THE CALL OF
GIDEON: THE PRE-CHRISTIAN - RELIGIOUS, BUT IN THE FLESH
AND NOT SAVED. GIDEON DID NOT
BELIEVE GOD
(Judg
6:11) And there came an
angel of the LORD [i.e. the
Word of God], and sat under an oak [tree
– a type of the cross] which was in Ophrah [a
female fawn – a type of Mary], that pertained unto Joash the
Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat
by the winepress, to
hide it from the Midianites.
1.
The Abiezrites were the highest ranking family of the tribe of
Manasseh (Josh 17:2). Circumstantial evidence suggests that Gideon was
the eldest son of Joash, i.e. the firstborn. The once proud
Abiezrites were now completely humiliated (humbled) by the overwhelming
oppression of the Midianite host; even the most mighty man of the
Abiezrites, Gideon, was compelled to thresh wheat in a low place to hide
it from the Midianites. When the children of Israel finally arrived at their
lowest point, typified by Gideon himself threshing the wheat rather
than his servants (lesser than his servants), the LORD sent a prophet
unto them preaching the baptism of repentance (reversal: to think
differently, to reconsider) for the remission (forgiveness) of sins, to
prepare the way of the LORD.
2.
“threshed wheat” = separating the wheat from the chaff,
prophetically - the good
from the bad.
3.
“by the winepress” = Gk: (in the sense of treading out
grapes); a wine-press (or vat for holding the grapes in pressing them). [located in a low place]
4.
(1 Pet 5:5-7) Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto
the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed
with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth
grace to the humble. Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may
exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you.
5.
humility = Gk: humiliation of mind, modesty: humbleness of mind,
humility (of mind), lowliness (of mind) /// depressed, i.e. (fig.)
humiliated (in circumstances or disposition): base, cast down, humble,
of low degree (estate), lowly.
THE WAY OF THE LORD NOW PREPARED (GIDEON HAS BEEN
HUMBLED)
THE MESSAGE OF GLAD TIDINGS IS SENT TO GIDEON
(Judg
6:12) And the angel [messenger] of the LORD appeared unto him
[bodily, rather than spoke to him as a disembodied voice. Why?], and
said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour [a
force; virtue, strength: power, worthy].
1.
(Rom 10:14,15) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not
believed? and how shall
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear [understand]
without a preacher [to
herald (as a public crier), espec. divine truth (the gospel)]? And how
shall they preach, except they be
sent? as it is written [Isa
52:7], How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
[“of them that evangelize,
evangelize, peace, evangelize,
evangelize, evangelize of good things.”].
GIDEON’S FIRST RESPONSE TO THE MESSAGE OF GLAD
TIDINGS: DISBELIEF
(Judg
6:13) And Gideon said unto
him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be
with us [disbelief – he did
not accept the messenger’s statement as truth], why then is
all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our
fathers told us of [written in Torah,
the five books of Moses], saying, Did not the LORD bring us
up from Egypt? but now the
LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of
the Midianites.
1.
“Oh my Lord” = ‘adon;
113. master – one in authority.
2.
Gideon’s first response,
parallels Simon Peter’s disbelieving and disobedient first
response to Jesus in Luke 5:5.
3.
“hath forsaken us, and delivered us” = The latter part of
this verse is a declaration of disbelief directly contrary to then
existing written Scripture (Gen 28:15; Deut 4:30,31; 31:6,8). Just as
the vast majority of people today, Gideon was walking by sight;
however, he did not believe the written manifestation of God that
was set before his/their eyes
(i.e. the written Scripture – then the Torah, and now the complete
Bible). Therefore, if they continue in their disbelief, having been given
the witness of the written manifestation of God, “they are without
excuse” (Rom 1:19,20).
THE CONVERSION: THE NEW BIRTH AND ACCOMPANYING
EMPOWERMENT
(Judg
6:14) And the LORD [Jehovah] looked upon him [LOOKED UPON HIM], and said, Go
in this thy might [What
might?], and thou shalt save
Israel [he will rule as God -
the saved] from the hand of
the Midianites [brawling, contentious, discord, strife – the unsaved]:
have not I sent thee [God’s first affirmation]? (Judg 6:15)
And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith [how]
shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor [poor physically (materially), and poor in spirit] in Manasseh, and
I am the least [(in value)
ignoble] in my father's house. (Judg 6:16)
And the LORD said unto him, Surely
I will be with thee [God’s
second affirmation], and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
1.
“looked upon him” = Heb: to turn; to face: come on, dawning,
prepare, regard, (have) respect (to).
2.
The Glory Light suddenly turned on – ref. “when he came to
himself” Luke 15:17, which experience correlates with the
after-the-fact descriptions “in his right mind” of Mark 5:15; Luke
8:35.
3.
“Oh my Lord” = 'Adonay;
136. an emphatic form of H113 [‘adon
– one in authority]; the Lord (used as a proper name of God only) [i.e. supreme in authority].
4.
Gideon’s second response
(he reconsidered) manifests the firstfruit of repentance (Mat
3:8), i.e. reversal: to think differently, to reconsider - exactly as
did Simon Peter’s second
response (he also reconsidered) in Luke 5:8. Because both Gideon and
Simon Peter manifested a reversal of opinion, reconsidered - that is,
they manifested a specifically recorded oppositional difference in
thought, from not knowing and not acknowledging God as supreme in
authority, to knowing and acknowledging God as supreme in
authority, we may safely conclude that both have now become true
believers. Romans 10:9 says: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord” [supreme in
authority]. Both did exactly that.
5.
(Mat 3:7,8) But when
he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said
unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the
wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
6.
“go” = (Mark
16:15) And he said unto them, Go
ye into all the world [kosmos;
cosmos, universe], and preach the gospel to every creature. [“I
hear a sound…” delivered 10-05-03, a preface to Gideon]
7.
“save” = Heb: to be open, wide or free, to be safe: deliver
(-er), preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation,
save (-iour), get victory.
8.
“have I not sent thee?” = (Mark 6:48)
And he saw them toiling
in rowing; for the wind was contrary
unto them [opposite; antagonistic: against /// in front of, before]:
and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them,
walking upon the sea, and would
have passed by them.
9.
The new birth is the uppermost metaphor of this entire event of
sending the ship containing the disciples to the other side. It is a
metaphor for justification and thereafter for the process of
sanctification (Rom 12:1,2). The ship itself is also a graphic metaphor
for the church – as well as a long list of other biblical types of
“hedges” (Job 1:10).
10.
(Rev 12:4,5) And his
tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the
dragon stood before the
woman [i.e. the church]
which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child
as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a
man child [huios, i.e. a
mature son], who was to rule
all nations with a rod of iron [i.e.
the fullness of the Holy Spirit in judgement]: and her child was caught
up [harpazo; (1 Thess 4:17)] unto God, and to his throne.
11.
“toiling in rowing” = Gk: to torture: pain, toil,
torment, toss, vex /// (through the notion of going to the bottom); a
touch-stone, i.e. (by anal.) torture: torment.
12.
touch-stone = Dict: 1. a black siliceous stone [flint]
used to test the purity of gold
or silver by the color of the streak produced on it by rubbing it
with the metals. 2. any test or criterion for the qualities of a thing.
13.
(Zec 13:8,9) And it
shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two
parts [two thirds] therein
shall be cut off and die; but the
third shall be left therein. And I will bring the
third part through the fire,
and will refine them [to
fuse (metal), refine: founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try]
as silver is refined,
and will try them [test:
examine] as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them:
I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
14.
(Dan 12:3) And they
that be wise shall shine [gleam: to enlighten: teach, (give) warn (ing)] as the brightness
[brilliancy] of the firmament; and they that turn many to
righteousness [i.e. to
salvation] as the stars for
ever and ever. [Who are
“they”?]