Three lessons of Judges 7

I wrote this up for a "what happens in the cabin stays in the cabin" reason but I figured that more than the people in attendance of the devotion could benefit from it. If you're gonna read this go get your bible or open the link in another window [Judges Chapter 6-7]

These are my notes so you're gonna have to be smart and fill in the gaps yourself.


Judges 6 (Context/Recap)

V1 Israel had done evil in the sight of the lord, they were delivered to Midianites

V7 Israel cried to the LORD for deliverance

V11 Gideon introduced Joash is his father

V24 Jehovahshalom means The lords Peace

V25-27 God has Gideon destroys this fathers altar to Baal (clean his own house) and build an altar to him in that place, showing an obedience to God and a willingness to endanger himself

V30 the men want to kill Gideon but his father stands in their way saying “if Baal wants to kill him let him do it.”

V33 messengers sent out to gather an army to fight the Midianites

V36 God shows that he is willing to tenderly encourage Gideon even though he appears faithless after Gideon asks For the two signs of the fleece and the dew.

Judges 7

Lesson One “God doesn’t share glory”

V1- 9 Here we see that 22,000 people came to fight against the Midianites, the problem is that God doesn’t share glory, and he isn’t bound by numbers. He pairs the force down to 300. So few that if they have victory against the enemy who according 6:5 were numerous as grasshoppers it could only have come from God.

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

James Duffield 1858

"Stand Up!--Stand Up for Jesus"

V3. Stand up!--stand up for Jesus!

Stand in His strength alone;

The arm of flesh will fail you,

Ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the Gospel armor,

Each piece put on with prayer;

Where duty calls or danger,

Be never wanting there.

Lesson Two “Be a Phurah”

Judges 7

9 ¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:

11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.

These are the only two verses in the whole bible that Phurah’s name is mentioned. We know nothing about him, who he was, how Gideon knew him His name offers little clue to who he was meaning “foliage.” He was like the apostle Bartholomew who no doubt served God greatly but is in shadow to us

We can deduce that he was a man who encouraged Gods man to do Gods will. “If you are afraid…”

He was content to be in the shadows.

He was willing to endanger himself to help his friend spy on the Midianites

Lesson Three “The Battle Cry”

Shamelessly stolen from Spurgeon’s "Mornings and Evenings" (I was gonna paraphrase it to preserve the continuity but why dampen the authors more excellent prose?)

Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" This is precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine; break the pitcher which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be such, that when men look upon you, they shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put it in their way; do not suffer them to escape it; blow the trumpet right against their ears. Remember that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideon's watchword, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" God must do it, it is His own work. But we are not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used--"The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" If we only cry, "The sword of the Lord!" we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, "The sword of Gideon!" alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh: we must blend the two in practical harmony, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let us, therefore, in His name determine to go out personally and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall reign for ever and ever.