Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Perspective

Read: Judges 7:1-8:17; Luke 23:13-43; Psalm 97:1-98:9; Proverbs 14:7-8 Today we see them call Gideon: Jerub-baal which means “Baal will be contended with”. In other words, the people recognized that Gideon had challenged Baal and won. God ad defended Gideon against any attack or revenge of Baal’s. *** So many warriors responded to Gideon’s call to war that God told Gideon he had too many men. They would think they won because of their own power and God wanted them to know it was He who would cause them to win. He told the ones who were afraid to go home and 22,000 went home. God said it was still too many, so he told Gideon to bring them down to the spring and choose the ones who lapped putting their hands to their mouth. Their were 300. God would use these to deliver Midian. Gideon sent the rest to their tents. *** God wanted to strengthen Gideon for the battle so he told him that if he was afraid, he should take Purah down to the enemy camp and listen. He did and when they got there they heard two Midianites talking. One of them had dreamed of a barley cake falling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent and flattened it. The other man interpreted his dream as being Gideon and his army getting victory over them. Gideon heard this and worshipped and thanked God. *** Gideon went back to camp and woke up his 300 men and told them that God had given them victory over the Midianite horde. He divided them into three groups of 100 and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it. *** He told them to follow his lead. When they got to the enemies’ camp his group was to blow their horns and shout “For the Lord and for Gideon!” Then the other groups would blow their horns, shout and break their jars to expose their torches. *** This threw the Midianite camp into such a state of confession, they attacked each other with their swords. Those who lived fled with Gideon’ army chasing them. Gideon sent for the armies of Naphtali, Asher, Manasseh and Ephraim asking then to cut them off at the Jordan River. *** The men of Ephraim captured the two commanders Oreb and Zeeb and brought their heads to Gideon. The men of Ephraim were mad at Gideon for not asking them to join them at the beginning, but Gideon diffused their anger by telling them that they did the best thing by killing the officers. *** By the time Gideon’s army of 300 reached the Jordan they were exhausted and hungry. They asked the town of Succoth to feed them as they were chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings. The people of Succoth said they would only feed them after they had captured the men. Gideon told him that when he returned he would tear their flesh with thorns and briers. The men of Peniel told him that same and he told them when he returned, he would tear down their tower. *** Gideon did capture the kings and returned to whip the 77 officers of Succoth and he tore down the tower of Peniel just like he promised. *** In Luke, Pilate and Herod found Jesus innocent of any crime. Pilate had him flogged and planned to release him, but the crowd rose up with vengeance. They cried out as one saying “Crucify him!” When asked about Barabbas, they cried, “Release him!” So Pilate turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished. *** The Roman offers grabbed Simon from Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross for him. Many weeping women followed. Jesus turned to them and told them not to weep for him but for their children yet to be born. *** They led Jesus out to the place called “The Skull” and nailed him to the cross between two criminals. The soldiers gambled for his clothes. The leaders and the Roman soldiers mocked him as well as one of the criminals hanging beside him. The other criminal humbly asked Jesus to remember him when he came to his kingdom. Jesus assured him that he would be with him in paradise. *** It is amazing that those the furthest from Jesus understood and feared God the most. Those too emotionally involved were blinded to the truth. This is a great lesson to us that sometimes it is good to step back and look at our situations from a distance rather than so close up. *** Lord, may we gain your perspective in what we are going through in our lives today. May we step back and see the big picture rather than our narrow view that is full of emotions and opinions. Let your will be done.