Read: Judges 6:1-40; Luke 22:54-23:12; Psalms 95:1- 96:13;Proverbs 14:5-6
After Jabin and Jael’s mighty victory, Israel fell into sin again and did evil according to God’s perspective. God gave them over to the Midianites, who for 7 years oppressed them so badly they hid out in shelters in the clefts of the mountains. The Midianites would rob their crops every year during harvest until finally the Israelites cried out to the Lord.
God’s response was to choose Gideon to deliver them. He was the youngest son of a very poor Baal priest. God found Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress. Wheat needs to be threshed in the open air but winepresses are below the earth. That shows how afraid they were of being seen.
The angel of God called Gideon a mighty warrior because that was what he saw him becoming. Gideon felt anything but a mighty warrior. God’s answer to fear is always, “Go, I will be with you.” Gideon built an altar to the Lord and they ate a Passover meal together. Then the angel told him to take another bull that was seven years old, the same age of their years of rebellion and offer it where the altar of Baal now stood. So, he tore down Baal’s altar that very night and offered the second bull for his nation.
When the people of the town saw the burnt altar they came to get Gideon. Gideon’s father stood up for him and said that Baal could defend himself.
The Midianites, Amelekites and other eastern people all joined forces and crossed the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. The spirit of the Lord fell on Gideon and he blew a trumpet to gather the tribes that lived nearby together for war. Gideon asked God for a sign as a confirmation and God gave him two. God loves to confirm his Word and He doesn’t get mad if we ask for a sign. Signs are God’s language.
In Luke, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times just like Jesus said he would and when the rooster crowed he felt horrible remorse.
Jesus was taken to the high priest’s house where he was given a mock trial that lasted all night. When they asked him if he was the Messiah Jesus told them that if he told them they wouldn’t believe him. Then he told them where they could find him…sitting at the right hand of God. They asked him if he meant he was the Son of God and he told them that they said he was.
They took him to Pilate and told him that Jesus claimed to be the king of the Jews and refused to pay taxes to the Roman government. When Pilate asked him if he was the king of the Jews he basically told him the same thing he told the Jews - they were answering their own question.
Both the religious leaders and the political leaders were saying who Jesus was with their mouth but they didn’t want to believe it was true. Jesus was the Messiah and he was the king of the Jews.
When Pilate found out Jesus was from Galilee, he got Herod involved since that was his jurisdiction. Herod was thrilled since he had heard of Jesus and wanted to see one of his miracles. Jesus did not entertain him or answer any of his questions. So, instead Herod and Pilate who were bitter enemies became friends.
We sing for joy to you, oh Lord, for you are the Rock of our salvation.
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