessons from their lives Talk 6: Gideon (Part 3) – Raising up an army

Welcome to talk 6 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we’ve reached the final section of our talks on Gideon. So far we’ve seen how when God’s people were in defeat because they had disobeyed the Lord, when they turned back to him God raised up a leader. Last time we saw three things that were essential in preparing for victory:

• Destroying your idols
• The power of the Spirit
• Finding the will of God.

Today we’re in Judges 7. Our subject is Raising up an army and we’ll be considering the men and methods God uses in bringing his people into victory. To save time, rather than reading the whole chapter, here’s a quick summary:

God tells Gideon that he has too many people in his army. He doesn’t want Israel to boast that her own strength has saved her. He tells Gideon to send away everyone who is fearful and 22,000 leave, reducing the army to 10,000.

But God says it’s still too many! The men are to be taken down to the water and selected according to the way they drink – more of this later. As a result Gideon is left with just 300 men.

During the night God tells Gideon, if he’s afraid, to go down to the Midianite camp and listen to what they’re saying. Gideon arrives just as a man is telling his friend his dream in which a round loaf tumbled into the Midianite camp and overturned it. His friend interprets the dream as meaning that God has given Gideon victory over the Midianites.

This encourages Gideon and he prepares to attack. He divides his men into three companies of 100 men. Each man is given a trumpet and an empty jar with a torch inside. Following Gideon’s lead they go to the edge of the enemy’s camp and simultaneously smash the jars and shout, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon’. The Midianites flee and the Israelites are victorious.

So, what can we learn from this story about the men and methods God uses in bringing his people into victory? It’s very clear that doing things God’s way is the only guarantee of success.

The Men God chooses

Those who are courageous

3 Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back

It’s not surprising that people were afraid. The enemy was very powerful:

12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

But there’s a difference between being afraid and trembling with fear.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is acting despite your fear.

It’s clear from verse 10 that even Gideon was fearful

but the assurance of God’s presence is the antidote to fear

6:11 The Lord is with you mighty warrior.

How often does God remind us of what he has told us many times?

Cf. Hebrews 13:5-6

5 … be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Fear can be incapacitating! But we don’t have to let it. The Lord is with us.

Now let’s look at vv 5-7.

5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.”

6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

7 The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place.”

To be honest, the precise details are not quite clear here, but the NLT summarises as follows:

When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the Lord told him,

“Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water

in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs.

In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.”

So the men are separated into two groups:

1. those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs
2. those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream

Now this may have just been God’s way of reducing the army to the size he wanted, but it’s also possible that the way they drank revealed something about their character. One way of interpreting this is as follows:

GROUP A

Why did God choose these?

Have you ever noticed how a dog drinks? With its eyes always open for the enemy. This suggests to me that God uses

those who are disciplined.

GROUP B

Why did God reject these?

Drinking water is a legitimate exercise. Indeed, it’s essential! But it’s not something we should bow down to. There are many legitimate things in our lives, less essential than water, that can, if we’re not careful, become a barrier to our service for the Lord if we let them become the controlling motivation for our actions. This suggests to me that God uses

those who do not bow down to the legitimate. They are totally dedicated to the task.

So God uses those who are courageous and disciplined and totally dedicated.

The methods God uses

He wants us to rely totally on him

2 The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her

He continually encourages and guides us

9 During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.

10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah

11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.”

He even uses the enemy to bring about his purposes

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.“

He has a unique solution for every situation

16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

He has a right moment for everything

17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.

18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.'”

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands.

20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

He expects us to know our place and to follow the leaders he has appointed

17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.

21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

He works with us

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled…

He guarantees us victory

25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders (AV princes), Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.

The princes were taken

Satan will be destroyed

Jesus has already won the victory!

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 139

Lessons from their lives Talk 5: Gideon (Part 2) – Preparing for Victory

Welcome to talk 5 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we’re continuing with Gideon. Looking at Judges 6, we saw last time that God’s people were:

1. On the defensive
2. In hiding
3. Engaged in unproductive activity
4. Sowing much and reaping little
5. Impoverished
6. Experiencing no miracles

We saw that the apparent cause of the problem was the Midianites but that the real cause was that they had done evil in the eyes of the Lord. They had not listened to him. However, when they cried to the Lord, he raised up a leader. We noted that Gideon:

• Was just like the rest – in hiding
• Had very little faith
• Was aware of his own inadequacy
• Needed lots of reassurance

In response to this, God:

1. revealed himself to Gideon
2. reassured him of his presence
3. told him to go and promised him success
4. confirmed his word supernaturally

We now turn to verses 25-40 which I have called:

Preparing for Victory

In this passage we discover three keys to preparing for victory:

• Destroying your idols
• The power of the Spirit
• Finding the will of God

Destroying your idols (vv25-31)

In this section God tells Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and build a proper kind of altar to the Lord. Gideon does so secretly by night as he’s afraid of what his family and men of the town might do to him. Indeed when they discover what’s happened, the men of the town want to put him to death, but his father speaks up for him and says:

Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? …If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar (v31).

An idol may be defined as anything that takes the place of God in our lives. Please bear this in mind as we consider:

• The extent of their idolatry
• How to overcome idolatry

The extent of their idolatry (25-30)

25 That same night the LORD said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

They had built an altar to their idol. An altar is a place of sacrifice.

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

They were devoted to it. Gideon was afraid of them.

31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him?

They were prepared to defend their idol.

How to overcome idolatry (25-26)

1. Count the cost of destroying it – Gideon was afraid, but he did it! In doing so he risked his life.
2. Make a clean break with it – tear it down! (v25). But you may need to work at it. It would have taken Gideon some time to cut it down.
3. If you need to, get other people to help you. Gideon took 10 men (v27).
4. Make a fresh start working for God. Build a proper kind of altar to the Lord (v26)

This implies work and sacrifice!

The Power of the Spirit (vv33-35)

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

The enemy regroups – he always will when we start destroying idols

But the Spirit comes upon Gideon (Heb: clothed). Cf. Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8

And Gideon blows a trumpet

There is an audible evidence when the Spirit comes upon us

(cf. tongues – testimony – praise – proclamation)  

Finding the Will of God (vv36-40)

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised

37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”

38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew–a bowlful of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.”

40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Gideon’s doubt (36)

Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised… (Was it doubt or was it fear?! Fear often causes doubt).

God’s patience (38, 40)

A word about ‘fleeces’

The Spirit came upon Gideon.

He indwells us as Christians. Should we need ‘fleeces’?

The will of God is revealed:

• In his Word
• Through circumstances
• By peace in our hearts (Col.3:15)
• By direct revelation (Philip, Cornelius etc.)
• By our total surrender (Romans 12:1-2)

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 139

Lessons from their lives Talk 5: Gideon (Part 2) – Preparing for Victory

Welcome to talk 5 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we’re continuing with Gideon. Looking at Judges 6, we saw last time that God’s people were:

1. On the defensive
2. In hiding
3. Engaged in unproductive activity
4. Sowing much and reaping little
5. Impoverished
6. Experiencing no miracles

We saw that the apparent cause of the problem was the Midianites but that the real cause was that they had done evil in the eyes of the Lord. They had not listened to him. However, when they cried to the Lord, he raised up a leader. We noted that Gideon:

• Was just like the rest – in hiding
• Had very little faith
• Was aware of his own inadequacy
• Needed lots of reassurance

In response to this, God:

1. revealed himself to Gideon
2. reassured him of his presence
3. told him to go and promised him success
4. confirmed his word supernaturally

We now turn to verses 25-40 which I have called:

Preparing for Victory

In this passage we discover three keys to preparing for victory:

• Destroying your idols
• The power of the Spirit
• Finding the will of God

Destroying your idols (vv25-31)

In this section God tells Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and build a proper kind of altar to the Lord. Gideon does so secretly by night as he’s afraid of what his family and men of the town might do to him. Indeed when they discover what’s happened, the men of the town want to put him to death, but his father speaks up for him and says:

Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? …If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar (v31).

An idol may be defined as anything that takes the place of God in our lives. Please bear this in mind as we consider:

• The extent of their idolatry
• How to overcome idolatry

 The extent of their idolatry (25-30)

25 That same night the LORD said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

They had built an altar to their idol. An altar is a place of sacrifice.

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

They were devoted to it. Gideon was afraid of them.

31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him?

They were prepared to defend their idol.

How to overcome idolatry (25-26)

1. Count the cost of destroying it – Gideon was afraid, but he did it! In doing so he risked his life.
2. Make a clean break with it – tear it down! (v25). But you may need to work at it. It would have taken Gideon some time to cut it down.
3. If you need to, get other people to help you. Gideon took 10 men (v27).
4. Make a fresh start working for God. Build a proper kind of altar to the Lord (v26)

 This implies work and sacrifice!

The Power of the Spirit (vv33-35)

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

 The enemy regroups – he always will when we start destroying idols

But the Spirit comes upon Gideon (Heb: clothed). Cf. Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8

And Gideon blows a trumpet

There is an audible evidence when the Spirit comes upon us

(cf. tongues – testimony – praise – proclamation)  

Finding the Will of God (vv36-40)

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised

37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”

38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew–a bowlful of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.”

40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Gideon’s doubt (36)

Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised… (Was it doubt or was it fear?! Fear often causes doubt).

God’s patience (38, 40)

A word about ‘fleeces’

The Spirit came upon Gideon.

He indwells us as Christians. Should we need ‘fleeces’?

The will of God is revealed:

• In his Word
• Through circumstances
• By peace in our hearts (Col.3:15)
• By direct revelation (Philip, Cornelius etc.)
• By our total surrender (Romans 12:1-2)

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 138

Lessons from their lives talk 4: Gideon

Welcome to Talk 4 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we’re talking about Gideon. In fact I have so much material on Gideon that it will take three talks to cover the subject. But it’s an important one. God used Gideon to lead his people from a place of defeat to a place of victory, and there are so many lessons we can learn from his story that are very relevant to our situation today.

There are times in our Christian experience when it seems that everything is against us. Nothing seems to go right. Such occasions are opportunities for us to rise up in faith. But if we’re not careful, instead of doing so, we slide into defeat. The Book of Judges tells us of one such occasion. We’ll be looking at chapters 6-7. We will see how God uses a most unlikely person to lead his people into victory. Although our enemy is spiritual rather than physical, there are many lessons we can learn from the story of Gideon. We’ll take two talks to cover the subject which I’ve divided into four sections:

1. God’s people in defeat
2. God raises up a leader
3. Preparing for victory
4. Raising up an army

We’ll deal with the first two headings today and then take two further talks to deal with #3 and #4. So today we’ll start with God’s people in defeat and we’ll begin by reading Judges 6:1-6 which give us a graphic picture of the symptoms of defeat.

1. God’s People in Defeat (6:1-10)

a) The symptoms of defeat (1-6)

1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.

2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.

3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country.

4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.

5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.

6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.

In this passage we see that God’s people were:

1. On the defensive (v2) – prepared shelters for themselves
2. In hiding (v2) – mountain clefts, caves and strongholds
3. Engaged in unproductive activity (v3-4) Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites…ruined the crops
4. Sowing much and reaping little (cf. Haggai 1:6)
5. Impoverished (v6) Midian so impoverished the Israelites – What a tragedy in the light of Deuteronomy 28:1-14  where God promises his people victory over their enemies and prosperity if only they will obey him
6. Experiencing no miracles happening (v13) – Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about?

b) The cause of their defeat

• The Apparent Cause – the Midianites

v.2 the power of Midian was so oppressive

v.6 Midian… impoverished the Israelites

• The Real Cause – themselves

v.1 the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD

v.10 you have not listened to me

It’s easy to blame the enemy, or other people,

but God doesn’t want us to be in bondage to anyone. If we are, it’s our fault!

c) The remedy for defeat

• They cried to the Lord (vv 6-8)

6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.

• God sends a prophet

7 When the Israelites cried to the LORD because of Midian,

8 he sent them a prophet

The prophet reminded them of what God had done for them in the past

and told them what they were doing wrong (8-10)

But he did not only send a prophet. He raised up a leader.  

2.  God raises up a leader (6:11-24)

a) The Leader God chose

• Just like the rest – in hiding

v.11 Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.

• Had very little faith

12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”

• Aware of his own inadequacy

v.15 “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

Humility is appropriate, but we mustn’t limit God.

• Needed lots of reassurance

v.17 If now I have found favour in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me

Cf. v.36 – if you will save Israel by my hand 

b) God’s Answer

• He revealed himself to Gideon

v.12 – the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon

the angel was the Lord himself Cf. vv. 14 & 16

• He reassured him of his presence

v.12 – “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

Both apparently untrue!

The Lord did not appear to be with Israel.

Gideon did not feel like a mighty warrior!

But God sees us as we are IN HIM

Note the plurals in v.13

“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”

But note the singular in v. 12 and v. 16.

“The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together (AV as one man)

To be a leader it must be enough to know that God is with ME

• He told him to go and promised him success (vv.14+16)

14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”

• He confirmed his word

In v.17 Gideon asks for a sign. He hadn’t seen any miracles (13)

So God grants him the sign he asks for:

17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favour in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.

18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the LORD said, “I will wait until you return.”

When Gideon comes back and presents his offering to the angel,

the angel touches it with the tip of his staff and fire flares up and consumes

the offering. Then the angel disappears (21).

22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, “Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”

23 But the LORD said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Note:

The sign followed a sacrifice (17-21)

The supernatural manifestation of God’s presence had departed (21)

but God was still with him (23)

How foolish Gideon’s fear was (22-23)