Let's shout! It's Yom Teruah!

Did you know that God commands us to rejoice and make noise? Indeed, Yom Teruah, also knows as the Feast of Trumpets and Rosh Hashanah, is a wonderful celebration in which we come together to worship the God of Israel with shouts of joy and with blasts on the shofar as we look forward to the second coming of our Messiah. This year, Yom Teruah begins at sundown on Sunday, September 29.

In the Bible, God commands us to come together and celebrate on certain days during the year. These biblical feast days are broken down into two seasons--the four spring feast days and the three fall feast days. (See Leviticus 23 for a complete overview of the feasts.) Yom Teruah marks the beginning of the fall feasts. The name Yom Teruah means day of shouting or making a noise. This day has later become known as Rosh Hashanah, which means head of the year. It is the beginning of the civil year on the Jewish calendar. According to Jewish tradition, Yom Teruah is the anniversary commemorating the creation of Adam and Chavah (Eve). It is a day to reflect on our special relationship with the God of the universe and recommit to walking in our created purpose--that is, sanctifying the name of God in this world and bringing Him glory.

Yom Teruah, along with the rest of God's feasts, is called an appointed time (moed). It is a special time that God told us to remember and celebrate every year. With that said, the following is a list of ways in which you can make this amazing holy day part of your life.


1. Observe the Season of Teshuvah
On the Hebrew calendar, the month before the fall feast days is called Elul. In Judaism, this month is traditionally associated with the theme of repentance, or in Hebrew teshuvah. It is a time of introspection, reconciliation and preparation. The season of teshuvah begins at the beginning of Elul and goes all the way to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). The word teshuvah means to "return". The goal of the entire season is simply to "return" to God. In other words, we are to restore unhindered fellowship with Him.


2. Blow the Shofar
In Leviticus 23:24, we are told that Yom Teruah is a memorial proclaimed with a blast of trumpets. The Hebrew word for trumpet is shofar, which is an ancient musical instrument made of a ram's horn. Yom Teruah celebrations should consist of making lots and lots of noise on the shofar! As believers in Messiah, the shofar blast is done in anticipation for the second coming of Messiah who will return at the sound of the trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:16).


3. Don't do any ordinary work
Yom Teruah is called a day of rest. It is a high Sabbath. Therefore, you must not do any work on this day. This is an easy mitzvah (good deed) to do on Yom Teruah. Simply enjoy God's gift of rest and remember the ultimate rest we have in our Savior. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29).


4. Have a holy convocation
Yom Teruah is all about community. Therefore, if at all possible, make every effort to be part of a congregation on this day. If there is no congregation in your local area, then get together with a small group of family, friends or perhaps a Bible study group. Together, enjoy the many fun traditions attached to this feast and make this a day of praise and worship to our King.


5. Have a tashlich ceremony
Tashlich is a beautiful tradition. On the afternoon of Yom Teruah, God's people gather together to throw breadcrumbs or small rocks into a river (or any flowing body of water). This tradition symbolizes God's forgiveness through Jesus and how He casts our sins into the depths of the sea as mentioned in the book of Micah.

"Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not retain His anger forever because He delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:18-19)

Since Rosh Hashanah is regarded as the head of the year, this is also a great time to make "New Year's Resolutions". The month of Elul leading up to the fall feasts is supposed to be a time of introspection. In fact, in Aramaic, the word Elul means "to search". During this season of teshuvah, we are to ask God to search us and expose anything in our lives that offends Him. Therefore, your breadcrumbs or small rocks can represent particular sins, addictions or even certain character deficiencies (such as being easily frustrated or have a tendency to be prideful). This tradition symbolizes the act of throwing things away and allowing God to work in your life to change you.


6. Read the story of binding of Isaac
It is customary on Yom Teruah to read and reflect on the binding of Isaac (see Genesis 22). God commanded Abraham, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall tell you" (Genesis 22:2). This is the first mention of the word "love" in the Bible, and it is connected to the picture of a father offering his only son.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whomever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

The blowing of the shofar on Yom Teruah reminds us of how God provided a ram in Isaac's place as an offering to God (Genesis 22:13). As believers in Jesus, it also reminds us of how the Messiah died in our place to free us from the death we deserve due to our sins. There are many Messianic pictures found throughout this incredible story. Here are some of the interesting parallels which exist between Jesus and Isaac.

1). Both had a miraculous birth (Genesis 21:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25).
2). Both were the only son of their fathers (Genesis 22:2, John 3:16).
3). Both carried the wood for their own sacrifices (Genesis 22:6, John 19:17).
4). Both were delivered from death on the third day (Genesis 22:4, 1 Corinthians 15:4).

7. Eat a festive meal
Last, but not least, no feast day is complete without having a feast! On Yom Teruah, it is customary to eat apple slices dipped in honey, symbolizing our hopes for a "sweet" new year. The eating of a honey-dipped apple is done in anticipation for when Jesus returns at the sound of a trumpet and brings His people into a "land flowing with milk and honey".

Shanah Tovah (Have a good year), friends! May your Yom Teruah celebration be blessed!

Judges Chapter 7 Part One (Verses 1-11)

THE BATTLE AGAINST MIDIAN
A. Israel's small army is too big for God to use

1. (Judges 7:1-3) God tells Gideon to tell all his soldiers who are afraid to go home
Then Jerubbaal (that is Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Herod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. The LORD said to Giedon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.' Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, 'Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.'" So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.

Then Jerubbaal (that is Gideon) and all the people who were with him: Verse one explains how the opposing forces were arrayed. This scenario is quite different than what it was with Joshua and the Israelite army against the Canaanites. Joshua and his men were trained fighters. Here, the Israelite fighters are strictly a militia of farmers, herders, craftsmen, merchants, etc., who had little to no fighting experience. The Midianites and Amalekites, on the other hand, were nomadic raiders and bandits. They were not a trained and disciplined army. However, they were huge in numbers and were hardened fighters.

The spring of Herod: Israel's men were located south of the Midianites near the spring of Herod at the foot of Mount Gilead. (Herod is most likely just a tribal or clan name given to that specific spring.)

The camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley: The Midianites were located north near the Hill of Moreh. The phrase "in the valley" is referring to the Jezreel Valley. This is the place the nomadic forces seemed to prefer each each when they came and raided the land.

Note: The Jezreel Valley is central to almost every battle concerning Israel and the Promised Land. Barak won the Jezreel Valley from King Jabin approximately 50 years earlier. When the Bible speaks of the end-times battle of Armageddon, in reality, the battle is going to take place in the Jezreel Valley. Har Megiddo (translated as the mountain of Megiddo and called Armageddon in English) is merely a mountain which overlooks the valley of the great battle.

The people who are with you are too many for Me: In a kind of ironic twist, verse two tell us that God will now test Gideon; whereas, earlier Gideon tested God twice. The LORD says that Gideon has too many troops. God states that if a victory is achieved with a large fighting force, Israel will claim they won the battle by their own might, courage and strength. God wants Israel to understand that it is HE who is the One who gives Israel victories. Thus, all glory should be given to Him. The LORD tells Gideon that any man who is afraid to go to battle should leave camp.

This command is in accordance with God's Torah: "When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. He shall say to them, 'Hear O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save.' The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, 'Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it. Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in battle and another man would begin to use its fruit. And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in battle and another man would marry her.' Then the officers Shall speak further to the people and say, 'Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers' hearts melt like his heart.'" (Deuteronomy 20:2-8)

Fear is contagious. It can have disastrous and demoralizing effects on an army, which can result in mass chaos, panic and desertion. It is best that those who are fainthearted leave the militia.

Side Story:
This reminds me of going to camp as a child. I thought leaving my home and living in the great outdoors with other girls my own age sounded like a grand adventure. Soon after arriving at camp, one girl became very homesick. She would cry and moan about how she missed her home--oh the food she could eat at home, her bed, her family, etc. Soon, like a deadly plague, homesickness spread quickly throughout the camp. Girl after girl suddenly remembered all the good things about being at home. I often wondered if that one girl had not started lamenting about being away from home, would all the other girls have been free from this psychological affliction? The one girl's broken heart put a damper on a week which should have been filled with lots of fun, joy and laughter.

So 22,000 returned but 10,000 remained: It seems God knew that one person who feared going to battle could quickly demoralize an entire army. Of the 32,000 men who showed up for battle, only 10,000 valiant men remained to fight God's Holy War.


2. (Judges 7:4-8) Gideon must separate the men according to a particular test
Then the LORD said to Gideon, "The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, "You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink." Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water. Then the LORD said to Gideon, "I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the people go, each to his own home." So the 300 men took the people's provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below them in the valley.

The people are still too many: The LORD tells Gideon that his military is still too large. He needs to reduce the number of fighters to a smaller number. God says that He will not make Gideon choose, but God will devise a test and select for Himself His elite fighting force. Gideon tested God twice. Now God is going to test Gideon twice.

So he brought the people down to the river: God tells Gideon to take his men down to a river so they can drink water. How they drink the water will be the determining factor.

The logistics of the test:
When the men stoop over to drink from the river, they will all have to go down on their knees because there is no other natural or practical way to drink from a body of running water. However, there are two general ways to proceed. One, a man could use his hands as a cup and lap up the water from his hands. Or two, he could bend over and put his mouth in the water. The general idea behind this test is that those who make a cup with their hands are alert and do not put down their guard even to get a drink of water. Whereas, the other group, when they bend over and put their mouth in the water, they lose sight of their surroundings. They could easily be ambushed by the enemy. The group which kept his head up would intrinsically be better fighters.

Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men: The first test let the fearful go home. The second test eliminated those who were careless. The end result was that a mere 300 men were selected. This was the right number of people for the LORD'S army. Only 1% who willingly came to fight for Gideon would be used.

(This is a goof lesson for us. Even if we are called to a project or an activity, we may not be used. Although we may feel like we have wasted our time, it is essential for us to show up. You never know when God might choose you to be part of the 1% He is going to use.)

What makes this number more astounding is the size of the forces they were going to face was about 135,000 people (Judges 8:10). This is a ratio of more than 400 Midianites to every Israelite soldier. Why would the LORD insist on such an outlandish tactic? Verse two says, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.'"

The Lord wanted to make this idolatrous generation of Israel acutely aware that He is still there, and He is still watching, He is still acting and He is still delivering His people. God is still the Israelite's God. He still loves them, despite their unfaithfulness to Him. Even though Gideon was skeptical about it all, he still obeyed God. When we step out of our comfort zones by the leading of the LORD, He does not expect us to be comfortable. That is the whole point. If it was not uncomfortable, then we have merely stepped from one comfort zone to another. The idea is that we do UNcomfortable things in faith. Do not think that when facing grueling challenges, and you have fears and worries along the way that you do not have sufficient faith. Ask any soldier who has even been in combat if he was afraid. He will tell you "ABSOLUTELY!" The heart of the issue is controlling that fear and still functioning. We are not to dismiss it.

With this all said, Gideon needed to appear confident among his men. Nothing frightens troops more than a wavering leader.


3. (Judges 7:9-11) Gideon must spy on the camp of the Midianites and find encouragement
Now the same night it came about that the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp." So he went with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp.

Now the same night it came about that the LORD said to him: It seems that Gideon needed yet another sign to boost his confident. The LORD was merciful to provide it since He knew every thought that Gideon harbored deep within his heart. God tells Gideon that if he is STILL concerned about what lay ahead, he should take a man named Purah with him. They should sneak down the hillside below where the enemy was camped and listen to what was being said.

So he went with Purah his servant: Purah is derived from the Hebrew word for branch. Purah can also mean young man. It seems Purah was most likely Gideon's armor-bearer.

Seek Him while He may be found. The King is in the field!

The month of Elul, the last month of the Hebrew secular calendar year, is an auspicious time for repentance, prayer and introspection. These are special days of Divine mercy, and the very essence of these days emphasizes the basic need for closeness with God, and His immediate and unequivocal response. This year, the month of Elul corresponds to the Gregorian calendar month of September. (For example, September 1 is the first day of the month of Elul.)


Elul has a history of being a time prepared for forgiveness:
Following the episode of the Golden Calf and God's subsequent forgiveness of the people, Moses ascended Mount Sinai again on the first day of the month of Elul and remained there for 40 days. He descended on the 10th day of the month of Tishrei, also known as the Day of Atonement and Yom Kippur. As Moses climbed down the mountain, in his hands were the second set of tablets and the promise of atonement and forgiveness. Every year, this 40-day period is repeated and brings with it the opportunity and challenge to prepare ourselves for the awesome experience of the fast approaching High Holy Days (Yom Teruah (September 30), Yom Kippur (October 9) and the Feast of Sukkot (October 14-21)) where every descendant of Adam--each and every human being and every nation--will be judged.

Elul (אלול) is also an acronym for the Hebrew אני לדודי ודודי לי (ani l'dodi v'dodi li) which translated means "I am beloved's and my beloved is mine" (Song of Songs 6:3). These words from the Song of Songs are the theme of this special month--we are to realize how beloved we are to God and how precious our relationship with Him is. Elul reminds us God constantly beckons us to return to Him. During this month, we seek to improve our relationship with God and with each other.

A person can repent at any time of year, but the days of Elul are days of special Divine mercy. It is a time which is especially conducive to repentance and making amends. "Seek the LORD when He is found, call Him when He is near" (Isaiah 55:6). Elul is a time when God is near.

The great Hebrew sages call Elul the time when "the King is in the field". The analogy is this: a great and powerful king pays a surprise visit to his subjects while they are working in their fields. For the average man, the king is inaccessible. He is away in his palace, distant and removed. The average citizen never dreams he will actually see the king, let alone speak with him. Then, suddenly, one day, while the man is bent over doing his menial labor in the field, he feels a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turns around and to his shock, it is the king who is standing over him! The king has come to visit, explaining he wanted to be close to his loyal subjects, to investigate their situation and give them the opportunity to ask for their needs. This is meaning of Elul; this is the time to call out to Him.

A unique Biblical insight also ties this concept directly to the place of the Holy Temple based on the verse: "And Isaac went out to pray in the field towards evening, and he raised his eyes and saw, and behold! Camels were coming. And Rebecca raised her eyes and saw Isaac..." (Genesis 24:63-64). According to tradition, the patriarch Isaac established the daily afternoon prayer service, and the "field" where Isaac went to pray was none other than Mount Moriah, the place chosen by God from the beginning of time for the Holy Temple.

Elul is a good time for repentance of every sort--on an individual level, a national level and a global level. The science (or rather the art) of repentance (teshuva) is not just about turning away from sin and from its negative actions, but repentance is turning back to God. One of the Hebrew words for sin is chet, which in Hebrew means "to go astray". Thus the idea of repentance is to return back to God and return to the path of righteousness.

If we want to repent, Scripture tells us we need to turn back to God, and then God will turn back to us. We cannot believe God will forgive us if we first do not come back to Him.

"Therefore, thus says the LORD, 'If you return, then I will restore you--before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them'" (Jeremiah 15:19).

"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 1:3).

"'From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statues and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,' says the LORD of hosts. 'But you say, "How shall we return?"'" (Malachi 3:7)

Two types of sin:
There are two categories of sin:
1. Sins against God
2. Sins against other people

These two classifications of sin are mentioned when a lawyer asks Jesus what is the greatest commandment. "One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'You shall love the LORD Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:36-40).





The process of repentance, as laid out by the scholar Maimonides, includes three stages: confession, regret and a vow to not repeat the misdeed. The true penitent, Maimonides says, is the one who finds himself with the opportunity to commit the same sin again and yet declines to do so. According to Jewish tradition, only sins against God can be atoned for through confession, regret and promising not to repeat the action. Sins against other people can only be atoned for once the wrong has been made right, i.e., the victim forgives the sinner.

Jesus utters very similar words when teaching His disciplines: "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not commit murder' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering" (Matthew 5:21-24).

During the month of Elul, prayers are to be offered in the plural, emphasizing we are all interconnected. We are all one body and should one member hurt, we are all diminished. ("And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it" 1 Corinthians 12:26.) Our repentance means we honestly examine ourselves and repair any breach we have created in our relationships. ("Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much" James 5:16.)



True repentance is a constant, daily spiritual growth. The repentance of Elul is manifest by the desire to deepen the recognition of our relationship with God and to grow closer to Him every day. Within the heartbeat of all creation, a feeling of thankfulness and humility is beating in unison and in constant awe of the greatness of the Creator. May we strive every day to please God in all that we say and do.

Judges Chapter 6 Part Five (Verses 28-40)

2. (Judges 6:28-32) The removal of an altar raises a controversy
When the men of the city arose in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. They said to one another, "Who did this thing?" And when they searched about and inquired, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash did this thing." Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar to Baal, and indeed, he had cut down the Asherah which was beside it." But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar." Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal coated against him," because he had torn down his altar.


When the men of the city arose in the morning: In verse 28, when some men of the village went up to the altar site (meaning they when there to pay homage to Baal), it was gone. They men were enraged. Baal's altar was demolished and in its place was a brand new one with the bull laid upon it and burned up. The Asherah pole was also destroyed with its wood used as kindling under the new altar. Moreover, the men who found this situation were Israelites and not Canaanites.

Then the men said to Joash: The men of the village run to Joash and tell him that they have evidence that his son, Gideon, was the one who destroyed their sacred worship space. (This is NOT a matter that the village folks, mostly Hebrews, would have been punished by some Canaanites for this desecration. Rather, it was simple THEY worshiped Baal and were deeply offended.) They were so offended that they wanted to add murder to the long list of their sins. They told Joash to get his son and bring him outside so that they could kill him as a penalty for defiling Baal.

But Joash said to all who stood against him: Now Joash being a good father says, "Wait a minute! If Baal is unable to defend his own altar, then just how powerful of a god is he? Does Baal need humans to defend his deity?" Joash goes on to say that anyone who even attempts to defend Baal will be put to death by morning. This sounds like Joash intends to kill anyone who goes after his son. However, this is not the intent.

It was common understanding in that era that to question the power of a god to defend himself was to impugn the divine character of that god. The penalty for that offense was death--a penalty that Joash as Baal's caretaker was obliged to carry out.

Joash's logic was impeccable. Nobody should do anything. If Baal was real, he would avenge this sacrilege, and if he could not do that, then he was not real. Thus, there would be no crime committed. Furthermore, it would only be a human (and not another god) that Baal would have to fight. Joash says, "someone has torn down his altar." That is, obviously a human being torn down the altar, and what kind of opponent is a mere human to a god? The conclusion of the matter: let Baal fight his own battles.

He named him Jerubbaal: As a result of this, Gideon became known by a new name among his clansmen: Jerubbaal. Remember in that era, a name was assigned to people based on their reputation or character, and in some instances, for a famous act they committed. Jerubbaal means "Let Baal defend". From this point on, be alert that we will see Gideon called by both names. In fact in later books such as 2 Samuel, he is given a third name Jerubosheth. In later times, the word bosheth, which means shame, became a derogatory nickname for Baal.

This entire episode to this point was largely to purify Gideon and his family and to rid the village of the stench of idolatry. The God-principle is simple and logical--only a man that is in good standing  with the LORD can lead His people with God's authority. It was necessary that Gideon and his family be the starting point for this cleansing.


3. (Judges 6:33-35) Gideon gathers an army
Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; and he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

Then all the Midianites and Amalekites and the sons of the east: In verse 33, the Midianites, Amalekites and the children of the east descend once again upon the tribes of Israel. They stop and camp (as usual) in the valley of Jezreel because it was one of the most fertile place in all of Canaan. It was also where the most abundant crops grew. Ophrah, Gideon's hometown, was right on the edge of the Jezreel Valley. It was in this moment of need that the LORD empowered Gideon with the Holy Spirit to be the deliverer of God's people.

Prior to the first Pentecost after Jesus' crucifixion, the Holy Spirit had two ways to interact with man. One, the Holy Spirit comes upon a person, or two, the Holy Spirit covers a man. There are two different words used that have two entirely different meanings.

The first word is hayyah, which is rather a general term that depending on its form and context can mean "become", "come to pass" or "befell". 

Here in verse 34 where we are told the Holy Spirit covered Gideon, the Hebrew word is labesh. It usually means to wear something like a garment or to be covered like with a blanket. The meaning is that a human is so powerfully enveloped in God's Spirit that the person becomes endowed with the ability to perform miraculous deeds including the ability to prophesy or to perform works that far surpass the human nature from both a courage and physical strength standpoint. People were given great ability to perform bravely in the face of humanly impossible odds against him, or given equally impossible strength and battlefield skill that most of the Judges displayed.

He blew the trumpet: It next says that Gideon blew a trumpet. The blowing of the shofar (trumpet) was the typical battle call for Israel. It also symbolizes that Gideon immediately took up the mantle of leadership, and it was he who would lead the people. This was Gideon's first action when covered with the Holy Spirit.

The Abiezrites were called together to follow him: The Abiezrites would naturally be the first people to follow Gideon because this was Gideon's own clan. Messengers were sent to other tribes to come and join the Holy War. Manasseh answered, which was again natural as the Abiezrites belonged to the tribe of Mannaseh.

Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali: These three tribes also heed the call to battle. It appears that Asher must have learned something over the last 40 years because when Asher was called to assist Barak against King Jabin, Asher decline and was criticized for it in the Song of Deborah.


4. (Judges 6:36-40) God assures Gideon's doubts
Then Gideon said to God, "If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken." And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now by dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground." God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.

Then Gideon said to God: Now that Gideon has an army, he suddenly starts having doubts and asks for a sign. The sign is the infamous sheep's fleece laid upon the threshing floor. Gideon says to God, "IF You are going to save Israel thought me as YOU SAID you would..." Gideon's flesh was in violent conflict with the Spirit of God which clothed him.

Some Rabbis argue that Gideon only wanted to be sure that it was actually God that promised to use him in such a mighty way. Perhaps, but I must say I fight this urge quite regularly myself. I think I hear the LORD telling me to do something a certain way, but I am also aware of my ability to conjure up my own thoughts and assign them to God. My fear is that I am imagining things, or even worse, my pride is working overtime. I am not sure how to discern it. My usual answer is to ask God to show me the answer plainly in some way. I desire sufficient proof that I am hearing from God and that I am not involved with self-deception. Perhaps this is what was happening to Gideon, but it is nothing to be proud about or satisfied with.

A fleece of wool on the threshing floor: Gideon asks for this sign: he will lay a sheep's fleece on the threshing floor, and if the LORD will supernaturally cause the fleece to become wet with dew while the area around it remains dry, then he will know for sure that God is with him. The morning arrives, and there it is. The fleece is wet, but the ground is dry. Gideon ponders this and thinks that it is possible that this could naturally have happened. He could mistake this natural event with God's answer. Gideon devises another test.

I cannot tell you the number of people who tell me they "lay a fleece" when they are not sure about things. Can I tell you a secret? That is not a good indication of our spiritual maturity. So, we should probably not be in a hurry to let others in on it. People say to me, "I am seeking God's will with a fleece." OK. But that is not what Gideon is doing. Gideon already KNOWS God's will. He is only seeking assurance to bolster God's will. In reality, that is not any better. If one is going to choose a way to discover God's will, my opinion is that "laying a fleece" is not the way.

There is another problem with laying fleeces, and the story of Gideon demonstrates it. When men come up with a means to test God, maybe the results are not all the conclusive or convincing. So now what? We often come up with things that (for the moment) seem like a good test. And then when it happens we can think of a dozen ways in which the same result could have been achieved WITHOUT God's intervention.

Please let me make a test once more with a fleece: Gideon reasoned that fleeces attract water rather easily. It then would retain it. It would not be so strange for the dew to moisten the fleece, but at the some time evaporate for the threshing floor rock rather quickly as the sun rose. Thus, the results he saw in the morning could have been a natural event. So, Gideon decides it is more logical to do it in the opposite manner. He asks that the same ground be wet, but the fleece be dry the following morning. And that is what happened. Now, Gideon is convinced he has heard from God.

Judges Chapter 6 Part Four (Verses 22-27)

4. (Judges 6:22-24) Gideon reacts with awe and worship to the miraculous sign
When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, "Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face." The LORD said to him, "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die." Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD: In his lifetime, Gideon most likely had witnessed a lot of sacrifices to all kinds of Canaanite gods and also to the God of Israel. But NOTHING like this had ever happened before! It must have struck Gideon like a lightning bolt that indeed this was God. God had appeared to him and talked to him. God had given Gideon encouragement as well as instructions. It probably scared Gideon out of his wits. Gideon believed he would not survive this encounter. Why would Gideon believe he would die?

But Moses said, "I beg you to show me your glory!" He replied, "I will cause all my goodness to pass before you, and in your presence I will pronounce the name of ADONIA. Moreover, I show favor to whomever I will, and I will display mercy to whomever I will. But my face," he continued, "you cannot see, because a human being cannot look at me and remain alive." (Exodus 33:18-20)

This understanding must have had a very strong tradition within he Hebrew community. Just like in Christianity, we have certain Bible stories that are the most common among even our children, so it was with the Israelites. Gideon knew he was a dead man, but God assured him he would not die.

Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die: God tells Gideon, shalom. Remember, while we often translate shalom as "peace", it means much, much more. It means well being, abundance, harmony with God, favor with God and completeness. This promise of shalom was a positive assurance from God.

Then Gideon built an altar: Gideon builds an altar and names it The LORD is shalom. It says that "to this day" the altar remains there. What the phrase "to this day" means is that the writes of the Book of Judges personally knew of the place in his day. As explained in the introduction to the book of Judges, it was a Hebrew writer or editor who pieced together the Book of Judges from various documents. The events of the Book of Judges spans as many as 350 years. 

This altar was not intended to be a new place of sacrifices to God. Rather, it was a memorial that commemorated this awesome revelation of God. But that very night, Gideon had another encounter with God.

A brief summary
Due to the religious syncretism that had occurred over the last many years in the Promised Land, the Hebrews had blended their religion with the religion of the Canaanites. The Hebrews worshiped and accepted a combination of gods including the God of Israel. Their rituals incorporated some elements of the Law of Moses and some elements of Baal worship. The Israelites' general understanding of gods and what they wanted and how they behaved blended Torah with the standard pagan customs of the Mystery Babylon religions. So, as difficult as it is for mere man to comprehend God under any circumstance (even from a pure and unadulterated Scriptural perspective), it is utterly impossible when pagan practices have become entwined with Biblical truth. It is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

The Torah teaches that when the principle of illicit mixtures (sha'atnez) is violated whether the mixture consists of people, animals, seeds, food, relationships or anything that attempts to rationalize or join together God's principles with humanistic ideas, it inevitably leads to tevel (confusion). Gideon was totally confused because he (and all Israel) had mixed the worship of God with the worship of Baal. He did not know how to recognize God, or how to approach God.

This is a huge flashing red warning sign for us as Believers. It is not a question of whether or not we have mixed pagan religion with Christianity, it is how do we untangle it all? Just as with Gideon, the first step is to recognize (and end the denials) that syncretism had occurred. Then, we must determine to re-dedicate ourselves to the pure ways of the LORD and cut down and burn all those things in our congregations and in our lives which are not of God if we ever expect to please Him and be blessed by Him. As we will see in the story of Gideon, it is easy to say and to write down on paper, but it is much, much harder to actually accomplish such a task.


C. The beginning of Gideon's ministry

1. (Judges 6:25-27) Removing Baal worship from his midst
Now on the same night the LORD said to him, "Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down." Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

Now on the same night: God spoke again to Gideon and gave him specific instructions stating the purification process in order to re-educate and disentangle Gideon and Israel from the idolatrous mess they had created for themselves.

The first thing Gideon must do is to destroy the altar to Baal because an altar to God was about to be constructed on that very same spot. It is impossible that the two could co-exist. The LORD tells Gideon to destroy the altar to Baal, cut down the sacred pole that stands next to it and the replace it with a proper altar to God. Furthermore, when Gideon does this task, he is to take with him his father's bull; it would be used as a sacrifice.

A second bull seven years old: There has been much written about this aspect of the bull (or bulls) because the word construction in the Hebrew is very strange. It literally says "the bull of bullocks". The difficulty also is that the phrase usually translated as "the second bull" comes from the root word shanah that can carry the meaning of "exalted" or "higher rank". Thus, it is very likely from the context that there were NOT two bulls involved, but only one. It was the highest-ranking bull of the bullocks owned by Joash, Gideon's father. Rank was determined by the age when it comes to bulls and many other animals. The older the animal, the greater its worth. Thus, a seven-year old bull was extremely valuable.

Also, it is not coincidence that the number of years of oppression from the Midianites was also seven. Not only would this bull have been born in the first year of the oppression, but also the purpose of the bull was to be an atonement. Each year of its life would pay for one year of Israel's rebellion and the accompanying death that was pressed upon the people by means of the invading Midianites and their cohorts.

Cut down the Asherah: Before the bull was to be sacrificed, it would be used to pull down the sacred pole of the pagan god. The sacred pole in Hebrew is called Asherah. Asherah is the fertility goddess and the wife of Baal that was normally expressed in the form of a tree. This combination of an altar to Baal accompanied by an Asherah next to it was rather typical. God orders Gideon to not only remove the Asherah but also chop it up and use it for firewood for God's sacrificial fire.

Gideon obeys, but he is cautious. He knows full well that this is not going to settle well with anyone--his father, his family, the nearby Israelites and especially their Canaanite neighbors. It appears that Joash was actually this pagan holy site's protector and caretaker. And although I say pagan, understand that Joash did this willings and with the blessing of the Hebrew people.

We are told that Joash was of the clan of Abierzite, which was part of Manasseh. This place where Gideon lived was his own clan's village. They owned it, they controlled it and they had adopted Baal, Asherah and many other elements of Canaanite worship to go along with the traditional worship of God. This high place where the Baal altar was located was revered by Joash and his clan. It was not despised in any way. Despite any erroneous depiction to the contrary, Israel was NOT forced to worship other gods; they did it because they wanted to. They had no concept that what they were doing was wrong.

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants: Gideon took along ten servants to help the bull up to the Baal altar, and he did it at night. Now, I cannot help but point out that Gideon told God earlier that maybe he was not the best choice to be Israel's savior because he was from the poorest clan in Manasseh, owned at least ten male servants. Most male servants had families who were also in servitude to the master. The Hebrew word ebed means servants of slaves. So, these ten men were in no way traditional family members.

Tearing down the altar and the Asherah was not that big of a job, especially with using a bull to do the heavy work. But, Gideon wanted some protection when he did it. Was the fear unwarranted? Not at all!