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Gideon part 1 - Rick - 08-26-2022
- Leading up to Gideon
The book of Judges is a book about us in a lot of ways.
When we accept Jesus in our hearts as our Lord and Savior and our souls are lit on fire for the Lord, we hunger and thirst after righteous and the word of God.
As time goes on, if we are not engaged in spiritual growth, seeking the things of God, reading His word, praying with commitment, fellowshipping with God’s children, spreading the gospel when the opportunity presents itself and doing things for God’s kingdom, then we can grow sluggish spiritually, getting caught up in the things and cares of this life and apostate.
This is the state of the children of Israel in the book of Judges.
In Chapter 1 and the first part of chapter 2, Joshua and that generation of the children of Israel, younger than 20 years old that came out of Egypt, those that did not perish in the wilderness, they saw the wonders and the great things God did in Egypt and upon the Egyptians, delivering the children of Israel out of bondage, drowning the Egyptian army, wonders in the wilderness by feeding them, giving them water to drink, leading them by a cloud by day and a fire by night, many other things and then bringing them into the promised land.
But there were some things that the children of Israel of that generation didn’t do that God told them to do. They didn’t kill the old inhabitants of the land of Canaan or drive them out of the land but left them in the land, and the inhabitants of the land polluted the minds and hearts of the younger Jews, the children of Israel that were to young, that hadn’t seen God's wonder and power which He did in the wilderness.
In our case, the inhabitance, or our land that the Lord wants to inhabit, is our hearts, our minds and our thoughts. God doesn’t want to have the devil in our hearts or thoughts, not even a little bit, you give the devil an inch, he’ll take a mile; let him get a toe in the door he will fight to be in all the way before you know it; inside, lock, stock and barrel. What fellowship does light have with darkness, the Spirit of God with the presence of demons? None.
Judges 2
[1] And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
[2] And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
[3] Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
[4] And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
That was the Jews then, but for us it would be like not resisting the devil, or driving out of our hearts all the things of the old life, the old man of sin within our hearts, our old characteristics, but leaving a little bit of the old desires, the old ways in our hearts (see below the fruits of the flesh**), polluting our minds and thoughts, allowing them to dwell and abide in us.
God said to ‘Resist the devil’, to ‘Flee the very appearance of evil’, a ‘little leaven, leavens the whole lump’. Don’t give in, not even a second. How many times have I heard in my ear, “ relax, take it easy, then when I let down my guard, 5 minutes later my mind is in trouble.
Gal. 5
[9] A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
The devil doesn’t want much, just a little, “oh come on man, quit being so strict, you’re the only one who doesn’t do it, you and a few of the nat-strainers, you’re like the nerdy christians”. The enemy just wants you to stretch the borders of you resistance a little (today!!), tomorrow to walk a little more liberal and stretch the borders of you resistance just a little .
Sounds like Eve in the garden, “come on Eve, you won’t die”.
That’s why Paul told us these things also:
2 Cor 2
[11] Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
2 Cor 10
[5] Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
satan is always trying to exalt himself above God, whether in heaven, in earth or the in minds of every man, woman and child, especially in the minds of God’s children. he knows when the knowledge of God is flowing in our minds, our heart and mind is filled with peace, from the Prince of Peace and with Power, because the Holy Spirit is in us, and as God's Word says,
Zech.4
[6] "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD"
2 Pet 1
[2] Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
The knowledge of God, not just when we read or take a prayer hour, but as we walk, we work, we play, in the field, at home and with our friends and acquaintance, God's knowledge present and flowing in our minds. When our thoughts on stayed on God our Father and the Lord Jesus, then this that was written is true,
2 Tim 1
[7] For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
I love what Paul said, we are “not as one that beats the air”, but every punch is landing, hitting the mark. Because this life is a fight, and our God gives us the victory in our Champion Jesus;
1Tim.6
[12] Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
2Tim.4
[7] I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
[8] Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
God told the children of Israel to destroy all those that inhabit the land, and they didn’t. They were left in the land influencing the children of Israel, even when the children were stronger and ruling them, the old inhabitants did perverse things openly, polluting the minds of the children of Israel. Then the Jewish people wanted to follow the old inhabitants of the land, because their ways were pleasing to the flesh. The flesh loves sin, the old nature is going to perish anyways, but the soul will go on forever.
WOW!! sounds familiar, like what is happening around us today, sin is abounding.
We need to do as Paul said, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
As the times grow darker, we have God's Word to lead, teach, guide and protect us, as God did for Lot in Sodom;
2 Pet 2:
[7] And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
[8] (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)
[9] The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
**Gal. 5
[19] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
[20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
[21] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.