27 – Gideon’s Choice

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NOTE: THE TRANSCRIPT IS NOT EXACTLY LIKE THE RECORDING.

One reason for studying the ancient Israelites is to learn what the last generation must do before being delivered to the Kingdom, the Land of Biblical Israel (not to be confused with the current, modern UN-created STATE of Israel). Every time we read about YHVH’s deliverance during the Judges period, we see the reason for Israel needing to be delivered has to do with what they brought on themselves. And always before deliverance Israel went through tribulation.

Are you beginning see the pattern of tribulation? Can you see how Leviticus 26 is fulfilled and the tribulations of Israel become worse and worse the more she disobeys? Do you see how the end times tribulation has built up to the point that Yeshua said there has never been a time like it before nor will there ever be a time like it after (Matthew 24:21)?

Gideon is one example of a very important choice, one that he had to make and we also have to make in the end of days. Keep listening to find out what his, and our choice, will be.

We learned last week that the Midianites, the religious people of the world who claim descendancy from Abraham while mixing worship of other gods along with the God of Abraham, had invaded Israel like locusts, according to Judges 6:5. That was the worst invasion of Israel to date and the cause of it is the same as all the prior invasions: Idolatry. Israel joined with the gods of the Midianites. One of the Midianite gods was Baal Peor which the worship of, about 200 years earlier, had caused a plague in the wilderness that killed 24,000 people and Zimri, the Simeonite prince, and his fornicating consort, Cosbi, were executed by Phineas in the Tabernacle. The joining of Israel with Midian 200 years later opened the door for the full invasion by Midian.

What is idolatry? The religious definition is “anything you put before God”. That is the wrong definition in the physical realm. In fact, that definition keeps people IN their idolatry. Getting out of idolatry in the physical actually accomplishes not putting anything or anyone else ahead of YHVH. So what is YHVH’s definition of idolatry?

It is serving other gods by adhering to their laws and observing their rituals. How the other gods, i.e. the demons fallen from Heaven with Lucifer, is through images. All idols are images. That should impress upon you the importance of not making, having, using or acquiring images. Not all images become idols but all idols are images. YHVH despises all images and all idols.

How is idolatry happening today in the religious world? The religions are full of imagery that are just images and some that are idols. And they are full of their own laws which they force on people. And they create rituals which are not scriptural. Religious rules and rituals violate YHVH’s Law. Imagery and idolatry, and what we do about them, will be pivotal to our entry into YHVH’s Kingdom.

We learned last week that the Israelites had cried out to YHVH but He did not send them a deliverer right away. Instead, He reminded them who they are. But now, He will approach Gideon to become Israel’s next savior.

Judges 6:11  YHVH’s angel came, and sat under the oak, which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites.

The oak is identified because 1) that is where YHVH’s angel has now appeared to Gideon, 2) it may be that Gideon was like an oak in his faith, and 3) this particular oak (there were other oaks in Israel) identified Gideon as Joash’s son because this was Joash’s tree and it was YHVH’s problem with Joash that Gideon would be asked to address.

Let’s talk about this angel. YHVH’s angel, AKA “the Angel of the LORD” or “the Angel of YHVH”, is the same being that met with Joshua in Joshua 5:13-15 as the commander of the Heavenly Host, the Heavenly army. In that instance in Joshua, scripture calls Him “YHVH of Hosts”. Now we have another face-to-face meeting between a mortal man and YHVH appearing in human form even before He inhabited a human body. How do I know this is YHVH? Keep reading.

Judges 6:12  YHVH’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “YHVH is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
Judges 6:13  Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if YHVH is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t YHVH bring us up from Egypt?’ But now YHVH has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”The prophets talk about how Israel said YHVH had cast them away from Himself. That is not true even though He did turn face away. Just know there are promises from Him to keep Jacob forever. Go to my teaching on the 100 / 60 / 30 to learn about the solidness of YHVH’s promises.

Judges 6:14  YHVH looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?”

YHVH didn’t address the hopelessness in Gideon. But also, this angel now announced to us that He is YHVH. “YHVH looked at him”, not the “Angel of YHVH”. YHVH’s angel and YHVH are the same person! But Gideon didn’t get it yet. It won’t be until verse 22 when he finally understands who he has been talking to. Regardless of Gideon’s obtuseness, YHVH here also declares that He is the one sending Gideon.

This same YHVH here in verse 12 is the one who told the Israelites, when they cried out to Him in verses 7-10 that He was the one who had delivered them from Egypt. Not only is YHVH Israel’s God but He is also Israel’s King. Only King’s command warriors into battle.

Judges 6:15  He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

This is the pattern of Israel’s saviors, is it not? Look at Joseph, for instance. Not only poor but exiled into Egypt. You can’t get any more impoverished than that. YHVH uses those who CAN’T use their own resources for His purposes more than those who have resources that can be used.

Judges 6:16  YHVH said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man…”

meaning they battle will be over quickly. Israel, a “one man”, will strike Midian, another “one man”. One blow and Midian will lose.

Gideon will now be like Moses and Abraham. He will show that he is a man of the Torah and faith just like those in the end of days who must be keeping the commandments and have the testimony of a personal relationship with YHVH Yeshua because he was looking forward in time to the coming of the Messiah.

YHVH gives the same promise to Gideon that He gave to Isaac in Genesis 26:3, Jacob in Genesis 31:3, Moses in Exodus 3:12 and Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:23. What was that promise? I WILL BE WITH YOU! With that promise, YHVH is elevating Gideon to be like a father in Israel like Abraham, a prophet and leader like Moses and a military commander like Joshua.

Gideon became all of that and also an end times example of what it will take to be delivered, even to help deliver others.

Judges 6:17  He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.
Judges 6:18  Please don’t go away, until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” He said, “I will wait until you come back.”
Judges 6:19  Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.

Now we see Gideon offering the hospitality of Abraham to YHVH in person just as Abraham did when YHVH came appearing as 3 different men in Genesis 18.

Judges 6:20  The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so.

Judges 6:21  Then YHVH’s angel stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock, and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then YHVH’s angel departed out of his sight.

YHVH stretching out His staff is the motion He ordered of Moses in Egypt and at the Red Sea. It is a sign of YHVH’s authority in the hand of whoever wields it. Moreover, the acceptance of Gideon’s sacrifice also proves who Gideon had this encounter with. All sacrifices belong only to YHVH and regular angels do not usurp that.

Judges 6:22  Gideon saw that he was YHVH’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord

YHVH! Because I have seen YHVH’s angel face to face!”

Judges 6:23  YHVH said to him, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.”

Gideon had a certain blindness about who he was talking to in the beginning. What made him understand that he was face-to-face with YHVH was the acceptance of the sacrifice.

It is a frightening ordeal to realize you have seen God face-to-face. Jacob ended his struggle with God with an injured hip. The concern for Gideon was that he would die now that he had seen God but YHVH consoled him by letting him know he would not die. And why would Gideon not die? Because, by giving his offering to YHVH, he had shown his willingness to be used by YHVH for His Kingdom’s purposes. And YHVH will now make Gideon the commander of YHVH’s earthly army to deliver the Israelites from their captivity.

Judges 6:24  Then Gideon built an altar there to YHVH, and called it “YHVH is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon’s encounter resulted in a choice he had to make before he could move forward against the Midianites.

Judges 6:25  That same night, YHVH said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.
Judges 6:26  Then build an altar to YHVH your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”

This is the same generation that served YHVH under Deborah until just a few years earlier. What happened? Well, they had 40 years of peace but guess what? Humans don’t like peace much. They like excitement! The peace of YHVH is not desirable to our flesh so after Deborah died and there was, as yet, no new national Judge, the people created some excitement in their lives. There is nothing more exciting than something new, right? Some new doctrine, a new ritual, a new path of many to get to god or heaven. And then, the further excitement of sex rituals… Well… That’s where it’s at. Men do that every day of the week through pornographic imagery and live nude and sex entertainment facilities across the whole world! Sex trafficking is as lucrative as drugs and gun-running.

YHVH disappeared from Gideon once He accepted the sacrifice. In this generation, YHVH will return to meet His people, His “Gideons”, face to face in the wilderness of the people but without disappearing back to the heavenly realm again. This time He will stay and become Israel’s and the whole world’s King!

GIDEON’S CHOICE

I mentioned before that Gideon became an example of Abraham and how Abraham walked before YHVH. How was Gideon an example of Abraham? He made the same choice as his forefather Abraham.

I will now read an excerpt from the Book of Jashar.  Jashar is pivotal to understanding ancient Israel’s history. We have already seen the Book of Jashar mentioned in Joshua 10:13. I said nothing about that, however, now will be a good time to use Jasher to show how YHVH used Abram to establish a pattern of behavior which was later required of Gideon and which will be required of the last generation.

We can discuss the veracity of Jashar during the Midrash.

Jasher 11:13 And in the fiftieth year of the life of Abram son of Terah, Abram came forth from the house of Noah, and went to his father’s house.
Jasher 11:14 And Abram knew the Lord, and he went in his ways and instructions, and the Lord his God was with him.
Jasher 11:15 And Terah his father was in those days, still captain of the host of king Nimrod, and he still followed strange gods.

How many of us knew that Terah was a warrior, the captain of Nimrod’s army?

Jasher 11:16 And Abram came to his father’s house and saw twelve gods standing there in their temples, and the anger of Abram was kindled when he saw these images in his father’s house.
Jasher 11:17 And Abram said, As the Lord liveth these images shall not remain in my father’s house; so shall the Lord who created me do unto me if in three days’ time I do not break them all.
Jasher 11:18 And Abram went from them, and his anger burned within him. And Abram hastened and went from the chamber to his father’s outer court, and he found his father sitting in the court, and all his servants with him, and Abram came and sat before him.

Yeah… Abram was from a worldly, wealthy, “world order” family.

Jasher 11:19 And Abram asked his father, saying, Father, tell me where is God who created heaven and earth, and all the sons of men upon earth, and who created thee and me. And Terah answered his son Abram and said, Behold those who created us are all with us in the house.
Jasher 11:20 And Abram said to his father, My lord, shew them to me I pray thee; and Terah brought Abram into the chamber of the inner court, and Abram saw, and behold the whole room was full of gods of wood and stone, twelve great images and others less than they without number.

Jasher 11:21 And Terah said to his son, Behold these are they which made all thou seest upon earth, and which created me and thee, and all mankind.

Blasphemy! Terah committed blasphemy and spoke lies about YHVH’s creation!

Jasher 11:22 And Terah bowed down to his gods, and he then went away from them, and Abram, his son, went away with him.
Jasher 11:23 And when Abram had gone from them he went to his mother and sat before her, and he said to his mother, Behold, my father has shown me those who made heaven and earth, and all the sons of men.
Jasher 11:24 Now, therefore, hasten and fetch a kid from the flock, and make of it savory meat, that I may bring it to my father’s gods as an offering for them to eat; perhaps I may thereby become acceptable to them.
Jasher 11:25 And his mother did so, and she fetched a kid, and made savory meat thereof, and brought it to Abram, and Abram took the savory meat from his mother and brought it before his father’s gods, and he drew nigh to them that they might eat; and Terah his father, did not know of it.Jasher 11:26 And Abram saw on the day when he was sitting amongst them, that they had no voice, no hearing, no motion, and not one of them could stretch forth his hand to eat.
Jasher 11:27 And Abram mocked them, and said, Surely the savory meat that I prepared has not pleased them, or perhaps it was too little for them, and for that reason they would not eat; therefore tomorrow I will prepare fresh savory meat, better and more plentiful than this, in order that I may see the result.
Jasher 11:28 And it was on the next day that Abram directed his mother concerning the savory meat, and his mother rose and fetched three fine kids from the flock, and she made of them some excellent savory meat, such as her son was fond of, and she gave it to her son Abram; and Terah his father did not know of it.
Jasher 11:29 And Abram took the savory meat from his mother, and brought it before his father’s gods into the chamber; and he came nigh unto them that they might eat, and he placed it before them, and Abram sat before them all day, thinking perhaps they might eat.

Test the spirits.

Jasher 11:30 And Abram viewed them, and behold they had neither voice nor hearing, nor did one of them stretch forth his hand to the meat to eat.
Jasher 11:31 And in the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God.
Jasher 11:32 And he called out and said, Wo unto my father and this wicked generation, whose hearts are all inclined to vanity, who serve these idols of wood and stone which can neither eat, smell, hear nor speak, who have mouths without speech, eyes without sight, ears without hearing, hands without feeling, and legs which cannot move; like them are those that made them and that trust in them.
Jasher 11:33 And when Abram saw all these things his anger was kindled against his father, and he hastened and took a hatchet in his hand, and came unto the chamber of the gods, and he broke all his father’s gods.
Jasher 11:34 And when he had done breaking the images, he placed the hatchet in the hand of the great god which was there before them, and he went out; and Terah his father came home, for he had heard at the door the sound of the striking of the hatchet; so Terah came into the house to know what this was about.
Jasher 11:35 And Terah, having heard the noise of the hatchet in the room of images, ran to the room to the images, and he met Abram going out.
Jasher 11:36 And Terah entered the room and found all the idols fallen down and broken, and the hatchet in the hand of the largest, which was not broken, and the savory meat which Abram his son had made was still before them.
Jasher 11:37 And when Terah saw this his anger was greatly kindled, and he hastened and went from the room to Abram.
Jasher 11:38 And he found Abram his son still sitting in the house; and he said to him, What is this work thou hast done to my gods?
Jasher 11:39 And Abram answered Terah his father and he said, Not so my lord, for I brought savory meat before them, and when I came nigh to them with the meat that they might eat, they all at once stretched forth their hands to eat before the great one had put forth his hand to eat.
Jasher 11:40 And the large one saw their works that they did before him, and his anger was violently kindled against them, and he went and took the hatchet that was in the house and came to them and broke them all, and behold the hatchet is yet in his hand as thou seest.
Jasher 11:41 And Terah’s anger was kindled against his son Abram, when he spoke this; and Terah said to Abram his son in his anger, What is this tale that thou hast told? Thou speakest lies to me.

Terah accused Abram of lying rather than admitting he is an idolator and that Abram did the right thing.

Jasher 11:42 Is there in these gods spirit, soul or power to do all thou hast told me? Are they not wood and stone, and have I not myself made them, and canst thou speak such lies, saying that the large god that was with them smote them? It is thou that didst place the hatchet in his hands, and then sayest he smote them all.
Jasher 11:43 And Abram answered his father and said to him, And how canst thou then serve these idols in whom there is no power to do anything? Can those idols in which thou trustest deliver thee? Can they hear thy prayers when thou callest upon them? Can they deliver thee from the hands of thy enemies, or will they fight thy battles for thee against thy enemies, that thou shouldst serve wood and stone which can neither speak nor hear?

Exactly. Abram served the living God. Terah’s idols were dead.

Jasher 11:44 And now surely it is not good for thee nor for the sons of men that are connected with thee, to do these things; are you so silly, so foolish or so short of understanding that you will serve wood and stone, and do after this manner?
Jasher 11:45 And forget the Lord God who made heaven and earth, and who created you in the earth, and thereby bring a great evil upon your souls in this matter by serving stone and wood?
Jasher 11:46 Did not our fathers in days of old sin in this matter, and the Lord God of the universe brought the waters of the flood upon them and destroyed the whole earth?

See. Terah knew and had taught Abram the reason for the flood and destruction of the whole earth yet he CHOSE to serve the demons, instead.

Jasher 11:47 And how can you continue to do this and serve gods of wood and stone, who cannot hear, or speak, or deliver you from oppression, thereby bringing down the anger of the God of the universe upon you?
Jasher 11:48 Now therefore my father refrain from this, and bring not evil upon thy soul and the souls of thy household.

How often do idolators fail to understand the far-reaching consequences of their idolatry. It is a cancer, a contagion that spreads by mere contact with a person that has this disease.

Jasher 11:49 And Abram hastened and sprang from before his father, and took the hatchet from his father’s largest idol, with which Abram broke it and ran away.

What is the first commandment? To know who YHVH is! He is the one that freed Israel from Egypt. They had to come out of Egypt before becoming a nation. Egypt and Babylon are 2 sides of the same idolatry coin.

So what is the 2^nd commandment? Have no other gods in our lives and not have them in YHVH’s face.

What is the 3^rd commandment? Do not take YHVH’s name in vain. Don’t profess to worship the God of Abraham, who destroyed his father’s idols (after which his own father tried to have him destroyed by betraying him in to Nimrod and then keep serving other gods and their images! Don’t profane His holy name by mixing worship of demons with worship of YHVH. All religious people do exactly this kind of profaning!

Christians are getting ready to worship Baal and the Asherah tree again this year for their infernal pagan ritual on December 25th! This has been going on from the time of Jeremiah. Just read Jeremiah 10.

Let me explain something to you. Jesus is a false god. According to Christianity, He came and changed the Law. He is a false god because YHVH never changes anything.

Yeshua, the Messiah and Savior of Israel, upheld all of the Law and taught us to do the same. It is the Law of YHVH which governs His Kingdom! The Christian version of Him is an idol, folks. They even have His so-called image in their churches. The idolatry of Christianity is almost unfathomable!

What is our first job in the Kingdom after knowing who we serve? It is to get the idolatry out of us and for us to get ourselves out of the idolatry of Egypt and Babylon. Come out of her, My people!

Judges 6:27  Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him. Because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, he could not do it by day, but he did it by night. 

Gideon followed Abram’s example. It was the occult that Gideon rejected. Thank YHVH that we have Abram as our example to show us how to have a personal relationship with YHVH AND how to keep the commandments!

Terah was so angry with Abram that he turned him over to Nimrod who put Abram in a fiery furnace. Oh yeah, just like the later Babylon of Nebuchaddnezzar and his fiery furnace! That is the Babylonian pattern – fiery furnaces. YHVH has His own fiery furnace in store for them!

We will read more about Gideon’s tribulation in part 2 of Gideon’s Choice next week, God willing.

See the patterns and learn from them. The world, starting with Babylon, uses the same tactics over and over. YHVH expects His people to follow the pattern of Kingdom heroes like Abram and Gideon to perform the commandments starting with the first one – to know, personally, who we serve, and 2^nd commandment to destroy the idols we serve and our families are serving.  

THAT is the choice Gideon made, the choice to destroy his father’s idols and to stay out of the occult! We are to stand against all the Baal variations of religion along with Ashtoreth and all of those variations! We are all called to be Gideons!