Skip to main content

March 13 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 72

Are you familiar with Gideon?  Do you know why the people who leave Bibles in hotel rooms call themselves the Gideons?  

Well, let's read about Gideon first and found out about the Gideons later.

Image result for Gideon

DAILY READINGS

Judges 6-8 & Psalm 72

DAILY NOTES

Judges 6:1-10

  • The Israelites are oppressed by the Midianites.  They are forced to flee to the mountains and caves.  The Israelites were "impoverished" and the land was "wasted."  
  • The Israelites call out to God.  A prophet arose to confirm their current situation is due to their turning away from God.  Scripture doesn't tell us who the prophet was, but Jewish commentary offers a name.
Judges 6:12
  • Gideon is approached by an angel of the Lord.  He is called a "mighty warrior."  
Judges 6:22
  • After the sign Gideon asks for comes to pass, he believes he has seen the angel of God and believes what he has told him.  
Judges 6:25-27
  • God commands Gideon to pull down an altar to Baal.  The altar belongs to his father.  
  • Gideon follows through, but is fearful of his family.
Judges 6:32
  • Gideon's name is changed.
Judges 7
  • This chapter outlines Gideon's defeat of the Midianites.
  • Gideon takes 32,000 troops.  God told Gideon to tell the troops who were scared to go home--10,000 remained.  Afterwards, God told Gideon to watch for another sign to sift them out: those that drank water like a dog--300 troops remained.
    • Gideon and 300 troops would battle against the Midianites.  It was God's way of ensuring Israel would not be able to take credit for the victory.
Judges 8:4-12
  • Gideon seeks help from two cities.  They refuse him and his troops.  Consequently, Gideon promises he will return in victory and repay their refusal with destruction.
Judges 8:22-27
  • Gideon is victorious again.  He requests the people of Israel to give him earrings of gold.  He makes an ephod of them.  It becomes a part of idol worship.  
Psalm 72
  • All but the final few verses of this psalm are about a king.
  • Most likely, this was psalm was used for a coronation service or blessing of a new king.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

The Israelites cried out to God because they thought the Midianites were their problem.  And why not?  The Midianites caused all kinds of trouble for them.  It was because of them they were in hiding.  But God sends an unknown (unknown to us) prophet to tell the Israelites that the Midianites are not their problem.  They are their own problem.

How easy it is to look to others for our troubles.  How often it is that are troubles are caused by our doings.  That takes a great deal of wisdom and faith to receive that message.  When we stop blaming others, we can allow God to focus our healing and restoration.

We'll never know who that prophet was, but he sure didn't pull any punches.

Stay blessed...john

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

March 24 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 83 The relationship between Saul and David worsens.  David is now Saul's enemy.   DAILY READINGS 1 Samuel 18-20 & Psalm 83 DAILY NOTES 1 Samuel 18 Saul's delight for David quickly turns.  Saul is jealous of David's success and the fact that everyone else seems to like David more than him. Of course, we have to think about what this evil spirit from the Lord might mean. Saul tries to kill David.  He even devises a plan to have him married into the royal family so that he can create a snare for him. What does it say about David that, even after Saul has tried to kill him, he still finds it an honor to be married to the family? David escapes Saul's traps.  So, from here on out, the text says that Saul considered David an enemy.  Think he knows what it means to love your enemies? 1 Samuel 19 Verse 5 reminds us of David's fight with Goliath.  At this point, David has fought other times.  What makes that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

May 14 + Daily readings & notes

DAY 134 We're reading another prophet today.  Here's t he Bible Project video that describes what the book is about. DAILY READINGS Jonah 1-4 & Psalm 129 DAILY NOTES Jonah 1 Notice the simple, direct message God gave Jonah.  There's no explanation for why Jonah doesn't follow through (yet).  As quickly as the word from God comes, he goes away. The mariners have their own god to cry out to for help.  They ask Jonah to cry out to his God.  Did you notice he never did?  He only told them that he worships the Lord.   The mariners feared the Lord after this.   Jonah 2 When he and the others were in trouble, Jonah didn't cry out to God.  Now that he's sitting inside a big fish, he offers a prayer to God.   And notice even the fish listens to God! Jonah 3 The word of God comes to Jonah again.  This time Jonah responds.  And the people of Nineveh respond with faith in God. Up to this p...
Post a Comment
Read more

June 19 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 170 DAILY READINGS Jeremiah 7-9 & Psalm 15 DAILY NOTES Jeremiah 7 Notice the emphasis of God's house having God's name.  It belongs to God, but the people, through their unrighteous actions, have made it theirs.  God's house has been turned into a "den of robbers" (vs. 11).  Remember when Jesus said that (Matthew 21:13)? According to Jesus, what was the Temple supposed to be called? Remember when the people tried to use the ark of the covenant as a weapon against the Philistines (1 Samuel 4)?  That was at Shiloh.  Jeremiah brings that event to our minds again as a sign (vs. 14).  God says that human sacrifice was not his command, nor did it come to his mind.  You'll have to do some wrestling with the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22). Jeremiah 8 Jeremiah (God) says to unearth the kings' bones and lay them before the sun and moon and all the other gods they served and worshiped.  Ouch. Even animals ...
Post a Comment
Read more