Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Judges-Part 5

Now we come to the call of Gideon in Judges 6.11-40. The angel of the Lord (messenger of Yehovah) came and sat under an oak that was in Ophrah (“dustiness”) which belonged to Joash (“fire of God”). This is a theophany, God appearing to man in human form, but it is not an incarnation. Since no man has seen God (the Father) and the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) is spirit by nature, this is the Son (Yeshua). Gideon (“the cutter down” and his name alludes to the Messiah who will cut down Satan-Isa 14) was the son of Joash and he was beating the barley wheat in the winepress. The angel appears to Gideon and says, “Yehovah is with you, O valiant warrior.” That’s why he is a valiant warrior.

Then Gideon says if the Lord is with them, where are all the miracles that he has heard about. Didn’t he bring up the people from Egypt and now abandoned them to the Midianites? He thought the problem was with the Lord, not the people or even him. The truth is, God has never forsaken Israel. Yehovah says that Gideon was to go in this your strength (that God was with him) and deliver Israel because he has sent him. But Gideon doesn’t know how he will do it. His family is small in Manasseh (to forget) and he is the youngest in his father’s house. This alludes to how we should forget our past because it will hinder us if God calls us. We should confess our poverty and “littleness” (his family was nothing). God will be with Gideon and he will be with us which assures us of victory.

So Gideon says if he has found favor, then show him a sign that this angel is really Yehovah. He wanted the messenger to stay until Gideon could come back with an offering and lay it before the angel, and the angel said he would remain. This is proof that this angel was Yehovah. A regular angel does not accept worship. So Gideon went in and prepared unleavend bread (matzah), and this speaks of the sinless body of Yeshua. He put meat in a basket (the Lord’s body) and broth (the Lord’s blood) and brought them to the angel under the oak (a type of the cross). Life begins at the cross and then worship and service follow.

The angel told him to take the meat (sin offering-2 Cor 5.21) and unleavened bread (Yeshua was sinless) and lay them on a rock (the rock is Messiah and the foundation rock of our faith and security, it also picture Golgotha) and then poured out the broth (Yeshua was “poured out”-Psa 22.14; Isa 53). Then angel took his staff (the word of God) and touched the meat and unleavened bread and fire sprang up from the rock (speaks if the impulse of the Holy Spirit and how Yeshua offered himself-Heb 9.14). Gideon realized it was Yehovah and said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” And Yehovah said to him, “Peace be with you, do not fear, you shall not die.” We have peace through Yeshua. Then Gideon built an altar there and named it “Yehovah is peace.”

That same night the Lord said to him that he was to take his father’s bull and another bull seven years old (been fatted for that long) and pull down the altar of Baal which belonged to his father. He was also to cut down the Asherah that was beside it. Then he was to build an altar to Yehovah on top of the rock where fire came forth. This rock is the foundation on which everything rests and is a clear picture of Yeshua. He was to take the second bull and offer a Korban Olah (burnt offering) with the wood of the Asherah that was cut down. Gideon had to set his own house in order.

So Gideon took ten men (the number of judgement) and did what the Lord had commanded, but he did it by night. He used discretion and obeyed despite his fear. In the morning, the men of the city saw that the altar of Baal was torn down, including the Asherah. They wanted to know who did it and they found out Gideon did it. Then the men of the city went to Joash so that he would turn over his son. Yeshua risked death and the men of the city wanted his death, too. But Joash told them that Baal can defend himself, why do you need to defend him. If he is a god, let him contend for himself. So, on that day Joash named his son “Jerubaal” or “may Baal defend” meaning Baal should defend his own altar and contend against the one who did it.

Then the Midianites (“contention”) and Amalekites (“people who lick”) and the sons of the east (used for people who are evil and away from God) assembled themselves and camped in Jezreel (“God will sow”). It was harvest time and they were getting ready to raid the crops and steal what they could. So the Spirit came upon Gideon and he blew a shofar and the Abiezerites (“Father of help”) were called to follow him (32,000 men-Judges 7.3). He also sent messengers to Manasseh (“to forget”), Asher (“happy”), Zebulon (“to dwell”) and Naphtali (“my wrestling”).

Then Gideon asked the Lord that since he is going to deliver Israel through Gideon, he was going to put out a fleece (any covering speaks of righteousness good or bad. This one is of a lamb and this speaks of Messiah’s righteousness). If there was dew on the fleece only and it was dry on the ground, then he will know that God will deliver Israel. The next morning he squeezed the fleece and a bowl full of water was filled. Dew is a type of teaching (Deut 32.1-2) and Messiah is full of teaching and it is available to all (bowl is full).

Then Gideon again said to the Lord that he wanted another sign. He did not want the Lord to be angry because he said if the Lord did the first sign he would know, hut he goes against that and wants confirmation. Now he wants the fleece to be dry and the ground wet with dew, and God did so that night. Spiritually, Israel is the flock of the Lord and they were “dry” in 70 AD when the Romans came and destroyed the land, city and Temple (Luke 23.28-31). Life (water) was available to the world (Matt 28.19-20; Acts 11.28,34-35).

In Part 6 we will pick up in Judges 7.1-25 with more prophetic pictures.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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