King James Daily Bible Study: Key To God's Blessings
Date: Friday March 25, 2011
Chapters: Judges 8-9
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-march-25
Details of Today's Reading: The jealousy of Ephriam, events to the death of Gideon, the conspiracy of Abimelech, Gideon's son, Abimelech murders his brothers and makes himself a king, the Shechemites conspire against Abimelech and he is killed.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
Serving God is an amazing adventure, there truly is no better victory than to see a person bow their head and ask Jesus Christ to save them. While God uses an able body to lead the person to Christ, God is the one who gets the victory because it is by His power that one is even able to get into the heart of the one being witnessed to. It is good to feel good about serving God and what we have accomplished for Him, but we have to be careful not to boast about it as if it were solely ourselves doing it. The word boast means to brag about one's self, to say or tell things which are intended to give others a high opinion of one's self. The Bible says, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.” - Proverbs 27:1,2.

With God, Gideon was successful at leading the Israelite army to victory over the Midianites, 135,000 Midianites were slain by 300 Israelites running down a hill shouting with trumpets, lanterns, and pitchers in their hands. Gideon never lost sight of the fact that God was leading him and always acknowledged that. The men of Ephraim on the other hand thought Gideon was taking the credit for the victory, wanting it for themselves, they confronted Gideon.

“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. 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? 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.

Gideon did not argue with them, in fact, he even gave them praise, reminding them that God was the one who led the princes to them, who they killed, all he and his army did was blow some trumpets, break some pitchers, and run down the hill screaming. Sometimes our pride gets in the way when we hear people praising others about what they have done and no one praising us. Who truly gets the glory is God, we all want to be acknowledged for a job well done, but what's important is the one who really acknowledges us and that is God. Keep pressing on and you will hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” - Matthew 25:23.

After their victory, the people were eager for a king, they urged Gideon to reign over them. No matter how many kings, presidents, or rulers we have here on earth, there is only One King and that is God. While flattered, Gideon declined the offer, he would not rule nor wanted any of his sons to rule over them either. However, Gideon made one grave mistake that would cause many problems nor only for him, but his family as well.

“And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. 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.) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 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. 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 8:23-27.

In this desire for the gold Gideon falls to the level of ordinary men, perhaps Gideon wanted it as a token of remembrance of their victory over the Midianites. The ephod though was an important piece of the high priest’s dress which was necessary upon receiving the offerings by men. Perhaps, being a judge, he desired to have an ephod of his own, kept in his own city, to he worn by the priest whenever Gideon might summon him to inquire of the Lord for him, but it turned out to be a problem when the worldly people wanted to take it as gold was and still is very valuable to the world. Gold is so unimportant to God that He paves His streets with it, while money is a necessity for life, the more you have, the more problems you get, if not by our own greed then by the greed of others wanting what you have. “By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.” - Proverbs 22:4.

When people desire things that are against God's will they completely forget about God and will do anything to get it, even if that meant following a false god or committing murder. Gideon had seventy-one sons, out of all of them, one, Abimelech, wanted nothing to do with God and stooped to any level to become king himself. After Gideon (also named Jerubbaal) died, Abimelech urged his brothers to let him become the first king of Israel. Now, his brothers knew that this was against God's and Gideon's wishes so they refused to let him reign, but that did not stop him. He negotiated a large sum of money from the Baal temple treasury to pay men to murder his brothers, all except one was killed, Jotham. In this rather odd illustration Jotham explains the importance of keeping God king.

“And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?.. Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.” - Judges 9:7-9,14,15.

The trees represent the Israelites, the olive tree, which was the most useful of all the trees represents Gideon and the bramble a worthless plant, whose end is to be burned, represented Abimelech. Jotham points out the base ingratitude of the people in raising Abimelech upon the ruin of Gideon’s house, and foretells the judgment which would fall upon both parties. Abimelech was later killed by a woman, which was the shame of man. Sooner or later, all deception is accounted for, one can not blame God or other people for suffering, or worse death, that they cause all on their own because they chose the deceitful way of obtaining things.

God will give us anything we ask Him for, the reason we do not get them is one of two reasons, instead of waiting on God's time table and letting Him make the decisions for us, we take things into our own hands. Or we are asking Him for something that goes completely against His will for us. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” - James 4:2-4.

The key to God blessing us is three things, acknowledging, listening, and waiting, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” - Psalm 27:7-11.


Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Gideon, who delivered the Israelites from the Midianites (8:22-23). Jesus has delivered us out of the hands of our spiritual enemy. “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” - Galatians 1:4.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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