Come Out of the Cave

Day 71

Reading: Judges 6:1- 8:35

The storms of life have pushed many into caves. Sometimes, life throws a curveball that just kicks the wind out of someone's lungs. Everyone in life will meet a seemingly insurmountable impossibility that leaves one flat on the floor of life. What one does in such circumstances will make you or break you? Today's portion of scripture we meet a biblical character, Gideon, that I draw loads of encouragement from. 

The children of Israel sinned and God allowed the Midianites to oppress them. The Midianites are actually relatives to the children of Israel. The Midianites were descendants of Abraham's fourth child named Midian. His mother was Keturah, whom Abraham took as a wife after Sarah had died. Midian didn't receive an inheritance from Abraham as Isaac would receive it all. He was given a gift and ordered away. Many generations later these people now oppress the children of Israel. The land that their father didn't receive a portion for his inheritance is where they are oppressing the children of Israel. The enemy doesn't come to oppress you in his yard. He oppresses you in the place of your inheritance in God. The enemy knows that God has given to you what he was never to get. 

Midian, means strife, a contender in Hebrew. The Midianites were contending the inheritance of the children of Israel. They didn't fight the children of Israel alone. They were accompanied by the Amalekites. The Amalekites were descendants of Amalek. These were a people who lick up, a people who exhaust or a strangler of people.  The land of Israel, was being contended for, was full of strife and at the same time, the people were exhausted with this oppression that was aiming to strangle them to death. Now I hope this paints a picture as to what the Midianites and Amalekites were doing to the children by attacking their harvest. For seven years the children of Israel were under attack. Because of the impoverishment of the children of Israel, they cried to God for deliverance. 

The first response to the cry of the children of Israel is that God sent a prophet with a rebuke. Before God will deliver you and me from bondage the next step after crying to God is repentance. The prophet sent with the word to the children of Israel reminded them of why they were in bondage. Repentance is necessary to remind us of the place where we have fallen from. Repentance allows us to return to the place of our first love. In the midst of this God begins 'Operation save My children' by first getting a leader who would be the judge. 

Gideon is greeted as God sees him. God calls him mighty warrior. God didn't call him 'hey coward come I will make you a mighty warrior.' God has great promises in you. Stop calling yourself what God has not called you. Don't call yourself by what others are calling you. Let the name of God over you be what you refer yourself to. 'Charles, you are a mighty warrior.'

The conversation Gideon has with the Angel of the Lord is one I found interesting. God locates Gideon in the winepress where he is threshing wheat. God will find you wherever you are hiding and call you out of the cave. Gideon is lamenting that God has forsaken the children of Israel and the Angel of the Lord answers by not giving reasons but a response to the status quo. Gideon reminds God of the testimonies of the fathers on how God defeated the enemies of Israel. Gideon was being recruited to serve God yet he didn't seem willing and ready. Gideon saw himself as weak. God needed the weakest and must useless to the deliver the people. God isn't looking for the person with everything. God doesn't recruit like a company that looks at a CV for experience and how you satisfy the job description. Heaven calls you according to destiny, the plans God has for you and what God knows is the potential He has placed in you. Your responsibility is to take the gift and exercise it for Him. 

Gideon shows his hunger for God by first giving an offering. How do you respond to God's call in your life? How do you respond to God's answer to every challenge you face? Learn to give an offering. An offering calls God into a covenant to manifest the answer He has commissioned you for. The offering shows your reverence for God. Whenever you have an opportunity to give to God give and pray that His fire falls on the offering. 

After the offering Gideon gives to God, he is given the next step towards the deliverance of the people. The people first cried to God for deliverance. This was followed by repentance in response to the prophetic word sent to them. God then raises a leader called Gideon. Before Gideon goes to battle he must deal with the altar of baal. Unless you erect the altar of God in your life don't expect to see deliverance from the oppression of the enemy. With one bull he cut down the altar of baal and with another bull he built and gave a sacrifice on the altar to God. 

Gideon was soon to earn a lesson of reliance on God. He tested God and was soon tested by God. God doesn't use big numbers. God's desire is to always receive the glory in every situation. He tells Gideon to reduce the army that has gathered for battle. Surround yourself with those whom the Lord chooses for you to go to battle. God can't use fearful people. Drop those who are fearful in the battles of life. Let them rejoice with you in the victory God gives you. Even after those who are fearful had left God still reduces the numbers with a lapping test. 

The person who drank water on their knees is not ready for battle. It's easy to kill that person. The person who laps bringing the water to their mouth is ready. This shows that they are focussed and understand that on the battlefield they cant drink water like at home. How you behave at home and in the battlefield is different. On the battlefield God expected them to have a battle mindset, not a relaxed one. 

God understood that Gideon was dealing with fear. Why else would Gideon give God the fleece test? His faith needed every boost to believe that God was with him. The name the locals had given him after pulling down the altar of baal was also not helpful. Jerubaal means that baal will strive. Gideon was named by the local people a name meaning that baal will strive him and fight for himself., that baal will defend himself against Gideon. Gideon which means a destroyer, a cutter or one who brings things down was now facing a name that was inviting baal to fight him. Be careful what you call people and even more careful what name you allow people to call you by. You may be introducing the enemy by that name or pet name. God encourages Gideon to believe that victory is his. By listening to the conversation of the enemy Gideon is encouraged to know that victory is his. When you hear the enemy discussing how they have seen your victory worship God. God is the one Who gives victory. May every enemy dream their own demise from my life. 

Learn battle strategies. Gideon took the 300 men and divided them into 3 companies. He went into battle at midnight. During the day it would have been foolhardy of him as the enemy was great in number. At night the enemy can't see your numbers. A strategy is important in any battle. 

Fear runs in families. Jether could not kill the enemy whom the father Gideon had captured. Learn to uproot fear from the family. Yes, the son had seen the victory of the dad, however, did the dad deal with the fear in his son. Just because your family sees you progressing doesn't mean they have dealt with the issues of life internally. Jether grew up in an atmosphere of fear. The kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, had ruled with fear. Even though they were captured by his father Jether still feared. Keep speaking the victories of God to your family. Share faith with your family and do not give fear a foothold in your life. 

Gideon understood that God was to rule over His people. However, Gideon having seen his father set up an idol in his house also did the same thing. He set up an ephod for unknown reasons. He forgot his encounter with Jehovah Shalom. As a leader be careful what you do. People look up to you and your actions can ensnare them to idolatry. Serve and live for God alone.

Memory Verse: Judges 6:12

Decree:

Personalise these scriptures.

'Charles, the Lord is with you, mighty man of valour! Go in this might of yours, and you shall save many. Have I, The Lord, not sent you? Surely God will be with me, and I shall defeat my enemies as one man.”' Judges 6: 12,14,16(Italics mine)