King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Friday, April 01, 2022
Chapters: Judges 6-7
Study: When God Chooses You
Hello My Friend,
Please bear with me as I am getting the messages out later in the day, my job has me working very early in the morning while I am in training and since it takes me a few hours to put the messages together, I am struggling a little bit with my schedule.
As I am reading the chapters for today, I cannot help, but think of my own nation, and how many people are struggling right now, especially with gas prices jumping up twenty cents every day it seems. While, thank God, my state is not struggling as much as others are, many people are not working, still under mandates from their states, and boat loads of merchandise sitting on barges that cannot be brought to shore because there are not enough people working. There are even threats of there being food shortages by the end of the year if things do not turn around. And here we have our nations top leaders telling us that it is Russia’s fault. Open your eyes people! All of this reminds me of something that Jesus said.
[And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. – Luke 11:46-48,51-52]
We can call the lawyers our own messed up court system, and thanks to them we have every religion known to man calling the shots, while Christians are being prosecuted just for saying that there are only two genders in this world. It does not take a genius to know that something is extremely wrong in this country, and it is not Russia. As we continue in the reading of Judges, Israel provoked God once again, and God delivered them into the hand of all people, the Midianites. Notice that each time God sends judgment to Israel, it is worse than the last one. This time, they were not only oppressed, but they were in deep poverty as well.
[And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. – Judges 6:1-4]
[and destroyed the increase of the earth,] So, here is the scenario, these were true cavemen, as they were literally living in caves, hiding from the Midianites who attacked them on every level. Things were so bad that they had no food, and as soon as their crops would start to come in, the Midianites would destroy them. Finally, some of them started crying out to God, and for the first time since Moses, a prophet shows up.
[And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. – Judges 6:7-10]
[but ye have not obeyed my voice.] How long do these people think that they can mock God and get away with it? Again, this is not people who have no clue who God is, they have their own judgment, this is people who know who God is. They slap Him in the face every time they come up with some other law that goes against everything that He stands for, and this goes beyond homosexuality, legalizing drugs, and forcing vaccines on healthy people. If God judged and continues to judge Israel, He will judge America, and every other nation that turns their backs on Him and worships these false gods, [The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. – Psalms 33:10-12]
The further our nations get away from God the more evils come as God simply lets them suffer in their sin, but what does that do for those who are faithful to God? Well, it makes it more challenging for us, but as long as we remain faithful, He will see us through, and even use us to bring believers back to Him. This time, God chose a man named Gideon to deliver Israel from the Midianites, and He sent His angel to let him know.
[And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? – Judges 6:11-14]
[and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites:] Say what? You want me to save Israel? God always uses the least qualified to do some incredible and brave things that we would never attempt to do on our own. Now. After Gideon realized that he had just spent time with the LORD, he built an altar, it was then that God had a job for him. God not only had him tear down the idol, He had him use the wood from the grove for the sacrifice.
[And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. – Judges 6:25,27,30-32]
[Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal,] Gideon’s father Joash, gave him this name, which means; contender with Baal. Of course, Baal could do absolutely nothing because it was an idol, and not alive, but there is one being who is alive that we do contend with and that is Satan. Our defense and deliverer from Satan is Jesus Christ Himself, [Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.- Ephesians 6:10-12]
You see, in this world we are facing oppression right now because it is getting more wicked by the day, but that does not mean He will not watch over, and protect His faithful, or use them in such cases to deliver them from oppression. And this is where His faithful come in, He will bring us down to the lowest level we can get so that all can know that only the Almighty, living God can do this. Now, God told Gideon to get an army together, twenty-two thousand men showed up, but God told him that it was too many.
[Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. – Judges 7:1-3]
[Whosoever is fearful and afraid,] Do you know why God cannot use people who are fearful and afraid? They actually cause more harm than good. Did you ever see what happens when fearful people get threatened? They panic and literally become a danger themselves. Well, now there remained ten thousand men, but than God said that was too many also.
[And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. – Judges 7:4,6-7]
[And the number of them that lapped,] So, why did God choose the men based on how they drank water? These men scooped the water in their hand then drank it from their hand, they were able to observe their surroundings so that the enemy could not attack them without their backs turned. The other men were on their knees with their faces in the water, if the enemy came, then they would not be ready for the attack. God wants us always prepared to fight. Why? So that He can do His greatest work in us. It is not really us who fight our battles, God does it for us when we put our faith and trust in Him. And now, with only three hundred men, God’s little army was going to defeat a multitude of Midianites.
[And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. – Judges 7:16-18]
[The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.] God does His greatest work in small numbers. He does this for one; to remind us that nothing is impossible with God. And two; to bring others to His Son. It may seem like we are outnumbered, and quite frankly we are, but we are not alone in this, God is our sword. Now, the time had come, the trumpet was blown, then all of a sudden something incredible happened.
[So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. – Judges 7:19-22]
[and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow,] Do you see what happened? It is what I had just talked about. This gigantic army was so scared at the noise that they began to fight each other. God’s army is not very big in number, compared to the billions of people on the planet, we are, but a spec, and while we are being oppressed, God is preparing us for this battle. We must be brave, we must have our trumpets ready to sound the alarm, we must our pitchers with lights within in our hands and we must be ready to shout, “The sword of the LORD, and of Jesus!” Now, that is the whole armor of God.
[Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; – Ephesians 6:14-18]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son to save all who believe in Him from death and hell. As You establish me, strengthen me, and settle me in the love of Christ, I know that all things will work together for good and You will truly get all the glory. Lord, Lead me and guide me, as one of Your chosen, keep my eyes open and prepared for an attack at all times, let me be a living sacrifice, always willing to do what You ask, leading all You send my way to Your Son. I ask these things in Your name Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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