{"id":27392,"date":"2023-08-04T22:00:07","date_gmt":"2023-08-05T05:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/judges-7_13-25-copy\/"},"modified":"2023-07-18T15:23:47","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T22:23:47","slug":"judges-8_1-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/judges-8_1-12\/","title":{"rendered":"Gentleness Can Turn Away Wrath"},"content":{"rendered":"

Judges 8:1-12 \u00a0<\/strong>Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

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Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Judges 8:1-12.\u00a0 For context, we\u2019ll start at Judges 7:22.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Judges 7:22-25 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n22<\/sup>\u2026The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
\n23\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.
\n24\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Gideon 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.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah.
\n25\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.<\/em><\/p>\n

Judges 8:1-3 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now 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.
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.<\/em><\/p>\n

On 7:22b-8:3:\u00a0 Having routed the Midianites, Gideon calls on different tribes \u2013 Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh (7:23) to pursue the fleeing Midianites.\u00a0 Gideon also calls on the tribe of Ephraim to take possession of the Jordan River so that the Midianites cannot escape.\u00a0 In addition, the tribe of Ephraim captures and kills two Midianite leaders Oreb and Zeeb (7:25).\u00a0 Yet the Ephraimites were not happy with Gideon.\u00a0 They criticize Gideon for leaving them out when deciding who to send to fight the Midianites at first.\u00a0 Gideon responds wisely, saying that whatever he and his army had accomplished without the Ephraimites was nothing compared to what the Ephraimites were able to accomplish (v2-3).\u00a0 Gideon\u2019s gentle and self-effacing answer was enough to appease the Ephraimites.\u00a0 It\u2019s a reminder that \u201ca gentle answer turns away wrath\u201d (Proverbs 15:1).\u00a0\u00a0When faced with hostility, may you have the wisdom to speak gently so as to minimize trouble for yourself and others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Judges 8:4-12 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n4<\/sup>\u00a0Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He said to the men of Succoth, “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But the officials of Succoth said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?”
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the\u00a0LORD\u00a0has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Succoth had.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and fell upon the unsuspecting army.
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 4-12:\u00a0 Gideon and his 300 men continue their pursuit of the Midianites, in particular the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna.\u00a0 Exhausted, Gideon\u2019s troops cross the Jordan River and arrive at the Israelite town of Succoth.\u00a0 Gideon asks the town of Succoth for bread for his troops (v5), but the leaders of Succoth reject his request.\u00a0 Their reason for rejecting Gideon seems to be because Gideon had not yet captured Zebah and Zalmunna (v6).\u00a0 Gideon receives a similar response from the Israelite town of Peniel (v8).\u00a0 Angry at how Succoth and Peniel refused to help, Gideon declares that after he has captured Zebah and Zalmunna, Gideon will come back and tear the flesh of the leaders of Succoth with thorns and briers (v7), and he will tear down a tower in Peniel (v9).\u00a0 Gideon takes a route that Zebah and Zalmunna do not expect and is able to capture them (v11-12).<\/p>\n

Gideon was called by God to save all of Israel, and yet the Israelite towns of Succoth and Peniel refused to help in Gideon\u2019s mission.\u00a0 They only wanted to benefit from Gideon\u2019s mission but not support it.\u00a0 How about you?\u00a0 Since the church is Jesus\u2019 army and team, what is your attitude toward your church\u2019s mission?\u00a0 Are you a consumer who only seeks to benefit from your church\u2019s efforts, or are you a contributor who supports, serves and furthers your church\u2019s mission?\u00a0\u00a0When it comes to God\u2019s church, may you be a contributor and not just a consumer, a servant and not just a spectator, and an excellent team player who supports the church\u2019s mission.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Holy Spirit, please fill me today, that wisdom and gentleness would characterize my speech.\u00a0 Please also help me to be someone who actively contributes and supports the mission of Your church, rather than being a consumer and spectator who only takes from Your church.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Copyright \u00a9 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Judges 8:1-12.\u00a0 For context, we\u2019ll start at Judges 7:22.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Judges 7:22-25 (NIV)
\n22\u2026The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
\n23\u00a0\u00a0Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.
\n24\u00a0\u00a0Gideon 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.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah.
\n25\u00a0\u00a0They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.<\/p>\n

On 7:22b-8:3:\u00a0 Having routed the Midianites, Gideon calls on different tribes \u2013 Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh (7:23) to pursue the fleeing Midianites.\u00a0 Gideon also calls on the tribe of Ephraim to take possession of the Jordan River so that the Midianites cannot escape.\u00a0 In addition, the tribe of Ephraim captures and kills two Midianite leaders Oreb and Zeeb (7:25).\u00a0 Yet the Ephraimites were not happy with Gideon.\u00a0 They criticize Gideon for leaving them out when deciding who to send to fight the Midianites at first.\u00a0 Gideon responds wisely, saying that whatever he and his army had accomplished without the Ephraimites was nothing compared to what the Ephraimites were able to accomplish (v2-3).\u00a0 Gideon\u2019s gentle and self-effacing answer was enough to appease the Ephraimites.\u00a0 It\u2019s a reminder that \u201ca gentle answer turns away wrath\u201d (Proverbs 15:1).\u00a0\u00a0When faced with hostility, may you have the wisdom to speak gently so as to minimize trouble for yourself and others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27395,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27392"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27396,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27392\/revisions\/27396"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}