Today's Daily Reading Is Judges 8

Do the men of Ephraim have a justifiable complaint? (v.1)

Would they have believed him if he told them the LORD commanded him to do this thing?

Doesn't Gideon have the right to defend himself from the destruction of his harvest since that is what Midian sought to do for the past seven years, which forced him to glean from Ephraim's vineyard? (v.2)

Therefore, isn't he demonstrating thanksgiving by exercising his obligation to defend his fields? (v.3)

Or is Ephraim owed all the honor and glory of the covenant?

Romans 13:7–10 (NKJV)

7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. 8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Consider that Gideon is of the tribe of Manassah that is divided by the Jordan River. Now, remember that it would have been wiser if they all sought their inheritance across the Jordan on the west and secured the land by filling it before their enemies became strong enough to reinhabit it, and they themselves would have been stronger to defend it from invasion before they sought to go across the Jordan to obtain the remaining promise. Therefore it was because they didn't seek first the kingdom's foundation that they were not able to bear fruit. And therefore, this division must be pulled out by the roots! (v.4)

John 15:1–11 (NKJV)

1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

How were the invaders empowered to do what they had been doing for seven years? (v.5)

Succoth is a city of Manassah on the east of the Jordan. Therefore Succoth and Abiezar were brothers. (v.6)

Or were they? (v.7)

Matthew 5:41–42 (NKJV)

41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away.

Didn't Gideon ask nicely? Did he use the Patriot Act to get what he wanted? Or did he return to exercise justice in righteousness because of treason?

So how were the sons of Manassah able to prosper from across the Jordan while their brothers were being invaded from all the way down in Midian and from the sons of the east along with the Amalekites that were hiding just below Judah? (v.8)

Surely they had help by making a covenant with cities such as these? (v.9)

But now we get a clearer picture of what Yahweh did to the army that was camped north of Gideon before they crossed the Jordan. (v.10)

They began with 120,000, but in slaying one another in confusion, they were miraculously reduced to only 15,000 without Gideon even drawing a sword!

But the foreign army was still divided and not acting as one. So Gideon's 300 never did take on the remaining 15,000. (v.11)

Therefore it wasn't Gideon's mission to destroy the whole army but only to cut the head off the snake. (v.12)

So 300 men were able to cause roughly 15,000 men to flee in fear because of the sheer knowledge of Yahweh's favor for Gideon. (v.13)

Isaiah 8:13 (NKJV)

13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread.

Now was Gideon justified in returning to Succoth and Penuel to exercise discipline for betraying the covenant? (v.14-17)

But who was held most responsible for this betrayal? (v.16)

And who was worthy of death? (v.17)

What did the tower represent if it was not a total surrender to the foreign kings? (v.18)

For whose honor and glory was this tower built while his brothers were starving and gleaning across the Jordan from Ephraim's land while Abiezer was being raped?

Luke 12:13–21 (NKJV)

13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14 But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" 15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Do you gather it all to hoard it all? Or do you gain all you can to freely give all you can to those who are in true need? (v.19)

Therefore how were these cities guilty of aiding and abetting thieves and murderers who were not there to glean but to create a hostile takeover like demons seeking to possess a soul? (v.20)

Therefore this testifies of Israel's youth not knowing how to defend their interests and God's promises; and the failure of the fathers not preparing them for it. (v.21)

It is Joshua's strong and courageous character that is absent from this, and the coming generations that Joshua himself sought to impart before he died. And therefore, for lack of character, they were continually in desperation to have someone rule over them! (v.22)

But wasn't this the sign that the prophet spoke?

Judges 6:6–10 (NKJV)

6 So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 7 And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites, 8 that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage; 9 and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 Also, I said to you, "I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell." But you have not obeyed My voice.'"

Leviticus 26:13–20 (NKJV)

13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright. 14 'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, 15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16 I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. 18 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

So Gideon was right to train his firstborn, but were these two kings justified to question it? (v.21)

What were they mocking at in the sight of Gideon? His size? His strength? His weight?

1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Matthew 23:27 (NKJV)

27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

Matthew 23:28 (NKJV)

28 Even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

2 Corinthians 10:7 (NKJV)

7 Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ's, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ's, even so we are Christ's.

Was Gideon's ambition to satisfy justice or for personal glory? (v.22)

Was he seeking tribute, or was he seeking to do righteousness? (v.21)

Now consider what the "men of Israel" (Manassah on the east) feared now that they had no one to judge them. They, too, feared, like Gideon's son, to take up the responsibility of the sword and to defend with the LORD'S justice the stewardship of the promise. (v.23)

But what does Gideon do in rebuke of their cowardice? (v.24)

Why were they beginning to look more like the enemies of Yahweh than their brothers across the Jordan? (v.24)

So what really was this ephod demonstrated to express? (v.25)

Gideon is often accused of doing this for the glory of his own honor, but I believe the opposite. (v.34-35)

I believe it was more like the bronze serpent that Moses used as the instrument for Israel's repentance. Why didn't Gideon have any interest in making use of the spoil crafted by the Ishmaelites? Did he have a fetish and fascination with crescent earrings and nose rings? Weren't these things a sign of slavery to Abraham's bastard son? (v.24, 26)

Why was the gold shaped into an ephod and placed within the city? Why not build an altar to it in his backyard for a cookout as his father did for Baal if it was intended to remind himself and the people of the sword of his glory?

Therefore what was it shaped into to demonstrate in the minds of all the inhabitants and sojourners passing through the city? (v.27)

What is the connection to the earrings if this wasn't about the LORD'S victory over those who tried to enslave them?

Exodus 21:5–6 (NKJV)

5 But if the servant plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,' 6 then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

Deuteronomy 15:15–18 (NKJV)

15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore, I command you this thing today. 16 And if it happens that he says to you, 'I will not go away from you,' because he loves you and your house since he prospers with you, 17 then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also, to your female servant, you shall do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you, for he has been worth a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.

2 Chronicles 33:11 (NKJV)

11 Therefore, the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon.

Job 40:23–41:2 (NKJV)

23 Indeed the river may rage, Yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth, 24 Though he takes it in his eyes, Or one pierces his nose with a snare. 1 "Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? 2 Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook?

Isaiah 37:29 (NKJV)

29 Because your rage against Me and your tumult Have come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back By the way which you came."'

Ezekiel 16:11–13 (NKJV)

11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful and succeeded to royalty.

Ezekiel 16:15–17 (NKJV)

15 "But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. 16 You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored high places for yourself and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be. 17 You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them.

Nevertheless, why do the unregenerate always miss the point? Why did they play the harlot with it? Did Gideon lose the fruit of his reward in the Spirit because God's glory was veiled to those who are perishing?

2 Corinthians 3:12–18 (NKJV)

12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day, the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:3–6 (NKJV)

3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Therefore what was Gideon's true sin here? Wasn't it his disregard for taking on many wives? And wasn't it his bastard children who played the harlot with his pride, not knowing the true heart of their father. (v.27)

The snare wasn't upon those who understood the purpose of the ephod but only upon those of his own household who saw it as an excuse for the lust of his power and fame. (v.30)

It was his bastard children who fell in love with the glory of his honor rather than the purpose of his rebuke, which was to safeguard the promise. (v.31)

How do we know that it wasn't about his own glory? (v.33)

Because it was his continued life work for 40 years to influence Israel away from the Baals! Therefore, it was his bastard son, as we shall see, that made it about the glory of Gideon rather than the testimony of the LORD. (v.34-35)

And thus, Gideon's true honor perishes with his sons in the earth while it bears its fruit in God's honor and glory forever! And therefore, Gideon is an example in the hall of faith.

Hebrews 11:32–40 (NKJV)

32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.