Gideon and the 300  E-Book

Edir Macedo

• Herausgeber: Unipro
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 60

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Although the people of Israel had conquered Canaan, the Promised Land, they were declining in their faith. To help His people overcome their enemies and re-establish their relationship with Him, God chose people who, despite being ordinary, had a supernatural faith — like Gideon — to be judges. In this book, the author reveals the importance of revolting against fear and courage to overcome one's problems. After all, Gideon had everything to be a loser, but by not accepting the situation he was living in, he managed to overcome all obstacles and be victorious.

Leseprobe

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M141G

MACEDO, EDIR, 1945

GIDEON AND THE 300 - HOW GOD ACHIEVES THE EXTRAORDINARY THROUGH ORDINARY PEOPLE / EDIR MACEDO.

1ST EDITION - SÃO PAULO: UNIPRO EDITORA, 2020.

ISBN 978-65-86018-22-6

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Judges before the time of Gideon

Chapter 2

Crying out

Chapter 3

Gideon’s call

Chapter 4

The winepress

Chapter 5

Gideon’s strength

Chapter 6

Gideon’s low self-esteem

Chapter 7

The sign

Chapter 8

The perfect offering generates fire

Chapter 9

The offering and the fire

Chapter 10

The altar

Chapter 11

The second bull

Chapter 12

Being clothed with the Spirit

Chapter 13

Putting God to the test

Chapter 14

Selecting the 300

Chapter 15

Trumpets, jars, and fire

Chapter 16

The dream of the enemies

Chapter 17

Directives for the war

Introduction

The Book of Judges describes the cycle of decline and spiritual renewal in the life of Israel as a nation, which is also a symbol of the spiritual situation experienced by most Christians.

From a historical point of view, the Book of Judges portrays a turbulent period in the history of Israel. Joshua had conquered Canaan but had not yet established his conquest. This is a big problem we find in most people’s lives. They conquer a few blessings but fail to establish them through a serious commitment with the Blesser. And when the crumbs of blessings finish, they go back to square one again.

They are like the seed sown among rocks. They hear the Word and at once receive it with joy; but when the heat of tribulation comes, they fail to resist and end up dying spiritually (see Matthew 13:5-6).

History records that the tribe of Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo or their surrounding settlements; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. Nor did the tribe of Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so, the Canaanites lived among them. Neither did Zebulun drive out the people of Kitron or Nahalol; but they allowed the Canaanites to stay there to be used as slaves.

The same did the tribe of Asher. They did not drive out the people living in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. Instead, the people of Asher lived among the Canaanites of the land. Likewise, Naphtali did not drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced labourers for them (see Judges 1:27-33).

This reflects the life of people who are converted but not wholeheartedly; who insist on holding on to their filthy past. In other words, they want salvation but do not want to give up the lusts of their flesh or even their idolatrous traditions. They want to serve the Lord Jesus but do not want to let go of their pagan festivities.

History tells us that when Israel became stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labour; and they did not drive them out altogether. Israel preferred to “take advantage” of their power to enslave them than to obey the voice of God and drive them out completely. Because of this, the Lord determined, “I will not drive them out before you. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you” (Judges 2:3).

The Lord ordered the total expulsion of the Canaanites so that His people would not be corrupted by the widespread idolatry existing among them. Later on, this became a constant problem among the people of Israel, resulting in a cycle of ups and downs in their relationship with God.

As long as Joshua was alive, the fear of God was prevalent; but after he and his generation died, another generation grew up, who did not know the Lord or what He had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord and gave themselves up to moral and spiritual corruption. For this reason, the Lord withdrew His anointing and, consequently, the Israelites had no more strength to resist the enemies around them. Whenever Israel went out to fight, they could not count on the God of their fathers for help.

Disobedience or sin always lights up the flame of doubt. Doubt, in turn, cancels out the power of faith.

Even so, amid groans of defeat, the Israelites would cry out and the God of endless mercies would raise a leader to deliver them. But when that leader died, they would fall back into the corruption of their lustful hearts and become worse than their fathers. Therefore, the Lord became angry with Israel and said:

Because this nation has violated My covenant that I commanded their fathers and has not heeded My voice, I will no longer drive out from before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.

Judges 2:20-21

Chapter 1

Judges before the time of Gideon

The period of the judges of Israel preceded the period of the kings. The judges were ordinary people who were chosen and anointed by God to guide, judge, and build up the people of Israel.

Enabled with a vision of the will of God, the judges were chosen as prophets and would lead Israel in the war against their enemies. Some of them were renowned for their supernatural faith in the God of their fathers.

Othniel

The people of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the gods of rain and fertility in Canaan. The worship of Baal and his partner Asherah included the sacrifice of animals, every form of sexual immorality and, occasionally, the sacrifice of children.

Again, the anger of the Lord burned against Israel and He sold them into the hands of the king of Mesopotamia. After eight years of slavery, Israel cried out and the Lord raised a deliverer for them. Then, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, who set Israel free from their slavery (see Judges 3:5-11).

Ehud