Gideon |
Chapter 3 |
PROPHESIED TRUTH: WE ARE BEING THRESHED "AS ONE MAN”
04-01-12
A TYPIFICATION OF JESUS CHRIST APPEARS IN US
(Judg 6:11) And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak [tree; an allusion to the cross] which was in Ophrah [Heb: a female fawn], that pertained unto Joash [Heb: Jehovah-fired] the Abiezrite [Joash was head of the family of Abiezer of the tribe of Manasseh]: and his son Gideon [Heb: feller (warrior) /// to fell a tree, cut asunder] [a type of Jesus Christ, and therefore we, us, who are also typifications of Jesus Christ] threshed wheat [a forecast of testing on mount Gilead: Judg 7:3] by the winepress [a forecast of testing at the water: Judg 7:4-7], to hide it from the Midianites. //// Judg 6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. Judg 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, 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. Judg 6:14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? Judg 6:15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. //// (Judg 6:16) And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
1. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Manasseh = was Joseph’s firstborn son who was born in Egypt to the daughter of the priest of On. Like his younger and only full brother Ephraim, Manasseh was half Hebrew and half Egyptian [in a sense, Jesus was half God and half man]. In the settlement of Canaan, land was provided for Manasseh on both sides of the Jordan River.
2. Commentary: (This commentary seems a digression from Gideon but I am following the Holy Spirit’s lead and this path will play back into and support the central prime declaration and God’s spiritual purpose in our lives which is for us to become “as one man” (Judg 6:16). May we note a few interesting similarities relating to the tribe of Manasseh. Jacob and Rachel (Heb: an ewe, sheep) together had two sons, the first son was named Joseph (Heb: let him add, adding) who is an almost perfect type and shadow of Jesus Christ. Thereafter, Jacob (Heb: heel-catcher, supplanter - trickster) wrestled with the angel whom he correctly perceived to be a manifestation of God (Gen 32:30; Hos 12:3,4), let that be a profound lesson to us all, and received from God a name change from Jacob into Israel (Heb: he shall rule as God) indicating a change in his character that imputed to him righteousness (as saved). Thereafter, Israel and Rachel birthed Joseph’s younger and only full brother Benjamin (Heb: son of the right hand), who is Israel’s last child, and a type of all saved imputed for righteousness men, and also a type of us in Christ. Collaboratively, in Matthew’s chapter one genealogy of Jesus the Christ, Jesus is the thirteenth generation. It is the Christ generation (us) that extends now almost 2,000 years which is the fulfillment of the type and shadow of the last child only full brother (immediately following Joseph and Jesus), the Benjamin company that is the fourteenth and last generation (Mat 1:17 count the generations - carefully).
a. (Mat 1:16,17) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus [the thirteenth generation], who is called [the] Christ [the fourteenth generation]. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ [not Jesus but Christ] are fourteen generations.
b. (Psa 22:30) A seed [us, the Christ generation] shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
