The Hornet’s Nest – Part 1 (Part A)

This is not what God wanted for them.

They had a right to the Slavik God-given right, but it was for food. Israel was to be militant in the land.

Driving out with the sword all the pagans in all their practices and in its place. They were to bring righteousness the 10 Commandments and the law of Moses people of God. The ark of the covenant brazen altar. All these things were supposed to replace child sacrifice portion of that day.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher. Rick asked Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Judges, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with a new message in Judges chapter 6 called the hornets nest. The hornets nest.

That's what I've entitled this study. I hope we get the whole chapter is metaphorically the men people that were now in the promised land were like hornets in their nests through the wicked ones, the ones that were into idolatry and then there were the hordes that were coming into the land stripping the grain fields and the pasture lands with their animals, their livestock and to get them out you have to kick the hornets nest. It was not going to be easy and so God of course going to raise up Gideon to deal with this very thing he's going to start out in his hometown. That's where he will kick the hornets nest right there in his beloved village, he'd have to trust God to do this you have to learn to trust God. I want one thing I really like about Gideon is he was honest with himself. He didn't believe he tell because I didn't believe he didn't trust enough to move forward and you have to admire that I do tire of so many commentators ganging up on Gideon is such a coward is so faithless these put you in his spot and let's see how you do with you looked out the window and you saw are you saw by half a million people in your neck of the woods. What would you do and to add to that, most of the people on if your people that that what they are already there idolaters your own family your father's a.idolatry. So before we begin bashing Gideon.

Maybe we can set that on the siding get some lessons out of his life. There are so many of them. This is why it's such a difficult study to give in such a short period of time. Verse one then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Yahweh.

So Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years after the leadership of Rafael we read about that in earlier chapters, the courage of you then there was of course that valor of Sam Gahr and the victory of Deborah barrette the cycle of apostasy returns. They had 40 years of peace because they they lined back up with God than they got out of line with God and he's allowed judgment. Look at Judges 5, verse 31 so the land had rest for 40 years and then we read here in verse one of chapter 6 and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They did that by abandoning him 40 years over 40 years passed since Deborah Barrick but they knew the victories just wasn't good enough for so many of them now a more formidable foe adversary then Jaden and Cicero that were met with in chapter 5.

Now this new enemy. These pirates coming into the land Midianites, the Arabs and others. They were menacing.

The Jewish people. As I mentioned stripping the land not only the pasture lands for the Jews livestock but also their harvesting to steal it is take it this threaten their survival mean we we get a little nervous.

We see a run on goods to get home milk and bread and other things people begin the warden take imagine if it was people's again that work against you.

Your enemies just marching right in just taking everything it says here in verse one, so Yahweh delivered them into than the median for seven years and become comfortable ignoring God. Now before we say all those Jews and their cycle of apostasy. What about churches, what about Christians, how many Christians are comfortable, lease Christians in name perhaps only professing Christians. How many of them are comfortable with now ignoring God I'm a Christian, but ignore everything he says and become quite indignant if you pointed out to them. The Jews were following the imaginary gods lumping the true God and with the fake ones we see Christians doing the same things are again professed Christians Midian the descendents of Abraham through the Torah after Sarah. They were distant relative relatives, but no benefit to the Jews.

They were problem all the way through. It was incidentally Midianites who bought Joseph and then brought Joseph into Egypt. Of course, Moses said to deal with them and their resistance in the wilderness, but Moses also married a Midianite then of course Valium was hired to curse Israel so they are in the adversary column.

They are not Friendly's or Haas or allies your enemies, and at this time. These desert tribes of the desert tribes. Midian was the principal aggressor.

They were wild they were nomadic, wondering, and they were pirates of the desert verse two in the hand of Midian, prevailed against Israel because of the Midianites and the children of Israel made for themselves the dens the caves and the strongholds which are in the mountains well again when the harvest season came so with the hordes and this would force the Jews into hiding their outnumbered their outgunned. They did not have the Lord with them because they didn't want him with them. They wanted the fake gods of the land that they lived in they they really should. This was a shameful thing.

This was not what God wanted for them. They had a right to this land, a God given right but it was forfeited. Israel was to be militant in the land. Driving out with the sword all the pagans in all their practices and in its place.

They were to bring righteousness the 10 Commandments and the law of Moses people of God. The ark of the covenant, the brazen altar. All these things were supposed to replace the child sacrifice abortion of that day that even is not even right to call abortion baby murder and nothing short of that of course they excuse Weldon Hunt really a child, yet you be regretting that in hell if you don't turn from your wicked way the rights of a woman.

What about the right of God. What about the right of the child right of decency. The church is supposed to be militant by doing just what I'm trying to do now laid out.

Tell the truth about the wickedness that is in the land in this country. Still, we enjoy the freedom to tell the truth. Right now, as a rule, the worst that happens is people frown which the other some physical resistance from time to time, but overall we are free to preach the gospel principles be militant against lies when when confronted when faced with these things, it says here in verse two in the hand of Midian, prevailed against Israel.

So they embraced the pagan gods. And it did not benefit them in the pagan people didn't then receive them. All you one of us now. We love you, they were still hated chased out of their own fields chased out of their own homes and towns and villages into the hills of strongholds.

The caves where they could survive by reduced again to a life of cowardice or else they would die.

So God knew knowing this is spiritual as it always is. Every conflict between people's spiritual deal. So God is going to send a prophet to begin to stir the people and move their hearts back to him so that he can begin to deliver them. And that's what the book of Judges is about deliverance and gin judges God raises up the judges will make it to Kings and Chronicles Samuel God raises up profits to work with the people. Verse three.

So it was, whenever Israel had sewn Midianites would come up. Also, Amalekites, and the people of the East would come up against them.

So here are the three groups. The dominant groups of invaders, Midianites, Amalekites and the, the, the Arabs of the East world is not governed by chance. It wasn't at all look at that is just a fluke. Israel had bowed down to the heathen gods and now they would suffer the tyranny of the people of the heathen gods verse four.

And they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza and leave no soft sustenance for Israel.

Neither sheep rocks nor donkey animals could meet the tape scripted all of the came like a tsunami enough of this just as steady flow in that unstoppable flow verse four again do these nomadic wards coming in they came up from the golf of Aqaba and just worked their way north and then east and they went as far as Gaza. That means they they traversed the promised land from East to West and in all of the fertile most fertile region stripping the land.

Verse five they would come up with the livestock in their tents coming in as numerous as locusts both they and their camels were without number, and they would enter the land to destroy it again settle centered on the breadbasket of the land with the farmers were over 135 armed men, not counting the women and children that also came with them the goods that they sent back to their hometown so they had their convoys working as a strip the land. What chance was Gideon going to have by the time we get to chapter 7, with 32,000 men against the hundred and 35,000 and grab every chance in the world because he could have the blessings from heaven. This fifth verse is the first mention in the Bible of camels being used for warfare in warfare, camel warfare, the cavalry, The camel Catherine Krieger passed the cam And so to meet this God is going to raise up a farmer makes sense.

Farmers with funds being targeted by these words in God's going to raise up a farmer in Ottawa warrior to defeat them. You be a warrior by the time is done.

Verse six of Israel was greatly improved impoverished because of the Midianites and the children of Israel cried out to Yahweh gather pressures on their survival is at stake is starving. Verse six and it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to Yahweh because of the Midianites that Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel said to them, thus, is Yahweh God of Israel I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you and drove them out before you and gave you their land will pause their list at the end of his message. Now I is not bringing deliverance to these Jews in a single day is going to be a little bit of a process, but he started with sending a prophet because a spiritual war nation wanted freedom from the enemy without being dedicated to God. That's why God sends the prophet because that has to be dealt with and we meet people like that you know they want to call on the pastor. They want the church praying for them.

They just don't want to repent and get right with God. They want God to bless them and change their lives in and help them but they do not want to worship him. They do not want to be change from the inside out what the outside change and that's that leave me alone will bless me get out of my face. So before sending the deliverer, he sends the prophet to deliver the message for God. Rick rescues the people he's going to rebuke the people because they need this no without it, no deliverance, without a word from God to the guilty who said to them, thus says the Lord God of Israel.

Verse eight.

This was vital vital step that God takes this nameless prophet to correct them not to chase out the Midianites if somebody could've said prophet we don't the Bible study what we need is and then, of course, in their case they needed armies battalions regiments divisions is what they needed to drive out these wards.

He does not come this prophet to rally the troops at least visibly spiritually that is in motion is God's not interested in just one nation fighting another nation because that's what nations do. He wants his people centered on him and is not promising a speedy delivery. He's not comforting their poor little hearts either is rebuking them brings this message of mercy through obedience, no bomb, no ointment to sue them just conviction and about 85 English words. That's his sermon. I'm sure many are Christians as we wish all sermons which is 85 Hz well to answer that you look at the churches that do have their 85 word sermons and you see how they are and I don't think you could stand before a holy and righteous God, and applaud such a thing. Just give me a just a little pinch of God's word. That's all I want just a pinch of God's word. Don't give me a gallon or 50 gallons drum of it. As Peter said Lord just pour it on me. That's the attitude God wants verse 10. Also, I said to you I am Yahweh your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell, but you've not obeyed my voice, there it is. Is this how you treat me, what have I done. Do you remember that was that was Matt Micah's message of the be what you deserve this kind of a treatment that gets me what makes people bite the hand that feeds them. Stupidity. That's what does it, it starts out with spiritual stupidity and then it just becomes stupid ingrates tone it down a little bit satellite on the ones I've got all my stuff together all the time. I do sometimes.

I hope you do do. Sometimes we we can get it together is nothing would work spiritual blindness plays a mean role in the life of people and it starts out as soon as they're able to form thoughts thoughts little tub little babies and they grow up to be. These adults they believe some lie and they like it. May we be very careful about that question is obvious they want to if I have something against somebody. Is it valid in my handling it the right way where my self-righteous and smog and and and just loving to hate them. I hope not. So God says is not of obeyed my voice, and he has done nothing to deserve this fact the fate gods are treating the people worse except according to the criminality.

So what they suffered was his judgment and his judgment was not his first choice is not God's perfect will that he judge the people he had sent this message to say I delivered you from bondage. Why am I having to deal with you like this, but they have not obeyed, blunt, plain, simple message.

To this day. It is preached by the righteous. Just like that obey again in less than 85 English words obey. Maybe 85 exactly my voice. That is, of course, the voice of the Lord they had to see their sin before they could enjoy his salvation that only this prophet is a forerunner of Gideon. They don't know Gideon's coming in all God's going to do what the prophet showing up as nameless prophet is is big help to turning point. Verse 11.

Now the angel of Yahweh came and sat on the terebinth tree which was an offer which belong to Joash the Rabbi is right, while his son Gideon trashed wheat in the winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites got a good picture the angel of the Lord.

That's the good picture. This is Jesus Christ. This is a Kristof and it's an appearance of of God in human form in the Old Testament, and maybe at some point the judges we can lay it out why we are sure of that.

We believe it but this Gideon is now on the scene and more more words are given about Gideon than any of the other judges in the book of Judges about 100 versus where is Samson gets about 9695 versus he is Gideon, a man who met God in the Bible. AW torture has a book, men who met God I don't recall if Gideon is one of them is there more than the toes are laid out. It was not his goal to exhaust the list, but here's a man who met God, and then he will eventually stop fearing men by the time we get to the end of Gideon. He is a full grown warrior and again I get tired of reading commentators who gang up on him and he such a coward.

He is careful he is wise with us will see some of that moment. Verse 12 wrote back to verse 11.

Again, the angel of the Lord again that is Christ, and he comes, he sits on the tree this if it sticks what what Kevin entrances that why doesn't he just walk up to Gideon's a Gideon I'm here for. He's just gonna you know he goes and sits out of the tree and the end of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty men of valor, I did.

I don't know if he shouted across told maybe getting is not that far you go to the tree because he's hiding he supposed to be pressing weed on the thrashing field which would be elevated with a breeze can come through both the husk off the grain and the animals could you trample it to shake up the break the husk off of the brain and in they would make noise those animals that would draw attention.

Plus you being in a higher elevation and the Midianites was is over there addressing the Weavers wafer in the do all the work that we go steal it. So he's hiding NEC got Shane doing this, the wine presses were not elevated and they were original and shady places in the communal shading in the sense of the trees were around them and here is verse 12. In the angel of Yahweh. Him and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty men of valor, you could see you in the flesh would say he's lying.

Gideon is not among a metabolically certain Gideon knows this so it is a lie of course not. God is looking beyond the man in this present status of time and Peter Christ looked at Peter as I see beyond you and your sin I see you're going to be. I see your capabilities. The capacity to all the Holy Spirit I see what you're becoming because of your involvement with me, God still does it the same way identical to this day he looks at us. He sees beyond the junk and if he didn't. Nobody would would would be called to be called a lot of things but you would be called of the Lord. Effective this was the case with Darren with Paul Rahab when God saw Rahab he knew she was Arlette's Savior Saul nonetheless he saved you and he saved me.

He knew he was getting he was dying for sinners dying for people that do not belong in heaven and that state a change at all, so that we can get in. He opened the door, but he still got to have the blood. Verse 13 Gideon said to him, all my Lord.

If Yahweh is with us. Why, then, has all this happened to us and where are all his mercies, which our fathers told us about things. Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt, but now Yahweh has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Gideon said to him, oh my Lord if the Lord is with us, why one of the you know great words of any language. Why God is notorious for sidestepping the questions to to involve presently know what is really involved, which you need to get enough of it to understand the Gideon.

It looked as though God no longer cared for his people.

He care for her father's. He did miracles for them. With this care for us.

Of course the answer is found in verse one for the Bible student. But Gideon didn't have Judges chapter 6 verse one we go back to verse one then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Yahweh so so Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Midianites for seven years.

That's your answer. Gideon people are in sin.

Gideon belong to the remnant that was not part of the idolater move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Judges cross reference radio is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you'd like more information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there, and we encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast Work. Just follow the links and cross reference radio.com that's all the time we have for today. Join us next time to continue learning more from the book of Judges right here cross reference rate