Ruth 1:6-18 Trying To Hide Our Mistakes

This section is entitled "Deception:  Trying to Hide Our Mistakes" in my commentary.  It said, "God visited His faithful people in Bethlehem, but not his disobedient daughter in Moab ... How sad it is when people only hear about God's blessing, but never experience it, because they are not in the place where God can bless them."

The writer recalled hearing a prayer, "Lord, we've aske You to bless all these things, but please Lord, make us blessable."  There's some question about whether Naomi was blessable.  "Whenever we have disobeyed the Lord and departed from His will, we must confess our sin and return to the place of blessing."

"Naomi's decision to return to Bethlehem was right, but her motive was wrong.  She was still interested primarily in food, not in fellowship with God ... She was returning to her land, but not to her Lord.  But something else was wrong in the way Naomi handled this decision!  She did not want her two daughters-in-law to go with her ... Naomi tried to influence the two women to go back to their families and their false gods ... Why would a believing Jewess ... encourage two pagan women to worship false gods?  Perhaps she didn't want to take them to Bethlehem because they were living proof that she and her husband had permitted their sons to marry from outside the covenant nation ... She was trying to cover up her disobedience.  If she returned alone, nobody would know ... Instead of brokenness, Naomi had bitterness."

"Naomi had urged them not to accompany her.  She even prayed for them that the Lord would be kind to them and find new husbands ... But of what value are the prayers of a backslidden believer?"

"Naomi was trying to cover up, Orpah had given up, but Ruth was prepared to stand up ...  She had come to trust in the God of Israel ... instead of blaming God, she had trusted Him ... Ruth had come to know the true and living God and she wanted to be with His people and dwell in His land."

Father, let me not get bitter because of my circumstances.  Help me to trust You and to know I'm in the center of Your will.  Let me never doubt Your incredible love for me!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 1: 1-5 Seeking God's Will?

At the end of the book of Judges, my commentary had said, "God's people today don't live in the book of Judges; they're in the book of Ruth."  And as I began reading what it said about the book of Ruth that morning, I find wonderful insights.

"The efforts which we make to escape from our destiny only serve to lead us into it."

"Because God gave us freedom of choice, we can ignore the will of God, argue with it, disobey it, even fight against it, but in the end the will of God shall prevail."

It listed three mistakes that we must avoid as we deal with the problems and trials of life.  Only the first one was covered in these verses:

Unbelief:  trying to run from our problems --

"No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, the safest and best place is in the will of God.  It's easy to say with David, 'O, that I had wings like a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest!' But it's wiser to claim the promise of Isaiah 40:31 and wait on the Lord for 'wings like eagles' and by faith soar above the storms of life.  You can't run away from your problems."

"Elimelech majored on the physical and not the spiritual.  A husband and father certainly wants to provide for his wife and family, but he must not do it at the expense of losing the blessing of God."  "In times of difficulty, if we die to self and put God's will first, we can be sure that He will either take us out of the trouble or bring us through it."

Elimelech's family stayed in Moab for ten years.  "At the end of that decade of disobedience, all that remained were three lonely widows and three Jewish graves in a heathen land.  Everything else was gone.  Such is the sad consequence of unbelief."

Father, thanks for the reminder to seek out Your will when hard times come.  And I also just remembered from Experiencing God that if I haven't heart a fresh word from You, then I am to keep doing the last thing You told me to do.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 20-21 What A Mess!

Everything comes to a head that began in the last chapter, as Judges comes to a close.  Leaving out the tribe of Benjamin and the men of Jabesh-Gilead, the rest of the Israelites met to determine just what was going on with the body parts of the Levite's concubine they'd received.  They determined that the men of Jabesh-Gilead were guilty of either sexual assault or failure to stop it, and they decided they needed to be turned over to the authorities.  They also vowed that none of them would give their daughters to men from Benjamin as wives.

"Since the Levite had willingly given his concubine to the men of Gebeah, their sin can hardly be called adultery," my commentary said.  "The penalty for rape was death, and gang rape would be even more serious ... The tribes were concerned to 'put away evil out of the land' ... But the people of Benjamin wouldn't admit that Gibeah had sinned, nor would they turn over the men who had done the wicked deed ... Their refusal to cooperate was definitely an act of rebellion against the Lord ... The tribe of Benjamin declared war on the rest of the tribes of Israel!  ... The representatives of the eleven tribes went to the tabernacle in Shiloh and sought the mind of the Lord ... God gave them permission to do battle.  That first day, God allowed the Benjamites to win and kill 22,000 Israelite soldiers.  The eleven tribes wept before the Lord and again sought His will ... Perhaps one reason why God permitted the Israelites to lose that first battle was that it gave them an opportunity to reflect on the fact that they were fighting their own flesh and blood.  But on the second day, Benjamin won again, killing 18,000 Israelites soldiers.  The eleven tribes again sought the face of the Lord, this time with fasting and sacrifices along with their tears ... The Lord assured them that this time they would win ... Over 25,000 Benjamites were killed ... Gibeah was taken, its inhabitants were slain, and the city was burned to the ground."

The tribe of Benjamin was left with only 600 men.  In a sordid tale that never mentioned seeking God's will, the other tribes allowed some of their daughters to be kidnapped to become wives of the men of Benjamin so that the tribe wouldn't cease to exist by not having children.  "All this carnage and destruction happened because one Levite didn't have the courage to stand up for what was right and treat his concubine honorably."

Father, please help me to stand up and do the right thing at the right time, not to seek anything other than Your will for my life.  I don't want my life to cause such pain to others.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 19 -- So Much Like Sodom Repeated

This chapter was incredibly hard to stomach.  A Levite, who was charged with teaching Israelites about God, had a concubine -- a second-class wife -- who had run away after being unfaithful to him.  He finally traveled to her father's home to be reconciled and ended up overstaying, spending several nights drinking with her father.  He finally set out with his concubine and his servant late in the day, rather than staying another night, but wouldn't stop in Jebus (Jerusalem) because at that time it was not an Israelite city.  Despite the hour, he pressed on to Gibeah.

Upon arriving, he waited in the town square to be offered hospitality and lodging for the night, but the people ignored him.  Finally an old man came in late from the fields and took them in, but by that time a gang of thugs had spotted the Levite and intended to rape him!  The old man admonished the gang and even offered his daughter if they would leave his guest alone!  That's absolutely unimaginable for us!

The Levite finally pushed his concubine out the door and into the arms of the gang, and then closed the door and went to sleep!  She was raped all night, and he opened the door the next morning to continue on his trip without her, only to find her by the door.  His only response was, "Get up.  Let's go."  But she didn't respond.  He placed her body on a donkey and headed home, where he then cut her body into twelve parts and sent the parts to the 12 tribes of Israel to stir them to act.  

"He wanted to mobilize the support of the tribes and punish the men of Gibeah who had killed his wife, but in fact, he was the one who had let them kill her!" my commentary said.  "Had the Levite gone to Shiloh where the tabernacle stood, and had he consulted with the high priest, he could have dealt with the matter according to the law of God and avoided causing a great deal of trouble," it added.  And the story continues in the next chapter ...

Father, please keep my heart and mind close to You so that I will never turn callous like this man did.  Please touch hearts and lives in our nation and lead all people back to You!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 18 -- Receiving Ungodly Counsel

"If the people had forsaken their idols, and if the elders of Israel had consulted God's law and obeyed it for God's glory, Israel could have been governed successfully.  Instead, 'Every man did that which was right in his own eyes,'"my commentary said.  It enumerated many sins committed by the tribe of Dan as it sought to find territory to relocate to:

Covetousness -- "The Danites coveted somebody else's land instead and took it in a violent manner ... God put each tribe just where He wanted it.  For the tribe of Dan to reject God's assigned territory and covet another place was to oppose His divine will."

Ungodly counsel -- The five spies found Jonathan the Levite (from the last chapter) and he was more than willing to tell them anything they wanted to hear, whether it was from God or not.

Breaking and entering, robbery and intimidation -- Knowing of Micah's idols from their previous trip, the spies invaded the shrine and stole the gods.  The Levite was shocked but quickly got over it when they lured him away from Micah!

 

Violence and murder -- The Danites marched north and invaded the peaceful people at Laish, killing them all and burning the town to the ground before rebuilding it for themselves.

Idolatry -- Even though there was a house of God in Shiloh, they preferred their images and idols.

People don't want to hear the truth.

Father, shield my heart from Satan's attacks.  Don't let me ever give up on following You.  Help me to trust You more every day.  I don't want to turn out like they did.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 17 -- One Man God Will Give Over To His Mixed-Up Thought Processes

My commentary stated that the events in the final chapters of Judges were added as an appendix and actually took place before the 40 years of Philistine rule, and that they were included to illustrate how wicked the people had become.

A man named Micah was described here.  His name means "Who is like Jehovah?" but it certainly didn't seem to fit him!

He'd stolen money from his mother and only admitted the theft out of fear of the curse she was pronouncing on the thief.  Then she "neutralized the curse by blessing HIM," my commentary said.  In a crazy sequence of events, she then dedicated part of the silver that had been returned to her to the Lord, but did so by having an idol made out of it!  The value wasn't given to the Lord for use in the tabernacle, but instead was placed in her son's own home in his "holy center" -- added to his "god collection," which was cared for by one of his sons, whom Micah had ordained (not his job!) to serve as a priest!  Whew!  "Their home was a place of religious and moral confusion."  My commentary tallied seven of the ten commandments that had been broken, yet the family thought they were doing great!

A young Levite was walking by, apparently unable to remain where he'd been living because the people weren't supporting the priesthood sufficiently.  "Instead of seeking the mind of the Lord, Jonathan, the Levite, set out to find a place to live and work, even if it meant abandoning his calling as a servant of God ... Instead of being available to God, Jonathan was agreeable only to men and he eventually found himself a comfortable home and job with Micah ... Jonathan gave up all that for comfort and security in the home of an idolater!"

"The sad part of the story is that Micah now thought he had the favor of God because a genuine Levitical priest was serving as his private chaplain.  Micah practiced false religion and worshiped false gods (with Jehovah thrown in for good measure), and all the while he rested on the false confidence that God was blessing him."

Father, keep me in Your Word so that I can see if I ever get this far away from You.  It's hard to imagine people sinning this much, thinking they are right with You!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 16 -- Samson Tempts, Betrays, and Destroys Himself

My commentary continued with what Samson did that really didn't fit in with who God wanted him to be:

Samson tempted himself -- When he arrived in Gaza, Samson saw a prostitute and decided to spend the night with her.  "Once again the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh combined to grip Samson and make him a slave to his passions ... The experience was for Samson one more step down into darkness and destruction... We can't help it when Satan and his demons tempt us but when we tempt ourselves, we become our own enemy.   God doesn't tempt us ... We tempt Him either by forcing Him to intervene and rescue us or by daring Him to stop us."

Samson betrayed himself -- He met Delilah in Philistine territory and fell in love.  He was only supposed to see Jewish women.  She began to try to discover the secret of his strength, in order to obtain a huge reward from the Philistine leaders.  "Samson should have been aware of his danger and fled as fast as possible.  But passion had gripped him, sin had anesthetized him, and he was unable to act rationally.  He thought he had enough moral strength, but he was wrong.

After revealing his secret, he was captured by the Philistines and blinded.

Samson destroyed himself -- "It was tragic that a servant of the Lord, raised in a godly home, was now the humiliated slave of the enemy.  But even worse, the Philistines gave glory to their god Dagon ... Samson probably thought that he had the privilege of indulging in sin, since he wore the badge of a Nazirite and won so many victories for the Lord, but he was wrong.

Father, keep me ever aware that the closer I come to You, the more Satan will want to trip me up and make me sin.  Help me not to be blind to what tempts me, the way Sampson was.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Judges 15 -- Samson Fights Alone

Samson preferred fighting alone and he never mustered an army to fight the Philistines.

Not knowing that his prospective father-in-law had given his wife to his best man, Samson went to visit her and take her a gift.  Finding out the truth, he captured foxes or jackals and used them to burn up the Philistines' grain fields and olive groves.  They in turn killed the woman Samson loved and her father, causing him to avenge her death by killing a large number of Philistines.  "God was using Samson's exploits to harass the Philistines and prepare them for the sure defeat that was coming in a few years," my commentary said.  He retreated to a cave and the Philistines still ruling over the Israelites demanded that his own people give him up to them.  Samson agreed to surrender to prevent injury to his own people and "the Spirit of the Lord entered Samson and gave him great power ... Samson found the jawbone of a dead donkey, took it, and killed a thousand men with it."

After the battle, he cried out to God for water and God "opened a hole in the ground and water came out."

Father, I know You can make use of anyone and anything for Your purposes, because You are sovereign.  Please use me today as I begin to teach.  Shape the minds of the students I interact with and help them to see that You are in this.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 14 -- Samson Strays

"Samson was a man of faith, according to Hebrews 11:32, but he certainly wasn't a faithful man," my commentary began today.  He wasn't faithful to his parents' teaching, his Nazirite vow, or the laws of the Lord."

He lost his respect for his parents:  "When Samson fell in love, he wouldn't listen to his parents."  He decided to marry a Philistine woman, contrary to God's law.  "He was controlled by the lust of his eyes rather than by the law of the Lord ... The important thing to Samson was not pleasing the Lord, or even pleasing his parents, but pleasing himself."

"Samson should have been going to a war instead of to a wedding, but God used this event to give Samson occasion to attack the enemy ... Samson hadn't planned these things, but God worked them out just the same."

He lost his Nazirite separation:  "He detoured into a vineyard on his way to his wedding -- a dangerous place for a man who was not supposed to have anything to do with grapes.  The Holy Spirit gave Samson power to defeat the lion, but Samson persisted on his path of disobedience into enemy territory and an unlawful wedding."

Samson returned to claim his bride some weeks later and returned to the vineyard to look at his trophy and perhaps gloat over his victory, my commentary said.  "His sin began with the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and now it included the pride of life.  When Samson ate the honey from the lion's carcass, he was defiled by a dead body, and that part of his Nazirite dedication was destroyed."

He lost control of his tongue:  Samson posed a riddle to the 30 men the Philistines had rounded up to be his groomsmen.  "Sad to say, he constructed the riddle out of the experience of his sin ... It's bad enough to disobey God, but when you make a joke of it, you've sunk to new depths of spiritual insensitivity."

Fearing for her life, his Philistine bride enticed him, then controlled him with her tears, then betrayed him [to get the answer to the riddle] which is the way the world always treats the compromising believer."

Samson lost his temper:  "His anger at his bride's betrayal and his loss of the wager caused him to kill 30 men to pay off the bet.  He didn't even consummate the marriage!  "The Lord used this turn of events to motivate Samson to decide to fight the Philistines..."

"If we're looking by faith into the face of the Lord, He can guide us with His eyes the way parents guide their children.  But if we turn our backs on Him, He has to treat us like animals and harness us."

Father, please get my attention sooner if You see me straying away from Your path.  Soften my heart to make it ever responsive to Your call.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 13 -- The Promise And Potential Of Samson

We're introduced to Samson in this chapter.  Israel was experiencing "the longest period of oppression that God sent to His people -- 40 years of Philistine domination ... There is no evidence given in the text that Israel cried out to God for deliverance at any time during the 40 years of Philistine domination."

My commentary called him "the child with unbelievable promise," which included having a nation to protect, a God to serve, and a home to honor, yet Samson's inconsistent life brought shame to his father's house just as it brought shame to the name of the Lord.

His great strength, sourced by the Holy Spirit of God and continued by keeping his Nazirite vow, was "a weapon to fight with and a tool to build with, not a toy to play with," my commentary said.  But he did anyway.  He was a loner.  He never rallied troops.  He never acted like a leader.

The next three chapters will reveal the sickening results of his lifestyle choices, despite his Nazirite vow.

Father, there was so much potential in this child, yet it was never fully realized.  Help me to realize the potential still waiting to occur in my own life, and to step into the future You have designed specifically for me.  Also, help me to help our young people to discover the potential You have graced them with, and help them to realize it as well.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 11-12 An Unwanted Brother

"The circumstances of birth or of family are not a handicap to the person who will live by faith," my commentary said in summarizing this story about Jephthah.

It described Jephthah as "the unwanted brother," for his father had gotten a prostitute pregnant and then taken the boy into his home, but upon his father's death, the boy's half-brothers had driven him away.

Years later, when the people of Ammon were threatening Israel, the elders of Israel asked him to come lead their army, for he had a good reputation as a commander.  He agreed, even though it appears that those same elders had cooperated with his brothers in originally expelling him.  His agreement called for him to be named ruler of Gilead if the battle was won.  Jephthah became "the unopposed leader" as a result.

He then tried diplomacy to prevent the war, but he was "an unsuccessful diplomat," for the Ammonites refused to listen to his excellent logic.  He knew his Scriptures and Israel's history, and he was a man of faith.

But there was one slip-up.  He made a vow to God as he was going out to battle.  Vows were completely acceptable under Jewish law, so long as they were kept, but this amounted to a bargain with God.  "If God would give the Israelites victory over the Ammonites, Jephthah would sacrifice to the Lord whatever came out of his house when he arrived home.  His only child -- a daughter -- ran out to greet him.  Jephthah agreed that he had to keep his vow, as did his daughter.  My commentary went into a lengthy analysis about all of the possibilities of sacrificing his daughter "as a burnt offering" and why she would not be an acceptable sacrifice to God as a burnt offering, and the conclusion reached was that she was likely given to the Lord to serve Him at the tabernacle, much the way Samuel was.  The sacrifice was that she would never marry or have children to perpetuate Jephthah's lineage.

Jephthah later became a ruler in defense when men from Ephraim came displaying pride and anger as they had with Gideon years before.  They claimed they wanted to share the glory of the victory over Ammon and hadn't been invited to the battle.  In reality, Jephthah had called and Ephraim hadn't responded.  A battle resulted and 42,000 soldiers from Ephraim lost their lives because of that pride and anger.

Father, thanks for showing me that the circumstances of birth or of family are not a handicap when You are allowed to rule.  Remind me of that often as I begin to teach children You love.  You also reminded us of the value of diplomacy and civility in first dealing with those who oppose us, and also to trust You to deliver Your promises.  We don't have to make bargains with You.  Help me to always take the high road.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 10 -- A Lack Of Leadership

The nation was in decay, despite 45 years of peace and prosperity.  The problem was unthankfulness.  "The essence of idolatry is enjoying God's gifts, but not being grateful to the Giver."  They turned to idol worship again, not remembering what it had cost them in the past.

Israel's lack of submission to the Lord was also a problem.  In reviewing their history, they would have known that He blesses obedience and chastens rebellion.  "When we're comfortable and enjoying His blessings, we tend to forget God and assume that we can sin and get away with it.  Comfortable living often produces weak character.  Happiness is not the end of life.  Character is.  But character is built when we make right decisions in life, and those decisions are made on the basis of the things that we value most.  Since Israel didn't value the things of God, she ended up destroying her own national character," my commentary said.

The Ammonites invaded Gilead, then crossed the Jordan and attacked the Promised Land.  The Israelites once again cried out to God.  "But the Lord didn't help immediately ... He ... rebuked them for their lack of appreciation for all He had done for them in the past.  Then God announced that He wouldn't help them anymore.  They could ask their new gods for help! ...The greatest judgment God can send to His people is to let them have their own way and not interfere ... This was too much for the Jews, so they repented, put away their false gods, and told God He could do to Israel whatever He wanted to do.  Their hope wasn't in their repenting or their praying, but in the character of God."

Another problem was their lack of adequate leadership.  There was no one to take the lead.  "Whether in a nation or a local church, the absence of qualified leaders is often a judgment of God and evidence of the low spiritual level of the people.  When the Spirit is at work among believers, He will equip and call servants to accomplish His will and bless His people."

"We get what we deserve.  When God's people are submitted to Him and serving Him, He sends them gifted servants to instruct and lead them, but when their appetites turn to things of the world and the flesh, He judges them by depriving them of good and godly leaders."

Father, I pray for our school system as we begin this new year.  Thank You for the godly leadership You have provided us.  Help us all to seek Your face and cause our students to want to do the same.  Reign in our schools, Father -- over students and teachers.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 9 -- Am I Doing What God Wants, Where He Wants Me To Do It?

"Abimelech had such a passionate desire to be king that he allowed nothing to stand in his way, not even the lives of hundreds of innocent people," my commentary began.

Abimelech was the son of Gideon and his slave girl (not the son of one of Gideon's wives).  So he likely was thought less of and likely felt inferior to his 70 stepbrothers.  

He convinced the leaders of Shechem that it was better to have someone of their own race (non-Jewish) to rule them, and one person, rather than 71, ruling.  They helped him kill all of his stepbrothers except one, who escaped.

My commentary listed many sins Abimelech committed as he strove for power:  Selfish ambition, idolatry, murder, dishonesty, and pride are among them.  "Abimelech was actually trying to wrest the kingdom away from God, and the Lord permitted him to have a measure of success.  But God was still on the throne and would see to it that man's selfish purposes would be frustrated."

"It's a dangerous thing for us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think.  We all need to discover the gifts God has given us and then use them in the place where He puts us."

A rival moved into Shechem, setting up conflict with Abimelech, who had to attack his own city to maintain his control.  He also felt he had a score to settle, since the men of Shechem had dared to support his rival.  So he attacked and murdered them, even burning alive many innocent people in the tower of Shechem, and he even razed the city.  He then turned on the people of Thebez who had also rebelled, but in his hubris he approached their tower too closely and a woman dropped a large millstone on his head, which led to his death.  He lost his life and his kingdom.

Father, I took particular note of what was written here about discovering the gifts You have given us and then using them in the place where You put us.  As I begin my new career today, please bless what I'll be doing and use me for Your glory, not my own.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 8 -- Remaining As Watchful After The Victory As Before The Battle

"The war may be over, but the dangers haven't vanished," is how my commentary described what happened in this chapter.  "Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.  That was the counsel Gideon needed after he'd routed the Midianites, because his problems still weren't over.  He discovered some land mines that were ready to explode."

"A soft answer for his critics -- Ephraim was insulted because he didn't call them to the battle ... Ephraim was on hand to help in the mopping up operations, and that's what really counted," my commentary said.  "When the men of Ephraim should have been thanking Gideon for delivering the nation, they were criticizing him and adding to his burdens ... Gideon proved that he could control not only an army, but also his temper and tongue."

"A stern warning for the skeptics -- Gideon's army crossed over the Jordan to Succoth in Gad, hoping to find some nourishment, but the men of Succoth wouldn't help their brothers ... While others were risking their lives, the people of Gad were doing nothing ... Gideon received the same response from the men of Peniel.  He warned both cities that he would return and discipline them."

Gideon captured the fleeing kings then returned to Succoth and Peniel and made good on his promises.  "Succoth and Peniel were rebelling against God's chosen leader and assisting the enemy at the same time.  Theirs was the sin of hardness of heart toward their brethren and treason against the God of heaven... leaders must have discernment or they will make wrong decisions as they deal with different situations.  Personal insults are one thing, but rebellion against the Lord and His people is quite something else."

The people wanted Gideon to be their king, but Gideon reminded them that God was their king ... He would not take the place of Jehovah God.  "He refused the kingship, but wanted the priesthood," I'd read in another commentary.  So he asked the people for gold from the spoils of war, and with it he fashioned an ephod probably like that which the high priest wore.  "The people played the harlot with it, meaning that they stopped giving their true devotion to the Lord and used the ephod for an idol."

"Gideon started out as a servant, but now he was an important celebrity.  The result was decline for him, his family, and his nation."

Father, help me to be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.  Guide me in all that I do.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 7 -- Overcoming Unbelief

"Christians are either overcome because of their unbelief or overcomers because of their faith.  Faith doesn't depend on how we feel, what we see, or what may happen," my commentary began.  It listed three important principles about faith:

"God tests our faith, God encourages our faith, and God honors our faith." 

It also contained a warning:  "Faith is like a toothbrush:  Everyone should have one and use it regularly, but it isn't safe to use somebody else's."

"God tests our faith for at least two reasons:  first, to show us whether our faith is real or counterfeit, and second, to strengthen our faith for the tasks."

God sifted Gideon's 32,000 man army down to 300 men.  "Victories won because of faith bring glory to God because nobody can explain how they happened.  If you can explain what's going on in your ministry, then God didn't do it."

"We never know when God is testing us in some ordinary experience of life."  Here, then men had no clue that the test had anything to do with how they drank water!

"Make every occasion a great occasion, for you can never tell when somebody may be taking your measure for a larger place."

"How grateful we should be that God understands us and doesn't condemn us because we have doubts and fears ... God remembers that we're only dust."

When Gideon and his servant heard the enemy soldier's dream and the other soldier's interpretation of it, the first thing Gideon did was worship God.  "He was so overwhelmed by the Lord's goodness and mercy that he fell on his face in submission and gratitude ... It's a good practice for us to follow today.  Before we can be successful warriors, we must first become sincere worshipers."

"When leaders depend on their education, skill, and experience rather than in God, then God abandons them and looks for a Gideon.  The important thing is for us to be available for God to use just as He sees fit."

Father, keep me humble and dependent upon You.  I want to remain available for Your use.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 6 -- Gideon's Hesitation

My commentary had a lot to say about Gideon's encounter with the Angel of the Lord.

"Before the Lord could use Gideon in His service, He had to deal with four doubts that plagued him and were obstacles to his faith:

     -- Does God really care about us?

     -- Does God know what He's doing?

     -- Will God take care of me?

     -- Does God keep His promises?

I saw a lot of good answers to these questions in my commentary.

For seven years God had been chastening His people, trying to get them to understand their sin and return to Him.  "Chastening is evidence of God's hatred for sin and His love for His people.  We can't conceive of a holy God wanting anything less than His very best for His children, and the best He can give us is a holy character like that of Jesus Christ ... Chastening assures us that we are truly God's children, that our Father loves us, and that we can't get away with rebellion ... The purpose of chastening is to make God's children willing to listen to God's Word ... The Israelites gave no evidence of real repentance, but their affliction moved God's loving heart ... God is always ready to make us what we out to be if we're willing to submit to His will."

Gideon responded negatively to God's Word.  He lacked faith and spiritual perception, my commentary said.  "God would have to spend time with Gideon, turning his question marks into exclamation points ... Gideon seemed to think that God could do nothing because he and his family were nothing.  Once God has revealed His will to us, we must never question His wisdom or argue with His plans ... God promised to be with him.  God called him a mighty man of valor ... But Gideon didn't receive that Word and needed assurance beyond the character of Almighty God."

"Unless we're at peace with God, we can't face the enemy with confidence and fight the Lord's battles ... Whenever God calls us to a task that we think is beyond us, we must be careful to look to God and not to ourselves."

"Knowing that Gideon was still afraid, God assigned him a test right at home to show him that He would see him through.  He sometimes prepares us by giving us smaller victories at home ... Gideon learned a valuable lesson that day:  If he believed the Lord even with fear in his heart, the Lord would protect him and receive that glory."

"Putting out the fleece is not a biblical method for determining the will of God.  Rather, it's an approach used by people like Gideon who lack the faith to trust God to do what He said He would do ... It's also an evidence of our pride:  God has to do what I tell Him to do before I'll do what He tells me to do!"

Father, it always come back to that 4-word motto You taught me during my older son's adoption:  "I trust You, God!"  Always help me to remember that.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 5 -- "A Poetic Celebration Of What God Had Done"

This chapter is "a poetic celebration of what God had done to help his people.  Jewish poetry differs from English poetry," my commentary said, "and contains frequent outbursts of praise."

"The leaders led Israel.  The people volunteered to go to battle."  It's almost as if normality had returned!  They praised the Lord that this had occurred!

Then we read that they urged future leaders to take note of all that follows, for things had changed.  It wasn't the status quo.

God was the God of Israel, yet we read that He came from Edom.  Had He left the land because of Israel's sin?

It had become too unsafe to travel in Israel, especially on the main roads.  The enemies of Israel fought at the city gates of Israelite cities!  And Israel had no weapons!

The faithful remnant ("those who were left ... the Lord's people") were the ones who entered the battle.  The Bible doesn't pull punches, telling us who didn't go to battle as well -- Reuben, East Manasseh , Dan, and Asher.  "When Joshua was the commander of Israel's armies, all the tribes participated, but when Barak summoned the forces, only half of them went to war... The people of God today are not unlike the people of Israel when it comes to God's call for service:  Some immediately volunteer and follow the Lord; some risk their lives; some give the call serious consideration, but say no; and others keep to themselves as though the call had never been given," my commentary says.

Father, I pray that I will be one who immediately volunteers, who answers Your call.  I trust You, Father.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 4 -- Hesitation Can Bring Problems

When Ehud no longer was judge, "the Israelites lapsed back into idolatry and God had to punish them," my commentary said.  "Israel as portrayed in the book of Judges illustrates the difference between religious reformation and spiritual revival.  Reformation temporarily changes outward conduct, while revival permanently alters inward character.  When Ehud removed the idols and commanded the people to worship only Jehovah, they obeyed him, but when that constraint was removed, the people obeyed their own desires ... the empty heart is prey to every form of evil."

"Once again the people cried out to God, not to forgive their sins, but to relieve their suffering ... God raised up a courageous woman named Deborah to be the judge of the land ... God revealed to Deborah that Barak was to assemble and lead the Israelite army ...and God would defeat the enemy ... Like Moses before him ... Barak hesitated when told what God wanted him to do ... God took the honor from the men and gave it to the women."

God controlled the Canaanite army by bogging down their 900 chariots in the mud, by controlling the weather.  God also sent confusion into the minds of the enemy warriors.  "Had their own god Baal (god of the storms) turned against them??"

Sisera, the enemy commander, ran to his own town, where a woman named Jael met him and offered to hide him in her house.  Feeding him milk and covering him with a rug, she set up the right conditions to cause him to sleep.  Then she pounded a tent peg through his skull and into the ground!  "There was a war on ... it was God's will that the nation be delivered ..."  It wasn't murder.  Just war.  "This courageous woman finally stopped being neutral and took her stand with the people of God."

Father, it's often too easy to stay out of the fight and on the sidelines.  I pray that You are in this change in my life, and that I've heard you correctly.  Put me in and show me what You want me to do.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Judges 3 -- God Is Looking For Better Men And Women, Not Better Methods

God highlighted several men in this chapter who made themselves available at His call to help the nation of Israel in times of trouble.  "When God goes to war, He usually chooses the most unlikely soldiers, hands them the most unusual weapons, and accomplishes through them the most unpredictable results," my commentary says.  "As long as we're in this world, God's people are involved in a spiritual battle against Satan and his armies and God is still looking for men and women who have what it takes to win:  power, strategy, and courage."

"Israel had committed a serious blunder in not trusting God to give them victory, but God sought to use their mistakes for their own good."

"Curiosity is often the first step toward conformity."

"Charles Spurgeon said that God never allows His people to sin successfully.  Their sin will either destroy them or it will invite the chastening hand of God ... There's no evidence that the people repented of their sins when they cried out to God for help, but the Lord responded to their plight and gave them a deliverer."

"Only one verse is devoted to Shamgar ... what was significant about him was the weapon that he used.  An ox goad ... Here was a man who obeyed God and defeated the enemy even though his resources were limited.  Instead of complaining about not possessing a sword or spear, Shamgar gave what he had to the Lord, and the Lord used it."

"The world is looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men and women who understand the basics:  the power of the Holy Spirit, wise strategy, and steadfast courage."

Father God, please open the hearts and minds of those I love to Your truths.  Clear the fog of deception that Satan has planted.  Let them understand fully that You never allow us to sin successfully and that our sin will either destroy us or it will invite Your chastening hand.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford