DAILEY EXPRESSIONS

(Wine)

Wine in scripture was used a lot, for a lot of different purposes. It is interesting to see that wine was used as a drink offering on the alter but it was also not okay for priests to drink. It was Jesus first public miracle to turn water into wine. Wine was was an important part of celebration in scripture. It was also a big part of the promise land, vineyards with massive grapes. Wine was talked about in the new testament as an intoxicating thing in reference to being completely controlled by the Holy Spirit (Luke 5 and Ephesians 5).

The grape vine was a sign of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit pleases both God and causes you to serve man. Interesting, the filling of the Holy Spirit makes you controlled and intoxicated with his presence. This intern makes us servants of all.

(Fig)

A fig tree does not require cross pollination. This is interesting to note. all of the trees did not want to stop production Just to be big. The fig tree is capable of producing even when it stands alone. The fig tree in some cultures was seen as sacred and was even seen as restorative. It has been given as a sign of prosperity. One was cursed by Jesus in Mark 11 for not having any figs. Fruit trees are expected to produce. If we do not produce good fruit we will be cut off and cast into a fire.

The olive tree - The oil of the olive tree was used not only for cooking but also for sacrifice on the alter.  It was used in the old testament for anointing kings and is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the new testament.  This was a valued commodity.  In Deuteronomy 8:8 it is listed as one of the amazing perks to the promised land (along with grape vines/wine and fig trees).  In Exodus 30:25-29 and Exodus 40:9 olive oil was use to set apart.  In Samuel 16:13 it was used to impart the Holy Spirit.  In Isaiah 10:27 it is used to break off bondages.

The olive tree said no because it would rather be used for serving people and God then be recognized as king.  It would rather be used for anointing, feeding, setting free the oppressed, sanctify (set apart), impart the Holy Spirit.  To take a position based in pride… being recognized as a leader, just as a statues symbol, will cause you to quit producing fruit.  Interesting thought.  Fruitfulness stops when the tree begins taking credit for its own fruit.  Our fruitfulness is based completely on his Spirit.  The olive trees response was brilliant.  Should I stop producing so I can sway above others who produce.  Size is less valuable then fruit.  All of these trees response was the same.  I would rather be small and fruitful then large and unproductive.

I am floored by this story.  Gideon had 70 sons.  He had Abimelech with one of his slaves.  He goes to his people, Shechem, and proposes they make him king.  His statement was, “Would you rather be ruled by all 70 of Gideon’s, or one man.”  They choose Abimelech and he hires an army and kill 69 of his half brothers, Gideon’s sons, on one stone.  The illustration of leadership that follows is brilliant.  When the younger brother that escaped the massacre  heard they had made Abimelech king, he shouted a story down to them from the top of a mountain.

8 Once upon a time the trees decided to elect a king. First they said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ 9 But it refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ 10 ”Then they said to the fig tree, ‘You be our king!’ 11 But the fig tree also refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing my sweet fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ 12 ”Then they said to the grapevine, ‘You be our king!’ 13 But the grapevine replied, ‘Should I quit producing the wine that cheers both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ 14 ”Then all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said, ‘Come, you be our king!’ 15 And the thornbush replied, ‘If you truly want to make me your king, come and take shelter in my shade. If not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

The response of the productive trees is interesting.  They asked why they would give up being productive just so they could wave above the other trees.  More to come…

How much harder is it to help when you don’t know If it will pay off?  It is a lot easier to jump on the ban wagon when the final battle has been won.  Even though Gideon’s army had taken out a substantial part of their enemies armies, they were still out numbered 50 to 1.  On top of the odds being outrageous, they were exhausted.  It was not like they were fresh like at the beginning of the battle.  They were pursuing and fighting and were tired.  I can understand the people at Succoth playing the odds.  The thing they forgot to calculate into the equation was the God factor.  Being apart of the ground breaking of anything can be overwhelming.  It is hard enough being oppressed by the people that you don’t expect help from anyways.  It is worse when someone you think should help you doesn’t.  I want to know when God is behind something and play my part before the victory is when.  I want to be a piece of the victory.  I don’t want to be the one to jump in and help when help isn’t needed anymore.

This is some interesting stuff.  At the end of chapter 7 Gideon calls for the tribe of Ephraim to help out in the chase down.  They end up capturing two of the generals, Zeeb and Oreb.  When they come to Gideon with their heads instead of being happy and congratulatory they were angry that Gideon did not invite them to the battle in the first place.  This is an interesting attack.  They had to have known that 135,000 troops  were gathered for war.  They did not offer their services just as much as Gideon did not ask for them.  This response goes to show how much God knew the hearts of his children.  They all wanted the glory and the credit for what He did.  The reason He had trimmed the army down to 300 to begin with was so that no man/men could take the credit.  The humility of Gideon was what allowed him to be used.  His quick response was a testament to his humility.  Instead of trying to claim the victory for himself he chooses to exalt their short involvement above his own.  The response of Ephraim was also interesting in context to the song of Deborah and Barak.  It was not more then 50 years earlier that when the other tribes did not go out to fight that Deborah and Barak mocked them in a song.  Warriors must be carful not to develop so much pride that they no longer see the need for a commander and His strategy.  God knew to allow them to fight would have certainty caused them to take the glory.  Gideon was so aware of what God had done that he could care less about receiving the praise for himself.  It is interesting to notice that when it was all over and he does finally ask for a piece of credit for himself it becomes his down fall.  more on that to come.

What are we saying about our enemy?  In this chapter we find the enemies of God afraid of Gideon and his army.  The funny thing is that Gideon was extremely out numbered.  Even with the 32,ooo original army they were out numbered.  A big part of our ability to have victory is our confidence in going into the battle.  The children of Israel viewed themselves as grasshoppers in the sight of Jericho and they choose to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.  Gideon saw himself and his army of 300 the size of God.  He went in knowing they would be victories because his victory was based on God.  I find myself looking at the current state of the world and being about as confident as the children of Israel under the leadership of Moses.  The problems are to big and the church is to small.  We are going to lose.  For some reason I fight like a suicide bomber.  I go wanting to win as many as I can believing that I will never see victory.  I just want to take as many as I can with me.  The sad part is that I am putting this lets go out with a bang mentality on Christ.  He is a God of victory not a God that settles for just taking out as many as we can while going down.

Gideon got his army together.  He had 32,ooo in all.  They were still outnumbered but at least you have a pretty good sized army.  The Lord tells Gideon his army is to big.  He told him if they win the Israelites would boast in the victory.  He told Gideon to let as many as wanted to go leave.  At this point he loses 22,ooo of his warriors.  Now he was even more outnumbered with only 10,000 men left.  Again he is told he has to many.  This time he is left with only 300.  I think that I often choose to set my vision and expectation lower then what God is capable of so that I have a chance to accomplish it myself if God does not.  It blurs the line of the miraculous and man.  This steals some if not all of the glory from God.  It allows for myself and others to take the glory for what God does.  It is my like of trust and obedience that destroys  the opportunity for the miraculous around me.  I like to keep that 32,000 or 10,000 person backup plan in place even when God has said He will give complete victory.  Gideon Was amazing.

I grabbed something in regards to boldness and on act of obedience building on top of another act of obedience.  I had this story all laid out wrong in my head my memories of this story from child hood put his obedience after the fleeces in verses 38-40.  First Gideon would do something God would ask him to do then Gideon would ask for the proof.  Gideon tore down the alter to Baal even in his fear. Gideon called the children of Israel to arms even in his fear and doubt.  He was taking action even though he was afraid.  He trusted God’s word more then his fear.  It was like he would Go out to do whatever he was told then think about how CRAZY it was after.  He had the destruction of Baal’s alter all worked out then afterward he hid out.  I can just see him getting home and thinking, “WHAT the heck did I just do?”  Then a little while later blowing the rams horn in verse 34 and saying “what the heck did I just do?”  I want to be like this.  When God speaks I just do it… don’t over analyze it.  Then later I will say what the heck did I just do.  I want to be obedient before I rationalize it away.  I want to ask Him to prove Himself because of my obedience not before I obey.  That is most of my problem… I ask him for the sign before I have obeyed.  Gideon is of the chain!

Wow!  This just jumped off the page at me.  I don’t know how many times I have asked the EXACT same question Gideon asked in verse 13.  If the Lord is with us where are all the miracles the bible talks about.  I thought this question was unique to the church of the last couple hundred years.  Look at the response of the Lord, “I am sending YOU.”  I don’t even know what to say right now.  I am the answer?  Have I been complaining about what I do not see in America today and He has been saying all along YOU ARE THE ANSWER?  Go with the strength you have I am sending you.  I do not feel very strong.  I am responding and looking back at Gideon’s response and getting overwhelmed by the similarities.  I literally feel exactly the same.  I am the weakest in my family!  It was not that Gideon was so strong but that the one who was sending him was strong.  I think that might be all the strength I have.  I have just enough strength to go.  He is going to have to do the rest.  I want to respond in obedience to what He is speaking to me.  Gideon obeyed even in the middle of his fleshly fear.  Gideon sacrificed even in his lack.  I want to be the agent of change.  When my back I don’t what them to say that they never saw you mighty acts.  Let them see your hand in and through me.

Something I have never recognized is the call to sacrifices food in the midst of complete starvation (vs. 6).   I never thought about this.  I only think about the sacrifices in context to the wealth of God’s people in early Genesis.  Gideon’s offering of a small goat and bread would have been huge.  So much for saying I will give when I am in a better financial situation.  He was not giving out of abundance.  Gideon was hiding in the mountains with the rest of his people starving to death and he sacrificed.  This kind of sacrifice makes a statement.  Gideon was not joking around.  I had always put Gideon’s asking for prof from God as a testing pre obedience.  Gideon sacrificed in his lack… then he asked for a sign.  I have often wondered about the balance of asking God for a sign and just trusting.  Gideon cast out the fleece AFTER a major sacrifice.  He did it not once… but TWICE.  He took his dads second best cow and destroys the alter of Baal.  Gideon was scared… but he was IN.  All in.