Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000514
00:15 Hi, and welcome to HIS WORDS ARE LIFE.
00:17 I'm Kelly Mowrer, and thank you for coming apart 00:20 with me to read the word of God together. 00:22 When we were last reading we were or are in the story 00:26 of Gideon. It's one of my favorite stories in the Bible 00:28 for several reasons. One of them is God's absolute patience 00:32 and love to reassure Gideon in his weak faith, over and over 00:37 again, God answers him and assures him of His peace 00:41 and His love, He says, I am with you. And when we last 00:44 left off, God is providing yet another assurance to Gideon. 00:49 He has met the test of the fleece that Gideon had asked 00:52 him to meet. And he has- God has directed Gideon 00:56 through a series of tests that have winnowed the men 00:59 in his army down to only 300. And God says to Gideon 01:03 I am going to deliver the Midianites into your hand. 01:06 And if you would like some reassurance, take your servant 01:09 and sneak into their camp tonight. And so this is where 01:12 we're going to pick up the story; but before we start, 01:14 let's pray. Dear Lord, thank you for your love for us and for 01:20 your patience with us, and for all the signs of reassurance 01:24 that you send to each one of us. Open our hearts 01:27 and open our ears to hear your word and to find the peace that 01:32 it brings. We love you so much. And thank you for loving us. 01:35 Amen. We're reading in Judges, chapter 7 picking up in verse 12 01:42 as Gideon and his servant has sneaked into the camp 01:45 of the enemy. - And the Midianites and the Amalekites 01:50 and all the children of the east lay along in the valley 01:53 like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without 01:57 number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. 02:01 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man 02:05 that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, 02:08 Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley bread 02:13 tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, 02:17 and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, 02:20 that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, 02:24 This is nothing else save the hand hath God delivered 02:30 hand hath God delivered: for into his hand hath God delivered 02:34 Midian, and all the host. And it was so, when Gideon 02:41 heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, 02:43 that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel 02:48 and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand 02:51 the host of Midian. And he divided the 300 men 02:56 into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's 02:59 hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. 03:03 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: 03:07 and behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be 03:11 that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, 03:16 I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also 03:21 on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, 03:25 and of Gideon. So Gideon, and the hundred men that were 03:29 with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning 03:32 of the middle watch: and they had but newly set the watch: 03:36 they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in 03:40 their hands. And the 3 companies blew the trumpets, and brake 03:44 the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, 03:46 and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: 03:49 and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. 03:53 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: 03:57 and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the 300 blew 04:04 the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against 04:08 his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled 04:14 to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of 04:17 Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered 04:22 themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, 04:25 and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midinaites. 04:28 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, 04:33 saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them 04:36 the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of 04:41 Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters 04:44 unto Beth-barah and Jordan. And they took two princes 04:48 of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb 04:52 upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress 04:56 of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads 05:00 of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan. 05:04 We're continuing in the book of Judges, chapter 8, 05:07 and this is the King James Version. 05:09 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served 05:14 us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest 05:18 to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him 05:21 sharply. And he said unto them, What have I done now 05:25 in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes 05:29 of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 05:32 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, 05:37 Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison 05:41 of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, 05:45 when he had said that. And Gideon came to Jordan, 05:48 and passed over, he, and the 300 men that were with him, 05:53 faint, yet pursuing them. And he said unto the men of Succoth, 05:58 Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people 06:01 that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after 06:05 Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. 06:08 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah 06:13 and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread 06:15 unto thine army? And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord 06:19 hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, 06:22 then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness 06:25 and with briers. And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake 06:30 unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the 06:33 men of Succoth had answered him. And he spake also unto the men 06:37 of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break 06:41 down this tower. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, 06:45 and their hosts with them, about 15,000 men, 06:48 all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the 06:51 east: for there fell 120,000 men that drew sword. 06:55 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents 06:59 on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: 07:03 for the host was secure. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, 07:07 he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, 07:10 Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host. 07:14 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before 07:19 the sun was up, and caught a young man of the men of Succoth, 07:23 and inquired of him: and he described unto him 07:26 the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, 07:28 even threescore and seventeen men. 07:30 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, 07:33 Behold Zebah and Zalmunna with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, 07:37 Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, 07:40 that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? 07:43 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the 07:47 wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men 07:51 of Succoth. And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew 07:54 the men of the city. Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, 07:58 What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? 08:02 And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one 08:06 resembled the children of a king. And he said, they were 08:10 my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth 08:14 if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 08:17 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. 08:23 But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared, 08:26 because he was yet a youth. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, 08:31 Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, 08:34 so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah 08:39 and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on 08:42 their camel's necks. Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, 08:45 Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son, and thy son's son 08:50 also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 08:52 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, 08:57 neither shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule 09:02 over you. And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request 09:08 of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings 09:11 of his prey. For they had golden earrings, because they were 09:14 Ishmaelites. And they answered, we will willingly give them. 09:18 And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man 09:22 the earrings of his prey. And the weight of the golden 09:26 earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred 09:30 shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, 09:32 and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, 09:35 and beside the chains that were about their camel's necks. 09:38 And Gideon made an ephod thereof and put it in his city, even in 09:43 Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a-whoring after it: 09:48 which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. 09:54 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that 09:58 they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in 10:02 quietness 40 years in the days of Gideon. 10:05 And Jerubbaal, the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 10:10 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: 10:15 for he had many wives. And his concubine that was in Shechem, 10:20 she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 10:23 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, 10:28 and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah 10:32 of the Abiezrites. And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon 10:37 was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, 10:40 and went a-whoring after Baalim and made Baal-berith 10:44 their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord 10:49 their God, who had delivered them out of the hands 10:51 of all their enemies on every side: Neither shewed they 10:54 kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, 10:57 according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel. 11:01 We're continuing in the book of Judges, chapter 9, 11:05 this is the King James Version. 11:07 And Abimelech the son of Jerub-baal went to Shechem 11:12 unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, 11:15 and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, 11:18 saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of 11:22 Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all 11:26 the sons of Jerub-baal, which are threescore and ten persons, 11:30 reign over you, or that one reign over you? 11:33 remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 11:36 And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all 11:40 the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined 11:44 to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. 11:47 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver 11:51 out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain 11:56 and light persons, which followed him. 11:59 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew 12:03 his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being 12:07 threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: 12:11 Notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal 12:15 was left; for he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem 12:20 gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, 12:23 and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in 12:27 Shechem. And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood 12:31 in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, 12:35 and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, 12:38 ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 12:41 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; 12:46 and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. 12:50 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, 12:54 wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted 12:58 over the trees? And the trees said unto the fig tree, 13:01 Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, 13:06 Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, 13:09 and go to be promoted over the trees? 13:11 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, 13:15 and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, 13:18 Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, 13:21 and go to be promoted over the trees? 13:24 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign 13:29 over us. And the Bramble said unto the trees, 13:32 If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put 13:36 your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of 13:40 the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. 13:43 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that 13:48 have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with 13:53 Jerub-baal and his house, and have done unto him according 13:56 to the deserving of his hands; For My father fought for you, 13:59 and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of 14:03 Midian: And ye are risen up against my father's house 14:06 this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons 14:10 upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his 14:14 maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he 14:16 is your brother; If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely 14:20 with Jerub-baal and with his house this day, 14:22 then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 14:28 Thank you for joining me today. Until next time, 14:31 may God keep us all in His hands. |
Revised 2014-12-17