luray mcclung

The cities of Succoth and Peniel refuse to feed Gideon's men perhaps because they may fear retaliation from the Midianites. Their citizens' perception is that Gideon has already captured the kings and maybe they figure Gideon's men should enjoy the spoils of the conquered. Because of their refusal to provide bread and feed the troops, Gideon later severely punishes these cities. Their sin is their neglect of their covenant responsibility to help other Israelites. Yes, Gideon is just in his action. Today, there are circumstances when we, too, neglect to help others in time of their trial and tribulation on the battlefield of life. How frequently do we visit widows, take care of orphans and volunteer in the prisons and nursing homes? We have situations that need our attention in the USA, let alone third world nations. lmc

Gideon must vanquish the Midianite force of 15,000 men in Karkor because their destruction will provide a complete victory for the Lord and for Gideon. Like Gideon, who realized we can't deal with problems half-way, we must know the enemy,if not destroyed, can still be at work. Therefore, let there be no turning back. ( It only takes one flawed apple eventually to destroy the bushel.) The remnant of an ememy can do considerable damage. lmc

Gideon used messengers to summon the assistance of the Ephraimites who were to seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of the Midianite's fleeing army. Yet, the Ephraimites were angry in that Gideon had not requested their military support from the start. However, they met Gideon's request and were helpful in capturing enemy leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. Later, Gideon actually congratulated them and used wisdom and restraint as their anger subsided. My how Gideon's psychology worked on the tribe of Ephraim. lmc

Gideon divided his army of 300 men into three companies, giving the appearance of a surrounded Midianite camp. Also, the strategies with the trumpets, the empty jars and torches created such noise and distaction in the night that the Midianites were baffled and confused. These strategies resulted in the enemy killing each other. Obviously, the plan worked as Gideon still had his 300 men unharmed, but getting hungry. Meanwhile, the remaining Midianites fled for their lives. lmc

The barley loaf is symbolic of Gideon's sword of might and strength. Also, the fact that it is rolling symbolizes the movement of Gideon's army to defeat the Midianites. Our Lord shows his mighty warrior this dream to encourage him to victory. lmc

After I studied the passages and read the exposition, I looked at the questions and found this one tough. As a child, I grew up seeing my father and my grandmother kneel beside the table and offer prayer and thanksgiving before anyone was allowed to sit down and eat. I grew up knowing that seeking God on our knees was important to my family. Yet, God did not choose the kneelers; he chsose the lappers, 300 of them from thousands. This circumstance was quite different. Everyone was thirsty, we assume. However, God showed me that the kneelers were for a moment or two only concerned for their own physical needs. Momentarily, the kneelers were pleasing themselves, caring for themselves alone, truly inattentive to their surroundings and the mission at hand. Meanwhile, what a marvelous God we have to proceed with such a criteria for His selection of Gideon's army. I hope our students at the Naval Academy and West Point know this Bible truth. lmc

Perhaps we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them. Often it is human nature to focus on failure. (Wouldn't we need all the recruits we could get as Gideon first thought?) Those who serve the Lord want desperately to understand his will for our lives. Those clear directions lead sometimes to a huge step or leap in our faith walk, and we must be reassured we get it right. The spiritual danger is misunderstanding God's will and being over confident in God's plan. If we add to or change His plan, spirtual harm may come. Therefore, it is important thay we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust by our own daily walk with the Lord, living in obedience to his calling, no matter how great are small. (Someone has to put seed in the birdfeeders at the nursing home.) Love in our Lord, lmc

Gideon's army was too large because their victory over the Midianites would glorify man, not God. Our Lord provided a miracle with Gideon and his 300 warriors to restore Israel's faith and allegiance to Himself. Gideon's pressures may have been due to his unbelief. Praise be to God, he accepted God's word as truth in Judges 7:15. Gideon obeyed God fully because he knew God was merciful in to him in his human condition, and God had already built Gideon's confidence by the fleece test. lmc

I have always been reluctant to ask for a sign to confirm God's direction for my life. It seems He or the Holy Spirit presented a sign to me. The danger of demanding a sign may be our incapabilities to interpret or recognize that sign or comprehend it's meaning and the terrrible possibility, later, of self in the way. lmc

Gideon twice puts out the fleece before the Lord not only for assurance but also for reassurance. This is a definite sign of belief. Some may consider the wet fleece/dry ground and wet ground/ dry fleece a 'testing' of God. The answer was Gideon's confidence booster that he could perform what God was leading him to do, the defeat of the Midianites. This request was not sinful testing of God because our Lord would receive the glory and praise for the victory, not Gideon. lmc

The spirit of the Lord inspires Gideon to blow the battle horn and summon an army against the Midianites. Like Gideon, other judges and leaders of the era were inspired by the spirit of the Lord.

Joash was probably more a crowd pleaser than a genuine leader. On his own land had been constructed an altar to Baal. Probably many of us can relate to Joash's circumstance in that in our personal lives of former years we entertained the idols of this world and appeared without holiness and without roots to our faith in the Living God. Next, Gideon's action affects his father in that Joash can now make the decision to serve God, not Baal. If we incessantly consider the impact our obedience to God may have on others then we could possibly lose focus of God's plan for us. Furthermore, the impact on Joash did not affect Gideon's action of obedience to God. The Spirit of the Lord was upon Gideon to do God's will. Because of Gideon's obedience, Joash no longer compromised. Like Joshua, a century before, Joash served the Lord. lmc

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, regretably we can be disobedient disciples. We are sinners; we are flesh. Thanks be to God that he forgives the times we disobey. Look at the twelve. Were their actions greater than disobedience? Peter pretended he never knew Him or associated with Him; Thomas doubted Him and worse yet, Judas betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver. Do you know anyone named Judas today? Like Gideon, who had choices, we have choices. Since today is Palm Sunday of '03, I think about Christ's triumpant entry into Jerusalem. The parade has begun. We can be a bystander and say"Hosanna in the Highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord," then elect to do nothing more. As Christians we must be active participants, not bystanders. Our choice is to join the parade and follow Jesus. Now is the time of preparation to take up our cross and follow Him. Likewise, Gideon elected obedience to God. lmc

If we obey God first, then we will surely obey our father and mother. Gideon was obedient to God, tearing down his father's altar to Baal. When Joash saw the obedience and faith of his own son, then he responded and turned away the hostile crowd. Gideon's justification for his action is his love of the Lord first. According to Matthew 10:37, we are not even worthy of the Lord if we love parents or our children more than we love Him. Because I was barren and faith healed and had our first son at 34, I prayed that I would never put my child before His creator. We named him Aaron (mountain high or bringer of light in Hebrew) Lane McClung. From the highest mountain to the lowest valley ( I pictured a lane like a path through a valley) I vowed to serve the Lord. Thirty-three months later God then blessed us with another son, Asher, who was born laughing. Asher in Hebrew means fortunate, happy, Asher Lael McCLung, again ALM. I would be foolish not to put God first ; our sons are his gifts to us. I believe in my heart that Gideon's father was proud of his son who put God first in his life and truly relieved that Baal's altar was broken down and an altar to the Lord had been prepared for him. lmc

God tells Gideon to tear down the Baal altar and the Asherah pole because he desires this servant to destroy the pagan gods that separate his people from Him. Gideon builds an altar by God's instruction (sacrificing his father's 7 year old bull as a burnt offering using the wood of the Asherah pole). Gideon's night mission is not a sign of weakness but of faith. His greatest risk is the reaction of the people when they discover who has destroyed Baal. lmc

God's answer to Gideon's self-image was God's promise of His presence: "I will be with you"...Yes, this spiritual principle does apply to our lives as Christians and provides us with such encouragement through the valleys of this life. There are many NT passages that teach this principle; however, one of the best, I believe, is Matthew 28:20...a promise of Christ's presence, just what the disciples needed. afternoon prayer: " Have your own way, Lord. Have your own way. You are the potter; I am the clay. Mold me and make me after your will while I am waiting , yielded and still. lmc

God saw Gideon as a Mighty Warrior, yet Gideon saw himself as weak without strength and strong faith, a member of the weakest clan of Manasseh and the least among his family. God's self-perception is most accurate as he made us and has a plan for each of us Our own self-perception can actually hinder God's plan for us and his work in us. lmc

Israel was in an oppressed state because they chose not to listen to God. They broke the commandment" Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Their actions evidenced their lack of listening. Today, we Christians must know that listening is an art of communication. We must know that to be near the heart of God is to be near a place of quiet rest. Yes, we must talk less and listen more to God. ( I am so thankful that my Lord does not need an answering machine, call waiting, caller ID, cell phone, voice mail, busy signal or options of pressing 1-7, etc.) lmc

Gideon blames God for abandonment; however, the truth is that the Israelites left God. Gideon's assessment was inaccurate. Today, we, like Gideon may blame God because we fail to recognize that our daily living may separate us from God. The danger is a limited faith walk with negligence, complacency and negativeism leading to a dangerous path of sin and eternal damnation. We can stop short of this in the future by "our crying out to Him" before troubles surround us and by our willingness to follow where he leads us. lmc

The Revelation in Chapter 5:13-14 tells me that my heavenly Father and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, are one whom we must serve with praise, thanksgiving, adoration and true worship. lmc PS. I pray that all who have taken this on-line study have grown in the Lord and have had a wonderful experience as I have.

The Lamb is worthy to take the scroll and open the seals because He was slain and He shed blood to purchase us for God. He triumphed over sin and the grave; therefore, the Lamb is worthy. Praise be to God. lmc

The significance of Christians reigning on the earth or of being priests is to advance the Kingdom of God and to serve and truly worship Him. We are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The reigning is on-going, both now and forever. Love in our Lord Jesus lmc

The Lamb is called "the Lion of the Tribe of Judah" and " the Root of David" because Christ is a descendant of Judah's tribe and the House of Jesse, the Father of King David, therefore, the "Root of David". These titles signify both his might and meekness. lmc

The following symbols from John's Revelation include: the Lamb-Jesus Christ himself Standing after being slain-Christ's Resurrection horns-complete might and strength (7 is significant) eyes-seeing completely and fully, again 7 eyes 7-idea of completeness The Lamb has the qualities of perfection, victory, and completion.

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. My name is Luray McClung from Millsboro, DE. I have retired after 32 years of teaching and have joined the adjunct faculty at Delaware Technical and Community College. I am just finishing the study Behold the Lamb and would highly recommend this Bible study to all. Since I recently joined the Gideon's Auxiliary, I thought this study would be most helpful to me and my husband. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to study with all of you. Although we may be miles and countries apart, we know that the presence of the Holy Spirit is powerful. Meanwhile, I feel led to request prayer for 2 from our church who have been deployed, Chris Bradner and Joanne Marie Lawson. Both have infant sons, Connel and Caleb. I wish I could be more specific about their locations, but truthfully I do not know at this time. Thank you. Be blessed. lmc