Tues.’s Devo - He is Alive!

Read: Judges 8:18-9:21; Luke 23:44-24:12; Psalm 99:1-9; Proverbs 14:9-10 Gideon captured the kings of Canaan, Zebah and Zalmunna and asked him what them men that they killed at Tabor looked like. They described Gideon’s brothers. Now, he had to kill them. He told his young son to kill them and when he couldn’t do it, he did the task. He took the moon-shaped ornaments from the necks of their camels which were idolatrous objects depicting Astarte. *** Then the men of Israel asked Gideon to reign as their king. Gideon told them that he and his sons would not reign over them, the Lord would. But, then he asked for everyone to give them the earrings from their spoil and made a ephod which the people worshiped. By the mercy of God, they had rest for 40 years from their enemies. *** Gideon had many wives, 70 sons and a concubine who had a son named Abimelech. As soon as Gideon died, Israel turned back to worshiping Baal and made Baal-berith their god. They forgot what God and Gideon had done for them. *** Abimelech went to Shechem where his mother was from and stirred up an insurrection against the sons of Gideon. They gave him 70 pieces of silver out of their temple to Baal so he could hire some men to go with him to Ophrah and kill all 70 of Gideon’s sons. Jotham, the youngest son escaped. *** Abimelech returned to Shechem where they made Abimelech their king. Jotham came and stood on Mt. Gerizim and rebuked them for treating Gideon’s family so wrongly since they had delivered them from the Midianites. He pronounced a curse on Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He then fled to Beer and lived there. *** In Luke, Jesus was on the cross and around noon the sky went totally dark for three hours. The curtain in the Temple was torn from the top down. Jesus committed his spirit to the Lord and died. The centurion present realized that this man was surely innocent. The crowds realized this also and went home beating their breasts in repentance. The women who had followed Jesus stood at a distance watching all of this unfold. *** Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the council. He was a righteous man who was looking for the kingdom of God and had believed in Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. He took him down from the cross and wrapped his body in a linen shroud and laid him in his own tomb. It was about time for the Sabbath to begin so the women followed and saw where Jesus was laid so they could return and bring spices for his body. *** The day after the Sabbath, the women arrived with their spices and found the stone to his tomb had been rolled away. When they went in they saw two angels in all their glory. The angels asked them why they were looking for the living among the dead. He was not here but had risen. Had not Jesus told them he would die and rise on the third day? Then the women remembered what Jesus had said t. They ran to tell the men, who didn’t believe them, but Peter ran to the tomb and found nothing but the linen cloth where Christ had been laid. *** Lord, thank you for the Resurrection! Thank you for the Holy Spirit that helps us believe. Thank you that you are in us and bear witness to the truth. Help us to have courage and great discernment today and in the days ahead.