Lesson#08

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
JUDGES 7
LESSON #08
THE MARVELOUS SWORD OF GIDEON

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 9:10

• IN THE THIRD CYCLE OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES, WE ARE ON THE BRINK OF GOD’S SALVATION FROM ISRAEL’S ENEMY, THE MIDIANITES.
• IN THE STORY OF GIDEON, WE OBSERVED GIDEON’S COWARDICE AND HIS RELUCTANCE TO DO WHAT GOD CALLED HIM TO DO. HE WANTED MANY SIGNS BEFORE HE FINALLY AGREES TO FIGHT THE MIDIANITES. IN CHAPTER 7, GIDEON RAISES A LARGE ARMY.

• READ JDG 7:1-8 GIDEON’S ARMY
• THE MIDIANITE FORCES NUMBERED 135,000 AND GIDEON’S FORCES NUMBERED 32,000.
• WITH GIDEON’S COWARDLY MIND-SET, HE PROBABLY THOUGHT HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MEN TO FIGHT THE BATTLE.
• GOD SAYS THAT GIDEON HAD TOO MANY MEN:
• GOD WANTS TO TEACH GIDEON FAITH.
• FAITH IS TRUSTING IN GOD’S WORD EVEN THOUGH TO THE HUMAN MIND, THE TASK SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE AND IMPROBABLE.
• GOD WANTS TO TEACH THE ISRAELITES FAITH. (2)
• THE PURPOSE OF THE CYCLES IS TO BRING HIS PEOPLE BACK TO GOD SO THEY WILL WORSHIP HIM AND OBEY HIM.
• NOTICE THAT THE PURPOSE IS NOT THE COMFORT AND FREEDOM FOR THE PEOPLE.
• THERE ARE SPIRITUAL THINGS THAT ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PHYSICAL COMFORT, EASE OF LIVING, MATERIAL ABUNDANCE, OR A “GOOD LIFE”.
• GOD WILL GET THE GLORY FOR THE VICTORY. THEREFORE, IT MUST BE A SUPERNATURAL VICTORY BEYOND HUMAN COMPREHENSION.
• THE REDUCTION OF GIDEON’S ARMY:
• THE FIRST REDUCTION: (3)
• GIDEON TOLD THOSE SOLDIERS WHO WERE AFRAID, TO GO HOME.
• THIS PROVISION FOR FEAR WAS A PART OF THE MOSAIC LAW.
• IF A MAN WAS DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY, HE COULD RETURN HOME IF HE WAS AFRAID. (DEU 20:8)
• IT IS A SURPRISE THAT GIDEON DID NOT RETURN HOME OUT OF FEAR.
• REMEMBER THAT FEAR IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH. GOD WILL NOT REWARD FEAR, BUT HE WILL REWARD FAITH. (HEB 11:6)
• GIDEON’S ARMY WAS REDUCED FROM 32,000 TO 10,000.
• YOU CAN IMAGINE GIDEON’S EXPRESSION AS HE SAW ROW AFTER ROW OF HIS SOLDIERS LEAVING THE BATTLEGROUND.
• GOD WILL HAVE TO GROW A LOT OF FAITH IN GIDEON TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE!
• THE SECOND REDUCTION OF GIDEON’S ARMY: (5-7)
• TO GIDEON’S SURPRISE, THE FIRST REDUCTION IS NOT ENOUGH. 10,000 MEN IS STILL TOO MANY AGAINST 135,000 MIDIANITES.
• GOD’S STRANGE WAY OF REDUCING THE ARMY: THE CRITERIA:
• SOLDIERS WHO DRINK WATER LIKE A DOG.
• SOLDIERS WHO DRINK WATER LIKE A MAN.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CRITERIA:
• ANIMALS WHO LIVE IN THE WILD ARE CONSTANTLY ALERT TO THE PRESENCE OF AN ENEMY.
• THEIR EYES CONSTANTLY DART TO AND FRO.
• THEIR EARS ARE CONSTANTLY LISTENING.
• THEIR WHOLE BODY POSTURE IS READY TO FIGHT.
• SOLDIERS WHO HAVE THIS SAME KIND OF ALERTNESS WILL MAKE GOOD SOLDIERS. THEY NEVER LET THEIR GUARD DOWN.
• AN ALERT SOLDIER WHO DRINKS FROM A RIVER DOES NOT PUT BOTH KNEES ON THE RIVERBANK AND HIS FACE INTO THE WATER. THIS PRONE POSITION MAKES HIM UNABLE TO FLEE QUICKLY IN THE EVENT OF APPROACHING DANGER.
• AN ALERT SOLDIER WILL STAY ON HIS FEET AND DIP HIS CUPPED HAND INTO THE WATER, LIFTING IT TO HIS MOUTH.
• THERE WERE ONLY 300 ALERT SOLDIERS IN GIDEON’S ARMY.
• THIS SECOND REDUCTION OF GIDEON’S ARMY IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF DIVINE ELECTION AND MAN’S FREE WILL:
• THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT GOD CHOOSES MEN FOR HIS PURPOSES. THIS IS DIVINE ELECTION. HOWEVER, GOD NEVER VIOLATES MAN’S FREE WILL. THEREFORE, WHILE GOD CHOOSES, MAN ALSO HAS A FREEWILL CHOICE.
• GOD CHOSE CERTAIN ALERT SOLDIERS FOR GIDEON’S ARMY, BUT EVERY SOLDIER IN GIDEON’S ARMY HAD A FREEWILL CHOICE AS TO HOW HE WOULD DRINK FROM THE RIVER. THEREFORE, GIDEON’S ARMY WAS MADE UP OF A COMBINATION OF GOD’S CHOSEN ONES WHO BY THEIR OWN FREE WILL CHOSE TO BE THERE.

• READ JDG 7:9-15 STRENGTHENING GIDEON
• GIDEON IS LEFT WITH AN ARMY OF 300 AND THE ENEMY HAS 135,000 SOLDIERS.
• IT IS OBVIOUS THAT GIDEON WILL NEED SOME ENCOURAGEMENT AFTER SEEING SO MANY OF HIS TROOPS RETURN HOME.
• THE METHOD THAT GOD USES TO ENCOURAGE GIDEON:
• GOD SENDS GIDEON TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE MIDIANITE CAMP. HE IS PERMITTED TO TAKE A SERVANT IF HE IS AFRAID.
• THE OVERHEARD CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO OF THE MIDIANITE SOLDIERS:
• THE CONVERSATION INVOLVES A DREAM ABOUT A CAKE OF BARLEY BREAD THAT DESTROYS THE MIDIANITE CAMP.
• THE BARLEY CAKE MEANT AN IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE, SO IT REPRESENTED THE POOR ISRAELITES.
• HOWEVER, THE MIDIANTES PLUNDERED THE GRAIN HARVEST, SO GOD WOULD IN TURN DESTROY THEM FOR IT.
• TO THE MIDIANITES THE BARLEY CAKE REPRESENTED THE POOR ISRAELITES, BUT TO GOD THE BARLEY CAKE REPRESENTS JESUS CHRIST AS THE BREAD OF LIFE. (JOH 6:32-35)
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE SWORD OF GIDEON. (14) (REV 1:16 REV 19:15)
• WE WILL DISCOVER THE REMARKABLE TRUTH CONCERNING “THE SWORD OF GIDEON” (15) LATER IN OUR LESSON.
• THE BARLEY CAKE DREAM WAS A JOKE TO THE MIDIANITE SOLDIERS, AND THEY PROBABLY HAD A GOOD TIME LAUGHING ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, TO GIDEON, IT WAS A DREAM SUPERNATURALLY GIVEN AND IT GAVE HIM ENCOURAGEMENT.

• READ JDG 7:16-25 THE MILITARY STRATEGY OF GIDEON’S ARMY
• THE BATTLE IS TO TAKE PLACE AT 10:00 PM AT THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD.
• =1= GIDEON DIVIDES HIS ARMY INTO 3 GROUPS OF 100 EACH.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE IS IN THE NUMBERS.
• THREE IN THE BIBLE IS A REFERENCE TO THE TRINITY. OUR GOD IS THREE IN ONE.
• GOD IS FIGHTING THIS BATTLE WITH ALL THREE MEMBERS OF THE GODHEAD INVOLVED…THREE IN ONE.
• =2= THE FIRST WEAPON: A TRUMPET IN EVERY SOLDIER’S HAND = 300 TRUMPETS
• THE TRUMPET BLAST WAS THE PROCLAMATION OF A VICTORY CRY.
• THE TRUMPET BLAST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IS SYMBOLIC OF GOD’S VOICE. (EXO 19:16,19)
• VICTORY COMES BY THE POWER OF THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD.
• READ PSA 29
• =3= THE SECOND WEAPON: A CLAY JAR IN EVERY SOLDIER’S HAND = 300 CLAY JARS
• THE CLAY JARS REPRESENT THE HUMAN BODIES OF THE ISRAELITE BELIEVERS.
• READ JER 18:4-7
• READ ROM 9:21-23
• READ PHI 2:14-15
• GOD USES PEOPLE AS HE SEES FIT, BUT THEY MUST BE BROKEN VESSELS. IN OTHER WORDS THEIR PRIDE MUST BE BROKEN FOR GOD TO USE THEM AND BRING VICTORY.
• =4= THE THIRD WEAPON: A LIGHTED LAMP IN EVERY CLAY JAR = 300 LAMPS.
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (JOH 8:12)
• THE BELIEVER (THE CLAY JAR) IN JESUS CHRIST HAS THE LIGHT OF CHRIST IN HIM. (EPH 5:8)
• READ 2COR 4:7
• THE LIGHT SHINES THROUGH THE BELIEVER ONLY AS THE HUMAN SPIRIT OF PRIDE IS BROKEN IN THAT LIFE.
• =5= THE SHOUTED WORDS (18)
• THE SOLDIERS MUST SHOUT THE WORDS, “THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON”
• THESE WORDS ARE VERY PECULIAR IN THAT GIDEON DID NOT HAVE A SWORD, NOR DID ANY OF HIS SOLDIERS HAVE SWORDS. IN FACT THERE WAS NOT A WEAPON OF WAR AMONG THEM!
• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORDS:
• GIDEON HEARD THE WORDS ABOUT “THE SWORD OF GIDEON” WHEN HE OVERHEARD THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN HIS TWO SOLDIERS.
• HOWEVER, GIDEON KNOWS HE DOES NOT HAVE AN ACTUAL SWORD. HOWEVER, HIS FAITH HAS RISEN TO TRUST IN GOD TO BE HIS SWORD.
• THE PHRASE, “THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON” DEMONSTRATES THE COOPERATION THAT MUST TAKE PLACE BETWEEN MAN AND GOD FOR THERE TO BE A VICTORY.
• IT ISN’T JUST THE SWORD OF THE LORD, AND IT ISN’T JUST THE SWORD OF GIDEON.
• IT IS FAITH COUPLED WITH THE POWER OF THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD.
• NOTICE THAT VICTORY REQUIRED THE TRUMPET BLAST AND THE SHOUTS OF THE SOLDIERS.
• READ HEB 4:12-13
• THE FINAL VICTORY
• THE MIDIANITES WERE SO FRIGHTENED AND CONFUSED BY THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPETS, THE SOUND OF THE SOLDIER’S SHOUTS, THE SOUND OF BREAKING JARS, AND LIGHTS SURROUNDING THEM, THAT THEY TURNED THEIR SWORDS ON EACH OTHER. (22)
• THE REMAINDER OF THE MIDIANITES FLED AND THE ISRAELITES PURSUED THEM UNTIL THEY KILLED THEM.

• APPLICATION OF OUR LESSON:
• THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST HAS AN ENEMY JUST AS NUMEROUS AS THE MIDIANITES. HERE ARE SOME THINGS THE BELIEVER FIGHTS AGAINST:
• WE FIGHT AGAINST OUR FLESH NATURE.
• WE FIGHT AGAINST TEMPTATION BY THE DEVIL.
• WE FIGHT AGAINST OUR OWN DESIRES AND SELF WILL.
• WE FIGHT AGAINST THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD SYSTEM.
• WE FIGHT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS IN HIGH PLACES, RULERS OF DARKNESS, AND SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. (EPH 6:12)
• WE FIGHT AGAINST SATAN AND HIS DEMONS.
• JUST LIKE GIDEON, WE HAVE THE SAME WEAPON, JESUS CHRIST, WITH WHICH TO FIGHT THE ENEMY:
• JESUS CHRIST IS OUR VICTORY.
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE BREAD OF LIFE.
• JESUS CHRIST IS LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE POWERFUL TWO-EDGED SWORD.
• JUST LIKE GIDEON, VICTORY REQUIRES A COOPERATION BETWEEN OUR FAITH AND GOD’S WORD.
• READ HEB 11:32-34

HOMEWORK
JUDGES 8
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF JDG 7
• WHAT MAJOR AREA OF YOUR LIFE NEEDS A VICTORY TODAY?
• FIND SOME SCRIPTURES THAT PROMISE YOU THE VICTORY. MEMORIZE THEM AND REPEAT THEM OUT LOUD AS OFTEN AS YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
• PLACE YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST AND HIS WORD TO BRING THE VICTORY.

• PREPARATION FOR JDG 8
• READ JDG 8:1-35
• TO WHOM DID THE PEOPLE GIVE CREDIT FOR THE VICTORY?
• WHY WAS IT A BAD IDEA THAT GIDEON SHOULD BECOME THEIR KING?
• WHAT WAS GIDEON’S GREATEST WEAKNESS?

• MEMORY VERSE: PRO 14:34