David Maher

Hi, I'm David Maher. I live in Cookeville, TN. I attend The River Community Church where I am a bi-vocational (I am also a computer consultant) staff member, responsible for our leadership development ministry. This is a topic that I really look forward to studying. I think it is very important for us to understand what the vision is for the church. I look forward to learning from everyone in the forum as we go through the next several weeks together.

Which single New Testament passage best sums up for you the lessons of Isaiah 53? Why did you chose this passage? 2 Cor 5:20-21 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (from New International Version) This verse seems to sum up the lessons in Isaiah 53. Jesus came to bear our sins, so we could be in relationship with God. God is righteous and we cannot approach Him if we are not. It is because Jesus chose to take our sins upon Himself and give us His righteousness, that we can be in a relationship with God. Thank you Jesus!

The Servant also bears the punishment deserved by sinners. In what sense, if any, did Jesus bear the punishment due you when he died on the cross? This is a tough question. What is the punishment we deserve when we sin? It is to be seperated from God. There are also other consequences as well. Jesus suffered, he was rejected by man, punished for things He never did, He was crucified. I don't really know how to describe what I am thinking. Even though Jesus was God as man, I think he must have felt the seperation from God the Father at some point while he was on the cross, see Mark 15:34. In my opinion, this would be the Jesus bearing the ultimate punishment deserved by sinners. In His case, it would be even worse than we could possible imagine, since we are imperfect and do not have anywhere near the capacity for a relationship with God that Jesus has, how could we possibly imagine how He felt during that time? I don't think we can comprehend the how alone Jesus felt. Thank you Lord Jesus!

Isaiah 53 teaches what theologians call "the substitutionary atonement." In what sense does the Servant act as a substitute to bear our sins? Put it in your own words. Our sins seperate us from God. Before Jesus, when someone sinned, during the act of the sacrifice, they would transfer their sin to the lamb and the lamb's blood would cleanse them from the sin, restoring their relationship to God. In the same way now, Jesus, who was without sin, carried the sins of the world, our sins included, to the cross. His sacrifice cleanses us and restores our relationship with God.

Which New Testament parallels to Isaiah 53 convince you that Jesus himself saw his own mission and destiny spelled out in Isaiah 53? If you aren't convinced, what stands in your way? I have to admit, I have a problem reading this portion of scripture without seeing Jesus' life throughout it. It is such a clear picture of Jesus, how he lived his life, and his mission. If I would pick one verse in the New Testament that I see as Jesus' understanding that this was speaking of His mission, it would be Matthew 20:28: Matt 20:27-28 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (from New International Version) I believe that this shows that Jesus saw his mission spelled out in Isaiah 53. I am convinced.

From how large a group of people does God remove sins in Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12? In what sense is this a universal sacrifice of salvation? In what sense is Jesus' sacrifice wasted on some people? I believe the group of people referred to here, is all of us; the scripture refers to, many nations, of us all, etc. I believe this was universal because it is available for all of us. It was wasted on some people because they refuse to accept it; we have to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior in order to receive the many of the blessings He has for us. Thank you Lord, Amen.

What do you think God intended animal sacrifice teach us about sin? About holiness? About God's nature? I believe that God intended for animal sacrifice to remind us that sin has consequences. God does not take sin lightly, it requires blood/life to atone for sin. Sin seperates us from God. God is holy, and we all fall short and cannot relate directly to Him. God is merciful. He allowed animal sacrifice as a way for His unholy people to reconcile with Him when they fell short. He provided Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for those of us who have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Q5. In what sense is God's provision of animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sins an expression of his mercy? Were animal sacrifices actually adequate to atone for human sin? God shows his mercy by allowing animal sacrifice as atonement for sin. The animal sacrifice is much more merciful than death to the sinner. There is no way that animal sacrifice is actually adequate as atonement for human sin, or seperation from God.

What are the basic elements involved in a sacrifice for sin? Per the exposition: Which of these are still necessary for forgiveness of sins today? Confession of the sin. Which are no longer necessary? Why? All of the other steps. Jesus was the sacrifice that God provided to pay for my sins.

Why is animal sacrifice repulsive to modern people? I would suggest that sacrifice is repulsive to modern people because we are not normally exposed to death of animals in this manner. There are also the cries of animal rights groups who attempt to raise the rights of animals to those of humans. I think these groups have gone too far. I believe there is a difference in mass slaughtering animals to process for food and the individual, personal, sacrifice of an animal for one's sin. Trying to look at this from a faith perspective, has really made me think. The animal sacrifice was to be personal, the person who sinned was to lay his hand on the animals head and slaughter it. It was personal. The concept has become very real to me now; as I think of Jesus being sacrificed for my sins, to accept the part I played personally and the price He paid, makes me realize how precious the gift, and how wonderful the Lord is. How much of this has to do with a city vs. a farming way of life? I think that people who are around animals that are slaughtered may not be so repulsed by animal sacrifice. But I think the major issue is more related modern society not taking sin very seriously. I saw an article in the Wall Street Journal that had a tag line "The Upside of Living in Sin," which spoke of the positive financial side of same sex or heterosexual couples living together, without marriage. As I look at the world around me, there are so many sins that are now acceptable by society. I think there is a real difference in slaughtering animals for food and sacrificing animals; it's called sin!. An animal sacrifice is to offer attonement for a sin that was committed and confessed.

Why is anger an appropriate response to sin? What is the difference between capricious or uncontrolled anger and anger that brings about justice? As I was looking for an answer to the above question, I came accross the following information that I thought answered the question very well. It compares wrath (God's anger directed against sin) to anger.

Q1. How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice? Ex 29:38-39 38 "This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. 39 Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. (from New International Version) Each day lambs were sacrificed for the sin of the people of Israel. The lamb was a common sacrifice for sin. Isa 53:7 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (from New International Version) In the verse above, the coming of the Messiah, who would be from God and be sacrificed was prophesied. How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept? I those days, each person who sinned was to offer a sacrifice to be redeemed. Also, Israel was a chosen people and they did not think of their God as a God for all people of the world. For the Messiah to come and be the sacrifice for the world was a very radical concept.

Hi all: My name is David Maher. I live in Cookeville, TN. I am married to Gail and have three wonderful kids at home. I am a computer consultant by trade. I am currently very active at The River Community Church. I love the Lord and thank Him for the many blessings he has brought into my life. I look forward to this study. The Gideon study was awesome. I look forward to getting to know everybody as we work through the study.

How does Gideon influence Israel during his life? Judg 8:28 28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon's lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years. (from New International Version) He led Israel away from Baal and back to the Lord, delivered them from the Midianites and they had peace for 40 years. What is the positive continuing effect of his leadership as judge? I have to think that it is a major blessing to us that Gideon was a judge of Israel and that this portion of his life is reecorded for us. He provided strong leadership that was initially very sensative to the Lord. We can follow that example. We can also learn from his mistakes. Things we can learn from Gideons mistakes that are mentioned in the exposition; not letting people give us the credit for spiritual blessings, do not let others put us in a place reserved for God, and we must live with integrity. We need to be careful while establishing traditions and practices for our families and churches because, whatever traditions and practices we implement carry with them our strengths and weaknesses. We do not want to pass along our weaknesses as Gideon did.

Why is spiritual unfaithfulness looked at as prostitution or adultery? Prostitutes draw their victims attention and then seduce them. Idolatry is very similar, the ephod was very ornamental and drew a lot of attention. People began to worship it which drew them away from God. Adultry is similar to prostitution in the way it happens, but more subtle, and relates to people who are married. These are very similar to what happens in the case of sprirtual unfaithfulness. Something attracts our attention and focus away from the Lord and seduces us to remain in the sin. What is the concept of God's relationship to his people which underlies this analogy? The Lord refers to His people as His bride, both in the old testament and the new. In the old testament, Israel was his bride, the church is his bride in the new testament. Isa 54:5 5 For your Maker is your husband-- the LORD Almighty is his name-- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. (from New International Version) What kinds of temptations to spiritual adultery do you face today? The temptations I fight most with today are my job, school, family, pride, approval from others, church, being busy all the time. All these temptations can take my focus off the Lord. My job, school, family activities, and other projects that keep me very busy make it difficult to be quiet and spend time with the Lord. These are not necessarily bad, just too much of any of them that they keep me from putting the Lord first which is a problem. Pride or selfishness is another area that I have to fight a lot. I have attended churches in the past that I believe were so focused on its congregation or church building that they totally were neglecting what God has called us to do.

What is a snare? In what way does Gideon's ephod ensnare his family and the people of Israel? A snare is a trap. The ephod became an object of worship. The people began to worship it instead of God. Gideon's family were the caretakers of the ephod as Gideon's father was caretaker of Baal's alter before. How can something be a sin if we don't see it as a sin? In the case of the ephod, I can think of at least two ways it led to sin. First was with Gideon's pride. Second was worshiping the ephod instead of God. In both cases, God was moved to an inferior position. With pride, we place ourselves first, with the worship of the ephod, it was first. We struggle today with our own idols or gods, money, material possessions, pride, etc. So many times these things that take our focus off the Lord are very subtle. Isn't that the way Satan normally works? What was the essence of the sin the Israelites committed? The israelites chose to worship something, the ephod, before God. They broke the first commandment. What is the essence of Gideon's sin? He was probably prideful when he made the ephod. He allowed the Israelites to worship the ephod by maintaining it. In essence, he led the Israelites away from God, even though it probably was not intentional. The responsible thing to do would have been to destroy the ephod and turn the Israelites back to God. He didn't do that.

What is an ephod? (8:24-27) What might the gold ephod have looked like? EPHOD 1. The high priest's vestment, with the breastplate and Urim and Thrumhim (some material objects in the bag of the breastplate, used for consulting Jehovah by casting lots: Speaker's Commentary; but see HIGH PRIEST) in it. This Abiathar carried off from the tabernacle at Nob, and David consulted (1 Sam 21:9; 23:6,9; 30:7). The breastplate, with its twelve precious stones, gave an importance to the ephod which led to its adoption in the idolatries of Gideon and Micah (Judg 8:27; 17:5; 18:14). The large amount of gold used by Gideon on his ephod was not the material of it, but the means wherewith he completed it; including the breastplate (choshen), the 12 precious stones, and the two for the shoulders, the gold thread throughout, and gold braid, and gold twist chains fastening the breastplate upon the ephod, and lastly the price of the labor (Ex 28:6-30). See GIDEON. His aim was by wearing it to have a vehicle for inquiring the will of Jehovah, through the Urim and Thummim, the holy lot, and breastplate. The ephod was also used, but without the breastplate, by the ordinary priests, as their characteristic robe (1 Sam 2:28; 14:3; 22:18; Hos 3:4). David's ephod, in bringing the ark to Jerusalem, differed from the priests' in being of ordinary linen (baad), whereas theirs was of fine linen (sheesh). 2. Father of Hanniel, head of Manasseh, assisted Joshua and Eleazar in apportioning Canaan (Num 34:23). (from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright ©1998 by Biblesoft) I found the details about Gideon's ephod were very interesting.

What does Gideon ask for his reward? Judg 8:24 24 And he said, "I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." (from New International Version) Was Gideon wrong to take a reward? I do not think there was anything wrong with his taking a reward. It was customary in his day to share in the spoils. I think there may be a problem, though, if Gideon already had the ephod in mind when he made the request. The Lord knows our hearts and I believe we may be asking for something that, in itself, is not sinful, but if it plays part of a sinful act, then I believe it is sinful from the beginning (or the inception of the sinful idea). I find in my life that there are too many times that I just act on impulse or without taking something to the Lord. Mostly, I just believe that whatever it is that I was doing was so minor, and not intentially sinful, that I didn't need to "bother" God with it. With 20/20 hind-site, I can see that these actions on my part that have, many times, resulted in sin in my life. Thank you, Lord, for teaching me this lesson today. Amen. Where did the sin begin? Judg 8:27 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. (from New International Version) According to the exposition, an ephod is a garment reserved for gods or a select group of high ranking officials -- royalty and top priestly ranks. Gideon, maybe inadvertantly, was placing himself in this type of position by making the ephod. I believe the sin began when Gideon concieved the idea of the ephod. It was evident when "all Israel prostituded them selves by worshiping it there."

Why does Gideon refuse to be king over Israel? God was Israel's king. Gideon knew and respected that. In what sense would becoming king be treason? He would be acting in direct opposition to Israel's king, God. Why didn't the Israelites see bestowing kingship as treason? They were being themselves. It seems throughout their history, they continually forget what God has done for them. This time is no different. The Lord made sure that the victory was His, not man's, but the Israelites see it as Gideon's victory, even when Gideon is continuously giving the credit to God. They desire an earthly king, they do not recognize God as king.

Why does Gideon slay Zebah and Zalmunna? They killed Gideon's brothers. Is he unjust or fulfilling his just obligation? He was being just. In his day, this was the normal penalty for what they had done. Why does Romans 12:19 prohibit Christians from taking vengeance? As christians, we are free from the law; we are held to higher standards. We are commanded to love our enemies. The Lord is just. If we love our enemies, we leave room for God's wrath, which is worse than anything we could "dish out" on our own.

Why do the cities of Succoth and Peniel refuse aid to Gideon's army? They were fearful. What would happen if Gideon's army was overcome by the Midianite remenant? The Midianite army would take revenge on them. Why does Gideon punish these cities later? Because Gideon was fighting a common foe, he had the right to expect support and encouragement from his countrymen. When they refused to be supportive, they deserved it. What is their sin? They broke a covenant with their own people and, most importantly, they did not trust God. Is Gideon just? I believe he was just. Gideon had been appointed by God to be the deliverer and judge of Israel, he carried out the punishment that was deserved and just. Can you think of a circumstance when a Christian might be guilty of the sin of Succoth and Peniel? Yes. I know I have to fight this each day. When I look at what God wants compared to what the world says is good. I believe we can, if we are not careful, allow the world to be so important that we do not proclaim our faith as boldly as we should for fear that we may be considered wierd or crazy. We can allow the world to take the power away from our faith. Are we really doing the Lord's work? What is our ministry? Are we tithing? What are we doing each day to help further the kingdom of God? I used to think that going to church and being a good person was what it meant to be a christian. Now I know that there is a lot more to it . . . we are warriors for the Lord and we need to agressively look for ways to further the Lord's kingdom. Whenever we hold back, for whatever reason, we are guilty of the sin of Succoth and Peniel.

Why must Gideon vanquish the Midianite force of 15,000 men in Karkor? The above quote from the exposition explains why it was important for Gideon to finish the job. What danger do we face when we deal with problems only half-way? We will continue to face the problems if we do not deal with them completely. They will continually resurface and need attention. The real danger here is that we would be so busy dealing with our problems, that we will not be aware of the Lord's plan for us ar have the time to spend with the Lord to keep our focus.

What does Gideon ask the Ephraimites to do? Judg 7:24 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." (from New International Version) Why are they so angry? Judg 8:1 8:1 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian?" And they criticized him sharply. (from New International Version) I can think of a couple of reasons for their anger. First is pride; I think they were upset that they had not been asked to be a part of the initial attack. Second is they felt left out; to the victors go the spoils. What do you learn from Gideon's approach to the Ephraimites' arrogance? Gideon used much wisdom in the way he approached the Ephramites. Gideon built up the Ephramites and what they accomplished while downplaying what his small army did. I also think it is interesting that Gideon did not mention that he was only doing what the Lord commanded and that the Ephramites were not a part of the plan. The lesson I learned is that in order to counter pride in others, I must be humble and build up the other person. I also believe I need to follow the Lord without making a "big deal" of it. I should give the Lord credit, not take it myself, but in a pride-centered conflict, be gracious and use wisdom when responding.

Why does Gideon divided into three companies? This was a normal strategy of the time. Armies were normally divided into a right wing, a left wing and the body of the army. This is also similar to a strategy that his father Abraham used when he attacked the army that had taken Lot captive. What is the strategy with the trumpets, the empty jars, and the torches? The strategy was to appear larger than they were. There would normally only be one trumpet per company, and only a few torches per company. The sound of three hundred trumpets would suggest a very large army is attacking. The same holds true for the number of tourches. The empty jars probably hid the torches initially and the noise they made when breaking would help add to the confusion of the Midianite army. What was the result of this strategy? Judg 7:21-22 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. 22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. (from New International Version) Why did this strategy work? Gideon was being faithful and obedient to the Lord. He was completely following the Lord's direction.

Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? I believe that the last part of this question is the main reason we want God's direction to make sense to us. We do not want to be or be percieved as religious kooks. I also believe it is a part of being human, we want to know where we are going and how we are going to get there. This is in contrast to walking in faith, where we follow the Lord's leading without concern for how things will get done or where the ultimate destination is. What's the spiritual danger here? I believe the spiritual danger is that we can miss out on the blessings the Lord has for us, because we do not follow Him faithfully. We're afraid of being -- or being perceived as -- religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust? We are blessed to have the Bible. This is the word of God and can be our source of confirmation. I know I struggle with the perception of others . . . and as I do, I know that I am in error. The Lord must be first, and I should not be concerned with other's perceptions. Based on this, I believe I should look to the Bible for confirmations. This does not mean that I will not get other confirmations from other spiritual people whose discernment I trust . . . but their confirmation is not a requirement before I act in faith.