Session 4: Our Peace

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Background

Background
It was a time when Israel had once again forsaken God and worshiped other gods. God punished them by giving them over to their enemies, the Midianites, for seven years.
If you remember, the Midianites are descendants of Midian, born from Abraham and his concubine, wife Keturah ().
Genesis 25:1–2 ESV
1 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
Do you remember what Abraham did with all of his concubine wives and sons before he died?
Sent them away to the east so only Isaac would inherit his wealth
Genesis 25:5 ESV
Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.
Genesis 25:5–6 ESV
5 Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.
The Book of Judges recounts this cycle:
Israelites would do evil in the sight of the Lord (apostasy)
God would punish them (usually servitude)
The people would cry out for relief and repent (supplication)
God would send a judge—or deliverer—to lead them in victory over their rulers (salvation)
Gideon was the fifth major judge of Israel, judging for 40 years (). Nicknamed Jerubbaal (meaning let Baal contend, given to Gideon for destroying the altar of Baal in ), Gideon was the son of Joash of the tribe of Manasseh. As was the cycle for the nation of Israel during this period (faithfulness, followed by sinfulness, then repentance, back to faithfulness, repeat), Gideon had moments pleasing to God and moments that were in direct rebellion to God.
Judges 6:28 ESV
When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built.
Let’s look at :
Judges 6:11–16 ESV
11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
Gideon was basically in hiding trying to glean some grain without the Midianites hearing him – ironic given the reference to him in v. 12
What do you make of this “angel of the Lord”? Look carefully at verses 14-16 again
Compare to
Judges 2:1 ESV
Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,
Genesis 31:
Genesis 31:11 ESV
Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’
Genesis 31:11–13 ESV
11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ 12 And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’ ”
Genesis 31:11-
Who is Jacob asking to bless the boys in ?
Genesis 48:15–16 ESV
15 And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
Verse 13 is very telling about Gideon and Israel. What do you make of it? Especially if you go back and look at
Judges 6:8–10 ESV
8 the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”
Can you compare this to What were the circumstances surrounding Jesus’s statement here?
Matthew 16:4 ESV
4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.
Gideon also asks about the absence of wonders, the signs which demonstrate that God is able to deliver his people. Unfortunately, unfaithfulness to the covenant has kept God from repeating his great deeds.
Removal of sin must precede the presence of God. IMPORTANT to our prayers
Gideon is charged to deliver Israel from Midian. What was Gideon’s reaction and what does that say about him? Who can he be compared to here?
Who else was least in his father’s house in the OT?
14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
Look at Moses in ; Isaiah in ; Jeremiah in ; Ezekiel in ,
Exodus 3:11 ESV
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Isaiah 6:11 ESV
11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste,
Gideon is charged to deliver Israel from Midian. What was Gideon’s reaction and what does that say about him? Who can he be compared to here? Look at Moses in ; Isaiah in ; Jeremiah in ; Ezekiel in ,
Jeremiah 1:6 ESV
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”
Ezekiel 2:6 ESV
6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 2:8 ESV
8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
Who else was least in his father’s house in the OT?
How do we know if we’ve been given a task by God? Is our job a calling OR is it an instrument of our calling?
(ask Pastor how did he know he was called to be a pastor).
Pray for discernment; a task will never contradict Scripture;
What about us also when we feel the task God gives us is too great or the obstacle too big? Look at ; ;
2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Philippians 4:13 ESV
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
1 Peter 4:10 ESV
10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
Tie in ; to verse 15. What is it?
Judges 6:15 ESV
15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
1 Corinthians 1:25 ESV
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
2 Corinthians 13:4 ESV
4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
Let’s go to
Judges 6:22–24 ESV
22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
Gideon’s reaction was fear in verse 22. Why?
54 verses in Scripture where it is either God speaking in the OT or Jesus in the NT
Look at
Exodus 33:20 ESV
20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
Gideon received reassurance in verse 15 and builds an altar to the Lord: Jehovah Shalom
Shalom means peace, completeness, soundness, welfare, blessing, deliverance

Lessons in Peace

Think of Paul’s greetings in his letters: “Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace and peace are inextricably tied together. What is grace? Would this apply to Gideon?
unmerited favor
If I were to say to you, “live in God’s peace”. What do you believe me to be saying?
Why is this important? Look at ; ; ;
Proverbs 17:1 ESV
Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Romans 14:19 ESV
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
;
Proverbs 1 ESV
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”— my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors. Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Hebrews 12:14 ESV
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
How does ; ; relate to this?
2 Corinthians 6:17 ESV
Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
Ephesians 5:11 ESV
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Romans 12:2 ESV
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Epilogue on Gideon

He did do well in refusing to be crowned king, citing that only God was King (), but he still requested the people give him earrings of gold, spoils from the conquest and then used the gold to fashion a worship symbol that would lead not only his own family, but the nation as well, astray from worshipping God (). Soon after Gideon’s death, the idol worshipping Israelites fell further into decay by worshipping the Canaanite god Baal ().
Judges 8:22–23 ESV
Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.”
Judges 8:24–27 ESV
And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.
Judges 8:33 ESV
As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.
While we do not know for certain if Gideon ever changed his ways and returned to the Lord prior to his death, we see his example of how material possessions can quickly replace God in our hearts.

Lesson Takeaways

Difficult times are not signs the Lord is inactive or has forsaken us
The Lord calls out whom He will to serve Him
Our reasons for not accepting the call, no matter how earnest, are insufficient in light of His promise to be with us
Fear of the Lord is a good thing
Complete and eternal peace is possible only through Jesus Christ ()
Ephesians 2:14 ESV
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
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