Love

God is an 'equal opportunity' giver. God loves everybody, it is backed up in his word:

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

God has made so much available to us and yet he has never, never forced anything upon us. It is important to understand this point. God established the Lordship of Jesus Christ as head of his church. 'Church' does not refer to a pile of bricks on the corner, but the spiritual DNA building blocks in each of our hearts. The body of Christ refers to all those people who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and believe he took on the totality of the forces of evil only to be raised victoriously from the dead. That is huge. In doing so we have been translated into the kingdom of God's dear son (Colossians 1:13).

We have a concrete example of love in Jesus Christ. His leadership, the things he said, the things he did and everything associated with him show us so much about God. Combined with simply reading God's word and the 'nudgings' of the gift of holy spirit in our innermost being, we are fully equipped to enjoy all the benefits of God.

If someone wants to thumb their nose at God and do their own thing, have at it. It is a choice. It is sad, but loving God is a choice.  God's love never fails (I Corinthians 13).  However, some people define 'love' in such a way that it blows up on a moments notice because it is founded on the popular world view of things. The world is full of evil and pseudo philosophies and ideologies. The profound so-called wisdom of man is often tied into that evil.

God's hands are tied when people walk away from him.  He still loves them but really can't do much for them since they have turned away from him and are not listening. There are boundaries. God is not the author or promulgator of evil, he is good always and wants the best for every single person on this earth who ever was and ever will be.

Each of us can love in the same way. The world seems to be full of opines and worldly definitions of what it is to love these days. Love doesn't turn on and off like a light switch. Love is always on the "on"position. There is no darkness when someone truly loves God. If people don't want to be loved, that is their choice, the love is still there but they don't get the benefits because they don't want them.

'Projection' and Mis-'Judging'

This morning, I got to thinking about a wonderful verse in Ephesians:

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

It had popped into my head when I was pondering a phone conversation I recently had with someone when she called me back after I left a message to have her call me. When she called back, she immediately started talking to me about something I had no idea about. All I could figure out was that she was worried about what I was thinking in regards to something that she was handling. It was not what I was thinking about at all!  When I realized what was going on and a significant pause opened up, I stopped her and explained what  I wanted and assured her that my brain had not gone that way. In the end each of us was blessed. It is great for relationships to work things out like this when there is misinterpretation.

'Projection' is an image in our mind that we 'project' on a situation when dealing with others based on our own thoughts within ourselves.  It happens a lot since we humans have busy minds. We can do it in both a positive and a negative sense based on the way we are feeling at the time. It is a form of mis-"judging". It is very prevalent in our news cycles, and all over political and religious circles. You can find examples of projection everywhere. 

This is a great reason to listen carefully to what people are saying and help free them from misconceptions about what they might be thinking if you get the opportunity. Sometimes people are so busy thinking thoughts they don't really have time to listen. What a great thing to pray for!

People often project their thoughts on God too! It is something to watch out for. It is possible to think God is mad at us, when he isn't. It is possible to think God doesn't even think about us or that we have no place in his heart. All you have to do is look at the beautiful spring gifts he has made to remind us of all the loving touches he put in this world to bless our lives.

The verse above in Ephesians came to mind and is very apropos to the spring cleaning that needs to go on in our minds periodically. (It's the first day of spring! Yea!). It is actually a prayer and it is a good one.  In fact it is beautiful! It is an effective prayer to pray and believe. Let in the light, open the windows, breathe and clear the cobwebs of our minds out!

Good intentions and Idolatry

In Judges 8:22-27 the record of Gideon continues:

22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.Judges 8:22-27

The Israelites wanted a king to rule over them. Notice in verse 22 who they said had delivered Israel. 300 men had accomplished so much, but it was God who brought the deliverance.  You would think they would would have been amazed and excited to have seen God work so mightily through so few. Gideon rightfully declined the kingship and told them that the Lord would rule over them.

The next thing he asked probably had good intentions behind it. Maybe Gideon wanted to have something to remind him of the victory. It does not say God told him to make the ephod, but as the old saying goes: "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". Eventually it became an idol and a snare because Israel went 'a whoring after it' (it became their object of worship) .

Back in Exodus, God had Moses fashion a brazen serpent to be lifted up to heal his people from the poisonous snakes that had they had encountered. People were healed when they looked at it. The incident is even recorded in John 3:14-16 as a type for Jesus Christ. The Israelites held on to this brazen serpent for several hundreds of years afterward and eventually Hezekiah had to destroy it because idolatry had developed around it. People worshiped it.

When a form, tradition, ritual, person or place stands in between our relationship with God, nothing good comes from it. When something we have trouble with or something comes at us we don't understand, often we run to someone else and unload and complain to them. Wow! we do ourselves such a disservice when we don't take things to God who is our sufficiency especially in this day and time when we have access to God through the work of Jesus Christ.  It is so tempting to call someone and dump it on them, or dumping a quote on Facebook or Twitter ~ anything but take it to the One who is ready, willing and able to help us out 'exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think'! (Ephesians 3:20)  It is certainly nice to know our thinking is the low bar and we actually have a right to the high bar. God goes beyond what we ask or think. Wow isn't that comforting?!

God's Deliverance

After Gideon moved on from assuaging the Ephraimites in Judges 8:1-4, he dealt with the kinsmen of Succoth.  Gideon's 300 men were hungry and Gideon asked for bread as he passed through Succoth. As the men of Ephraim complained for a piece of the glory, the princes of Succoth likewise had their own issues and threw unbelief and fear in Gideon's face:

6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? Judges 8:6

Did they believe he was going to win with 300 men? Did they support him? It was time to cancel Gideon's subscription to their issues! And this time he did!

God had spoken earlier to Gideon that he would take care of the of the battle, that they would be victorious with only 300 men. (7:2) The four princes, Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, Zalmunna were, indeed enemies.  In Psalm 83, Asaph includes these names in a list of the aggressive enemies of the Hebrews:

11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. Psalm 83:11-12

Gideon and his 300 men got the job done.  When it was all said and done, Israel asked him to become king over them and to establish a kingly dynasty in his family. 

22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you. Judges 8:22-23

The ancient Hebrews had a theocracy and they still wanted to appoint a King. Gideon continued to adhere to a theocratic government in which God was king. Gideon continued as a judge which was what God had called him to, and he reminded them of God's sovereignty.

Today, we don't live in a theocracy. God is not the elected President or the recognized King. We are subject to the human nature of those we elevate. This happens not only in politics, but also in education, entertainment, sports and in religion and other areas of culture. When people elevate a person, there is more often than not a big temptation to succumb to difficulties:

¹⁵ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. I John 2:15-16

This is all the more reason to pray for our country and listen to God in each of our own lives.

Comparisons

The last thing the enemy of God wanted was for Gideon to realize his calling from God.

15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Judges 6:15-16

It is the same for each of us today.  We all have different callings and different things to tend to for God. God is the one who calls people. It is not the job of men to appoint others or even themselves to specific callings. In Matthew 6:33, God exhorts all believers to seek first the kingdom of God and it will all fall into place.  The last thing the enemy of God wants you to do is realize how God works with you. There always is pressure to not believe what God has set before you.

The older I get, in retrospect I see how God has guided my steps. There are times that I let myself backdown because someone or something stepped in the way. Often God moved in and said, 'Not so fast!"! Those are very exciting times.

In Judges 8:1-3 there is a beautiful record of Gideon responding to some rather critical thoughts of the men of Ephraim who thought they should have been a part of the original battle (God's 300 men) against the Midiamites. There was unrest within between the tribes of the Hebrews.

8:1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. Judges 8:1-3

The gleaning of grapes refers to the picking of grapes left on the vine after the vintage is in. (See Leviticus 19:10 and Deuteronomy 24:21).  Gideon humbly turns their indignation around by showing what an important part they played in picking off the princes Oreb and Zeeb. The men of Ephraim's anger was assuaged in Gideon's response.

All that had happened was due to God instructions and Gideon carrying them out. God had a plan for them to get them out of the mud in which they were stalled. Glory always comes from God. God wants his people to get the very best and that is his supply. The glory of the Lord is our strength!

15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. 17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. 18 For the Lord is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king. Psalm 89:15-18

Gideon's Dad

Evidently, Gideon's father had an altar of Baal and a grove to go along with it. As a Hebrew, he knew

the God of Israel. It seems like he had everything covered. Having both belief systems covered is not without problems especially since the Midianites were attacking and destroying crops and their way of life.

Gideon had asked God why all the problems were happening to them. They were hiding from the Midianites that had invaded their land. Times were tough, they were not living freely.

God gave Gideon a solution which was to destroy his father's altar of Baal and cut down the grove. He did what God said to do and quickly the men of the city arose against Gideon.  They went to his father and wanted him to give them Gideon so they could kill him.

30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. 

32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. Judges 6:30-32

The Hebrews were having problems because they had one foot in paganism and one foot their own religion.  It sounds like a good way to get along, but it isn't really. God wanted His people to live freely and abundantly enjoy the plans He had for them. If someone else tried to remove this freedom and abundance, there was pressure and a fight. The enemy cultures in that time were aggressive and violent. Tolerance of the invaders was not healthy.

Joash, Gideon's father, had an interesting comeback about Baal.  If Gideon was Baal's enemy, then Baal, being a so-called god, should be able to take care of the situation if he is truly a god.

From that time on Gideon was called Jerubbaal or 'enemy of Baal'. God had chosen Gideon to save Israel. God's battle plan was very unusual.  It had a strong underlying theme of believing God as I wrote about in the previous blog. It is a fantastic story of power and reliance on God. Once Gideon believed and was reassured about the job God wanted him to do, he could get it done because God empowered him and showed him how.

Gideon's Time and Our Time ~ What is Different?

Gideon lived in a day when the Hebrews relied on strong leaders to deliver them.  As we have seen over and over in the Old Testament, the spirit of God rested on certain ones in order to save the rest. Gideon lived in a time when those around him became entrenched in the culture that surrounded them and they adopted pagan thinking and mixed it with their own beliefs. Problems plagued them as a result. That still happens today.

What is different today is that the spirit as a gift from God is available to everyone that accepts the good news of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us. It is a gift, not a  something we can strive for by our works. The only works we have to do is to believe and accept the gift. Because of the pride of man, this may be tough for some. Pride in accomplishments, power and control can be serious impediments.

I love reading about the heart of Gideon.  He seems pretty humble.  I know some theologians have described him a weak in believing God, because he asked for assurance that God was reaching out and empowering him. It is pretty clear that he respected God when others around him were not. It was his calling from God to do a specific task that he wanted assurance on.

22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. 23 And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Judges 6:22-24

It seems to me that most men are weak in some way or another. It is pretty evident throughout the Old Testament. God challenges people in stunning ways. In the Gideon record, a nice size army accumulated to take care of the enemy.  God had other plans:

2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try 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. Judges 7:2-4

The army was whittled down to 300 from 32,000! Actually, when you think about it, that is pretty exciting. It is even more exciting today in light of the power that God has given to each one of us. We have access to God anytime we want. We should not be afraid to lay whatever is confronting us out before him with an honest heart and rest in that! The Lord 'does not forsake us' (Judges 6:13) when we approach him for even the smallest detail of our lives. The answer that comes may not involve a huge, showy explosion of might, but rather a sure peaceful perfect resolution that is so awesomely right!

Why Does This Stuff Keep Happening?

The Hebrews, as recorded in the sixth chapter of the book of Judges, had 40 great years during the time of Deborah, but then  got into trouble again:

6 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. Judges 6:1-6

God sent a prophet to explain why:

7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites, 8 That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;10 And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

The phrase "fear not the gods of the Amorites" caught my attention. It can't mean be afraid of them. The word 'fear' in this case refers to worshipping or serving them.

We all live in a mixed culture and it is easy to see from experience how subtly this can happen. People just get caught up in the times. Recently I marveled when someone said to me that I needed to get with the times as they were a changin'.  In actuality, the issue that we were talking about was an issue that has occurred throughout recorded history and without fail has reaped the same results in a culture. It is not about being out of touch, but rather about not being ignorant of truth as it really is. I guess as one gets older and older, that claim might be laid more and more so it is wise to get used to it. 😜  Just don't call them a 'young whippersnapper'! 😉 They might not get it!

There is so much around us that tries to pull us in one direction or another. How often we are 'gaslighted' (oppressing and twisting someone else's thinking) these days? It is everywhere. Conformity is a tempting solution.

In Judges 6, God raised up another deliverer, whose name was Gideon, when the Israelites finally asked for help from God.

12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.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.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?

How come this stuff keeps happening? People get sucked into conformity as the right measure of worth. Gideon posed a great question. He wanted answers and he got them from the right source.

Unity ≠ Groupthink

The women's march that recently occurred in conjunction with the inauguration, caused a lot of stir. Sound bites from the event are disturbing. 'Victimization' is defining the women's movement and it is not very pretty.

Try matching our culture with that of the culture in which Deborah lived! Despite that culture's view of women, Deborah rose up and became a great leader for God. Her type of leadership was not the same as what most people today think of when then think "leadership". It was not "my way or the highway" for her. Nor did she did not stick her head in the sand to avoid the uncomfortable. Her power base was God and she led with a courageous heart walking outside the nine dots of the culture.

I was amazed recently when I heard a leader say that one of the people he had hired thought differently about something than he did. He added that he respected the other's thoughts, experience, and judgment and that guy was the one he wanted in that job. Oh my, what happened to 'groupthink'? What about unity?

I think I finally now understand what people are referring to when they talk about "the establishment". Both parties in this country have an "establishment" wing that dominates the party. Ideology is groupthink! "Groupthink" is a dangerous human endeavor and it is seducing in that it captures people in a web of thinking and action that renders them fruitless. Sometimes we defer to groupthink for the sake of unity. We can't have true unity unless the focus is on what is right. People need to talk about what is is right openly, honestly, and not hide or smother it. People also need to listen at the same time. Sensitivity, emotions, politicization, victim mentality and insecurity should not be allowed to dominate this process.

God designed the original man and woman and he thought it was very good. So why are there problems with gender issues? Not with God! Deborah is a great example of empowerment! Her leadership qualities originated from a love for and from God. Her style was not in calling the shots, but in rejoicing in God and carrying out his will. She knew a lot of people were involved in carrying out God's will. God wanted people to flourish, Deborah imparted and facilitated that desire. She encouraged others to rise up and praised with great humility. Nowhere, whatsoever, did she lead from a victimization stance.  She pulled people up to their rightful position.

Differences in Worldview

The increasing political polarity that has been occurring in our country today is so perplexing. For a land that has enjoyed great freedoms, this is inevitable. How each of us views life can be a source of conflict.

In the song of Deborah and Barak in the book of Judges, there are three different women mentioned: Deborah, Jael, and the mother of Sisera (the mother of the military commander of the army that fought against the Israelites). Two of these women are called mothers, Deborah and the mother of Sisera. These two have very different views of the world they live in.

Deborah, as a judge and prophetess, held court under the date palm tree which has been described as 'flourishing', 'upright' and as a symbol of victory. As a prophetess, Deborah's view of the world in settling disputes was from God. She valued her people to the point of going to war over the oppression in which the Hebrews found themselves. She encouraged and planned and did not guess about the outcome.

The other mother mentioned, Sisera's mother, was of a different 'worldview'. We don't know her name, but she is described as standing at the window looking for and bewailing the fact that her son had not returned from war. Her attendants discussed it but she said:

29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself, 30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil? Judges 5:29-30

Dividing prey? To every man a damsel or two? A prey of diverse colors, diverse colors of needlework? Spoil? She had uncertainty and see what was in her thinking.

Jael was not a Hebrew and the record says that she and her husband were at peace with Jabin, the oppressive enemy. The tent Sisera entered into was Jael's tent. A man caught in a woman's tent fell under the death penalty. Part of the oppression to the Hebrews as pointed out in verse 29 above, was was the exploitation of women. Certainly, Jael had a different point of view but she was a part of the deliverance and Deborah called her "blessed above women" twice in Judges 5:24. (Interesting- Cp Luke 1:28,41-42).

No human being has a right to oppress another for their own gain. Women are to be treated with respect and dignity as exemplified in Deborah. This is God's heart. This is God's will.
Women were treated very poorly in the Canaanite culture and in other cultures (even the Hebrew culture at times), but when people have the right vision from God, all lives matter.

Oppression occurs when things go awry. Gain, power, and control become focal points. If it is allowed to continue, it grows. Oppression does not go away on its own. If we find ourselves in such situations, the only true way out of it is God's path and God's revelation.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:12-13