Read Judges 7

Courage, Wisdom, and Obedience

Gideon is assured victory against the enemy and has thirty-two thousand men standing behind him. God says, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’” (Judges 7:2). In order to reduce the size of the army, God tells Gideon to send the fearful away. When this announcement was made, twenty-two thousand men left the ranks.

God says of the ten thousand remaining soldiers, “The people are still too many” (Judges 7:4). He devises another test: those who drink water by putting their hand to their mouth would remain, and those who got down on their knees to drink would be sent home. Only three hundred men passed this test, showing the wisdom of being alert at all times. Gideon’s army of three hundred was then divided into three companies; they were told to blow their trumpets and break their pitchers, and they obeyed.

These are three things that are still required in the Lord’s army today: courage, wisdom, and obedience!

We need courage to stand up against the enemies of truth, those who want to tear our faith down and gain followers for themselves. Paul warned the Ephesian elders that there would be some people like that: “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:29-30).

We need wisdom to be alert for Satan’s schemes. Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It is a war, and Satan doesn’t play fair. Be aware of his tricks.

We need obedience because Jesus is the One with all authority. We cannot devise our own plan of salvation; we must follow His! We cannot make up our own rules for worship or service; we must submit to what He has revealed. Are you enlisted in His army? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Have you been immersed for the remission of sins? (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 41, 47).

Read Judges 6:33-40

How Many Signs Do You Need?

God had already consumed the meat and unleavened bread that Gideon set on the rock before departing (Judges 6:19-22), and had providentially protected him through the defense of his father from the anger of the men of the city after the destruction of the altar of Baal and the wooden image beside it (Judges 6:28-32). What more did Gideon need?

Gideon brought together the Abiezrites and called men from Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali to join him in the fight against the Midianites and Amalekites. Yet, he still requested another sign from God. He laid a fleece of wool out on the threshing floor, and asked God to make it wet with dew overnight but keep the ground all around it dry. God did what Gideon asked.

It still wasn’t enough. Gideon repeated the request but reversed the specifications. Keep the fleece dry but let the ground all around it be wet. And again, God did what Gideon asked. This time, though, Gideon was satisfied with what God accomplished. There is no inspired record of any lingering doubt in Gideon’s mind.

Do we ask for too many signs today? What happened when the people of the first century asked Jesus for signs? He had performed many miracles, but they still wanted to see more. “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You,” said a group of scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 12:38). Jesus responded, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matthew 12:39).

The Lord continued working miracles, but not at their behest. He did what He needed to do to accomplish the Father’s will. He did what He needed to do to convince those who were truly seeking the truth. He did what He needed to do to confirm His trustworthiness, just as the apostles later did (Mark 16:17-20).

Friends, stop looking for signs. God has given us all the proof that we need in the inspired Scriptures. Turn to His Word, learn His will, and obey His commands.

Read Judges 6:28-32

Don’t Defend the Indefensible

We read yesterday that God told Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to a false idol and erect an altar for Him instead, and Gideon obeyed at night “because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much” (Judges 6:27). Of course, when the morning light crept over the horizon, his deed was discovered and the men were angry. They said to Joash, Gideon’s father, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was beside it” (Judges 6:30).

Does Joash’s reaction to the men surprise you? Rather than agree with the men of the city and defend his false religion, he challenges them. We know that Joash’s faith before this day was not perfect, as he had allowed himself to be swept up in the religion of Baal. But Gideon’s actions seem to have affected him.

He tells the men, “Would you plead for Baal? World you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!” Joash finally recognizes the folly of giving allegiance to this false god, an idol that could not possibly defend itself.

Throughout the ages, God has consistently provided evidence of His existence and His power. Consider the strength displayed in the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, or the mastery He showed on Mount Carmel when Elijah challenged Baal’s prophets. Think of all the miracles performed during the first century, during Jesus’ personal ministry and the continued evangelization of the world by the apostles.

Even when one discounts the supernatural, ample evidence is present to show His existence. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Worldly idols are deaf, dumb, and blind; they are nothing more than “the work of men’s hands,” and those who worship them are deaf, dumb, and blind to the truth (Psalm 135:15-18). We must all wake up, and worship the Creator, rather than our own creations!

Read Judges 6:11-27

Are You a Secret Disciple?

Gideon is among those names of the faithful listed in the Hebrews letter upon which the writer does not expound. However, the book of Judges gives us some insight into the faith of this man. He was called to lead the people of God and “save Israel from the hand of the Midianites” (Judges 6:16). Like many others who are called to greatness, Gideon resists at first, claiming, “Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15). And yet, the Lord promises victory to Gideon. He says, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man” (Judges 6:16).

Gideon, still not convinced, asks for a sign. He prepares an offering for the Angel of the Lord, and God causes fire to rise out of the rock and consume the meat and bread which were placed upon it.

Later that night, God commanded Gideon to tear down the altar of Baal which was constructed by his father, and to use that wood to build a new altar to the Lord. Gideon obeyed, but the inspired writer gives us a peek into the imperfect faith of this judge. “So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night” (Judges 6:27).

God had given Gideon a sign that He would be with him, and He had given him a promise that He would be with him but fear still dictated Gideon’s actions. Sure, he obeyed, but he did it when no one could see him, question him, or oppose him. Do we ever do this?

When invited to participate in some activity on Sunday morning that conflicts with the time of worship services, do you tell the truth as to why you can’t participate? Or do you pacify them with an excuse, such as, “That’s too early in the morning?” Or do you decide to go with your friends rather than worship?

Gideon did what was right, but did it under a cloak of darkness. In so doing, he could not influence anyone towards the truth. We cannot be secretive disciples. We must be followers of Jesus all the time, no matter who is watching!

Read Judges 4:6-24

“Has Not the Lord Gone Out Before You?”

There is a contrast between the wisdom of Deborah and the hesitancy of Barak in Judges 4. Remember Deborah was a “prophetess” (Judges 4:4), indicating that she received revelations from the Lord. But more than just receiving those revelations, she trusted in them!

She told Barak to go up against Sisera, the commander of the army of Jabin, the king of Canaan. Did Barak jump at the opportunity to obey the will of the Lord? No! Instead, he said, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go” (Judges 4:8). Perhaps he wanted the mouthpiece of God with him, but even if Deborah had refused to go, God had already promised deliverance.

Deborah agrees to accompany Barak on the mission, while continuing to give God the credit for the eventual victory, telling him that “the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman” (Judges 4:9). When the arrived at Mount Tabor, Deborah again reminded Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?” (Judges 4:14). At no point did Deborah take any credit for herself, nor give Barak any credit for what was about to transpire. The victory belonged to the Lord!

The inspired author of Judges then recounts the defeat of Jabin’s army, and reveals the woman through whom Sisera himself would be defeated. Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, took the commander into her tent. She gave him milk rather than water, helping him slumber. When he was asleep, she drove a tent peg through his temple with a hammer, killing him. Just as Deborah had prophesied, Sisera was defeated by “the hand of a woman” (Judges 4:9).

Barak hesitated, and God gave the opportunity to another. Do you ever hesitate at the Lord’s commands and promises? He commands belief, repentance, confession of faith, and immersion in water. Have you obeyed? If not, what is holding you back? He promises eternal life to those who submit to Him. Why are you reluctant to take hold of that precious promise?

Read Judges 4:1-5; 5:7-9

A Worthy Woman with Wisdom

Throughout the Scriptures, we see a great value in wisdom, and Deborah displayed great wisdom in her leadership as a judge in Israel. We are told in her song that the people “chose new gods” (Judges 5:8). What a sad state of affairs for a nation that had been so blessed by God, delivered through the prior judges. Time and time again the people turned away from the God who saved them.

Deborah was God’s chosen servant to again rescue His people after struggling under the oppression of Jabin, the king of Canaan, and the commander of his army, Sisera, for twenty years. The text identifies her as “a prophetess” and the one who “was judging Israel at that time” (Judges 4:4).

What was involved in “judging Israel”? In the accounts of the judges who served prior to Deborah, the focus was on military exploits. Yet here, before the battle begins, we see that “The children of Israel came up to her for judgment” (Judges 4:5). Evidently, the judges were not only military heroes, but also advised on civil matters.

Who better to rule over such matters than the wise woman Deborah. What does the book of Proverbs say about the “virtuous wife” (Proverbs 31:10)? “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26). “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).

Inspiration clearly shows that Deborah was wise and feared the Lord. She says in her song that she “arose a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7). She cared for the people as a mother cares for her own children. Deborah serves as a wonderful example for all today.

There is also something noble about the men who followed her leadership. “My heart is with the rulers of Israel who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the Lord!” (Judges 5:9). When one considers how women were viewed by the people of the ancient world, it would not have been strange if the men had rejected her. Yet, they recognized her wisdom and followed, not by compulsion, but “willingly.” Are we prepared to follow those who demonstrate such wisdom today?

Read Judges 3:31; 5:6

A Simple, Yet Effective Tool

We know less about Shamgar than any of the other judges who delivered Israel from oppressors. There are many theories about this man, his background, and his role in the book of Judges. Was he even an Israelite? Was he an ally or did he start out as an enemy? Why is there so little recorded?

Inspiration tells us that he was “the son of Anath,” he “killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad,” and “he also delivered Israel” (Judges 3:31). Later, in the song of Deborah, it is revealed that during his rule, “The highways were deserted, and the travelers walked along the byways” (Judges 5:6). That’s it. The name Shamgar appears nowhere else in the Biblical record.

What can we learn from Shamgar and this brief account of his life? First, God used him, and God can use us. No matter who we are or where we came from, God can use us. Search the Scriptures, learn His will, and look for opportunities to please the Father.

Second, Shamgar used what he had: an ox goad. This tool was a long pole, sometimes up to ten feet long, used to prod the livestock along, with a spike on one end and a knife on the other. Coffman writes, “The knife was used to clean the plowshares, and the spike was for the purpose of urging the oxen to greater efforts or for controlling their movements.” With this simple tool, Shamgar slaughtered six hundred Philistines.

We still have a simple tool to defeat the foes of God: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). We need to be trained to use it properly, and we need to practice wielding it often, but it is a simple yet effective tool to eradicate sin and error.

With the ox goad, Shamgar “delivered Israel.” With the Word of God, we can deliver those who are closest to us from the bondage of sin. “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:21-22). May we ever use the Spirit’s sword in our battles against Satan and his allies.

Read Judges 3:12-30

God Can Use Your Weaknesses

We can come up with excuses all day long. “I’m too this” or “I’m too that.” “I can’t do this.” “I don’t have the ability to do that.” Certainly, we should know our limitations so we don’t get ourselves in over our heads, but at the same time we must recognize the power of God to use even our weaknesses to His glory!

The writer of Judges points out a weakness of Ehud, the judge whom God raised up to deliver His people from Eglon king of Moab. Ehud was “a left-handed man” (Judges 3:15). Now, before I get a dozen hateful emails from able-bodied left-handed men, let me explain. The original Hebrew language means more than just “left-handed.” In some way, Ehud was hindered from using his right hand. Strong’s explains that the word means, “shut up, i.e. impeded (as to the use of the right hand).” Coffman explains that “Ehud’s right hand might have been crippled or inured. At any rate, it was ‘tied up’ or ‘bound.’”

Occasionally we hear the boast of a person who says, “I can beat you with one hand tied behind my back!” That’s exactly what Ehud did. Despite the inability to use his right hand at all, or perhaps because of it, he was able to defeat Israel’s enemy and deliver the people.

If Ehud had the use of both of his hands, would the king’s servants have left him alone with Eglon? Certainly, a man with “one hand tied behind his back” could do no harm to the king. Ehud used that misconception to his advantage, assassinating the king in private.

After some time, Eglon’s servants came to look for him and found the doors of the chamber locked. They assumed he was relieving himself, and Ehud used the extra time to escape. The servants waited and waited “till they were embarrassed” before finally making entry to check on the king, whom they found dead.

Ehud had accomplished his mission, and God had used the judge’s weakness to his advantage. Not only was the mission successful, Ehud gave the proper credit to God: “Follow me, for the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand” (Judges 3:28). Don’t doubt the power of God, and don’t forget to give Him the glory!