No Sooner...

“Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town.  No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals…and did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of their enemies on every side.” Judges 8:27-35.

What is important to know is that Yahweh had set up the central place of worship in Shiloh which was 35 miles away.  It was to be the seat of His presence and worship for Gideon and all of the Israelites.  But instead of leading the region to Shiloh to worship he set up the ephod in his own town ensuring his leadership and worship would be more convenient.  This set up a people who aligned worship with convenience instead of sacrifice.  So it is no wonder that as soon as their leader died they returned to their old ways and failed to worship God.  Gideon displayed spiritual laziness in his circle of influence and failed to show sacrifice by example.  Although he was positioned to lead he led by his own earthly desires and convenience.

Every one of us has a circle of influence, be it our families, friends, workplace or churches.  How do we lead?  How do we worship?  Do we set up our worship in ways that are convenient or is our worship based on our wholehearted commitment to the Lord?  ‘Good intentions are not enough – not enough to honor God, not enough to sustain your spiritual growth, not enough to keep your spiritual legacy intact for generations to come.’ Gideon, p. 173.  If you died today what would your children say about your faith?  Would your grandchildren be able to reminisce of conversations with you about God?  What would your friends remember most about their time spent with you?

Things of this earth only last for a while but our legacies will last into future generations.  In order to make an impact in this world we must focus on the next world with Jesus.  ‘Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on the things above…Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things…Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature’ Colossians 3:1-5.

How will we be remembered by those in our circles…participating in the earthly comforts or walking mindfully in the things of the Spirit?

Not To Us!

“And he said, ‘I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring’…and each man threw a ring … The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels… Gideon made the gold into an ephod… and it became a snare to Gideon and his family” Judges 8:24-27.

 When I was caregiver for my father-in-law I made sure that others were aware of all that I was accomplishing on his behalf.  Even as I type that sentence it makes me sick to my stomach but we are all called to lives of spiritual transparency for the benefit of others.  People constantly praised me for the ‘sacrificial season’ in which I found myself … one ring tossed upon another… this compliment…that praise… gold upon gold that formed a garment of pride and approval.  In our passage this morning it is important to know that seventeen hundred shekels is equivalent to 43 pounds.  Gideon’s ephod was so heavy that he had to drape it over something as opposed to wearing it.  It became a snare as it developed into an object of worship. An ephod was a garment that clothed the high priest for the purpose of hearing from God.  Gideon’s pride separated him from the very thing that would have ensured God’s ear.  Gideon might have refused the kingship earlier, but built thrones to himself regardless. 

When we assume the position of glory that is meant for God alone we are creating ephods to drape around our lives.  We stack the praise and approval of others layer upon layer until we can no longer move around.  The heaviness of maintaining our own thrones becomes a snare in our life and the lives of those we love.  What is meant for God becomes what we take from God.  ‘Gideon verbally rejected the title, but lived in a way that revealed he had assumed the position.  It’s easy to say the Lord is our King, but our actions will tell the real story.’ Gideon, p. 168.

This morning we must examine whether our actions reflect God’s heart or our fleshly desires.  We must analyze whether we are more concerned with our comfort or His glory.  When those around us are tossing rings in our direction we must be sure that our actions match our words.  ‘Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory’ Psalm 115:1.

Instead of clothing ourselves in self-made ephods we must clothe ourselves in Christ. ‘Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.’ Romans 13:14.

Walking on Our Inheritance

“The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance” Joshua 14:9. 

Many times when I read Scripture God turns the prism in a different light for application and instruction.  This morning was no different as I considered the only two options in which we walk – walking in the land of the spirit or walking in the flesh of our heart’s emotions.  We are reminded in Jeremiah 17:9 that ‘the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.’  When we walk out our emotions we walk with a terminal condition … one that snuffs out the spirit.  Our inheritance will be quick to anger … an attitude of entitlement … a judgmental and bitter spirit. 

‘Emotions don’t have intellect.  They don’t think clearly or wisely.  They can’t make the best decisions and steer you in the most appropriate direction.  They only want to be soothed and coddled, appeased and pacified.’ Gideon, p. 159.  Walking in the flesh are baby desires for a baby faith.  As we spiritually mature we are called to grow up and out of our emotions.  We are encouraged to lay our emotional pacifiers down and replace it with the milk of the spirit.  If we were all to caudle and nurse our hurts we would be a spiritual kingdom of faithless babies. ‘Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you tasted that the Lord is good’ 1 Peter 2:1-3.

The goal is to become more Christ like as we walk out our inheritance.  Jesus walked on earth in the power of God and we have that same ability through the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is the counselor and the teacher whom God has sent to cure our sick hearts.  One of the greatest weapons against our emotions is allowing our feet to walk in the land of the spirit.  We have a promise regarding where we plant our feet.

‘Do not be deceived…A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap…Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers’ Gal. 6:7-10. 

And then, on one marvelous and remarkable day we will step up to God’s throne and receive our spiritual inheritance and walk out eternity with Jesus…the good and perfect land.

Our Gold Earrings

“He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool” Exodus 32:4.

Most people know the story of the Israelites and the golden calf.  Moses was up on the mountaintop talking with God while the Israelites were down in the valley impatient and indignant.  They grumbled and complained, allowing their discontent to master over them.  They handed over the power to another and became a participant in building an idol against God.  Aaron could not have crafted an idol without his audience providing him with the offering.  This morning as I consider this old story in a new way, I noticed that the very thing that became an idol was something that God had given them as blessings … gold earrings from their plunder.  ‘And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed … so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.  Every woman is to ask her neighbor … for articles of silver and gold … And so you will plunder the Egyptians’ Exodus 3: 21.  Not only had the children of Israel become mastered by their desires but allowed God’s blessings to master over them. 

Every one of us has been given an amazing plunder of blessings to enrich our lives.  But then the clouds move in and the times get tough and we hand over our gold earrings to Satan.  We throw love into the fire and bitterness is formed.  We hand over our compassion to Satan and he hardens our heart so we are disconnected from the pain of others.  Within our discontentment we elevate our gold earrings to idols by allowing them to master over us.  We hand him our weaknesses when we fail to guard our minds and hearts in Christ.  Just as Aaron was careless with their offerings, Satan is intentional with our offerings.  He knows that when we allow something out of balance in our lives to continue we hand him our gold earrings.  He has the tools and the time to watch our golden calves emerge from the fire.  Satan cannot build images without our cooperation.  He lights the fire and we supply the gold, forming calves of sin that master over us.

May our prayers include that the Lord will take our greatest weakness and supply His greatest weapon against the tools of the devil.  May we be reminded this morning that whatever our biggest temptation is Satan cannot use it against us unless we hand him the control.  By living out of balance through our emotions and/or desires we run the risk of casting an idol and breaking the first commandment. 

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me" Exodus 20:2.

The Outer Loop

“The Israelites said, ‘Rule over us…because you have saved us.’” Judges 8:22

These were haunting words from the children of Israel as they pled for Gideon to step into the position of authority over them.  Repeatedly they have searched for someone to worship in place of God.  They were determined to have a visible and tangible target for their praise.  Ever since the Bible introduced us to God’s chosen people the cycle has been the same.  His children grant Him authority …they get disgruntled or spiritually lazy and their lives get out of control, driving them back into the arms of God.  Once they experience some success they give authority over to another only to continue the damaging cycle.

Sound familiar?  It seems that when we are having a little bit of success it is easy to take our eyes away from the One who gave us that success.  He gives us the tools we need to prevent weaknesses from mastering over us.  We all know our weaknesses…they are no secret to us.  We certainly know what ensnares us, rolling out the red carpet to enslave us.  We appropriate power to certain things that are not spiritually good for us.  We forget that ‘while all things are permissible they are not necessarily beneficial.’ 1 Co. 10:23.  And yet through our actions we invite them to rule over us, and give them credit for enriching our lives or helping us feel better.  We may not be as blatant as the children of Israel but we must be honest with our hearts.  If we know our weaknesses and we choose to participate in them, we invite them to become our idol and take the seat of control over our lives.  How do I know this so well? 

For many years I invited spending to rule over me and gave it the credit for making me feel better about my life.  The cycle was set and it had to be broken for me to be free.  The answer was not in avoiding stores all together but allowing God to change the way I thought about spending.  Many times the success of things not mastering over us is not in isolating ourselves from it but giving God the chance to manage within it.  Our strength comes from Him and so does our self-control when dealing with our weaknesses.    Left to our own abilities we will falter and fall but when we allow God to master within our flaws we are guaranteed success.

The answer is in the availability.  Do we avail and invite God into the most difficult temptation in our lives or do we keep Him on the outer loop kidding ourselves that we can achieve success without Him?  May we all invite God into our temptations and avail Him the power to change us from the inside out. 

Self-Appointed Judge

“‘They were my brothers, the sons of my mother!  As the LORD lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.’  Turning to his only son, he said ‘Kill them!’  But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.” Judges 8:19-20.

Where on earth did our God-focused servant go?  You know and I know…he went to that place where every one of us goes when someone has wounded us or the ones we love.  Gideon doled out his treatment of others based on their actions …conditional grace…a spirit of entitlement…an attitude of retaliation.   Our spiritual hero crumbled into self-appointed judge.  To make matters worse he poured out his bitterness and resentment in front of his young child attempting to pull him into his courtroom as executioner.  ‘Yahweh’s directives are no longer Gideon’s primary concern.  He is now making decisions based on the actions of others.  What the kings had done become the stimulus for what he will choose to do.  Gideon is driven forward not by the voice of God but by his past pain and emotional devastation.’ Gideon, p. 142. There are so many things wrong with this picture, and yet we find ourselves feeling a little uncomfortable at this juncture of our story.

Why?  Because before we even finished the last paragraph most likely someone popped into our mind.  We thought of that person who did not keep their word or the person who intentionally hurt our child.  We thought of the child who rebelled against their parent or the adult who turned their back on our loved ones.  The actions or non-actions of others cannot determine the amount of grace we extend to them.  If that were the case, not one of us would be bound for eternity.  We are the only ones who appoint ourselves as judge over another.  We stack our case against others and build a legal brief that could bring down nations…but instead we are ones that risk being brought down.  God will not allow us to rule our own self-made nations as Daniel 2:20-21 states.  ‘Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.  He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.’ 

Jesus made it very clear in Luke 6:37-38 when talking about judging others.  ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’

Lord, forgive our judgmental spirits and release us from our self-appointed roles.  Remind us that Christ had every right to judge the actions of others and yet He chose Your focus.  He did your work and crawled up on that cross and died so that we are eternity bound.  In your precious name, Amen.

No Bread to Give

“Gideon…exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit…said…‘Give my troops some bread; they are worn out’… ‘Why should we give bread to your troops?’ Judges 8:4, 6.

Gideon came upon the city of Succoth and requested food for his weary men.  Although the pursuit wasn’t over the troops were totally depleted of energy, nourishment and stamina.  The battle was far from complete, but they needed to refuel to finish the task at hand.  And, what did their fellow countrymen do?  They refused to feel compassion for the needs of others.  They placed their own needs and agenda ahead of those who were in need.  ‘In withholding assistance [and compassion] they were passively siding with the enemy and disavowing their brotherly responsibility.’ Gideon, p. 138.

We have all been there…feeling entitled to our own agenda and challenges, passively saying ‘No bread to give.’  We see those who need our compassion, but because of our own issues we say, ‘No bread to give.’  We disagree with the way others live their lives so when they reach out to us we say ‘No bread for you.’  When we withhold bread from others we withhold the Bread of life.  Bread was meant to be shared as Christ broke his body for each of us.  It is not up to us to determine who is worthy of the Bread.

On the other side of this coin are times when we are the depleted ones.  Each of us will experience pursuits that leave us completely weary and depleted requiring the bread of others.  We must be careful not to reach out to Succoth…people who are unwilling to share their compassion or time.  We cannot spend mental energy on who hasn’t been there for us, but must reach out to receive from those who have the heart of God.  We are going to experience times when we are tapped out emotionally, mentally or physically.  The ultimate Bread is the sustaining Bread of life in Christ Jesus.  In our lack we experience his excess.  We must keep our eyes on the goal up ahead while we pursue our resolution in any situation.  ‘Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’ Phil 3:13-14.

Great advice…forgetting the past that wounded us and reaching towards the spiritual destinies that were meant for us.