Juízes 6

Juízes 6

Vernon McGee - Here goes Israel again, whining and complaining. But God is gracious and good. A prophet came and told them why they were in their present condition. They cried out to God, and God in mercy sent them another judge. Gary Inrig - There is a great difference between a cry for help from trouble and a cry of repentance for sin. The Israelites called on God, but they had not dealt with their sin. So when God’s prophet came in Jdg 6:7–10, he began by reminding them of God’s unchanging faithfulness and grace. He had delivered them from Egypt, helped them dispossess the occupants of Canaan, and given them the land. He had also entered into a covenant with them, a covenant with the clearest and simplest of terms: “I am Yahweh your God. You shall not serve the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are dwelling.” God had done all that in His grace for them. Yet, deliberately and defiantly, they had broken their covenant with Him. God does not belabor His point through His prophet. He simply states the obvious: “You have not listened to Me.” (It could equally well be translated, “You have not obeyed Me”). Strangely, there is no pronouncement of judgment or consequences but only a reminder that the Israelites had brought it on themselves. They were what they were and where they were because they had turned away from the living God. We need to hear this. All too often, when Christians experience the consequences of their own sinful or foolish choices, I hear them complain, “How could God let this happen to me? This isn’t fair!” We need to be reminded that the one thing none of us really wants from God is justice. If we were to get what we truly deserve, each one of us would be in terrible trouble! But God did not leave them there, aware of their sin and defeated by it. He was going to deliver them, and His first step was to prepare His deliverer, a very unlikely candidate named Gideon, meaning “hewer” or “hacker” in Hebrew. (Borrow Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay) Cried out (02199)(za'aq) means to cry out, to call out for help (especially when in distress), to appeal (even making public sounds of physical and/or emotional anguish - Ex 2:23, 2Chr 20:9, Job 35:9). It is basically a cry of pain, often accompanied by a lament over one's condition and/or by a request for divine help. Za'aq can be summoned in the sense of to be assembled (Jos 8:16; Jdg 6:34, 35; 18:22, 23) Finally, za'aq can mean to issue a proclamation by sending out an official written document with instructions or principles (Jonah 3:7) There are several passages (Psalm 107:13, 19) where za’aq may seem to approach a hint of repentance; yet in each case the emphasis remains on the condition of distress rather than on any expression of repentance. Za'aq uses in Judges - Jdg. 3:9; Jdg. 3:15; Jdg. 4:10; Jdg. 4:13; Jdg. 6:6; Jdg. 6:7; Jdg. 6:34; Jdg. 6:35; Jdg. 10:10; Jdg. 10:14; Jdg. 12:2; Jdg. 18:22; Jdg. 18:23 Judges 6:8 that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'It was I who brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out from the house of slavery. the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel - Jdg 2:1-3; Neh 9:9-12; Ps 136:10-16; Isaiah 63:9-14; Ezek 20:5-32 Related Passages: Lamentations 2:14 Your prophets have seen for you False and foolish visions; And they have not exposed your iniquity So as to restore you from captivity, But they have seen for you false and misleading oracles. GOD'S PROPHET RECALLS YAHWEH'S FAITHFULNESS In Judges 3:9 when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, but this time He first sends a prophet! This prophet reminds them of God's deliverances and rebukes them for their disobedience, which now has become repetitive! That the LORD sent a prophet (nabiy) to the sons of Israel, and he said to them - In Jdg 2:1-5 the Angel of the LORD had rebuked Israel, but now God sends a human prophet. Exactly to whom the prophet gives this message is not clear from the context. The only other prophet mentioned in the book besides the Prophetess Deborah. God used prophets in isolated cases before Samuel, the band of prophets Samuel probably founded (1 Sa 10:5), and later such prophets as Elijah, Elisha, and the writing prophets—major and minor. Here the prophet is sent to announce the divine condemnation because of their infidelity (Jdg 6:10). Israel cried to God (probably for a deliverer as in Jdg 3:9), and He sent them a prophet to point out the "why" of their predicament (DISOBEDIENCE) (Jdg 6:10 cf Heb 4:12+, He 4:13+; Lam 2:14). Ralph Davis comments on God's response to Israel's cry for help writing that "Israel cries for relief, “and Yahweh sent a prophet to the sons of Israel” (Jdg 6:8). That would be like a stranded motorist calling a garage for assistance and the garage sending a philosopher instead of a mechanic. Israel needs deliverance and Yahweh sends a prophet; Israel asks for an act of God’s power and he sends them a proclaimer of his word who rehearses Yahweh’s grace (Jdg 6:8, 9), repeats Yahweh’s demand (v. 10a), and levels Yahweh’s accusation (Jdg 6:10b). Hence Yahweh sends a prophet because Israel needs more than immediate relief; they need to understand why they are oppressed. They must see that “Yahweh gave them into the hand of Midian” (Jdg 6:1) because they had “not listened to [his] voice” (Jdg 6:10b). Surely God’s way with his people has not changed. Do we sometimes marvel at the “inappropriate” answers God gives to our urgent need? Like Israel, we may want escape from our circumstances while God wants us to interpret our circumstances. Sometimes we may need understanding more than relief; sometimes God must give us insight before he dare grant safety. Understanding God’s way of holiness is more important than absence of pain. We may want out of a bind, whereas God wants us to see our idolatry. God means to instruct us, not pacify us. We should not miss the kindness of God in all this. One of the kindest things God does for us is to bring us under the criticism of his word to expose the reasons for our helplessness and misery. He does this by the preaching, counsel, or reading of his word. (Such a Great Salvation - Focus on the Bible) Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'It was I who brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out from the house of slavery - Recall the words of the generation of Joshua "The people answered (JOSHUA - Josh 24:15+) and said, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed." (Josh 24:16-17+) By the time of Judges 6, Israel was so spiritually apathetic and apostate that God needs to send His "mouthpiece," an unnamed prophet to remind them of His deliverance from slavery in Egypt and their disobedience in face of such mercy and grace shown to the nation (Jdg 6:10b).. There is a great difference between a cry for help from trouble, and a cry of repentance for sin. Israel called on God but they had not dealt with their sin. So God's prophet came in Jdg 6:7-10 and reminded them of God's faithfulness and grace -- how He had delivered them from Egypt and given them the land of Canaan and set forth the terms of His covenant "I am Yahweh your God. You shall not serve the gods of the Amorites." Yet deliberately and defiantly and unfaithfully they had broken their covenant with Him. So the prophet reminded them that they were what they were and where they were because they had turned away from Him. But God did not leave them in this awareness (but they must not have been that aware as they still had Baal altars in the Joash's backyard!) of their sin and their defeat because of it but He raised up an unlikely deliverer named Gideon. Prophet (05030)(nabiy) conveys the essential idea of an authorized spokesman, of a person authorized to speak for another. He functions in essence as another's mouthpiece (cf same word used of Aaron as Moses' mouthpiece in Ex 7:1+). In the OT a true prophet spoke or proclaimed the message of Yahweh, neither adding to nor taking away from the message. Moses was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament (Dt. 34:10) and only Abraham is called a prophet before Moses (Gen. 20:7). In Nu 11:29+ Moses said "Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!" Moses predicted Jesus the greatest Prophet in Dt 18:15, 18+. Gilbrant - Occurring over 300 times in the Hebrew Bible, nāvîʾ is a noun likely derived from the verb, nabu, "to speak," attested only in Akkadian. The noun appears as a participial form, which may imply that a prophet is literally "one who habitually speaks (for the gods or God)." It could also be understood in a passive sense, literally, "one who is called." The word is likely a loanword, although its presence at Mari may indicate a West Semitic origin. The prophets played an essential role in Israelite society. They were authorized to speak for Yahweh (cf. the role of Aaron, the nāvîʾ for Moses, Exo. 7:1). The prophet spoke both to individuals and to corporate bodies. Prophets had distinctive call experiences. Those of Moses (Exo. 3:1-12) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1-10) are easily contrasted to that of Isaiah (Isa. 6:1-11). The former pair tried to resist the call, to no avail. Isaiah eagerly sought the office, after his objections of unworthiness were answered. Each call was distinct. Each prophet was charged with a duty to speak the words of Yahweh to the targeted audience. These words are designated by the ubiquitous phrase, "Thus Yahweh has said." Some prophets traveled in prophetic bands, belonging to prophetic guilds ("sons of the prophets"; cf. 2 Ki. 2:3). After anointing Saul to be the first king over Israel, Samuel told him that he would prophesy with a band of prophets coming down from the village high place (1 Sam. 10:5ff). This group prophesied spontaneously, accompanied by music. Saul joined the band, which caused observers to question if he belonged to the guild. Saul accomplished this act of prophecy because "the Spirit of God came upon him" (v. 10). A second example is found in 1 Sam. 19:18ff, as each messenger sent by Saul to capture David was instead overcome by the Spirit and prophesied with the band. Finally, Saul went himself, only to encounter the same fate, "And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night..." (v. 24). There were also professionals who were paid for prophetic services. Saul's first encounter with Samuel was to inquire about his father's lost donkeys (1 Sam. 9:5). Baalam was a classic example of a prophet for hire (Num. 22:5f). Naaman of Damascus expected to pay Elisha for his services (2 Ki. 5:1-6). Usually, however, no mention is made of payment. Further, there were prophets who performed functions within the Temple and religious shrines. Samuel served at the tabernacle at Shiloh. Ezekiel had priestly ties, and concluded his prophecy with the restored Temple as the centerpiece for worship. Postexilic prophets encouraged the people to build the Temple, and then to participate in temple life (including paying tithes; Mal. 3:8). There were prophets who served kings, called court prophets. Nathan fulfilled this role for David. He had total access to the king, and was called upon by David for consultation as well as mediation with Yahweh. Hananaiah was a false prophet who served as a court prophet (Jer. 28). Amaziah, king of Israel, had some 400 court prophets, though Jehoshaphat did not trust their counsel (1 Ki. 22:5ff). Further, there were prophets who were not professionals and held no prophetic office. Amos responded to the accusations of the Amaziah the royal priest of the northern sanctuary at Bethel: "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son [i.e., of the prophetic guild]; but I was a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel" (Amos 7:14f). The written nāvîʾ usually delivered oracles in poetic fashion, heightening the drama of the message. The message of prophets was varied, according to their function in society. A major format of the prophets is concerned with stating Yahweh's rîv (HED #7662), or "lawsuit," against the people. By the eighth century, this was very common; but the main concern of the prophets was to turn the people back to God. Blessing was also found in their oracles if the hearer would heed the words. There were three common points of conflict. First, the people engaged in idolatry; second, they practiced lack of compassion and overt oppression of the weak; third, they wree not versed in the Law, their guidebook for right living. The more concise lawsuits are found in Isa. 1; 3:13-26; Hos. 4; and Mic. 6:1-8. The point of these oracles is not to condemn, but to offer another chance for repentance: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow" (Isa. 1:16f). Coming judgment was to be expected if the Law were continually violated, in accord with the curses of the Covenant (Deut. 28:15-68; esp. 47ff). The rîv was an act of grace, giving the offending party another chance to legally right the relationship. Indeed, though judgment was coming, it was chastising, not final. After judgment by the hand of foreign nations, Yahweh declares, "I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord... when I am pacified toward you for all that you have done, says the Lord God" (Ezek. 16:62f; cf. Jer. 30-31). Prophets were revered, and thus were usually tolerated by kings. But the life of the prophet was a precarious one. Ahab wanted to kill Elijah (1 Ki. 18:10), his Phoenician wife, Jezebel, sought to even more (1 Ki. 19:1f), as she had done to many others (1 Ki. 18:13). Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that they were "the sons of those who murdered the prophets (Matt. 23:31). Micaiah, the son of Imlah, was allowed access to the court, though Ahaziah states, "I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil" (1 Ki. 22:8). This assessment drew the criticism of Jehoshaphat, who said, "Let not the king say so." Jeremiah was imprisoned by King Zedekiah, but not executed (37:15-21). Indeed, Zedekiah sought his counsel (37:17ff; 38:15-21). Prophets anointed a number of kings, including Saul (1 Sam. 10:1), David (1 Sam. 16:13) and Jehu (2 Ki. 9:6). Further, prophets proclaimed individuals would usurp thrones, e.g., Jeroboam I (1 Ki. 11:29) and Hazael of Damascus (2 Ki. 8:7ff).There are a number of other activities in which the prophets engaged. The prophets are often depicted as speaking to crowds. Amos 1-4 presupposes a crowd which hears a message of condemnation, beginning with pagan nations and concentricly closing upon the northern kingdom of Israel. Jeremiah's ministry, including public speaking, was evidenced by his temple sermon (ch. 7). Prophets also produced woe oracles and laments, both from heartfelt pain (e.g., Lamentations) and satirical motives (e.g., Ezek. 32). Symbolic actions abound (Ezek. 4; Jer. 32; Isa. 20). Predictive prophecy was performed by some prophets (Isa. 7:7ff). Though prophets rarely performed miracles, Elijah and Elisha performed a number of them. Prophets were intercessors for the people (e.g., Hab. 1-2) and brought the Messianic message to a people whose political existence was precarious. The unconditional covenant with David caused his household to be transformed from a strictly political figure to an eschatological one (e.g., Mal. 3:1ff; cf. Ps. 89:20ff). That day will bring the reconciliation of humans to Yahweh (Mic. 4:1-4). (Complete Biblical Library) Gen. 20:7; Exod. 7:1; Num. 11:29; Num. 12:6; Deut. 13:1; Deut. 13:3; Deut. 13:5; Deut. 18:15; Deut. 18:18; Deut. 18:20; Deut. 18:22; Deut. 34:10; Jdg. 6:8; 1 Sam. 3:20; 1 Sam. 9:9; 1 Sam. 10:5; 1 Sam. 10:10; 1 Sam. 10:11; 1 Sam. 10:12; 1 Sam. 19:20; 1 Sam. 19:24; 1 Sam. 22:5; 1 Sam. 28:6; 1 Sam. 28:15; 2 Sam. 7:2; 2 Sam. 12:25; 2 Sam. 24:11; 1 Ki. 1:8; 1 Ki. 1:10; 1 Ki. 1:22; 1 Ki. 1:23; 1 Ki. 1:32; 1 Ki. 1:34; 1 Ki. 1:38; 1 Ki. 1:44; 1 Ki. 1:45; 1 Ki. 11:29; 1 Ki. 13:11; 1 Ki. 13:18; 1 Ki. 13:20; 1 Ki. 13:23; 1 Ki. 13:25; 1 Ki. 13:26; 1 Ki. 13:29; 1 Ki. 14:2; 1 Ki. 14:18; 1 Ki. 16:7; 1 Ki. 16:12; 1 Ki. 18:4; 1 Ki. 18:13; 1 Ki. 18:19; 1 Ki. 18:20; 1 Ki. 18:22; 1 Ki. 18:25; 1 Ki. 18:36; 1 Ki. 18:40; 1 Ki. 19:1; 1 Ki. 19:10; 1 Ki. 19:14; 1 Ki. 19:16; 1 Ki. 20:13; 1 Ki. 20:22; 1 Ki. 20:35; 1 Ki. 20:38; 1 Ki. 20:41; 1 Ki. 22:6; 1 Ki. 22:7; 1 Ki. 22:10; 1 Ki. 22:12; 1 Ki. 22:13; 1 Ki. 22:22; 1 Ki. 22:23; 2 Ki. 2:3; 2 Ki. 2:5; 2 Ki. 2:7; 2 Ki. 2:15; 2 Ki. 3:11; 2 Ki. 3:13; 2 Ki. 4:1; 2 Ki. 4:38; 2 Ki. 5:3; 2 Ki. 5:8; 2 Ki. 5:13; 2 Ki. 5:22; 2 Ki. 6:1; 2 Ki. 6:12; 2 Ki. 9:1; 2 Ki. 9:4; 2 Ki. 9:7; 2 Ki. 10:19; 2 Ki. 14:25; 2 Ki. 17:13; 2 Ki. 17:23; 2 Ki. 19:2; 2 Ki. 20:1; 2 Ki. 20:11; 2 Ki. 20:14; 2 Ki. 21:10; 2 Ki. 23:2; 2 Ki. 23:18; 2 Ki. 24:2; 1 Chr. 16:22; 1 Chr. 17:1; 1 Chr. 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29; 2 Chr. 12:5; 2 Chr. 12:15; 2 Chr. 13:22; 2 Chr. 15:8; 2 Chr. 18:5; 2 Chr. 18:6; 2 Chr. 18:9; 2 Chr. 18:11; 2 Chr. 18:12; 2 Chr. 18:21; 2 Chr. 18:22; 2 Chr. 20:20; 2 Chr. 21:12; 2 Chr. 24:19; 2 Chr. 25:15; 2 Chr. 25:16; 2 Chr. 26:22; 2 Chr. 28:9; 2 Chr. 29:25; 2 Chr. 32:20; 2 Chr. 32:32; 2 Chr. 35:18; 2 Chr. 36:12; 2 Chr. 36:16; Ezr. 9:11; Neh. 6:7; Neh. 6:14; Neh. 9:26; Neh. 9:30; Neh. 9:32; Ps. 74:9; Ps. 105:15; Isa. 3:2; Isa. 9:15; Isa. 28:7; Isa. 29:10; Isa. 37:2; Isa. 38:1; Isa. 39:3; Jer. 1:5; Jer. 2:8; Jer. 2:26; Jer. 2:30; Jer. 4:9; Jer. 5:13; Jer. 5:31; Jer. 6:13; Jer. 7:25; Jer. 8:1; Jer. 8:10; Jer. 13:13; Jer. 14:13; Jer. 14:14; Jer. 14:15; Jer. 14:18; Jer. 18:18; Jer. 20:2; Jer. 23:9; Jer. 23:11; Jer. 23:13; Jer. 23:14; Jer. 23:15; Jer. 23:16; Jer. 23:21; Jer. 23:25; Jer. 23:26; Jer. 23:28; Jer. 23:30; Jer. 23:31; Jer. 23:33; Jer. 23:34; Jer. 23:37; Jer. 25:2; Jer. 25:4; Jer. 26:5; Jer. 26:7; Jer. 26:8; Jer. 26:11; Jer. 26:16; Jer. 27:9; Jer. 27:14; Jer. 27:15; Jer. 27:16; Jer. 27:18; Jer. 28:1; Jer. 28:5; Jer. 28:6; Jer. 28:8; Jer. 28:9; Jer. 28:10; Jer. 28:11; Jer. 28:12; Jer. 28:15; Jer. 28:17; Jer. 29:1; Jer. 29:8; Jer. 29:15; Jer. 29:19; Jer. 29:29; Jer. 32:2; Jer. 32:32; Jer. 34:6; Jer. 35:15; Jer. 36:8; Jer. 36:26; Jer. 37:2; Jer. 37:3; Jer. 37:6; Jer. 37:13; Jer. 37:19; Jer. 38:9; Jer. 38:10; Jer. 38:14; Jer. 42:2; Jer. 42:4; Jer. 43:6; Jer. 44:4; Jer. 45:1; Jer. 46:1; Jer. 46:13; Jer. 47:1; Jer. 49:34; Jer. 50:1; Jer. 51:59; Lam. 2:9; Lam. 2:14; Lam. 2:20; Lam. 4:13; Ezek. 2:5; Ezek. 7:26; Ezek. 13:2; Ezek. 13:3; Ezek. 13:4; Ezek. 13:9; Ezek. 13:16; Ezek. 14:4; Ezek. 14:7; Ezek. 14:9; Ezek. 14:10; Ezek. 22:25; Ezek. 22:28; Ezek. 33:33; Ezek. 38:17; Dan. 9:2; Dan. 9:6; Dan. 9:10; Dan. 9:24; Hos. 4:5; Hos. 6:5; Hos. 9:7; Hos. 9:8; Hos. 12:10; Hos. 12:13; Amos 2:11; Amos 2:12; Amos 3:7; Amos 7:14; Mic. 3:5; Mic. 3:6; Mic. 3:11; Hab. 1:1; Hab. 3:1; Zeph. 3:4; Hag. 1:1; Hag. 1:3; Hag. 1:12; Hag. 2:1; Hag. 2:10; Zech. 1:1; Zech. 1:4; Zech. 1:5; Zech. 1:6; Zech. 1:7; Zech. 7:3; Zech. 7:7; Zech. 7:12; Zech. 8:9; Zech. 13:2; Zech. 13:4; Zech. 13:5; Mal. 4:5 QUESTION - What was a prophet in the Old Testament? ANSWER - A prophet in the Old Testament was someone who was used by God to communicate His message to the world. Prophets were also called “seers” because they could “see,” spiritually speaking, as God gave them insight (1 Samuel 9:9). The prophets can be divided into the “writing prophets” such as Isaiah, Daniel, Amos, and Malachi; and the “non-writing prophets” such as Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29), Micaiah (2 Chronicles 18:7), and Elisha (1 Kings 19:16). There are also some anonymous prophets in the Old Testament, such as the unnamed prophet in Judges 6:7–10. The prophets came from a variety of backgrounds, spoke to different audiences, possessed unique styles, and used assorted methods. Most of the Old Testament prophets’ messages concerned the people of Israel; if other nations were mentioned in the oracles, it was usually in connection to those nations’ dealings with Israel. Most prophets of God were men, but the Old Testament also mentions prophetesses such as Miriam (Exodus 15:20, ESV), Deborah (Judges 4:4, ESV), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14, ESV). All prophets shared some characteristics that made their ministries “prophetic.” A prophet was called by God to be a prophet. Isaiah and Ezekiel were given visions of God’s glory (Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1). God told Jeremiah that he had been picked out prior even to his birth: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, / before you were born I set you apart; / I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). A common description of the source of the message is that “the word of the Lord came” to the prophet (Jeremiah 1:2; Ezekiel 1:3; Hosea 1:1; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Micah 1:1; Zephaniah 1:1; Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1). Another description is that the prophet received an “oracle,” that is, a special revelation from God (Isaiah 13:1; Habakkuk 1:1; Numbers 24:16, ESV). A prophet was required to deliver God’s message accurately. The prophet Micaiah put it well: “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell [the king] only what the Lord tells me” (1 Kings 22:14). Those who, like Jeremiah, tried to keep silent found they could not (Jeremiah 20:9). Those who, like Jonah, tried to avoid their responsibility were corrected (Jonah 1:3–4). Others, like the unnamed prophet from Judah who directly disobeyed the divine command, lost their lives (1 Kings 13:15–24). A prophet sometimes had a unique appearance. Elijah was known for wearing “a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist” (2 Kings 1:8). Elijah’s mantle that he left for Elisha was also seen as a symbol of the prophetic office (2 Kings 2:13–14). God told Ezekiel to shave his head and beard (Ezekiel 5:1). Other prophets were set apart in other ways: Jeremiah, for example, was told he could not marry (Jeremiah 16:2); Hosea was told to marry a prostitute (Hosea 1:2). All prophets were recognized as those through whom God spoke (even if their message was not welcome). A prophet often led a hard life. Isaiah was sent to a people “ever hearing, but never understanding” (Isaiah 6:9), and (according to tradition) he was eventually murdered for his efforts. Ezekiel ministered to “a rebellious people” (Ezekiel 12:2). The queen of Israel sought to take Elijah’s life (1 Kings 19:2). Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern, where he “sank down into the mud” (Jeremiah 38:6). Jesus spoke of Jerusalem as those “who kill the prophets and stone those sent” to them (Luke 13:34), and, speaking to the Jewish leaders of his day, Stephen asked this condemning question: “Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?” (Acts 7:52). Often, a prophet in the Old Testament predicted the future. Sometimes, the prophecies concerned events that were soon to happen; for example, Joseph predicted seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine in Egypt, events that occurred within the next fourteen years (Genesis 41:25–36). Many other prophets foresaw things in the distant future; for example, many of Daniel’s and Zechariah’s prophecies concern the second coming of Christ and other end-times events (Daniel 12:1; Zechariah 12:10). The Old Testament also mentions false prophets. These were liars who claimed to speak for God but were intent upon deceiving the people or serving their own interests. Ahab had nearly four hundred such false prophets in his employ (1 Kings 22:6, 23). Nehemiah’s work was opposed by several false prophets and one false prophetess (Nehemiah 6:14). The test of a prophet was 100 percent accuracy in what he said (Deuteronomy 18:22). If a prophet’s predictions did not come true, then he could not have been speaking for God, since God never lies (Numbers 23:19). The role of Old Testament prophet reached its consummation in the person of John the Baptist, who was predicted in Malachi 4:5 (cf. Luke 7:26–27); and in Jesus Christ, who was the Prophet “like Moses” predicted in Deuteronomy 18:15 (cf. Acts 3:22).GotQuestions.org Related Resources: Was Jesus a prophet? | GotQuestions.org What is a prophet in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org How many prophets are in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Was Nostradamus a true prophet of God? | GotQuestions.org Judges 6:9 'And I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, Related Passages: Psalm 44:2,3 You with Your own hand drove out the nations; Then You planted them; You afflicted the peoples, Then You spread them abroad.For by their own sword they did not possess the land, And their own arm did not save them, But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence, For You favored them. REMINDERS OF PAST DELIVERANCE And I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors (lachats)- The purpose of the annual celebration of the Passover was to serve as a memorial to Israel of God's great deliverance. That the prophet had to remind them would strongly support the supposition that Israel was not being obedient to celebrate the Passover (and there is no mention in Judges - last mention was in Joshua's time - Josh 5:10-11+). Delivered...from hands as noted above means setting one free from the power of another, in this case Israel's bondage to Egypt as lowly slaves. God is reminding them of His past mercies. It is so easy to forget His past divine deliverance when we are ensnared by present passing pleasure! It's as if we develop an acute (or chronic as the case may be) case of spiritual amnesia! God warned Israel and He warns us today not to forget (cp Dt 4:9, 23, 31, Dt 6:12, Dt 8:11, 14, 19, Dt 9:7, Dt 26:13) Dt 32:18 says "You neglected the Rock who begot you, And forgot the God who gave you birth." THOUGHT - Mark it down beloved, neglecting God soon leads to forgetting God! The best antidote is a daily dose of His Holy Word (Lk 4:4+) in your Quiet Time. Is your Quiet Time too quiet? Be careful, because you are only a step away from forgetting the great deliverance of God! You are vulnerable to the fiery missiles of the evil one! (Eph 6:16-note) And dispossessed them before you and gave you their land - Dispossessed (garash) means separation between and thus describes God driving the pagans from the Promised Land they possessed. Judges 6:10 and I said to you, "I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me. I am - Ex 20:2,3 Not fear - 2 Ki 17:33,35, 36, 37, 38, 39; Jer 10:2 You have not obeyed Me Jdg 2:2; Pr 5:13; Jer 3:13,25; 9:13; 42:21; 43:4,7; Zeph 3:2; Ro 10:16; Heb 5:9 Related Passage: 2 Chronicles 24:19 Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they testified against them, they would not listen. GOD'S PROPHET REBUKES ISRAEL'S FAITHLESSNESS And I said to you, "I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live - Note that several versions like NIV, NET translate you shall not fear the gods as "you shall not worship the gods." While this is possible the Hebrew verb speaks of reverential awe or respect. To be sure, the effect of fear of a deity, is that one will obey, serve, and worship that deity. The Lord made it clear to Israel that they were to fear Him alone. In essence this might be paraphrased as "you shall have no other gods before Me" (Ex 20:3-5+) The Israelites gave no evidence of genuine repentance, of genuine turning from sin and to the Lord, but in spite of this, their affliction moved God’s compassionate heart. “In all their affliction He was afflicted” (Isa 63:9). “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Ps 103:10NIV). In Psalm 107:19-20 we read "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions." God in His mercy doesn’t give us what we do deserve. In His grace, He gives us what we don’t deserve. But you have not obeyed (hearkened to) Me - Obeyed actually translates the Hebrew idiom (shama = hear + qol = voice) "hear my voice" or "listen to my voice". Thus the Hebrew literally reads "not listened to my voice". The picture is comparable to an irate parent asking a stubborn child, "Do you hear me?" The question is not designed to test the child's literal hearing capacity, but rather could be paraphrased: "Do you intend to take my wishes seriously and obey me?" Israel proved to be a "stubborn" child indeed! Judges 6:11 Then the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. Angel - Jdg 6:14-16; 2:1-5; Jdg 5:23; 13:3,18, 19, 20; Genesis 48:16; Joshua 18:23; Isaiah 63:9 Joash the Abiezrite Jdg 8:2 Jos 17:2 WINNOWING GRAIN WINNOWING IN THE WINEPRESS Then - Marks progression in the narrative. First the human prophet, then the divine (in my opinion) Prophet, an OT Christophany. The Angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite ("my father is help") - Ophrah's location not absolutely certain but it was apparently East of the Esdraelon Plain (Greek for Jezreel Valley) the low-lying area separating mountains of Galilee from the mountains of Samaria. Related Resource: Identity of Angel of the LORD GOD'S MAN IN MANASSEH As his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites The story of Gideon is introduced not by an affirmation that “God raised up a deliverer named Gideon,” but rather by a narration of how God raised him up. Gideon’s call or commission resulted from a confrontation with the Angel of the Lord (Who is equated with Yahweh in Jdg 6:14, 16, 23, 25, 27) Beating out wheat in the wine press is an act of desperation and fear, lest the Midianites discover and seize even the small amount that could be threshed that way. Gideon was threshing in small quantities in an inconspicuous place, hoping to finish quickly and avoid detection by marauding bands. The usual practice for threshing would be in an open and elevated location (where he would be easily spotted by men on camels!) so that the wind would blow away the chaff. Gideon's location indicated not only the severity of the Midianite threat, but the smallness of the yield and also the smallness of Gideon's courage. Normally one would have cattle tread the grain in a threshing floor. In sum, Gideon’s act of threshing wheat in a winepress reflected both his fear of discovery by the Midianites and the smallness of his harvest. Normally wheat was threshed (the grain separated from the wheat stalks) in an open area on a threshing floor (cf. 1Chr 21:20-23) by oxen pulling threshing sledges over the stalks. Why did God choose Gideon? Paul gives us a clue writing... For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. (1 Cor. 1:26-29+) J Sidlow Baxter writes that "Gideon, the fifth judge of Israel, is rightly counted as one of the outstanding heroes in Israel's early history. Yet we need to realize at the outset that his heroism was not a product of his natural make-up, but the outcome of a transforming spiritual experience. It is this which gives him a living significance to ourselves today." (Explore the Book - online) As Gary Inrig says "As the eighth harvest season rolled around and with it the threat of the Midianite invasion, if you had taken a poll to discover the most likely deliverer of Israel, one name would never have appeared on your list. There was never a less likely liberator than Gideon, the son of Joash, a man from the tribe of Manasseh and the clan of Abiezer." (Borrow Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay) Oxen Threshing Grain Note the Elevated Location SIGNIFICANCE OF "WINEPRESS" In Gideon's day the winepress was always put at the foot of the hill because they brought the grapes down from the vineyard. Naturally, they would carry the heavy grapes downhill; they carried them to the lowest place. In contrast, the threshing floor was always put up on the top of the hill, the highest hill that was available, in order to catch the wind which would drive the chaff away. Here we find Gideon, down at the bottom of the hill, threshing. Now that would be the place to take the grapes, but that is no place to take your crop in order to do your threshing. Can you see the frustration of this man? Why doesn’t he go to the hilltop? Well, he is afraid of the Midianites. He does not want them to see that he is threshing wheat. And you can imagine his frustration. There is no air getting to him down there, certainly no wind. So he pitches the grain up into the air. And what happens? Does the chaff blow away? No. It comes down around his neck and gets into his clothes making him very uncomfortable. There he is, trying his best to thresh in a place like that, and all the time rebuking himself for being a coward, afraid to go to the hilltop. Many of the ancient wine presses remain to the present day. Ordinarily they consisted of two rectangular or circular excavations, hewn (Isa 5:2) in the solid rock to a depth of 2 or 3 feet. Where possible one was always higher than the other and they were connected by a pipe or channel. Their size, of course, varied greatly, but the upper vat was always wider and shallower than the lower and was the press proper, into which the grapes were thrown, to be crushed by the feet of the treaders (Isa 63:1-3, etc.). The juice flowed down through the pipe into the lower vat, from which it was removed into jars (Hag 2:16) or where it was allowed to remain during the first fermentation. Many modifications of this form of the press are found. Where there was no rock close to the surface, the vats were dug in the earth and lined with stonework or cement, covered with pitch. 1915 edition (J. Orr, Ed.). A large vat for crushing grapes, located not on a hilltop like a threshing floor, but in a valley. Gideon was threshing in small quantities in an inconspicuous place, hoping to finish quickly and avoid detection by marauding bands. (Borrow The Open Bible) Judges 6:12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior." the angel - Jdg 13:3; Luke 1:11,28; The LORD - Jdg 2:18; Ex 3:12; Josh1:5,9; Ruth 2:4+; Mt 1:23; 28:20; Luke 1:28; Acts 18:9,10 THE ANGEL OF THE JEHOVAH APPEARS