ALL
ABOUT YOU: GIDEON, CHAPTER 26
THE
RESURRECTION
OF THE DEAD IS PROGRESSIVE
04-11-04
(Psa
127:1) A Song of degrees
for Solomon [elevations, i.e. the
act (lit. a journey to a higher place)]. Except
the LORD build the house [How
do you build a house? Progressively, incrementally], they labour in vain
that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
1.
(Rom 12:2) And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
[changed, transfigured] by the renewing
[renovation /// restoration] of
your mind [understanding],
that ye may prove what is that good [30
fold], and acceptable [60 fold],
and perfect [100 fold], will of
God.
2.
(Mat 13:23) But he that
received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word,
and understandeth it [understanding
is progressive; revelation is progressive]; which also beareth fruit,
and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. [30,
60, 100, Mark 4:8]
THE
BIG PICTURE:
DIVIDING THE LIGHT FROM THE DARKNESS (Gen 1:1-5)
(Judg
6:34,35) But the spirit of the
LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet
[a call to assemble: Num 10:1-4]; and Abiezer was gathered after him. And
he sent
messengers [angels (also a prophet,
priest or teacher – pastor, preacher)] throughout all Manasseh; who also
was gathered after him: and he
sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they [32,000
of them] came up to meet them.
God
divided (extracted, pulled out, separated) 32,000 men from the four
tribes (“by way side”) by His Word (trumpet – messengers). The
vast majority of the people in the four tribes were left
behind in darkness and cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven because they
chose not to obey the “messengers” that God sent calling them to
assemble themselves together into church (Heb 10:25). These
have no faith. In the parable of the sower soweth the word, everyone
heard the message.
1.
(Mat 13:19) When any one
heareth the word of the kingdom, and
understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that
which was sown in his heart [within
you, inside you]. This is he which received seed by the way side.
2.
(Luke 8:12) Those by
the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away
the word out of their hearts, lest
they should believe and be saved.
“OUR
LAMPS (LIGHTS) ARE GONE OUT” (Mat 25:8)
(Judg
7:2,3) And the LORD said unto
Gideon, The people [32,000] that
are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their
hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves [boast:
beautify, glorify] against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Now therefore go to, proclaim [preach]
in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever
is fearful and afraid, let him return [to
his home] and depart early from mount Gilead. And there
returned of the people twenty and two thousand [22,000
goats: Mat 25:32]; and there remained ten thousand [10,000
sheep].
32,000
men obeyed God’s “trumpet” call to assembly (the messengers were
God’s trumpets). Then God divided the 10,000 believers from the
22,000 nonbelievers (on stony ground – professing Christians) at
“mount Gilead” which is a symbol of the cross. The 22,000 “likewise”
(Mark 4:16) as those “by the way side” were left
behind, and cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven because they are “fearful
and afraid” (Judg 7:3). These do
not believe God.
1.
(Luke 8:13) They on the
rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with
joy; and these have no root, which
for a while believe, and in time of temptation [testing]
fall away [desert, depart].
2.
(Mat 25:8) And the
foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our
lamps [lights,
torches] are gone out.
3.
Gilead = Heb: the mass of testimony, heap of witness, rocky, mound of
stones, rocky region. Strong’s #1567: heap of testimony /// something
rolled, a heap of stone or dung. [the
brasen altar]
4.
(Rev 21:8) But the
fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers [pharmakeus;
(a drug, i.e. spell-giving potion)], and idolaters, and all liars, shall
have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which
is the second death.
DIVIDING
LITTLE LIGHT FROM GREAT LIGHT
(Judg
7:4-8) And the LORD said unto
Gideon, The people [32,000] are yet
too many; bring them down unto the water
[of the word of God: Eph 5:26: the
brasen laver], and I will try
[(metal) refine: melt] 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 [thereby remaining
“vigilant” 1 Pet 5:8, and selective of what he takes in], as a dog
lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth
down upon his knees to drink [thereby
blinding himself, and indiscriminately drinking what is presented before him].
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were
three hundred men [shepherds]: but
all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water [9,700
sheep]. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men
that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and
let all the other people go every man unto his place. So the people [the
300 shepherds] took victuals
[food (the word the God: their Bibles, i.e. seed)] in their hand, and their
trumpets [voice (speak out – the
Word comes forth, i.e. fruit)]: and he sent all the rest of Israel every
man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host
of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
Next,
God divided the 300 shepherds from the 9,700 sheep (among the thorns)
who were sent to their tents, thereby remaining on the battlefield.
Where is the battlefield? Where is the Kingdom of Heaven? Where is the seed
sown? No one was left behind. The
9,700 entered into the Kingdom of Heaven (Judg 7:23). These
believed God. However, exactly like Lot who “lingered” (Gen 19:16) in
Sodom, and received Zoar i.e. “little” from the angels (God), the 9,700
had their vision (perception, i.e.
understanding) and speech
(witness) gravely impaired by
choosing to dwell and fellowship unequally yoked among the thorns, with the
result (in the best case scenario vs. Gen 22:17; Heb 11:12) that they each
shall be a relatively dim star compared to a very bright and shining star
throughout all eternity.
1.
(Dan 12:3) And they that be
wise shall shine [to
gleam; fig. to enlighten: admonish, teach, (give) warn (-ing)] as the
brightness [brilliancy] of the
firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness [i.e.
win lost souls to Christ] as the
stars for ever and ever.
2.
(1 Cor 15:41) There is one
glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the
stars: for one star differeth from
another star in glory [dignity,
honour, praise, worship].
3.
(Mark 4:18,19) And these
are they [saved people] which are
sown among thorns [i.e. dwelling
among the thorns (unequally yoked to the world)]; such as hear the word,
And the cares [distractions]
of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of
other things entering in, choke [strangle:
throng /// take by the throat] the
word, and it becometh unfruitful
GREAT
LIGHT
Then,
immediately after
an accelerated learning experience
with the Holy Spirit, typified by “Phurah” (Judg 7:9-15), God/Gideon
divided the 300 shepherds (the good ground) into
three companies: an hundredfold (the man child: Rev 12:5), sixtyfold
(the church: Rev 12:1), thirtyfold (the remnant of her seed: Rev
12:17), and sent them forth for a common cause. No
one was left behind. These entered into the Kingdom of Heaven. These
believed God.
(Judg
7:16) And he divided
the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in
every man's hand [vocal power],
with empty pitchers, and lamps [to
shine: flame, lightning, torch] within
the pitchers [“behold, the
kingdom of God (Heaven) is within
you.” Luke 17:21].
1.
(Mat 13:23) But he that
received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and
understandeth it; which also beareth
fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
2.
(Luke 8:15) But that on
the good ground are they, which in an
honest and good heart [How do you
get and honest and good heart?], having heard the word, keep
it [“to dress it and to keep
it” Gen 2:15: to serve it and to guard/protect it], and
bring forth fruit with patience.
(Judg
7:19) So Gideon, and the
hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the
beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they
blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
1.
(Mat 13:51,52) Jesus saith
unto them, Have ye understood all
these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them,
Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven
is like unto a man that is an householder [head
of a family], which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new
and old.
Amen
