Today’s reading: Judg 6:11–7:25, Phil 2:1–11, Ps 66:1–20
Today’s theme: Play your part
Our God is awesome and His purposes will come to pass. It is important that we use our passion and energy well, by taking God at His word and so playing our part in faith. God has empowered us and clothed us in the Spirit to equip us to do this, to His own glory and our joy.
Judges 6:11–7:25
Use passion for God
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?” 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.” Judges 6:14–15 (ESV)
This Angel was a theophany of God himself, an old testament appearance of Jesus.
In the previous verse, Gideon displays his lack of understanding of God’s word. The oppression came upon the people because they had forsaken the Lord again, but Gideon seemed to blame God.
Gideon’s words may even be perceived as rude, God in His wisdom tells Gideon to take the aggression and might behind his bold (rude) statement and put it to good effect.
We should not waste our God given energy and passion resisting or questioning God, we should take it and use it for His purposes.
Use aggression, boldness, energy and passion for the Lord. This is only possible with a healthy understanding and appetite for God’s word. See Luke 10:27
Clothed with the Spirit
But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. Judges 6:34 (ESV)
God in His amazing grace, appeared to Gideon and gave him the assurance that He would be with him, despite Gideon’s doubt and fear. God extends His grace to His servant and clothes him with His Holy Spirit.
God also graciously anoints us with His Holy Spirit, for His purposes and work today. God’s gift of the Holy Spirit is a wonderful and necessary grace. See 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 and 1 John 2:27
Immature faith
behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” Judges 6:37 (ESV)
Some see the laying of fleece before God as a good thing, but it displays a fundamental lack of faith in God’s word and Holy Spirit.
Today’s society demands proof for everything, this is a result of the worldviews of naturalism, secularisms and modernity. This refusal to believe God’s word for what it says, has filtered into the church, resulting in a need to see miracles and divine manifestations before God is believed.
This is extremely problematic, the preoccupation with signs, wonders and tangible proofs as a prerequisite for belief and action is a serious spiritual problem. Our work and progression for the Lord can be delayed and inhibited.
This also displays an unwillingness to act on God’s word, which reveals immature faith and our inclination to disobey God’s word, which is why we demand additional assurances.
Let us take God at His word today. See Matthew 12:39
Stand, play your part
When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. Judges 7:22 (ESV)
God arranged this so that He alone could get the glory. God does not need great armies to accomplish His purposes. We should stand and play our part, God’s purposes will be worked out and will come to pass, to His Glory and our benefit.
As we blow our trumpets of praise today, the enemy will be sent into confusion.
Philippians 2:1–11
The humility of the Incarnation
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5–8 (ESV)
This passage is one of the best to show us the humility of Christ, it speaks of the incarnation where The Word of God, who is eternal and was never created, He was equal with God, yet He emptied Himself of His heavenly glory and privilege and became a man. He was not just a man, but a servant, going as far as to die on the cross for our sins.
This is the great example for all of us, none of us are the eternal Son of God, so if He can humble Himself by thinking of others first, then how much more should we abandon selfish ambition and look to the good of others, seeing them more importantly than we see ourselves.
Humble, self sacrificing service is the mind of Christ we should all have.
Psalm 66:1–20
God is awesome
Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. Psalm 66:5 (ESV)
God is awesome in His deeds, especially in the cross.
Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.
Additional resources
The Gospel Coalition on Philippians 2