Symbolism in the life of Gideon with the New Testament.
If we read the story of Gideon in the Old Testament, we see quite a few symbolism towards the New Testament and towards the Great Commission that God called us too.
Gideon sent messengers to call all the Israelites, into the battle against Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East who had encamped against them in the Valley of Jezreel (Judges 6:33-35). So also the Lord Jesus Christ called out to save us and entrusted us with the Great Commission.
Now how do we know we are doing God's will and love him, this is specifically mentioned in the book of Matthew about the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), where he will keep the sheep on the right and the goat on the left on the day of judgement. The sheep are the one who do the Lord's will , one's who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, cloth the naked, visit the sick, or look to help those who are in prison. Being in prison also means in the prison of Satan and those who bring the Good News, look after them in this prison.
As in the case of story of Gideon only a few(300 men) remained to fight this battle as God chosen ones or doer's, rest remained as watchers, separated out for 2 reasons.
1) Fear (Judges 7:3) people left because of fear and only 10,000 remained.
2) Putting their needs before the Kingdom of God . The second group was tested by Lord. as below.
And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home...(Judges 7:4-7)
Those who knelt down are those who bend down to their needs and the work for the Lord is secondary to them.
Those who lapped the water, are those who are focused on God's kingdom, and lapped up the blessings as it came by. The important point here is that the men themselves didn't know they were being tested showing that God knows the heart although we might have a different opinion about ourselves.
The "Valley of Jezreel" symbolizes the camp of Satan where the enemy has assembled, to work against the Kingdom of God. As in the days of Gideon we see that the enemy camp dream of a cake of barley which is very light and of no significance coming to the enemy camp and destroying it turning it upside down, so also today an insignificant thing as the "Word of God"which the world calls as foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18) has the capability to come against the works of Satan for this world and the children of God.
When Gideon heard of his victory in the dream he does the following things.
1) He Worshipped God.
2) Returned to his camp.
3) Prepared his people for the battle.
He prepare the people in 2 ways (Judges 7:16).
1) Put trumpets in their hand to blow.
2) Gave them empty jars with torches inside those jars to break and the lights to shine forth.
Trumpets are instruments of proclamation of war, peace, urgency, joyfulness and are found both in Old and New testaments. In the New Testament we also are exhorted as ambassadors of God to blow the trumpet of the Good News to the sinful world.
The symbolism of jars are only found in the New Testament given by Paul as treasures in the jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7-9). In this story the men with Gideon broke the jars with the torches inside which exposed its light and brought confusion to the Satan's Army, and they started annihilating each other. So also we are exhorted to break open the jars of the Treasures of the "Word of God" within our heart which shall overcome the Satanic rule and his realm over the children of God(Judges 7:19-22). While doing this the men cried “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:20), though there was no sword here but a supernatural help from God, which destroyed the enemies.
So to conclude we should be doers rather than watchers in the Kingdom of God.
If we read the story of Gideon in the Old Testament, we see quite a few symbolism towards the New Testament and towards the Great Commission that God called us too.
Gideon sent messengers to call all the Israelites, into the battle against Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East who had encamped against them in the Valley of Jezreel (Judges 6:33-35). So also the Lord Jesus Christ called out to save us and entrusted us with the Great Commission.
Now how do we know we are doing God's will and love him, this is specifically mentioned in the book of Matthew about the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), where he will keep the sheep on the right and the goat on the left on the day of judgement. The sheep are the one who do the Lord's will , one's who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, cloth the naked, visit the sick, or look to help those who are in prison. Being in prison also means in the prison of Satan and those who bring the Good News, look after them in this prison.
As in the case of story of Gideon only a few(300 men) remained to fight this battle as God chosen ones or doer's, rest remained as watchers, separated out for 2 reasons.
1) Fear (Judges 7:3) people left because of fear and only 10,000 remained.
2) Putting their needs before the Kingdom of God . The second group was tested by Lord. as below.
And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home...(Judges 7:4-7)
Those who knelt down are those who bend down to their needs and the work for the Lord is secondary to them.
Those who lapped the water, are those who are focused on God's kingdom, and lapped up the blessings as it came by. The important point here is that the men themselves didn't know they were being tested showing that God knows the heart although we might have a different opinion about ourselves.
The "Valley of Jezreel" symbolizes the camp of Satan where the enemy has assembled, to work against the Kingdom of God. As in the days of Gideon we see that the enemy camp dream of a cake of barley which is very light and of no significance coming to the enemy camp and destroying it turning it upside down, so also today an insignificant thing as the "Word of God"which the world calls as foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18) has the capability to come against the works of Satan for this world and the children of God.
When Gideon heard of his victory in the dream he does the following things.
1) He Worshipped God.
2) Returned to his camp.
3) Prepared his people for the battle.
He prepare the people in 2 ways (Judges 7:16).
1) Put trumpets in their hand to blow.
2) Gave them empty jars with torches inside those jars to break and the lights to shine forth.
Trumpets are instruments of proclamation of war, peace, urgency, joyfulness and are found both in Old and New testaments. In the New Testament we also are exhorted as ambassadors of God to blow the trumpet of the Good News to the sinful world.
The symbolism of jars are only found in the New Testament given by Paul as treasures in the jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7-9). In this story the men with Gideon broke the jars with the torches inside which exposed its light and brought confusion to the Satan's Army, and they started annihilating each other. So also we are exhorted to break open the jars of the Treasures of the "Word of God" within our heart which shall overcome the Satanic rule and his realm over the children of God(Judges 7:19-22). While doing this the men cried “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:20), though there was no sword here but a supernatural help from God, which destroyed the enemies.
So to conclude we should be doers rather than watchers in the Kingdom of God.
