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ALL ABOUT YOU: GIDEON, CHAPTER 21 GRADUATION TIME
03-07-04 (1
Cor 6:1-5) Dare any of you,
having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before
the saints? Do ye not know that the
saints shall judge the world [kosmos;
cosmos, Dict: universe]? and if the world shall be judged by you,
are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know
ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to
this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life,
set them to judge who are least
esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there
is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between
his brethren? (1
Ki 3:9,10) Give therefore thy
servant an understanding heart to
judge thy people, that I may discern
[to separate mentally or distinguish,
understand] between good and bad:
for who is able to judge this thy
so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had
asked this thing. [“we shall judge
angels” 1 Cor 6:3] 1.
The time of the final test of spiritual discernment is upon us. 2.
The water of the word (Holy Spirit) separates the sheep from the
shepherds. 3.
The children of God are bring separated for positions of authority
in the Kingdom of God, i.e. the universe, by the measure of their own
spiritual discernment. THE
PARABLE OF SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT (Luke
19:12-27) He said therefore, A
certain nobleman [Jesus] went into
a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds,
and said unto them, Occupy [trade]
till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after
him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received
the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom
he had given the money [silver],
that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been
faithful in a very little, have thou authority
[delegated influence: power] over
ten cities [because
he discerned what his Lord’s will was, and did it]. And the second came,
saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And
he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five
cities. And another came,
saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a
napkin: For I feared thee,
because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down,
and reapest that thou didst not sow. And
he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked
servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not
down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore
then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have
required mine own with usury [interest]?
And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound,
and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath
[understanding, discernment] shall
be given [more]; and from him that hath
not [understanding, discernment],
even that he hath shall be taken away
from him [stoney ground, i.e. in
whom the seed has not taken “root”].
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign
over them, bring hither, and slay
them before me. SEPARATION
FOR POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY (Judg
7:4-8) And the LORD said unto
Gideon, The people [‘am]
are yet too many; bring them down unto the
water [of
separation: by “the washing of water by the word” Eph 5:26], and I
will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee,
This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever
I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.So
he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said
unto Gideon, Every one that
lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set
by himself; likewise every one
that boweth down upon his knees to drink
[i.e. indiscriminately sucks it in]. And the number of them that
lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men [‘iysh;
300]: but all the rest of the people [‘am;
9,700 also saved Christians] bowed
down upon their knees to drink water [thereby
taking their eyes (and attention) off the 135,000 enemy Midianite warriors
directly across the water]. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By
the three hundred men [‘iysh;
shepherds, pastors, officers – which have eyes and see] that lapped will
I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand [power]:
and let all the other people
[‘am; sheep, congregation, enlisted personnel “which have eyes to see, and
see not” Ezek 12:2] go every man [‘iysh]
unto his place [spot ( his tent)].
So the people [‘am; the 300] took
victuals [food
- their Bibles] in their
hand, and their trumpets
[their testimony]: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man [‘iysh]
unto his tent, and retained
those three hundred men [‘iysh]:
and the host of Midian was beneath him [below]
in the valley. 1.
“people” = Heb: 'am, am;
a people (as a congregated unit); hence troops or attendants; fig. a flock.
2.
“lappeth of the water with his tongue” = that is, tastes
the water as he takes it in: “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim
2:15). Discerning the nuances: Dict: the shades of color, expression,
meaning. 3.
(Exo 16:31) And the house
of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander
seed, white; and the taste [first
biblical mention] of it was
like wafers made with honey. 4.
taste = Heb: prop. a taste, i.e. (fig.) perception; by impl.
intelligence:--advice, behaviour, decree, discretion, judgment, reason, taste,
understanding. 5.
“boweth down” = Heb: to bend the knee; to sink, to prostrate:--bow
(down, self), bring down (low), fall, feeble, kneeling, smite (stoop) down,
subdue, X very. 6.
How
do you partake of the Word of God?
(Heb 5:13,14) For every one that useth
milk is unskilful [inexperienced,
i.e. ignorant] in the word [logos]
of righteousness: for he is a
babe [babies indiscriminately suck
the milk in]. But strong meat
belongeth to them that are of full age
[who select, and then deliberately chew, separate, discern, and experience the
nuances of taste], even those who by reason of use [“faith
without works is dead” James 2:20,26] have
their senses [organs of perception;
judgment] exercised
[to practice; trained] to
discern both good and evil. 7.
“that lapped” = exercised their tongues. 8.
“putting their hand [power]
to their mouth [speech]” = that
is, they made a decision (putting) to preach the word of God (water) which
they discriminantly took into their mouth, having rightly divided the word of
truth (inspired speakers). 9.
“three hundred men” = Heb: 'iysh,
eesh; a man as an individual or a male person: a certain, + champion,
(good-, great, mighty) man, high (degree), husband, + steward, worthy. 10.
(1 Pet 5:8) Be sober, be
vigilant [to keep awake, watch:,
watchful]; because your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion [Goliath,
Gibson (speaking)], walketh about
[now in virtually every movie theater in the country, and soon worldwide on
international satellite], seeking
whom he may devour: Amen |