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![Sunrise on Temple Mount in Jerusalem; Back to Previous Devotion](../images/sunrise-previous.jpg)
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March 16 - Morning
"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.' ”
- Judges 6:12 |
![Sunset on the Sea of Galilee; Click to go to next devotion](../images/sunset-previous.jpg) |
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Gideon: The Hiding Warrior |
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The Angel of the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness, across the Jordan and into the land he conquered with Israel. Ultimately, Israel had disobeyed and the Canaanites and foreign people had overrun Israel even though Israel had a covenant with the Lord.
In Judges 6 Gideon is introduced threshing wheat in a wine press in order to hide from the invading Midianites. It is a comical scene considering wheat is threshed in a high open space for the wind to separate the hull from the grain and wine presses are located near the vineyards which are often in valleys. The Angel of the Lord calls Gideon “Mighty Warrior” (gibbor hehayil) when he finds Gideon hiding in a wine press trying to thresh enough grain to make a meal.
The Lord appears in a seated, non-threatening, and relaxed position because he has fulfilled his end of the covenant with Israel and his work is finished. The oppressed situation Gideon and Israel find themselves in is completely their fault and their responsibility. The fact that a mighty warrior like Gideon is hiding in fear threshing grain in a wine press is not the Lord’s design, but caused and accepted by the people of God.
Gideon is a mighty warrior and the Lord is with him and with Israel, but nothing is going to change until Gideon and Israel begin to think and behave differently. So, the Angel of the Lord comes and sits down by Israel’s mighty warrior to watch him fearfully thresh grain in a concealed winepress as he attempts to prevent foreigners from stealing the little that is left in the Promised Land. |
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![Christian Quote from Church History](../images/quote-box.jpg) |
"It is not in our choice to spread the gospel or not. It is our death if we do not."
— Peter Taylor Forsyth |
![Something to Ponder??](../images/ponder-box.jpg) |
Mark Twain describeshis experience at the Sea of Galilee in his book
"The Innocents Abroad" when he visited the Holy Land in 1869 (read the whole chapter here):
“We took another swim in the Sea of Galilee at twilight yesterday, and another at sunrise this morning. We have not sailed, but three swims are equal to a sail, are they not? There were plenty of fish visible in the water, but we have no outside aids in this pilgrimage but "Tent Life in the Holy Land," "The Land and the Book," and other literature of like description--no fishing-tackle. There were no fish to be had in the village of Tiberias. True, we saw two or three vagabonds mending their nets, but never trying to catch anything with them.”
- Mark Twain,
The Innocents Abroad
1869 |
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![Hebrew and Greek Word Study](../images/word-study-box-long.jpg) |
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![Facts and Information](../images/fact-box.jpg) |
Sakal (Hb) – Understand (Eng) – sakal is the Hebrew word that means “to be prudent,”
“to act wisely,” “give attention to,” “to ponder,” and “to prosper.” It is used in Isaiah 41:20
and Jeremiah 9:23-24. |
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Joshua 12:5, 13-24 list
twenty-one cities that Joshua defeated. Fifteen of these cities have been positively, or possibly, identified:
Salecah possibly Salkhad
Geder possibly Khirbet Jedur
Hormah possibly Khirbet el-Meshash
Arad possibly Tel Malhata
Adullam possibly Hirbet Adullam
Tappuah possibly Sheikh Abu Zarad
Hepher is Tell el-Muhafar
Aphek possibly Tel Afeq
Lasharon is Plain of Sharon
Taanach is Tel Ta’anakh
Megiddo is Tel Megiddo
Kedesh possibly Tel Qedesh
Jokneam is Tel Yoqneam
Goyim possibly Jiljuliyey
Tirzah is Khirbet Tell el-Farhah |
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![Confession to Action](../images/confession-box-long588.jpg) |
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![Facts and Information](../images/proverb-box.jpg) |
Am I waiting for God to move, when it is possible that God is waiting for me to do something?
I will act on what the Lord has already given me to do. I will obey what the Lord has already commanded and go where he has already commissioned me to go. |
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"The Lord detests all the
proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished."
- Proverbs 16:5 |
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![Personal Prayer](../images/personal-prayer-box.jpg) |
![Church Prayer Item](../images/church-prayer-box.jpg) |
![National Prayer Concerns](../images/nation-prayer-box.jpg) |
![World Prayer Concerns](../images/world-prayer-box.jpg) |
Efficient at work |
Deacons and deaconesses |
Equal Rights |
Brazil |
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Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening. |
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