Suggested Bible Reading: Judges 8-9
Devotional Thought:
Title: “Most Vulnerable Following Victory!”
The Scriptures illustrate time and again that the Lord’s people are at their most vulnerable following periods of victory. It is then that they are tested as to the reality of their faith. The flesh often raises its head and seeks to rob them of all that has been gained by faith. Gideon and the children of Israel were about to learn this painful lesson. A chapter that begins positively with them “faint, yet pursuing…” (vs. 4), ends with them failing to remember the Lord, who delivered them, and Gideon, who led them: they “remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.” (vs. 34-35) Sadly, as is so often the case, the divisive influences that undermined the victory over the Midianites came from within. Paul warned the elders of the church at Ephesus, “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:30) We saw yesterday in our reading how that Ephraim was one of the largest tribes and full of a sense of its own importance. Its location in the highlands cushioned it from many of the attacks by Israel’s enemies. The two most important religious places, with the exception of Jerusalem, Bethel and Shiloh, were also situated within its territory. Clearly from chapter 8, the men of Ephraim found it difficult to give credit to others when it was deserved. They refused to accept that anything could take place in Israel without their approval and involvement. How sad and divisive it is in the local church when people get such an opinion of themselves that they do not believe anything should happen and certainly nothing good can happen without their involvement and approval. Their response to Gideon’s achievements was to express their dissatisfaction with the way in which he had handled things. Their anger, pride and jealousy led them to “chide with him sharply.” (vs. 1) Their words revealed their total preoccupation with self: “Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?” (vs. 1). In modern day churches it would sound like this. “Why did you handle things that way? Why am I just now finding out about this? Nobody every ran that idea past me?” They displayed the spirit of Diotrephes, of whom the apostle John wrote, “who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them … prating against us with malicious words.” (3 John vs. 9-10) The external strife brought about by the Midianites had been overcome, but the men of Ephraim were stirring up strife from within that would cause more trouble than the Midianites had been able to create. Having a right view of God always helps us to have a right view of ourselves. An inflated opinion of ourselves leads to a wrong opinion of others and of God.
Personal Prayer Requests:
- Lord, please help me to be humble. Please help me to see the church as your church and the wonderful people I shepherd as your children entrusted to me.
- Lord, please help me to have the discernment to see a Diotrephes in our church. Please help me to address them before they cause chaos in our church.
- Lord, please make me more vigilant in my own heart and in our church when great victories have been won.