At our local Messy Church event last Saturday I had to give a talk on trusting in the Lord and when preparing for this my mind went to the account of Gideon and the small army of 300 men God used to overcome 135,000 Midianite and Amalekite soldiers. You can read about this in Judges chapters 6 to 8.
When God called Gideon to the task there was nothing special about this man except, perhaps, that he saw himself as insignificant. This links in with 1Corinthians 1: 26 - 29 where Paul points out that God chooses to use the weak and insignificant for his purposes. The people of Israel were backslidden but not abandoned by God. For several years the Midianites and others had plundered their crops and livestock forcing the people of Israel to hide in caves. Gideon managed to find 32,000 men to fight the Midianites and others but God says that they are too many! Gideon's band is reduced to a mere 300 with odds of 450 to one! But God provides the strategy and the Midianites are defeated.
But it is what happened after the battle that struck me when I was preparing this talk. He declines the people's request to become their king but instead collects gold earnings that were part of the plunder they had taken from their dead enemies. With this he builds an ephod which he places in his home town. The gold used would be worth over £500,000 today. The term 'ephod' is unusual here since it normally refers to a priestly garment and it would seem unlikely that Gideon's ephod was a garment. But it is an item associated with seeking guidance from God. See Judges 8: 22-27.
The tragedy is that this then became a focal point for idolatry and a snare for Gideon and his family. It made me think how easy it is after some wonderful divine intervention for the devil to slip in and lead people astray - or (if you prefer) for our own sinful inclinations to take us astray. The use of plundered gold in this account is similar to the building of the golden calf which was worshipped in the desert after God had miraculously delivered the people of Israel from bondage in Egypt. It also reminds me of the situation at Ai after the people of Israel had experienced a mighty deliverance at Jericho. Defeat at Ai followed because of disobedience rooted in the failure by Achan to recognise that the victory was God's and therefore they had no right to the plunder (see Joshua 7).
For many years it was my privilege to be part of an evangelistic team that experienced some special times when God moved in our meetings. We had some amazing times of blessing. But I noticed that it became common after the events for tempers to be lost and for team members to become impatient with one another. For that reason I often made a point of encouraging team members to be careful. Is it possible that instead of being humbled by the experiences of God's interventions we shift the focus to ourselves? Might this have been a factor in the sins of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)?
Peter is a great example of how fickle our hearts are. One moment he is making a profound statement about the nature of Jesus, and the next moment he is seeking to hinder God's plans. He moves from praise to rebuke from Jesus in moments. One moment he affirms his faithfulness to Jesus and not long after denies knowing him. He is used by God in the early church but then gets into trouble for being a hypocrite. These things are recorded in scripture so that we realise our human weakness. We all have feet of clay.
When the apostle Paul met with the elders from the church at Ephesus he warns them to be watchful against external attacks and internal failures. They must keep watch over themselves as well as the whole church (Acts 20: 28-31).
The ephod Gideon had made was a physical symbol of how God had given wisdom and guidance that brought victory. But what was a mere symbolic reminder became a focus for worship and downfall. Many a revival has been lost because the signs of its presence become that which we cherish rather than the Lord himself. We are left worshipping structures, organisations, buildings, worship styles; and it is all idolatry. Whatever and whoever God may have used in past blessing these are not the source of the blessing and we should never make them sacred.
May God save us from shifting our eyes from him for unless the Lord builds the house we labour in vain.
From the diary:
God is good and longs to bless us more than we long to be blessed. Why not ask him for some specific blessing at this time that will make you a blessing to others.
Barry
When God called Gideon to the task there was nothing special about this man except, perhaps, that he saw himself as insignificant. This links in with 1Corinthians 1: 26 - 29 where Paul points out that God chooses to use the weak and insignificant for his purposes. The people of Israel were backslidden but not abandoned by God. For several years the Midianites and others had plundered their crops and livestock forcing the people of Israel to hide in caves. Gideon managed to find 32,000 men to fight the Midianites and others but God says that they are too many! Gideon's band is reduced to a mere 300 with odds of 450 to one! But God provides the strategy and the Midianites are defeated.
But it is what happened after the battle that struck me when I was preparing this talk. He declines the people's request to become their king but instead collects gold earnings that were part of the plunder they had taken from their dead enemies. With this he builds an ephod which he places in his home town. The gold used would be worth over £500,000 today. The term 'ephod' is unusual here since it normally refers to a priestly garment and it would seem unlikely that Gideon's ephod was a garment. But it is an item associated with seeking guidance from God. See Judges 8: 22-27.
The tragedy is that this then became a focal point for idolatry and a snare for Gideon and his family. It made me think how easy it is after some wonderful divine intervention for the devil to slip in and lead people astray - or (if you prefer) for our own sinful inclinations to take us astray. The use of plundered gold in this account is similar to the building of the golden calf which was worshipped in the desert after God had miraculously delivered the people of Israel from bondage in Egypt. It also reminds me of the situation at Ai after the people of Israel had experienced a mighty deliverance at Jericho. Defeat at Ai followed because of disobedience rooted in the failure by Achan to recognise that the victory was God's and therefore they had no right to the plunder (see Joshua 7).
For many years it was my privilege to be part of an evangelistic team that experienced some special times when God moved in our meetings. We had some amazing times of blessing. But I noticed that it became common after the events for tempers to be lost and for team members to become impatient with one another. For that reason I often made a point of encouraging team members to be careful. Is it possible that instead of being humbled by the experiences of God's interventions we shift the focus to ourselves? Might this have been a factor in the sins of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)?
Peter is a great example of how fickle our hearts are. One moment he is making a profound statement about the nature of Jesus, and the next moment he is seeking to hinder God's plans. He moves from praise to rebuke from Jesus in moments. One moment he affirms his faithfulness to Jesus and not long after denies knowing him. He is used by God in the early church but then gets into trouble for being a hypocrite. These things are recorded in scripture so that we realise our human weakness. We all have feet of clay.
When the apostle Paul met with the elders from the church at Ephesus he warns them to be watchful against external attacks and internal failures. They must keep watch over themselves as well as the whole church (Acts 20: 28-31).
The ephod Gideon had made was a physical symbol of how God had given wisdom and guidance that brought victory. But what was a mere symbolic reminder became a focus for worship and downfall. Many a revival has been lost because the signs of its presence become that which we cherish rather than the Lord himself. We are left worshipping structures, organisations, buildings, worship styles; and it is all idolatry. Whatever and whoever God may have used in past blessing these are not the source of the blessing and we should never make them sacred.
May God save us from shifting our eyes from him for unless the Lord builds the house we labour in vain.
From the diary:
- Last Wednesday I travelled to Hastings in East Sussex for a service of thanksgiving for the life of Dr. Jim Waller. Jim was a passionate evangelist who was a catalyst and motivator for all kinds of missional activity. He had a particular concern for people of other faiths to discover all that Jesus has done and is doing for them. He was a good man and it was a privilege to have worked with him in the past, especially in our friendship evangelism in Turkey.
- Hope in our Villages continues to move forward and people from the various churches in Yelvertoft, Lilbourne and Crick are enjoying working together for Jesus. We have our first major event this coming Sunday (20th July) with an Open Air Songs of Praise Service followed by a picnic and family fun in Crick. Please pray for a good response from within the three communities.
- The number of new members of the prison choir is presenting a challenge. We may have attracted some who see it as an easy option and risk spoiling it for those who want to work. Please pray fore this Tuesday afternoon's visit that I will have discernment and wisdom so that this ministry will not be spoiled.
- On Thursday afternoon I am speaking at a WI meeting about the work that I and others do in prison. Please pray that I will use this occasion wisely and for God's glory.
God is good and longs to bless us more than we long to be blessed. Why not ask him for some specific blessing at this time that will make you a blessing to others.
Barry
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