Bible Study - GOD IS --- (4) - Our Peace - Judges 6:11-24 - March 25, 2018

Bible Study – GOD Is --- (4) – Our Peace – March 25, 2018

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled “GOD Is ---.”

Our focus scripture is Judges 6:11-16, 22-24.

GOD’S peace helps us rise above our circumstances.

This attribute of being a Christian comes with maturing in our walk with JESUS. It would be wonderful if holy dust could be sprinkled over us and suddenly we would be endowed with peace that passes all understanding when we face troubling issues in life. It is the working through these troubling issues that we learn how to rise above them trusting GOD through the process.

The Israelite's followed a very distinct pattern in their relationship to GOD. 

They would be obedient to GOD and HE would bless them and then they would stray. GOD would warn them but they would continue in disobedience to GOD. GOD would tell them what the consequences would be if they did not return to obediently follow and honor HIM. They would refuse and GOD, true to HIS Word would do as HE said HE would.

They would cry out to GOD and GOD would send them a leader or a judge who would lead them to victory over their situation or circumstances and they would experience GOD’S Grace for a period of time. But then it started all over again. Sounds too much like my life.

The Israelite's had done evil in the sight of GOD. This is explained in Judges 6:1-10:

1 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 them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. 

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

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

8 he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 

9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 

10 I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

The Israelites were being pilfered by their enemies. The Israelites would raise crops and livestock and the Midianites would swoop in and take it all for themselves leaving the Israelites improvised. The Israelites finally cried out to GOD. GOD sent a prophet. We do not know who this prophet was but he was a messenger of GOD. This prophet reminded the Israelites what GOD had done for the Israelites over the years. GOD had delivered them to the Promised Land but they had slipped into the worship of other gods and abandoned the One True GOD of the Israelites, YAHWEH. GOD had warned them not to fall into the trap of worshipping the gods of those who were occupying the Promised Land.

The Israelites were living in caves in the mountains. Unconfessed sins can impoverish Christians today. Is Satan pilfering you because of your stubborn nature? If so, it is time for you to confess it and seek a renewed relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS.

Some ancestral background on Gideon. Gideon was a descendant of the tribe of Manasseh which was named after the first born son of Joseph while Joseph was in Egypt. Joseph’s father, Jacob, blessed both of Joseph’s sons before Jacob died thus his blessings and inheritance carried forward to Joseph’s two sons. When the Israelites arrived in the Promised Land, Joshua assigned a section of land on the eastern side of the Jordan to the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon lived in the western section of their tribe’s allotment.

   

Let’s read Judges 6:11-13:

The Lord Calls Gideon

11 The Angel of the Lord came, and He sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine vat in order to hide it from the Midianites. 

“The angel of the Lord” is a thought provoker. Some Bible scholars think it refers to GOD but others believe it refers to either a special angel sent by GOD or to JESUS.

The reason they think it is not GOD is because Gideon sees his or HIS face. The Bible reveals that no one can look upon the face of GOD and live. (Discussed later) JESUS manifests Himself to others several times before HE comes to earth to be born as a human. Regardless, this special messenger calls Gideon to serve GOD and deliver the Israelites from their enemies. We need to reflect upon the circumstances upon which the Israelites were living as explained in the introduction.

It is recorded in Exodus 33:2:

2 And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 

Gideon knew the scriptures as we will see later on in our study. Did his encounter with the “Angel of the Lord” bring back memories of scripture he had learned?

The name “Gideon” means “one who hacks or cuts thing up.” Here Gideon was down in a wine vat threshing wheat. He had obtained wheat that he had to thresh. Normally, wheat would be threshed high on a hill so when the wheat is threshed it would be tossed into the air with something like a pitchfork and the wind would separate the chaff from the wheat. Gideon was down in the wine vat out of sight of the enemy threshing wheat.

This may appear that Gideon was a wimp or does it? What did the “Angel of the Lord” think about Gideon?

12 Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." 

“The Angel of the Lord” first informs Gideon that the Lord was with him. That is YAHWEH or the One True GOD of the Israelites would be with him. Then “The Angel of the Lord” referred to Gideon as a “mighty warrior.” That was a very positive greeting. Gideon does not appear to be concerned with this heavenly visitation, why? Our next verse gives us a clue. Gideon had a question he wanted answered.

13 Gideon said to Him, "Please Sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? And where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about? They said, 'Hasn't the Lord brought us out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian." 

Gideon had a burning question. But notice that Gideon addressed the “Angel of the Lord” as Sir or a greeting of a person with prominence not as he would address GOD but as a messenger or prominent person. Compare this to the response Gideon made after he discovered to whom he was talking later in our scripture. “If GOD is with the Israelites, why are we experiencing all of these problems with the Midianites?” If GOD is all powerful as told by our forefathers and the miracles manifested by GOD, why has HE abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites?

Let’s read Judges 6:14-16:

14 The Lord turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the power of Midian. Am I not sending you?”

The “Angel of the Lord” turned to Gideon and told him that he had been chosen to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites. Gideon did not need super human strength because GOD had already equipped him for the task GOD had called him to accomplish. In essence, “Gideon, you have witnessed a visit from GOD’S messenger and he called you to deliver the Israelites.

15 He said to Him, "Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house." 

Gideon gave his reasons why he should not be the person chosen to deliver Israel from the Midianites. When GOD calls us to do HIS will, as Christians, we often feel inadequate. This is the time when we need to build our relationship with GOD and HE in turn encourages the person chosen. GOD demonstrated HIS power to Moses. Gideon was uncertain of his ability and possibly of the person speaking to him.

16 "But I will be with you," the Lord said to him. "You will strike Midian down [as if it were] one man." 

The “Angel of the Lord” assured Gideon that he would be with him and that through his help Gideon could consider the massive Midianites as one man. GOD’S power is the great equalizer. Gideon’s Spiritual eyes were opened as we read our next scripture ---

[Let’s read what happened between verses 17-21 – 17 Then he said to Him, "If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that You are speaking with me. 

18 Please do not leave this place until I return to You. Let me bring my gift and set it before You." And He said, "I will stay until you return." 

19 So Gideon went and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from a half bushel of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought them out and offered them to Him under the oak. 

20 The Angel of God said to him, "Take the meat with the unleavened bread, put it on this stone, and pour the broth [on it]." And he did so. 

21 The Angel of the Lord extended the tip of the staff that was in His hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. 

Gideon was making sure he was not hallucinating but what he had experienced was genuine. It was an offering but also a test. The offering Gideon gave was very generous. It was his finest goat and the portions were large. When the Angel of the Lord touched the offering with his staff the rock upon which the offering was laid burst into flames and consumed all of it. Gideon’s offering was acceptable to GOD. That was Gideon’s confirmation.]

Let’s read Judges 6:22-24:

Here we encounter another name for GOD – Jehovah-Shalom or YAHWEH-Shalom or “The LORD is Peace.” This is the name Gideon gave to the altar. The altar Gideon made was not an altar for sacrifices but to commemorate GOD’S call to Gideon to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites.

This is a foreshadow of the coming of the Promised Messiah, JESUS, because when HE gave HIS life to pay, in full, for the sins of all who would place their faith in HIM, JESUS won the battle over the consequence of sin, which is eternal death. JESUS is the Prince of Peace. How do we know that? Because GOD resurrected JESUS from the physically death to live eternally with HIM and to intercede for all who place their faith in HIM.

22 When Gideon realized that He was the Angel of the Lord, he said, "Oh no, Lord God! I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face!" 

Gideon realized that he had been speaking to the “Angel of the Lord” face to face and it opened his Spiritual eyes. Often, GOD has to get our attention before we can take the next steps to accomplish HIS will and purpose. Gideon knew the scripture where it was written in Exodus 33:18-23:

18And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." 

19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." 

20 But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." 

21 And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 

22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 

23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

Back to our focus scripture in Judges 6:23:

23 But the Lord said to him, "Peace to you. Don't be afraid, for you will not die." 

24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it Yahweh Shalom. It is in Ophrah of the Abiezrites until today.

When Gideon realized he had been talking face to face with the “Angel of the Lord” the special messenger from GOD, he built an altar to the YAHWEH.

This seems to be an ever increasing revelation of GOD from the “Angel of the Lord” to the LORD. That is what happens when we, as Christians, build the right relationship with GOD. HE reveals Himself in many different ways as we obediently seek to know HIM

Is JESUS your peace? If not, now is the right time to accept JESUS as your Savior.

Easter would be a wonderful time to place your faith in HIM and trust HIM to lead and guide your life. JESUS has won the battle over Satan for you. Accept this victory by placing your faith in JESUS. I am not saying your walk with JESUS will be easy but it will be rewarding. Blessings!!!