In Judges 7, Gideon is being used by God to free the people of Israel from Midianite oppressors. God had cut down his force from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300, but God is getting ready to do something amazing.
v7 – The Lord said to Gideon, ‘I will deliver you with three hundred men…’
v9 – The Lord said, ‘Get up and attack the camp, for I have handed it over to you.’
I love that God knows us, and when he has already made provision he still gives instruction. He told him to go, but knew what Gideon was feeling, so without a pause immediately says,
v10 – But if you are afraid to attack the camp, go down…(to the camp) 11 Listen to what they say, and you will be encouraged to attack the camp
Encouragement to Go and DO as God says, is my whole point today.
So, Gideon goes down, not to attack, but to Listen… You have to see the picture. It’s night, and an army is like a swarm of locusts and their camels innumerable as the sand
He goes down the edge of camp with his servant and v13 says, there was a man telling his friend about a dream… ‘I had a dream: a LOAF OF BARLEY BREAD came tumbling into the Midianite camp, struck a tent and it fell. The LOAF turned the tent upside down so it collapsed.‘ v14 His friend says, ‘this is… the sword of Gideon, son of Joash… God has handed the entire camp to him.’
We need to know that God can do ANYTHING, use ANYONE, if we will go and do as he says.
I chased this rabbit a little and Josephus is credited as saying that a loaf of barley bread, “men can hardly eat for its coarseness. Barley was “the poor man’s food and less desirable.”
Now, the Midianites had been watching all year as they planted and raised good wheat, and then would come in with their mass of men, and steal all they had like locusts. So Israel was left only with what the locusts wouldn’t eat or couldn’t carry off. They were left with the hard grain barely, poor people’s food. Josephus even says that Israelites were negatively referred to as “barley eaters”.
Yet a Barley Loaf, was dreamt rolling into the camp and wiping them all out.
My mind then jumped to John 6 when a massive crowd of thousands is following Jesus, and they were hungry. Jesus asks the question of his disciples, v5 “where will we BUY bread so that these people can eat?”. We are immediately told in v6 that he was testing them with this question.
Philip said, two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each to have a little. That’s eight months wages… not enough.
Now you put that with Gideon’s 300 men against a swarm of attackers, and they are just like a poor man’s loaf of barley bread – yet they take down the enemies.
So, Jesus, 1150 years later on the shores of Galilee, wanting to feed thousands in John 6, and good old Andrew, such a practical, “let’s see what we can do” guy, in v9 says ‘there’s a boy here who has Five Barley Loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?’
Lord, we have Five Barley Loaves…
Then if you have a “red-letter” bible, Jesus is recorded as saying two things, ‘have the people sit down’… ‘collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.’
In between those two sentences, he took the Barley Loaves and little bait fish, blessed them, and distributed them – as much as they wanted… when they were full
Wow – as an old gospel song used to say, “Little is Much when God is In It”
The simplest, poorest thing we have is powerful when God has it in HIS hands and we give it freely and use as he instructs.
Then I must connect the next day – they all came again looking for Jesus and he says, ‘you come because you ate the loaves… but don’t work for food that perishes but for food that lasts for eternal life.
They were filled with poor boys food, touched by Jesus, but now v35 I am the bread of life… comes to men never hungry
He goes on a long explanation, I am the living bread… the one who eats lives forever… and yet that day many turned back and never followed him again. God in Christ IS the Bread We Seek.
We may not think we are much, and we are right. We may be Barley Loaves, but God does Transformative things with “poor man’s bread” if we will believe and come
BONUS POST – I wrote this a year ago and just noticed it still sitting in my “draft” folder – so here it it…
John 7:38 says The one who believes in me, as the scripture says, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.
It’s a great conditional message here. They were in the “feast of shelters” where they remembered the wilderness wandering. They came together for a camping party basically. They had daily fires, times of remembrance for what God had done leading them out of bondage into the Land of Promise.
So if you go back to v37, “on the last and most important day of the festival… Leviticus 23:34-35 instructs that they didn’t work for a week. They had a sacred assembly to start, presented daily food offerings – which was food presented to the Lord but eaten “in his presence”. Then on the 8th day they had another sacred assembly and greatest food offering. Deuteronomy 16:13-14 says,Rejoice during your festival – son and daughter – male and female – slave and Levite, resident alien, fatherless, and the widow – i.e. EVERYONE
So they ate and celebrated for 8 days, then on the 8th day, Jesus says, if anyone is thisty let him Come and Drink…
James Freeman / Harold Chadwick’s book New Manners and Customs of the Bible says that traditionally every day a priest would go to the pool of Siloam and draw water in a Gold Pitcher – Singers and Musicians, the People, would be with him. They would come to the Temple and with 3 Horn Blasts, he would pour water into a bowl that was on the western side of the Altar.
That bowl had 3 holes and so the singular water source would run out in 3 Streams on the Altar. What was the symbolism?
the water provided in the desert
the promised “latter rain” – blessing to come
the Holy Spirit would come with the Messiah
Well, that was nice – but did it quench their thirst? – NO – Of course, though they had been feasting, drink included for 7 days.
Jesus then offers a conditional promise here on Day 7.
if anyone… COME to me
Believes in me
Then Streams of living water flow from deep within
And in vv40-52 people have different thoughts about Jesus here – Some said, this is a prophet. Others said, this is the Messiah. Others said, the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee. It then says the crowd was divided and some wanted to seize him.
But very interestingly v53 says, then each one went to his own home. and 8:1 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives
Wow – Thirsty, Festive, Worshipers, but no one came to Jesus.
we must Leave to Come
we must Believe in Him – Who He is, What He has
Then we can LIVE – Streams of living water deep within
I just was in El Salvador, my 12th trip over 17 years. I’ve been preaching for 46 years… why? Because Living water deep within comes to those who BELIEVE.
It’s a stream so it’s alive, it’s flowing. Sometimes stagnant water can get contaminated, but this has life within. it is life-giving, life-changing.
I know a friend who was oppressed by the enemy, by alcohol’s attempt to quench his thirst, his life was falling apart. He came to me many years ago and said, “I want to be free”. We Came to Jesus. He confessed his belief in the Lord, received God’s forgiveness in Christ. We rejected the evil that was attacking him, and Life Came.
Oh yes, there were struggles, just like Paul in Romans 7, and there will always be those on this earth. But Streams of Living Water Flow.
Today he is sober, he is full of Jesus, he has a wife, children, and serves the Kingdom – Why? Because Streams of Living Water Follow, and they are deep within him.
Do you ever wonder if maybe you heard God wrong? Or maybe you were slow in getting started, or unexpected obstacles arose, or uncontrollable circumstances arose. Maybe you’ve gone too far the wrong way. Now, you feel like perhaps you’ve lost your chance? Well Abram knew that feeling.
God gave him a clear call and a clear promise in Genesis 12: The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you 2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; … 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land”…
But a lot had happened since then. Abram had been through famine, war, faced Pharaohs and Kings, he had lied and cheated to protect himself. He had worshipped the Lord, had displeased the Lord. 20 years had passed, and Abram wondered, “Is the Deal still on?” “Have I missed my chance”? “Have I Disqualified myself”?
READ Genesis 15:1-7
The Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision…Do not be afraid, I am your shield, Your reward will be very great.
There are some important truths for us to consider, First:
1. Don’t Settle for Less than the Vision of God
Don’t Be Afraid
Don’t Let Fear make You impatient
Don’t in impatience make your ownway when the promise seems “slow” in coming to pass. God does not delay, he is not slow, that’s what 2 Peter 3:8-9 teaches. God’s clock runs differently from ours, and it also runs PERFECTLY. Fear is often the issue and is manifested in Lack of Trust
God says, “do not be afraid, I am your shield, and great reward“
We talked about fear a few weeks ago. Fear is based on lies we believe:
I’m alone – no one knows
I’m unable – I can’t
I’m uninformed – I don’t know how
I’m unloved – no one cares
Those are lies, but we think they are true… Yet God says: DO NOT BE AFRAID
God says here: “DON’T be Afraid.” How do we fight fear? With FAITH!
Make Sure the Path Leads you to God’s Vision
God had promised him a “great nation” and “offspring”. Abram thinks that he must have “heard God wrong” or “missed his chance”, so he needed to find another way. I don’t think he was mad at God, but just resigned himself to doing things a different way.
You have given me no children… So a servant … will be my heir
He was going to make Eliezer his “son” and heir. Eliezer was a good man, Abram’s most trusted and faithful servant. This was a “good plan”, but Eliezer, good as he was, was no more than a SUBSTITUTE for God’s Best!!
In his book, “Good to Great“, Jim Collins says “Good is the enemy of great.”
“We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life. The vast majority of companies never become great, precisely because the vast majority become quite good — and that is their main problem.” Collins writes, “That good is the enemy of great is not just a business problem. It is a human problem. If we have cracked the code on the question of good to great, good schools might become great schools. Good newspapers might become great newspapers. Good churches might become great churches.”
God’s path is always GREAT
Be Honest About Your Reservations
Sometimes we get Stuck because we won’t be honest about where we are. We say the right thing. Make appearances of doing the right thing, but aren’t honest with God about our reservations, frustrations, fears, anger, with others and even with God.
V2 – Abram says, Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless… Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.
Abram doubts his ability not God’s ability. “Lord I’ve been willing, I left my hometown, I’ve come with you on this journey, but here we are, 20 years later, and we are past the opportunity. You didn’t give it and I can’t do it.”
If you’ve come to the end of your rope… if you’ve tapped out your resources… if you no longer have anything to offer… Then maybe God has your right where he needs you.
2. Take a Second Look at God’s Vision
I Am Your Shield
15:4 now the word of the Lord came to him… this one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.
When God gives us a word, it may seem impossible, but if it is God’s word, he’s not looking for our help, or a different plan. He’s not looking for our permission to change the process.
If it seems unbelievable, that’s what God does.
Step Outside The Tent
Sometimes it’s hard to see from INSIDE. It’s hard to see past the “reality”.
Abram looked around the tent and all he could see was no children, no blessing, no fulfillment of the vision. Inside the tent, you can only see so far. Inside the tent our view is limited, our imagination is limited. Inside the tent you are blinded from seeing the beauty of the vision.
God took him outside the Tent
An Unimaginable vision of God.
V5 Look at the Sky.
Stop looking at what is NOT and look at what IS. Look at what God has already done, and imagine what he can do.
“Count the Stars“
– you can only get a glimpse, the gist, an idea, but you can’t even understand it. It’s imagined that IF he COULD count the stars visible they would number more than 4000, but in reality the stars in the field of vision would be more than 50,000.
If you are able to count them… your offspring will be that numerous
Abraham’s offspring included those who would be his by family birth. But they also included those spiritually who would follow his way. Those who would become “sons of Abraham”, Paul called them.
If you are able to count them…
You can count the apples in a tree. And you can count the seeds in an apple. But who can count the apples in a seed? Until the story of life is over, you never can count the apples in that one seed.
God’sways truly are higher than ours
Isaiah 55:8–9 (CSB)
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9“For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
The Vision of God will be glorious and beautiful
His Vision will inspire others who view it displayed in You
3. You Can Believe The Promise of God
Your Reward Will Be Great
The only thing that God required of Abram was
Believe and Walk in the Promise
The “currency” that Heaven recognizes is FAITH
Hebrews 11:1 (CSB)
1Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.
Then Hebrews 11, lists the “Hall of Fame of Faith”. It tells the story of those Saints of Old who were faithful to follow God. None of them were perfect, but they were full of Faith. Not full of excellence, not full of strength, not full of talent, or so many things we might list. But they had FAITH.
And then Hebrews 12 continues
Hebrews 12:1–2 (CSB)
1Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
How do we join the Hall of Fame of Faith? Were they “SUPER-SPIRITUAL”? No, they were real, they struggled, they waivered, they fell down.
“Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness”
believed – means confirm/trust
credited – parallel to a bookkeeping transfer, like an item is moved from one column to another. Abraham’s faith is moved into the column of Righteousness
Romans 4:17–21 (CSB)
17As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations— in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. 18He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be. 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to do.
He believed based on the Power and Faithfulness of the One making the promise
See it as alreadycompleted
Paul speaks of us as believers in Romans 8 and says that those he “foreknew, he predestined, called, justified and glorified” All of those things are in the Past Tense, COMPLETED. Before we ever knew, it was already true in God’s mind.
So…
Live in it untilGod brings it to fulfillment
Abraham so fully believed here; that years later when he was called to Sacrifice Isaac, he carried on without even a doubt because he believed God was going to fulfill his promise, and it wasn’t hinging on Isaac, but on God.
Before Faith flowered, Abraham saw God’s promise based on his own ability, but AFTER Faith was credited as Righteousness, he lived ACCORDING to it, then he knew That the promise wasn’t based on him, it wasn’t on Isaac, the Promise was Based ON GOD the Giver of the Promise.
Faith is what pleases God.
Everything else is a byproduct of the fact that you believe him.
John 6:27–29 (CSB)
27Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.” 28“What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked. 29Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”
If you’re current situation doesn’t seem to fit the vision, trust the God of the vision in spite of the nature of the circumstance.
Remember what he’s alreadydone for you
Abram had to become a NOBODY before God could work through him.
“I brought you From…”
Oh my don’t forget where you have been, from wince you come
Ur was a place of false worshipers, idol worshipers, it was the area of Nimrods people.
I brought –
You didn’t get to God by anything you have done
I brought you
You didn’t leave because you thought of it
I brought – yatsa = to come, to go forth
I brought you FROM
– The heart of the message of the Gospel is “REPENT” – come FROM where you are …
I the Lord brought you from Ur… TO GIVE you this land to possess
Oh yes, Lord. The call of God is based on HIS Promise, on His Power, Based on his GRACE
To give you this land to POSSESS
Nehemiah 9:7–8 (CSB)
7You, the Lord, are the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and changed his name to Abraham. 8You found his heart faithful in your sight, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites…
God says, “I wanted to save you because I had a plan that included YOU
God says, “because of my power I delivered and continue to deliver you”
He didn’t have to do anything, but it was his GRACE, working in Abram’s life that gave him what he didn’t deserve. He brought him to a place of promise and blessed him over and over.
WillyougoOutside the Tent with God?
Jeremiah 31:16–17 (CSB)
16This is what the Lord says: Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come— this is the Lord’s declaration— and your children will return from the enemy’s land. 17There is hope for your future— this is the Lord’s declaration— and your children will return to their own territory.
Will You Believe?
Walk in Faith?
Don’t Be Afraid – BELIEVE
I Am Your Shield – Rest In Me
Your Reward Will Be Great –– I Have Your Reward – I Am Your Reward – Your Reward is GREAT
Pastor Goforth 