Category: Judges

Bargaining

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:36-40 (day two)

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more…vs. 39a

To be clear, Gideon had been in conversation with the Lord for quite some time. It was evident that the Lord was dealing with Gideon’s uncertainty and fear. This was not the first exchange between them. It is easy to look at this story and think that we can bargain with God. “Lord, I know you have given me a task to fulfill, and if you give me ten million dollars I will know that you really mean it.” That kind of logic will fail every time. Take your assignments from the Lord seriously, and seriously be in dialogue with him at all times. You will never regret seeking God in all matters. That is where to begin discerning how God wants you to proceed, not giving outlandish parameters for your begrudging obedience.

Monday Re:Verse Blog – 7/19/2021

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:36-40 (day one)

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through Judges 6:36-40 in our Summer Re:Verse Series: “JUDGES – God, Our Deliverer.”

Get to Work

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:22-35 (day seven)

Last week we saw Gideon questioning the existence of the Lord (vs 13). How does God respond? He uses Gideon to disprove the existence of other gods (vs 31).  Gideon asks for God to work. God puts Gideon to work.

Gideon was also complaining about being the low man on the totem pole (vs 15). How does God respond? He puts Gideon in charge of thousands of warriors (vs 34-35). Gideon complains. God give Gideon responsibility.

Gideon then asked God to prove that this was all real (vs 17). How does God respond? The Spirit of God rests on Gideon (34). Gideon asks God for sign. God makes Gideon the sign for others.

Be careful what you ask for. God has a knack for putting the solution to our problems back on our plate. How will you respond? Will you continue to complain, or will you take responsibility, get to work, and let God shine through you?

The Undoing of Incongruity

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:22-35 (day six)

The narrator gives us a closer look into their idolatry; at just how incongruous their lives were. While they were the people of God, he did not even enter into their thinking when they awoke to find their altar to Baal destroyed. They were too caught up in their anger and hatred to even discern why Gideon erected an altar to their ancestral God.

Jesus had a lot to say about incongruity. He said, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24)

Practically speaking, isn’t the Christian life the gradual undoing of incongruity by God’s grace through Jesus? Destroying our altars to false gods, so that we can live unshackled, fully devoted to him? That’s our best life.

What altars is he taking down in yours?

Encounter

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:22-35 (day five)  “Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”  “The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.”
It was a moment that shaped Gideon’s life. An intimate and intense encounter with the Lord. Gideon recognizes the sweet presence and mighty power of the Lord (God told him to not be afraid). God speaking to him.  To him. Led to obedience and courage from Gideon.
In my Facebook feed these days the “memories” that pop up are mostly from Youth Camps and Mission Trips that I was a part of for so many years.  The memories are sweet and are reminders of the same kind of moments- in God’s presence and in awe of His power. These memories shape my hopes and prayers today. I find myself simply asking God to meet with me rather than do anything for me. If He will, courage and obedience are possible. And that’s the only reason- God’s presence- power, peace, grace, joy.
Will you pray first and foremost for an encounter and interaction with the Living God?  Day by day?  Moment by moment? That will be the source of courage and obedience.

Don’t Be Ashamed

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:22-35 (day four)

Gideon shows boldness when he destroys the idols of Baal and the Asherah poles. He shows a desire to obey the word of Yahweh when he makes a “proper altar” to the One True God. This could amount to going into a small town, tearing down all their idols, and building a church in their place, all in the name of Jesus.

It says he did this at night because he was afraid of the townspeople and family members. But at least he did it. When confronted he does not deny it and is actually defended by his father Joash. Gideon turned the unholy wood into a sacrifice that the God of Peace accepted. The Prince of Peace came and was nailed to a unholy cross of wood; He was made sin for you so you could have peace with God the Father (2Cor 5:21). Praise God!

Are you willing to make a stand for Jesus in unholy places? It’s up to us to be bold and show this world how to worship the One True God. You might not feel like a “mighty warrior” but just be faithful with the task Jesus gave you to do. Obey His voice. Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel or of Jesus, or else He will be ashamed of you when you face God on Judgment Day (Luke 9:26).

Crisis

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:22-35 (day three)

“Will you contend for Baal?”

Whose case are you making? If you will not learn humility by seeking the forgiveness of a person you’ve wronged, isn’t that making the world’s case that toughness is survival? If you will not reflect on how your economic choices affect the most vulnerable among us, isn’t that making materialism’s case of more at any cost? Sin is hardest to part with when you’ve invited it to shape your habits and your thinking. It’s a crisis of existence, really: How will I live if not this way? Herein lies the riskiness of faith in God. It’s not for the brave, but for the terrified. Sometimes the townspeople see only the terror, and they turn away. But sometimes, people sense God’s possibilities breaking through the terror. That happened to Gideon.

Obedience Despite Fear

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:22-35 (day two)

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night. vs. 27

Have you noticed that fear plays quite a role in the story of Gideon. His fear manifests itself in several ways: he doesn’t feel qualified, he fears reprisal from the people, and in next week’s reading we see his doubts again as he puts the Lord to the test. Even so, God does not change Gideon’s assignment. Don’t you think the Lord knew who he was choosing to help deliver Israel? Don’t you think he knew that we was the least among the least, and that his qualifications were less than officer candidate material? Of course he did! It’s the same with you. One of the things I love best about this interchange between God and Gideon is that despite his anxiety, Gideon obeys. Despite his many shortcomings he is still chosen. Friend, don’t let your fear stop your obedience.

Monday Re:Verse Blog – 7/12/2021

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:22-35 (day one)

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through Judges 6:22-35 in our Summer Re:Verse Series: “JUDGES – God, Our Deliverer.”

Bad Things and Good People

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:1-16 (day seven)

Why do bad things happen to good people? I would expect that everyone has pondered on this question in their faith journey. Why would God allow for wicked to prevail while the good people continually end up in bad circumstances? Why does the mother of three get cancer? Why did that drunk driver live while the teenager he hit is now in a coma? Why did the man who had been loyal to the company for 20 years get laid off? They were Christians. They prayed. They went to church. They all echo Gideon in verse 13, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?”

Bad things are a product of the brokenness of this world. Not that any one person deserves a harsher life on this earth due to their sin, but because of humanity’s sin, this earth will never function as it was intended. Bad things happen to non-christians too. Where Christian’s hold the advantage is that we know the best is yet to come…

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. 2 Cor 4:17