Luke vs. Paul: Abstaining from Meat Sacrificed to Idols

I have a list of difficult passages I've been working through and last Sabbath I added this topic after my Sabbath school class discussed Romans 14. Luke's conclusion on the issue of abstaining from meat sacrificed to idols seems to be the opposite of Pauls. In our society, these scriptures don't seem to have much relevance since our meat is usually factory farmed and not sacrificed to anyone. However, I think it's important to understand what we're reading so we can see how each passage fits in to the larger narrative. In addition, the underlying problem of bringing together people from different cultures is very real in our modern world. So, how do we harmonize these scriptures?

The Stances

Let's start by looking at each man's words on the topic. Luke, the author of Acts, mentions this issue in two places. Paul also mentions the issue twice.

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: ²⁹that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from acts of sexual immorality; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell. Acts 15:28-29 NASB

But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. Acts 21:25 NASB

One person has faith that he may eat all things, but the one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Romans 14:2-3 NASB

⁷However, not all people have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸Now food will not bring us [c]close to God; we are neither [d]the worse if we do not eat, nor [e]the better if we do eat. ⁹But take care that this [f]freedom of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will his conscience, if he is weak, not be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? ¹¹For through your knowledge the one who is weak is ruined, the brother or sister for whose sake Christ died. ¹²And so, by sinning against the brothers and sisters and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to sin. 1 Corinthians 8:7-13 NASB

It seems as though Luke has a hardline stance that the act is wrong, whereas Paul is saying the act in and of itself is not wrong, but we should be mindful of those around us.

Background

Let's step back into the time period of Luke and Paul for a second; it's impossible to understand these passages otherwise. In recent years, meat consumption has become a standard practice, something everyone does for every meal, but this hasn't always been the case. Meat was a luxury (and still is in some places). On top of that, there were no grocery stores or factory farms. Animals were not raised and slaughtered for mass consumption. In Paul and Luke's day, animals were kept to be sacrificed to gods. Just as the Israelites sacrificed a lamb on Passover (and then ate it), others were sacrificing animals to Roman gods. This meat could end up in the market for sale, or it could be the meat being served at your neighbor's house when you accepted a dinner invitation. Being unsure of the origin of the meat, many believers abstained from meat altogether (hence Paul referencing those who only ate vegetables).

The major issue in the church that both men were addressing was how to deal with Gentiles in the Israelite religion. Israel was supposed to be a Theocracy, with God as their king. The laws of God and the laws of the land were to be one and the same. Since everyone was to be worshiping the same God, their was never worry that the meat brought from your fellow Israelite was sacrificed to a pagan god. Roman however, was diverse, like the United States. In the cities of the Gentiles, you had people from different religions and cultures; you could never be sure what had been done to the meat sold in markets or served in people's homes.

Similarly, the mindset of the Jews and the Gentiles was different. Jews were simply accepting a deeper understanding of the religion/scriptures they had been taught from birth. Gentiles were unlearning the religion of their birth and learning something new. This changes how you approach things...

Modern Examples

I have two examples from my own personal life to illustrate how background can change the way you see things.

A friend of mine sent me a song by Lecrae. When I clicked play, I instantly recognized the beat. Lecrae's song samples from a Hip Hop song that has been sampled by many other artists. Instead of focusing on the lyrics of this particular song, my brain went to the lyrics of the song where I had first heard this beat. There is already a connection in my mind between the original song and that music. Not only did the lyrics of that song (which is not Christian) pop into my head, but memories associated with that song as well. It is impossible for me to worship and focus on God when listening to this song because my brain associates it with other things. My friend however, had never listened to non-Christian Hip Hop. They have never heard any of the songs that Lecrae is sampling from. They have no memories associated with that beat. They are able to listen and hear Lecrae's lyrics in peace.

Another friend introduced me to Erin Condren planners. I used her planners for 3 years before switching to a bullet jounral. It was during that time that I began keeping Sabbath. When I started using the planners, I didn't notice that they started the week on Monday, but as I got deeper in to my studies it bothered me. Like most people in the U.S., my brain was wired for Sunday being the end of the week: you work Monday through Friday, chores on Saturday, and rest on Sunday. Observing the Sabbath took a massive shift in mindset to see the week as Sunday through Friday, with Saturday as the day of rest. Now I start my week with chores, meal prep, and planning, but it's strange having that at the end of the week in your planner. I needed the visual of Sunday at the beginning of the week and Sabbath at the end to help me adjust my mindset.

Now, because of my experience, I could argue that no one should be listening to Lecrae and that no one should be using planners that start on Monday. This is the issue Paul and Luke are addressing. In my modern scenarios there is nothing inherently wrong with Lecrae's song or the planner; it is my experiences, my mindset, that affects the situation. There are many people who can listen to that Lecrae song and be moved by the Holy Spirit. There are many people who can use planners that start on Monday and still keep Sabbath. Paul's argument is the same: it's in the individual's mind.

Abstaining From Meat Sacrificed to Idols

While I can see clearly what Paul is suggesting when I bring it into a modern lens and inspect my personal life, it still gets muddy when I try to put it back in context with his time period.

Some ministries teach that Paul is expanding on Luke's instructions in Acts, essentially telling why they should abstain from the meats.[1] I question this interpretation for two main reasons. In Acts, Luke said absolutely to abstain from meats sacrificed from idols. While Paul does say that he would abstain to keep his brother from stumbling in 1 Corinthians, in Romans 14 Paul tells the one who does not eat not to judge the one who eats and vice versa. Putting Paul's writings together, I would say his stance is that it's OK to eat meat sacrificed to idols as long as it doesn't cause fellow believers to stumble. Luke on the other hand doesn't leave any room for eating this meat if no one objects...

My second concern is that the topics surrounding this issue actually seem to matter. Neither author is solely talking about meats sacrificed to idols. Luke also mentions consumption of blood, consumption of strangled animals, and sexual immorality. The command to abstain from blood is given all the way back in Genesis 9, right after the flood, before the establishment of Israel. Strangled meat refers to meat that had not been killed according to the custom, which typically meant blood was still inside that animal, pointing us back to the first issue of abstaining from blood. Sexual immorality is also spoken against in Genesis before the establishment of Israel, and is spoken against by Jesus/Yeshua/Messiah. Yes, all of these were part of pagan practices in Roman, but they were also forbidden during Noah's time, when there were no other people on the planet and thus, no pagan practices to conflict with God's ways. In Revelation 2:14,20, John comes back to the point of abstaining from meat sacrificed to idols and once again, God is condemning it.

In contrast, if you look at the modern examples I gave, you will never find passages where God condemned a specific type of music or planner.

Harmonizing

Honestly, I don't know the answer. This is one of those passages I will have to keep studying. Comment below how you view this passage and how you harmonize them.

References

1. "What does the Bible say about eating food/meat that has been sacrificed to idols?". GotQuestions.org; visited June 2021

Who Do You Pray To?

Let me be honest upfront, we don't all worship the same God. We may all say God/YHWH/Elohim or Jesus/Yeshua/Christ, but if we start talking about the character of the God we serve, you'll see that we aren't talking about the same deity. God only has one Church (we're going to get deeper into that next season on the podcast), and that Church should follow His values. When we have values that are vastly different than those outlined in the Bible, it says that we're serving the god of our mind's creation as opposed to the God who created us.

Hollywood and Disney movies (particularly the old ones) have us under the impression that the devil will be an overtly evil villain. For instance, in the original Sleeping Beauty, you have a horned Maleficent casting a death curse on a baby and saying she's "calling on the powers of evil" (or darkness—I can't remember the exact word). Recently, however, movies have started to show more complex villains; villains you sympathize with. Villains that make you question your definition of good and evil. That's the field the devil is playing on. He doesn't have to get you to become an atheist or a satanist to claim a victory; all he has to do is deceive you.

Last week, I had an eye-opening conversation with a pastor I met. While boasting about his church's support of ecumenism, he revealed that there are people in his congregation that don't believe in the power of Christ's blood and therefore, he doesn't pray in the name of the Messiah. If he had told me he didn't believe in the blood of Christ and that was why he didn't pray in such a manner, it would have been fine—I wouldn't have agreed, but it would make sense. The concept presented, however, is that he prays in a way to not offend or to appease those around him. Therein lies the problem.

For his specific example, there are two issues. One, he isn't teaching the people what God has revealed to him. Imagine if Daniel had said he wouldn't interpret the dream because the king didn't worship the Most High God. Imagine if the disciples refused to spread Christ's message because it went against what the Jewish leaders were teaching. We are called to preach the whole gospel, not pieces of the gospel. Therefore, we have a responsibility to those around us to teach all the Lord tells us to.

The second issue is that he's going against his own belief to accommodate man. If you believe that "no one comes to the Father without going through [Jesus]," then you know that you can never approach God without Christ covering and cleansing your sins with His blood (through His sacrifice). Given this, a prayer that isn't passed through Christ is worthless.

There is also a set of broader issues we should discuss. If I'm in a diverse room and they ask me to pray, or even if it's just one individual who has differing beliefs. If I never specify which God I am speaking of, everyone gets confused. If you are Hindu and worship Hindu gods, you may believe I'm praying to them. If you worship creation, you may think I'm praying to it. Yet, 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says that we are to abstain from the appearance of evil. That means you should never think I'm praying to anyone other than the God of Abraham. Furthermore, if I am praying for your healing (or in this case, justice), when it comes to fruition, it is YHWH that should get the credit. However, if I did a generic prayer, even if YHWH received it without complaint, the person listening wouldn't attribute subsequent miracles with the God of Abraham.

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time after this conversation contemplating the issue. I must say, after thinking on the matter, I don't feel comfortable in settings where people are praying, but I am unsure who they are praying to.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Ben White

Isaiah 2: Judgment of Israel

Isaiah 2 continues the pronouncement of judgement on Israel, but now, Isaiah is concerned with the "last days" or the end times, not just a period of captivity. Some of the events mentioned in Isaiah 2 are repeated in Revelation, confirming an expected fulfillment near the very end of time. Isaiah gives us sings to look for by describe the attitude of the people when all of this is set to take place.

Proverbs 23&24: Saying of the Wise

Proverbs 23 and 24 contain more wise sayings by Solomon. In this post we discuss a few of them and how they apply to life today.

Introduction

I haven't included everything Solomon says in Proverbs 23 and 24, but I touch on the Proverbs I had to think about. There's also a self-explanatory summary of some of the behaviors addressed by Solomon in these chapters.
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Literal or Metaphorical?

Proverbs 23:6 says that we should not take the bread of the wicked nor covet his meat. Which could be literal, especially considering the regulations in the dietary law. A person not following God is likely not following these restrictions and may feed us unclean food. Of course, bread and meat both represent substance; remember, Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). We should not take their teachings and ideas or covet their way of life.

The verses following Proverbs 23:6 also suggest this could refer to the untrustworthiness of a person. Breaking bread is often seen as symbol of unity or alliance, however the wicked person can't be trusted to uphold his end of the deal.

We Fall Down, But We Get Up

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Myles Tan

Do you know the song "We Fall Down" by Donnie McClurkin? The song talks about how God's people are those who get back up after they fall. Proverbs 24:? echoes this principle. Everyone sins and everyone falls, but people who trust in God rise above the obstacles while those who do not follow God, wallow.

Landmarks

Proverbs 23:10 says not remove the old landmarks; this is a repeat of Proverbs 22:28. Scholars believe that the landmark in question are the inheritances of the tribes. Many of the modern translations (e.g., NIV) use the word boundary instead of landmark.^[1]

Strange Woman

Proverbs 23:27 discusses promiscuous and strange women. Both are compared to holes in the ground one can fall into. Essentially, Solomon is warning men not to get involved with these women. You're probably thinking that this is pretty odd coming from a guy who had 700 wives, many of whom were "strangers" to Israel.

This verse could have multiple meanings. Obviously there are dangers when becoming involved with people (male or female) that are promiscuous; this is how STDs are spread. Similarly, if we aren't familiar with the customs and culture of a person, or their culture conflicts from our own, problems can abound. However, this could also be a reference to spirituality. Harlot, whore, and adulterer are all used to describe worshipping another god. Solomon could have been warning us to steer clear of those whom have left the service of God. These interpretations are true regardless of gender.

Condemnations

• Gluttony
• Favoritism/Bias in judicial proceedings
• False witness
• Working for the purpose of becoming rich
• Delight at someone stumbling or falling (not just literally, but figuratively, as well)
• Drunkenness/wine

Endorsements

• Knowledge is strength
• The fatherless (orphans)
• Two wrongs do not make a right

References

1. "Proverbs 23:10 Commentary". BibleHub.com; visited July 2017

2 Chronicles 25: Amaziah

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart.2 Chronicles 25:2 KJV

Amaziah becomes king of Judah after the death of Joash. He his crowned king at the age of 25 and reigns for 29 years. Like his father, he is assassinated for turning against God.

Introduction

Amaziah becomes king of Judah after the death of Joash. He his crowned king at the age of 25 and reigns for 29 years. Like his father, he is assassinated for turning against God.
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Amaziah

When I look at the name Amaziah, I think "amazing," though I'm pretty sure that's not where we get the word from. For a while, Amaziah is amazing, however. He at least begins his rule by following the word of God.

When he becomes king, one of the first things he does is kill the men who killed his father. This was lawful by God's law. Not only had God not instructed the men to kill Joash, God was capable of killing those who disobeyed him on His own. Thus, these men had committed murder which was punishable by death.

Later, when Amaziah gathers an army to go into battle with Edom, God tells him to leave part of the army behind. This part of the army was from the northern kingdom, and thus not a part of Judah. Even so, this was much like the test of faith God had given many others. In battle, God often proved His presence by delivering an outnumbered Israelite army to victory. Although Amaziah was initially skeptical, considering he had already paid these men and could not be refunded, Amaziah obeys God and reaped exactly this miracle.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart.2 Chronicles 25:2 KJV

Unfortunately, just after this victory, Amaziah decides to take up the idols of his enemies. God becomes angry at this breach of the covenant, but Amaziah doesn't repent. He even rejects the counsel of the prophets.

Seeing that the army he hired from Israel has pillaged cities of Judah on their way back home, Amaziah wages war with Israel's king Jehoash (not to be confused with Amaziah's father Joash—both spellings are used for the names). For once, it is Israel that is shunning the war as Jehoash initially refuses to engage Amaziah. After much prompting, the two meet on the battle field and Israel claims victory. Amaziah's lack of faith and disobedience to God caused him to lose the battle. Yet still, Amaziah outlives Jehoash by 15 years. Eventually, Amaziah is assassinated by his own people because he stopped following the ways of God.
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References

1 Kings 17-19: Elijah, Ahab & Jezebel

1 Kings 17-20 takes a break from a series of brief records which introduces many kings to focus on God's prophet, Elijah who lived during King Ahab's reign in the northern kingdom.

Introduction

1 Kings 17-20 takes a break from a series of brief records which introduces many kings to focus on God's prophet, Elijah who lived during King Ahab's reign in the northern kingdom. King Ahab marries the infamous Phoenician, princess Jezebel, and is often at odds with Elijah. While Ahab is definitely a familiar name, I would say that during my tenure in the church and over the course of my studies, Jezebel and Elijah have gotten more focus from the church. Ahab seems to fade into the background as a secondary character, but I think that's something worth discussing as well. In this post, I'll talk about all 3 people.
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Elijah, the Prophet

Outside of Daniel and Isaiah, Elijah might be one of the most well-known prophets of Israel. He performed amazing miracles and became the second person in human history to join God without ever dying (covered in 2 Kings).
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Was Elijah Even An Israelite?

When we are introduced to Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1, we are not told what Elijah's tribal affiliation is, but that he was a "Tishbite" and an inhabitant of Gilead. Gilead was located East of the Jordan, an spanned across the territories of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh.^[1] While it doesn't definitely prove that Elijah was a member of one of these tribes, it definitely increases the possibility. You may be surprised to know, there's actually a debate about whether Elijah was even an Israelite at all.^[2][3][4]

Unlike most important figures of the Bible, we aren't told a single thing about Elijah's ancestry. Up until this point, most people we meet are identified by tribe and/or father. When we meet Elijah's apprentice, Elisha, in 1 Kings 19, we are promptly told who his father is. For the kings, we are told who their father is and many times who their mother is as well. Samuel and Nathan's parentage are also given. This is not the case with Elijah. When you combine this information with the fact that the word inhabitant in 1 Kings 17:1 is translated from the word towshab, which means "sojourner, stranger or foreigner,"^[5] it becomes pretty suspicious. 1 Kings 17:1 is the only place the word is rendered "inhabitant" instead of stranger or foreigner. If translated as the rest of the occurrences, 1 Kings 17:1 would have said Elijah was a stranger in in Gilead, i.e. a Gentile who had made his home in Israel. ^[2][3]

Other scholars are adamant that Elijah was an Israel. They point out the fact that it is possible that "Tishbite" is a reference to a family line, negating the claim that we have no familial information on Elijah. Further, they point to Elijah name, which is of Hebrew origin and means "He is my Yah (God)."^[4] Some believe Elijah is the same Eliah mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:27, and thus a Benjamite.^[6]

What makes it hard to gauge which argument is correct is the fact that both arguments suffer from faulty premises.

Those who believe Elijah must be a Gentile base the assumption almost solely on the word towshab in 1 Kings 17:1. While foreigner and stranger generally apply to non-Israelites, does sojourner? If Elijah is Eliah and a Benjamite via 1 Chronicles 8:27, He would originally have been from the southern kingdom and an outsider in another tribe's lands. The other complaint given is that Elijah doesn't follow Jewish law; he believes God can be worshipped anywhere and never makes an effort to go to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. Elijah's assumption that he can worship anywhere doesn't have to be of foreign influence, however. The kings of Israel had already began putting this idea in their citizens' minds to keep them from returning to the southern kingdom. Besides, most of the Israelites weren't following the law themselves, how does that prove he was a Gentile?

Those who are adamant Elijah was not a Gentile assert that a Gentile couldn't have a Hebrew name, or that we aren't told of Elijah's circumcision and conversion to Judaism. As a Black person in the U.S., the assumption about the name baffles me. My real name is of French origin; I am neither French nor have I ever been to France. I know countless Asian Americans who have European names; these names were generally adopted when they arrived in the U.S. and are not their given names. Throughout the Bible we see God change people's names, but throughout life we see people change their own names. Furthermore, Elijah's parents could have been the ones to convert, and after converting, decided to give their son a Hebrew name. This is similar to how first generation Americans will sometimes give their children "American" names. The omission of an information about Elijah's conversion would be covered by the notion that his parents were the ones to convert; he would then have automatically been circumcised as a child, but he still wouldn't be Hebrew by blood. Of course, in the New Testament, when the apostles were introducing the Gentiles to the Word, they are explicitly told not to worry about circumcision (see Acts 15). The idea that this would have prevented the Israelites from listening to Elijah is interesting because Ahab wanted him dead. Most of the northern kingdom had already fallen into idolatry and those that hadn't weren't really in the position to reject anyone from their numbers. Plus, after Elijah rose a person from the dead, I'm sure they didn't care about the specifics of his lineage.

All in all, I think it could go either way. Both sides make valid points, there are just so many caveats and exceptions that it's hard to say one is more accurate than the other. The idea of Elijah being non-Israelites provides a nice symmetry to later events. For instance, when Moses and Elijah appear to Jesus, it would represent both the Jews and the Gentiles. It would add another layer of depth to the interpretation of the Word, for certain. However, I don't think the difference is so important that it changes the overall message of God.
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A Drought

Instead of a background story, we jump right into Elijah's first mission from God: he brings news to Ahab that God has pronounced a drought on Israel. Neither rain nor dew would fall in land until God said so, and considering the fact that Israel is located in the desert, this was probably a much bigger deal than it would have been in a place with more abundant water in the land. In water rich lands, it would take time to deplete the water resources before any effects of a drought could be felt, however in Israel, the effects would be almost immediate.
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Refuge

To protect Elijah from the effects, God sends him to a brook called Cherith which was near the Jordan. Scholars associate this brook with Wadi Qelt, though they are not certain that is a correct match.^[7] Once at the brook, Elijah is fed by ravens. People often associate ravens with death and evil because they are black, but this proves that God was not a respecter of color. God entrusts ravens to bring bread and meat to Elijah each day while he is in the wilderness. Interestingly, this means that the food was considered clean even though it had been in their beaks first--I highly doubt the ravens were able to wrap the food in a bag or cloth before carrying it away. Had the Pharisees thought about it, they would not have chastised Jesus about eating bread without washing his hands in Matthew 12. Two things that were never declared unclean--a living raven and bread or dirt and bread in Jesus' case--can't make each other unclean. This is also a reminder that unclean designated the status of whether we could eat the animal or not, animals such as mules, horses, and donkeys still played a critical role in farming; it was only when they died that they became unclean.

When the brook dried up, Elijah had to find another place of refuge. This time, God sends him to a widow in the city of Zarephath. Although she is struggling to feed her own family, she provides for Elijah as well. Elijah tells her that her supply will not falter until God sends rain to Israel, and as prophesied, they are able to eat until the rain falls.

It is interesting that God sends Elijah to the wilderness first and to the woman second. Once could easily question why not send Elijah to the woman from the get go. Sending Elijah first to the wilderness, where ravens provided for him, strengthened his faith in God. It is easy to assume a human is kind simply by nature and to attribute their generosity to luck or chance. However, ravens bringing you food is a miracle; it is much harder to look over God's glory in such an act. Just as Israel had to come through the wilderness where God proved Himself, this is where Elijah's journey began, too.
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Raising the Dead

One of Elijah's most miraculous moments was when he brought the widow's son back to life from the dead. Just when everything should have been returning back to normal because the drought had passed, the son of the widow fell ill. The woman thought this was some sort of punishment from God for her past sins brought on by Elijah. Troubled by the events, Elijah prayed for life to return to the young boy. God hears Elijah's request and grants life back into the boy's body. This is the first resurrection spoken of in the Bible, but it is not the only resurrection to be brought about by human hands.
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A Ray of Hope

Three years after Elijah's first encounter with Ahab, God sends Elijah back to tell them of the coming rain. When Elijah gets to Ahab in Samaria, a famine is ravaging the land. It makes sense that after a three year drought, there would be a shortage of food.

Before Elijah arrives, Ahab calls for a man named Obadiah. Obadiah was a God-fearing man and was trying to do right by God. When Ahab's wife Jezebel went after the prophets, Obadiah hid 100 of them in a cave and brought food and water to them. This must have been difficult during the famine. I'd wager Ahab didn't know about any of this, otherwise, I think Obadiah would have been on Ahab's bad side.

Ahab wanted Obadiah to search for water and grass for the livestock. Keeping the livestock alive would have been a top priority in the kingdom. Without rain, crops would have been almost impossible to grow leaving meat and animal products such as eggs or milk to be the only provisions left. If the animals died, the Israelites would have nothing.

When the two men split up in search of these resources, it is Obadiah who runs into Elijah. Elijah asks Obadiah to tell Ahab that he is present but Obadiah sees this as a death sentence on himself. Ahab had apparently been looking for Elijah unsuccessfully for some time. Obadiah was afraid Elijah would disappear, provoking the kings wrath. During this time it seems the queen (Jezebel) was purging the kingdom of people who worshipped the Lord, in favor of pagan worshippers. Elijah is not afraid to meet the king and queen however; he gives his word that he will remain.

Ahab is quick to blame the situation on Elijah, just as people today blame the troubles of the world on God and His people. Elijah quickly reminds Ahab that it is he and his line that have forsaken the commandments and brought God's wrath upon them. Elijah has Ahab gather everyone, including the false prophets of Baal and Asherah, to mount Carmel.
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A Challenge Issued

Elijah says the same thing the New Testament tells us: you can't follow two gods. Elijah gives Israel the same choice we have today, to follow God or to follow the false Baal. Elijah points out that he is the only prophet of the Lord left but Baal has 450 men claiming to be his prophets. Elijah challenges them to bring 2 bulls to be sacrificed, only, they would not put fire to them. The men of Baal were to call on Baal to enflame their bull, and Elijah would call on God to enflame his.

Then men of Baal cry out to their deity from morning until noon, but nothing happens. Elijah mocks the men by suggesting that their god is sleeping or out on an adventure. The men even resort to self harm to attract the false god's attention. As one can expect, Baal does not answer and no fire engulfs the bull.

When it is Elijah's turn, he creates a trench of water around the sacrifice. Following this, he prays to God. Elijah asks that God will show Himself to the people so that they may turn away from Baal and back to the true God. God answers Elijah's prayer and sets fire to the bull. When the people see this, they fall to the ground to worship God.
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End of the Drought

Elijah commands them to put the prophets of Baal to death. After this is carried out, rain returns to the land. Elijah sends Ahab ahead of the rain by chariot and he runs before the chariot with the help of God. This should have been seen as a friendly gesture, but it was not taken as such by Ahab or his wife.
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Conflict with Jezebel

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Shyle Zacharias

When Jezebel hears that all of her pagan priests have been killed, she sets out to kill Elijah. Elijah flees to Beersheba, where he leaves his servant but continues himself into the wilderness. In the wilderness Elijah asks God to end his life. Elijah felt like he was no better than his fathers; an understandable feeling after you've killed 450 men. While Elijah is sleeping under a juniper tree, God sends an angel to wake him. The angel tells Elijah to rise and eat of the cake and water God has provided. Appearing twice, the angel persuades Elijah to eat informing him, that his journey is great. Elijah was sustained for 40 days and nights on this alone. We should never fear how we will survive when following the path the Lord has set for us; rest assured, He will provide.

After the 40 days, God speaks to Elijah while he is living in a cave. When God questions Elijah on why he is in the cave, Elijah explains his dilemma (which God already knows). God's question was likely to prompt Elijah into thinking about why he would hide away when the people really needed him. God places Elijah on the mountain, and he sends a wind, an earthquake, and fire. None of these acts of God "contain His Spirit," however. It is a still small voice that actually speaks to Elijah. This is evidence that while God is big and powerful, He is also peaceful and calm. He does not reveal himself only through destruction but by this still small voice as well. Once again, God questions Elijah about what he is doing there. Likely, God's message to Elijah was that He is all powerful; there is no need to hide when you are fighting on God's side of the war.
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Ahab

Although Ahab isn't particularly fond of Elijah, it is Jezebel who becomes angry and decrees that Elijah should be killed. Given the fact that Jezebel was both a pagan and a female, one would think she would not have held such power. For her to command such power, Ahab had to have given it to her. Either he acted as a puppet, commanding everything she asked, or he gave the order for his servants to follow her instruction.

While I see nothing wrong in a healthy partnership where the wife is able to express her opinions and thoughts, there is something amiss about a king who allows someone else to take control of his kingdom. Ahab's inability to be the "ultimate" authority in his kingdom stemmed from his lack of leadership skills. Likely, he had no leadership skills because God had not appointed him king. We will continue to see Jezebel usurp power and undermine Ahab's rule throughout the text. Perhaps if Ahab had married a different woman, or had stood his ground, he wouldn't have gone down in history as such a bad king. At least, he probably would have been more recognizable than his wife and arch enemy.
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Jezebel's Legacy

When I was little, my parents bought me horse who had already been named. Her name was Jezebel, though everyone in my family called her Jazzy or Jazabelle. We all thought it was crazy that she had been named Jezebel; that's almost as bad as naming your pet Lucifer! Jezebel clearly wasn't a positive figure in the Bible, but when I hear the name "Jezebel," I don't think of calculating and murderous, as Queen Jezebel proved to be, I think of a promiscuous woman.

In everyday speech, jezebel is used about the same way as "hussy." Urban dictionary lists the term to mean a variety of things, from beautiful to "whore."^<[8] Jezebel is also the name of a popular magazine that is targeted to women and specializes in "celebrities, sex, feminism, and issues relating to women's empowerment." Is it not odd that a magazine supposedly about women's empowerment, chose to name itself after the evilest woman in the Bible? Why not name it after Esther? Mariam? Deborah? They could have even named it after a famous woman who was from secular history, but they chose Jezebel. Why?

The question often comes back to how Jezebel got associated with sexuality and promiscuity; her evil deeds dealt with idolatry, not sex. I suspect it comes from a misinterpretation of 2 Kings 9:22, in which a reference is made to the whoredoms of Jezebel. However, this isn't a reference to sexual whoredom. The bible often uses this phrase when discussing idolatry. To bow to other gods is to commit adultery to the true God (remember, we are the bride of Christ). I'm pretty sure people misinterpreted this verse until suddenly Jezebel was a whore and her name became an insult meaning whore.
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Elijah Makes an Ally

God sends Elijah to Damascus, where he is instructed to anoint Hazael to be the king of Syria. Even though Syria was not God's chosen land, He was still in control of who should be king. The Bible focuses on God's chosen people, so we often forget that God is supereme over the whole world. This means God has always had a hand in what happened in other nations. Just because these nations were not chosen to preserve God's word does not mean He forgot about them or abandoned them. Remember many of the surrounding nations were also descendants of Abraham.

In addition to instructing Elijah on forming this alliance with Syria, God gives Elijah instructions for Israel. God appoints Jehu to be anointed king and replace Ahab. God says that Hazael will slay their enemies, but those not slain by him were to be slain by Jehu, and those not slain by Jehu, were to be slain by Elijah. Elijah was given a plan to ensure all of God's enemies were stamped out; if one person failed to do the job, there was another to carry out the task. To aid in this upcoming battle, God reveals that He has 7000 followers still in Israel. These 7000 had not succumbed to idolatry and had resisted the popular trend of bowing to Baal. I think it's safe to say, as long as we're still here, there is a sizable army of God still present in the world.
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The Next Prophet: Elisha

Also in Elijah's instructions from God, was the appoint of an apprentice to become the next prophet: Elisha. Elijah convinces Elisha to follow him. Elisha was the son of Shaphat. Elisha is eager to follow Elijah, who was likely well known and admired in circles that still worshiped God. In celebration of the honor, Elisha kills a set of oxen and the people of Elisha's town feast with them. After the feast, Elisha follows Elijah to become the next prophet according to God's command.
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References

1. M.G. Easton M.A., D.D. "Gilead". Illustrated Bible Dictionary, via BibleStudyTools.com. 1897; visited January 2017
2. Elijah Was A Gentile". Beware Deception. May 3, 2009
3. "1 Kings 17:1 Commentary". via BibleHub.com; visited January 2017
4. "Elijah was NOT a Gentile". OSY Ministries. 2011
5. "Strong's H8453: towshab. Blue Letter Bible; visited January 2017
6. Emil G. Hirsch, Eduard König, Solomon Schechter, Louis Ginzberg, M. Seligsohn, Kaufmann Kohler. "Elijah. Jewish Encyclopedia; visited January 2017
7. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 616. 2014
8. "Jezebel. Urban Dictionary; visited January 2017

1 Kings 15: Kings Abijam, Asa, Nadab, & Baasha

Our leaders can drive our nation to sinful behavior, just as these kings did. Similarly, when we fight with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as Israel and Judah fought, we often lose sight of God in the process.

Introduction

Israel has a series of unrighteous kings after David and Solomon. This mirrors their cycle of falling prey to idolatry then repenting. The history of these kings doesn't always seem important, but each of these kings sets up the problems for the next and eventually bring about the scattering of the nation per God's curse. Not only that, they remind us of how easy it is to fall from grace. When Israel's leadership faltered, the whole nation faltered. This is still true of our world today, both in secular government and in the body of Christ. Our leaders can drive our nation to sinful behavior, just as these kings did. Similarly, when we fight with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as Israel and Judah fought, we often lose sight of God in the process.

1 Kings 15 talks about the next two rulers of Judah and Israel: Abjiam and Asa (Judah) versus Nadab and Baasha (Israel).
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100

# of Years Reigned

Abijam

After Rehoboam, the king of Judah was Abijam. Abijam takes the throne 18 years after Jeroboam becomes king of the north kingdom (Israel). Abijam reigns for 3 years in Jerusalem. Like Rehoboam, he was a sinful king and his heart was not with God. Abijam is granted the throne solely due to David's faith, just as the Israelites as a whole were granted chosen status simple because of Abraham's faith.

Abijam continued the war that began with Jeroboam and Rehoboam, but dies in the process. After his death, Abijam's son Asa takes his places as king. Possibly due to his sinfulness, Abijam only reigns for 3 years (compared to Solomon and David's 40).

Abijam is actually a descendant of Absalom, spelled Abishalom in 1 Kings 15:2. Scholars confirm that this is merely a variant spelling of Absalom.^[1]
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Asa

Asa takes the throne of Judah during the 20th year of Jeroboam's reign. 1 Kings 15:10 reminds us that Asa is the grandson of Absalom's daughter Maachah; the phrase mother (or father) was often used to mean a direct ancestor and not a literal mother (or father). Unlike Abijam and Rehoboam, Asa follows God. He reigns for 41 years. Asa must have spent one year reigning jointly with his father since Abijam ruled for 3 years starting in Jeroboam's 18th year. If Asa didn't take over until after Abijam died, he would have started his reign during Jeroboam's 21st year. It is also possible that 3 is a rounded figure. If Abijam ruled for 2.5 years, Asa may have taken over in the middle of Jeroboam's 20th year.

Asa does right by God's Word. The first thing he accomplishes is to remove sodomites (male prostitutes) and idols from the city. Asa even has his grandmother removed from her position because she had made an idol. Only the altars remained from Abijam and Rehoboam's idolatry, and God was pleased with Asa.

After Jeroboam dies, Asa continues to fight a war with the northern kingdom's new king (Baasha). Notice that now instead of fighting the Canaanites as God had instructed, the Israelites were busy fighting themselves. A house divided can't stand. Unfortunately the same thing happened in our churches today. We have split into many denominations and often spend more time "warring" with each other than fighting the enemy (Satan).

Baasha captures the city of Ramah which causes problems for Asa. Asa has to take gold and silver from the Temple to pay the Syrians for an alliance. In turn the Syrians destroy many cities from the northern kingdom. It is interesting to note that despite Asa righteous heart, he does not call on God to deliver them from Israel. Perhaps he felt God would not fight His own people.

When Asa grows old, he gets a disease in his feet. I wonder if this was diabetes, since it is know to affect circulation in the foot.^[2] In any case, his son Jehosephat becomes Judah's new king.
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Nadab and Baasha

In Asa's 2nd year as king, Jeroboam's son Nadab takes the throne. Nadab is also a corrupt king. He is assassinated by a man named Baasha the next year, who takes the throne of Isreal in Nadab's stead. Baasha has all of Jeroboam's descendants killed so that they cannot oppose his leadership. Baasha's 24 year reign was full of evil.
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References

1. "1 Kings 15:2 Commentary". BibleHub.com; visited January 2017
2. "Foot Complications". American Diabetes Association. February 5, 2016

1 Kings 11: Solomon's Downfall

All great rulers have a weakness, these verses tell us Solomon's.

Introduction

It seems that the love of women ran in the family for the House of David, which makes it interesting that Boaz (a direct descendant of David's) is often marked as the perfect husband. If you thought David had a lot of wives, you'll keel over when you find out how many Solomon had! Solomon seems to only marry foreign women, which was against the law of Israel and displeased God. Solomon had wives that were Egyptian, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Zidonite, and Hittite. We must remember that none of these descriptors represent race. The issue was not that Solomon was one color and his wives were another, or that the Israelites were a superior race. The issue was who was worshiped by each nation and the people that came from those nations. Each of these foreign countries worshipped different gods than the God of Abraham. With this, came different traditions and practices. Even with converts, people have a tendency to fuse their old customs with their new found religion. You can see this within modern Christianity. God feared that if the Israelites married into these cultures the blending would distort the method of worship the Israelites followed. Just as God feared, Solomon's 700 wives turned his heart away from the LORD.
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Solomon Turns Away From God

In Solomon's old age, he becomes weak in his relationship with God. Solomon begins to worship the false gods of his wives' people. He even builds an altar for some of these gods. It is assumed that Solomon builds these altars for his wives who have not given up their gods. Despite being gentile, these women were in the land of Israel which meant God expected them to follow Him and His law. God despised pagan worship; we were all destined to worship Him, most nations simply turned away and God chose the Israelites to hold on to His truth in the mean time. Being in love, Solomon gave into pressure to accommodate that which he knew was wrong. He gave up truth for love. We are often asked to do the same in today's world. This is why we have to be careful who we tether ourselves to. We should never compromise the word of God because someone we love has asked us to.
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Consequences

God decides to take the kingdom away from Solomon, but He promises to deliver a portion of the kingdom to Solomon's son for David's sake. God uses the divide that existed between the two kingdoms to pull the kingdom apart. He then fulfills His promise to David by allowing Solomon's son to reign in the southern kingdom of Judah where Jerusalem and the Temple had been established.

We often wonder about God's people committing acts that we find to be atrocious, but here we see an example of how these actions play out. God knew that this point would come, and He knew how the actions of the past would shape the punishments of the present. David had slain the people of Edom and now, one of the survivors was ready to avenge his fallen brethren. Although God may forgive us for troubling things we do, that doesn't mean the consequences won't be felt. Solomon and his son reaped the atrocities his father had committed. In punishing Solomon, God allows these enemies that were created by David's wars to attack Israel. As more enemies spring up it weakens the nation.

Solomon may have thought that by allowing his wife to continue her customs, Egypt would act as an ally. Egypt does not come to Israel's aid. If Solomon had been looking to God as a ally, he wouldn't have needed an Earthly ally. We should remember this as we choose who we align ourselves with.
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Passing of the Throne

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Aureliy Movila

A prophet named Ahijah informs a man named Jeroboam that he will be king of 10 tribes. Just as Saul went mad and tried to murder David, Solomon tries to kill Jeroboam. Like Saul, Solomon is unwilling to let go of the kingdom even though he knows he has failed God. When we fail God and turn away from His way, we are least likely to realize our mistakes. This is because it is the Spirit of God that gives us understanding and discernment. Jeroboam is forced to flee into Egypt to escape Solomon's wrath, which further proves that bending to pagan customs did not garner Egypt's support.

Solomon dies after he reigned over Israel for 40 years. He is buried with David and Rehoboam, his son, is crowned king.

References

Judges 17-18: Micah and the Tribe of Dan

The final person discussed in Judges is Micah. He created an idol that took the descendants of Dan into idolatry all the way until they went into captivity.

Introduction

The final person discussed in Judges is Micah, who lived in mount Ephraim. Note, this is not the same man as the prophet Micah who has a book named after him.^[1] The first thing we learn about Micah is that he stole 1100 pieces of silver from his mother. Possibly unaware that her son is the culprit, the woman curses the thief, thus cursing Micah. Micah confesses his sin and returns the money, though it appears to be more out of concern for his mother's curse than his dedication to God. 1100 pieces of silver was a fortune back then, so it is not surprising that Micah's mom was thrilled to receive her savings back. However, it is a bit odd that she never condemns Micah for his actions. Micah's mom praises the Lord and decides to use the money to dedicate it to God; however, she does this by having an image made with only a portion of the money.
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A Deeper Thought

Note that the pieces of silver mentioned
were worth a lot more than our nickels are today
Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Eric Nelson

Reading that the woman attempted to dedicate money to God by building an idol sounds absolutely crazy since the 2^nd commandment clearly forbids idols. Reading the words written out makes it easy for us to ask why she would think this was ok. However, Israel suffered from the same problem we suffer now: tradition. The average person didn't have a copy of the Pentateuch sitting in their house to be read whenever they wanted. Just like today, the Israelites' primary method of learning was through tradition. Whatever they saw around them is what they thought was correct. So, if they saw the priests and other Israelites doing something that deviated from God's law, it would seem more normal than God's law. Today, we still have pastors who teach things that are not Biblical; we also have pastors who simply leave out parts of the Bible. Another issue is that often God's words are not put into context and they become meaningless to us. An example is the fact that there are churches with pictures of a man they claim to be Jesus hanging on the walls; this is an image. It's no more wrong or crazy that church leaders are willing to pay for and adorn the sanctuary with an image, than it is for the mother in Judges 17 to adorn her house with a image. Just as most people don't object to the picture of this random man, she may not have even recognized her image as an idol.

We have to define what an idol or "image" is. Obviously worshipping statues or pictures is crossing the line. Exodus 20:4-5 tells us not to bow down or worship such things, but it also says not to create them. The interesting part comes at the word "serve." Generally, we recite this commandment assuming it is talking about worship when the connotation of worship is quite different from serve. To worship is to exalt and revere. To serve says nothing about how we feel about the action. We can serve without desire, quite easily. Serving can be explicit, but it can also be very subtle. For instance, when we acknowledge that image as though it is actually a picture of Jesus, we serve traditions of the world. If we place something before God in our life—be it our spouse, our job, or our wealth—we have created an image to serve. Each time we choose that aspect of our life over God's law, we are serving an image, even if we don't think about it that way.

We are often removed from what our actions mean spiritually, because we aren't brought up to think this way and we haven't built up our relationship with God. This leads us to sin while thinking we are doing right, which is a dangerous and unfortunate place to be, since then we won't repent.
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Micah's Priest

Now that Micah's house was full of false gods, he needed a priest to conduct worship of these false gods (at least in his mind that's what he needed). Micah makes an ephod (without God's permission), which parallels the Israelites making a special ephod for Aaron, to be worn by each high priest. On top of this, he consecrates his son to be a priest. We know only the sons of Aaron could fill the role of high priest of God and wear an ephod. Micah was either consciously rejecting God or terribly confused. Today, we have tons people claiming to be messengers of God that really aren't, and only serve to bring confusion to the world. We have to be cautious of false priests and false gods disguised as the true God.

Micah's son didn't get to keep the job for long. A Levite from Bethlehem-judah eventually comes to town. Micah offers him 10 shekels of silver a year plus rationing provided the man will be a priest and father to him. Interestingly, when the man stays, it is Micah who becomes like a father. Also, the Bible cautions us not to call any man father (Matthew 23:9). The title of Father is reserved for the Father in heaven, which is probably significant in this passage. There are clear examples in the Bible where a human man is described as a father, so we know that that God wasn't against calling our birth father by the term "father." I'll dive into that topic when I get to Matthew, but for now, I'll say that I think God, basically, didn't want people to give humans the same authority as our everlasting Father has. Despite not being a son of Aaron, Micah ordains this man as a priest, and believes this will bring him favor. Again, this proves that he has some twisted logic. This reminds me of Jesus telling us not everyone who says "Lord, Lord!" will be heard. Micah was doing his own thing and it was totally against God's commandments.
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The Tribe of Dan

Meanwhile, the tribe of Dan still hadn't secured their inheritance. Hoping to finally inherit land, they send 5 men of valor to spy for them. When the men reach mount Ephraim, they lodge with Micah. The men of Dan, though not particularly seeking out God for their own problems, are shocked and confused to see a Levite in a house loaded with idolatry— or so it seems.

They question him about what he is doing there, and when the man says he is a priest, the men of Dan ask him to seek out God to determine if they will be successful. They trusted the man at his word that he really was a messenger of God. Today, people will often listen to anyone who claims to be a messenger of God which is exactly what Jesus warned us about. This isn't a new problem. Just because someone says they are a pastor, preacher, or priest, doesn't mean they are actually a messenger of God. The New Testament tells us we can identify them by the fruits of their labor (Matthew 7:15-20). The fact that this priest was amongst idols should have told the men of Dan that he wasn't following God.

The Levite tells them to be at peace and that God goes before them, which is exactly what the men of Dan want to hear. Unfortunately there was never any appeal to God, so it wasn't necessarily true. Some preachers today are also guilty of telling us what we want to hear without consulting God. It is much better to hear the truth of God and correct ourselves to be inline with Him, than to continue to believe our wrongdoing is ok.

Satisfied, just as we are often satisfied by such answers, the 5 men go on their way until they come to Laish. The people there were careless and under the protection of the Zidonians. However, the Zidonians were far away from the land, leaving the people of Laish vulnerable. The men of Dan decide this is the perfect land to take. This proves that they, too, were not following God closely. God delighted in giving the Israelites victories that no one would have seen coming. Raising the underdog to victory proved that He was in power. No one wants to hear about someone being kicked while they're down, or being decimated by an army that out numbered them. We would be quick to call this unfair. Yet, the men of Dan decided this was the best way to gain their inheritance for some reason.

Regardless, the Danites are actually quick to take action. 600 men form the army and begin the journey to Laish. During the journey, they come again to Micah's home. Despite an explicit commandment against theft and another commandment against idolatry, the men steal Micah's idols, ephod, and teraphim. When they are caught by the Levite, they steal him too! They entice him to join them by suggesting that it is more prestigious to be the priest of a nation (the Tribe of Dan), than for just one man (Micah).

The neighboring men overtook the men once they have made it some distance from Micah's house—talk about a neighborhood watch! When Micah finds out, he asks what he has left now that they've stolen his false gods and priest. This tells you how confused Micah truly was. He confined God to an object God didn't approve of and a priest God didn't appoint! We do the same thing today with church services and pagan holiday traditions.

What's more, the Danites were quite bold. They didn't recant or repent when confronted about their actions. In fact they threatened Micah. Apparently they were following the adage "you snooze you lose," but that's not what God said at all. Looking in from the outside, it seems obvious that these men had no desire to serve the real God of Israel. However, from experience, it's hard to say that these men realized the absurdity of their own actions. History has seen people commit heinous crimes in the name of God and truly believe they are in the right despite the Word of God speaking to the contrary. We have to spend time with God daily to see the truth.

After this ordeal, the Danites sweep through Laish and conquer the city with fire. When they take possession of the city, they rename it Dan. Here, they set up the false idols and create there own lineage of priests through the Levite they rounded up from Micah. We finally learn that this Levite is named Jonathan. This system of false worship, led by Jonathan, becomes a rival to the real worship done at Shiloh.

From the beginning, the major misstep for God's people was a false religion. This makes sense because as long as you follow God you will repent and work toward a sinless life, but once you begin following a false god, you will sin without remorse, maybe even without knowledge.
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Moses' Grandson?

And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.Judges 18:30 KJV

One of the controversial parts of Judges 18 stems from the origins of Jonathan. Judges 18:30 tells us that he is the son of Gershom, who is the son of Manasseh. No son named Gerhsom is attributed to Manasseh, son of Joseph, but one is attributed to Moses. In additon, there is odd rendering the word Manasseh in this particular verse found in the original copies. The original has the "n" that gives us the word Manasseh suspended above the text so that the word may actually be read Moses.^[2] Authors of the NIV gave in to this theory and render the text "Moses" while the KJV reads "Manasseh." The question is, which is correct?

As discussed by Hebeart,^[3] there are plenty of dually named characters in the Bible. In fact there is already clear evidence of another Manasseh in 2 Chronicles 33. Perhaps this man isn't related to Joseph's son Manasseh or Moses.

Also, since Jonathan is a Levite, the likelihood of him being the son of Manasseh the son of Joseph is slim; this would make him from the tribe of Manasseh not the tribe of Levi. However, there could have been a Levite named Manasseh. Further with all of the name changes in the Bible (Abram/Abraham, Jacob/Israel, Saul/Paul), perhaps this his father's name was both Manasseh and Moses. Furthermore, "son of Manasseh" could simply identify the tribe.

Another possibility is that one of the women from the tribe of Manasseh married a Levite and birthed Jonathan. This would make him a Levite, but he would still be a descendant of Manasseh and could be called the son of Manasseh.
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References

1. "Micah". Bible Hub. 2016
2. Gills, John. "Commentary on Judges 18:30". Bible Study Tools. 2016
3. Hubeart, T.L. "Judges 18:30: "Manasseh" or "Moses"?". Pennuto. 1996

Judges 6-8: Gideon

Gideon is an interesting judge; hesitant and doubtful he carries out God's commands and forced me to re-evaluate any similarities I found in myself with him.

Introduction

The next period of oppression lasts 7 years. This time, the oppressor is Midian. During this time, the Israelites take to living in the caves of the mountains. The Midianites and the Amalekites destroy all of the crops and livestock Israel has cultivated, causing the Israelites to become poor. When this happens, they cry out to God and as promised, He delivers them. However, He does remind them that after all He has done for them, they still refuse to obey His commands.

The judge raised up by God in the next few chapters is much like Barak. He has little faith in God's plan and needs much encouragement to follow through with God's instructions.
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An Angel Appears

We are introduced to the next judge, a man named Gideon, when an angel appears to him under an oak tree in Orphah. Gideon is the son of Joash and is from the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon says that he is from a poor family (though later he manages to round up 10 servants to assist him). He also believes that he is unworthy of the task and that the Lord is not with Israel.

Notice the stark contrast between Gideon and previous judge Othniel or Noah. Now take notice of the similarities between Moses and Gideon. The Bible shows us that we are all weak in different areas, but that doesn't mean we can't be called on or used by God. Noah and Othniel were quick to obey God; they knew His voice and they knew if He told them to do something, they could do it. They were men of exceptional faith. Gideon and Moses were doubters. Moses doubted himself, not God (which is an important distinction). Once God was able to get Moses to realize it was God who would do all the heavy lifting, Moses became one of the most faithful men known to us. Gideon's doubt is quite different than Moses' doubt however. These chapters give us reason to reflect on how we respond to God's call. Are we quick like Noah and Othniel? Do we need a minute to remember it isn't us that will make things happen, like Moses? Or do we dally?

¹¹And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. ¹²And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.Mark 8:11-12 KJV

Gideon was a dallier. Most people in the Bible know when they've encountered an angel of God. Any doubt that they express seems to be more about their own worth than the identity of God; of course, in doubting themselves they indirectly doubt God. Gideon asks for multiple signs from God before completing his task. Gideon needed to be absolutely sure he was dealing with God and that he was carrying out God's Will—or he was afraid to carry out the task because he had low faith. Jesus doesn't seem so keen on signs in Mark 8:11-12 (echoed in Luke 11:29 and Matthew 12:38-39).

From a believer's perspective, I get why Gideon would ask the angel for a sign. There have been plenty of times when I wasn't sure what God wanted me to do and I asked for a sign. However, as I read the passage, I felt annoyed with Gideon. Gideon wants proof that the angel is actually a messenger from God, but even after acquiring this proof, He requests two more signs from God.

Luckily for Gideon, God is patient. The angel commands Gideon to bring an offering out. Gideon retrieves the meat of a young goat, broth, and unleavened cakes for the angel. He places the items on a rock before the angel, who reaches out his staff and performs a magnificent sign. After confirming his identity, the angel leaves. In the text this occurs so abruptly that it read like a "drop the mic" moment to me. Of course, I know that the Angel of the Lord would not be so arrogant. After this, Gideon knows that he was dealing with One and Only God of Abraham.

Upon realizing the truth Gideon calls out the Lord in shock. God further reassures that he will not die—another piece in the seeing God face-to-face puzzle. In reverence, Gideon builds an altar to the Lord and names it Jehovahsalom, which means "Jehovah is peace."^[3]

God instructs Gideon to dismantle the altar to Baal and sacrifice a bull on the new altar. Gideon takes 10 of his servants during the night to commit the act. On the one hand, God's instructions to Gideon come at night, so one could argue Gideon was quick to act on God's command. However, we are told that he "could not do it by day" because he was afraid of those in his father's house and the men of the city. In life, it is very possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason. We have to remember that God will always know our reason. We also have to remember that it is better to be outcasted by men to gain God's favor than to be outcasted by God to gain men's favor.
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Retribution

Of course, just as Gideon feared, the people were very upset when they found the altar destroyed. Someone—likely one of Gideon's servants—tells that it was Gideon who destroyed the altar. With this knowledge, they converge at Joash's house seeking to kill Gideon. When Joash confronts the men, he stands up for his son, stating that Baal should be able to fight his own battles. When the Israelites defiled God's law, He sent punishment as He saw fit. Remember when Aaron's sons offered "strange fire" to God in the tabernacle? The Israelites found them dead; they didn't have to defend God's altar because He did that on his own! Baal had no power.
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Gideon's Army

Not that Israel had tanks back then...
Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Dieter Joel Jagnow

When the Midianite troops begin to gather, the Spirit of God prompts Gideon to form an army for the Israelites. The Spirit of God is likely a reference to the Holy Spirit. Gideon follows God's instruction by sending messengers to the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Zebulun to build the army.
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Signs

Despite taking the first step, Gideon still doubted and asks for a sign (the second sign he's asked for since his first encounter with the angel). This time he is specific about what the sign should be. Gideon places a fleece on the ground and asks God to let dew fall on the fleece but not the ground. As requested, God performs the sign, but Gideon still isn't convinced. Gideon asks for the inverse as a sign. God performs this sign as well.

It was interesting to read this passage because I know I've done this before. When I did this, I knew that if I asked for a specific sign, I wouldn't have to guess about what God was telling me. I can't remember if I ever asked for more that one sign about the same situation, but reading about Gideon's reaction, I felt guilty. Perhaps the first sign was to confirm that he heard God correctly, but the second time he asked for a sign, it was because he didn't like the outcome of the first. Clearly it wasn't coincidence. I know, because I've done that before. When we want to do something (or don't want to do something in this case), we try to bend everything to fit our own goals. We will try to convince ourselves that God approves of our way, even if He is loud and clear about His disapproval. When we feel the need to question what God has spoken, we should reevaluate our own feelings about the situation to ensure they aren't clouding our thoughts about what God has said. Fellowship with other believers may help us to see our own stubbornness as well.
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So Many People

God must have been with Gideon, and Gideon must have had quite an influence over the people, because once his army has assembled, God declares it's too large! It seems counterintuitive to decrease the army size, after all the more people you have the more likely you are to win. In World War II, one of the major factors of the Soviet Union's success was that they had so many soldiers; they suffered more casualties than any other army, but still won.

In Gideon's case, however, the aim wasn't particularly about the victory (which was guaranteed by God); it was about proclaiming God as the sovereign ruler of Israel (and the world). If they won with such a large army, the credit would go to the men of the army and their leader. With a small army, however, people would have to recognize God's hand in the matter. In situations like these, God's presence is only visible to us when the underdog wins.

God instructs Gideon to release those who are fearful and afraid. After Gideon's announcement that they may leave, 22,000 men leave! With 10,000 men staying, that's a little over half that were afraid God wouldn't deliver on His promises. Even so, the 10,000 that remained were still too many for God's plan. To dwindle the army further, God instructs Gideon to take the men to the water and divide them by how they drink. Some bowed to drink, while others lapped the water like dogs. The men who lapped by placing their hand to their mouth were the only people kept for the army. This left Gideon with 300 men. This a much smaller number that would afford God the glory.

This is an interesting passage for two reasons. First, can you imagine the reaction of the 10,000 men when they say that they were being separated by drinking habits (if they caught on), or when they learned that Gideon only needed 300 in battle? People probably thought he had lost his mind. The second interesting element is the number 300. Centuries later, Leonidas would keep only 300 men into the battle of Thermopylae. Why do I find that interesting? The tale of Leonidas and the 300 Spartans is far more popular than that of Gideon. On top of that, despite Leonidas' life and victory only being recorded by one person (like Gideon), many of those who believe Leonidas accomplished this do not believe the Bible.^[1] What makes Herodotus, who wasn't even born when Leonidas was king, a more reliable source in people's minds? Relatedly, Hollywood has convinced us that Leonidas only took 300 men to battle, when in reality about 7,000 men went into battle. When they were betrayed, the army was dismissed and 300 spartans stayed to defend the retreat. Along with those 300 Spartans were men from other Greek city-states. Most of the men, including Leonidas, died.^[2] This makes Gideon's victory all the more impressive! We are told of no casualties, but even if a few men did die, Gideon marched in to battle outnumbered with only 300 men and walked out with a victory.
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Time for the Battle

Gideon gets cold feet before the battle (even after his 3 signs...), so God tells him to sneak in to the enemy camp to listen to their thoughts. Gideon takes a servant with him and discovers that the soldiers of the Midianite army have been having dreams about Gideon's victory. God was doing everything in his power to give Gideon courage despite Gideon's doubt. This is one way we know that God will make sure His Will is carried out. We may try to resist His plan, but He's going to steer us to carry out the action He wants. Our freewill gives us the option of whether we willingly go or if he has to force our hand. That's not to say we are doomed if we have to be forced into making a move. Only God knows a person's heart to determine that outcome. Perhaps it takes that long for the person to find God and when they do, they truly believe. Perhaps, since hindsight is 20/20, the person repents after realizing how stubborn they had been. We do not know, so we cannot say for certain how God views each person's delayed reaction.

What we do know is that God knows exactly what we need to hear and the knowledge that the enemy thought Gideon would win gave Gideon the courage to lead his troops to battle. So much so, that he lead them to battle weaponless! They marched in equipped with only a horn, an empty pitcher, and a lamp. Again, can you imagine the soldiers' reaction when Gideon commanded this? They had to have faith in God to follow this plan. Outnumbered and unarmed?

Gideon divides the men into 3 companies and instructs them to surround the greater army in the night. Seeming to surround the army, Gideon's men make noise and blow their horns on his command. This strategy, along with God's divine help, causes fear and confusion to erupt in the enemy's army. They turn on each other, completing the Israelites' mission for them, and then flee toward the Jordan River. As expected, God's plan didn't require the Israelites to have weapons.

Strangely, Gideon reacts to his victory by calling upon more men. Responding to Gideon's call, the men of Ephraim join them and they pursue the fleeing army. In this continuation of the battle the Ephraimites kill 2 princes of Midian.
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Internal Disputes

After his victory, Gideon has a series of disputes with his own people.

The Ephramites

Despite coming to aid Gideon, the Ephraimites were offended that they had not originally been called upon to help. I'm not sure if they knew the original size of the army and dismal of most of the soldiers, or if they thought only the 300 men with Gideon had been called. Whatever the reasoning behind their offense, Gideon smooths over the hard feelings by reminding them that it is the Ephramites who were given a great victory in killing the 2 princes. This reduces their anger.
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The Men of Succoth and Penuel

Without instruction from God, Gideon announces that he is going after 2 kings of Midian. Since Midian was a confederation, the kings were likely kings of their individual tribes. Gideon travels to Succoth and Penuel in pursuit, but is denied aid by his fellow Israelites. They are doubtful that he can defeat the Midianites. People, especially non-believers will always doubt us when we follow God, even our fellow believers will often cast doubt. However, we are not to let them shake our faith and continue to be an example for those viewing our situation. Instead, Gideon let's his anger overcome him and threatens to destroy their cities.

Gideon moves on with his plan and captures the two kings by defeating their army of 15,000. Judges 8:10 tells us that 120,000 men fell during the weaponless battle. That's right, God led 300 men to defeat 120,000 without weapons. According to Judges 8:4 these same 300 men were the only ones to join Gideon in the second battle agains the 15,000 man army. Thats 5,000 men per soldier! Despite God not being mentioned anywhere in the decision to pursue the army, he had to have a hand in this victory. Likely, God was pleased that Gideon had finally grown a spine and some faith to take the lead in flushing out the Midianites.

Upon his victory, Gideon returns to Succoth and Penuel to make good on his threats. He learns the names of the leaders then kills them. He also destroys their tower as he had threatened. Basically, Gideon attacks his own people. The action is not specifically condemned with in Judges 8, but we see throughout he Bible where God commands us not to be so easily offended or angered. I'm quite convinced that God was not pleased with this action. Earlier in Judges 6, when Gideon destroys the altar, Baal's weakness is highlighted in his inability to defend himself. Even earlier in Judges, we see God curse a city of men for not joining Deborah and Barak in battle. Thus, if God's anger had been kindled against the men of Succoth and Penuel for their unwillingness to help Gideon, he would have handled the situation.
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On a Personal Note

²¹Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: ²²But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.Matthew 5:21-22 KJV

As someone who is prone to outbursts of anger, this passage meant a lot to me. In many ways I could see my similarities to Gideon, which made me want to fix them sooner rather than later. While I can't imagine that I would be so angry I came back to kill someone, I can see me having a lot to say about the situation. Jesus tells us not to be angry without a cause in Matthew 5, but as a person with a short temper, I can say that not everything we feel is a cause is actually a cause. When I was younger and had less control over my temper, I would often look back and think "Why was I even mad about that?"; this is what Jesus means when He says angry without cause. Similarly, people hold grudges even after someone has apologized; since we are commanded to forgive as Jesus forgives us, this too is anger without cause. Whether or not Gideon had cause to be angry is between him and God; I would wager that it rests on whether his anger stemmed from the men doubting him (vanity and arrogance) or the men doubting God's ability to lead him to victory. Nonetheless, I never want to be that angry.
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Ruling

After all if this, the people of Israel ask Gideon and his line to rule over them, but in a surprising display of humility, Gideon refuses. Gideon announces that God should (and will) rule over them. However, Gideon does ask for riches from the people. These riches cause his own house to fall into idolatry. Gideon has 71 sons. Obviously these sons are by many different women, something that was forbidden of a ruler (Deuteronomy 17:17). Perhaps Gideon's reason for refusing the offer to rule was his love for women and treasure. One of his sons, Abimelech, is featured in the next chapters. While we are told that Israel experiences 40 years of peace after Gideon's victory, it seems that they never turn away from sin during this period.
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References

1. History.com Staff. "Leonidas". History.com, A+E Networks. 2009
2. "Battle of Thermopylae". Wikipedia. 2016
3. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 423. 2014