The Hornet’s Nest – Part 2 (Part B)

Going to hornets nest proverbially speaking or admit you don't want to do it without God's instruction and confirmation is not something to take upon yourself. Read about that the book of acts seven sons decided to mess with the devil they didn't even know Jesus themselves and they were pounced upon what to not comply with God when he tells us to do something that we are not ready to do willing to do. Maybe just afraid to do to not comply.

This even more foolish.

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 today.

Pastor Rick will continue his message called the hornets nest as he teaches through Judges chapter 6, so this is a community shrine therein offer of the city of Gideon town, village of Gideon and his dad Joash is an idolatrous zealot.

He might even be a priest because he has the zeal for bowel which will come out in the story in a moment, but of course what's happening years before God can bridge the land of the invaders. He's going to deal with the pagan invasion invasion into the people that are called to follow him and him alone. He's got a deal with the violation of the first commandment also have no other gods before me. And in the Commandments go on no images of me. Even if you want to try to go around the first command so I'm going to make an image but it will be of Yahweh that's forbidden is a cause Gideon to attack the hometown idolatry. No matter what anyone thought Gideon does is going to be trouble you knew that the people were wrong and God was now raising them up to deal with this and it was something that was already in his heart that came out a little bit in the conversation that he had earlier with the Anglo or angel of the Lord now to kick a hornets nest proverbially speaking or in metaphor you don't want to do it without God's instruction and confirmation is not something to take upon yourself. Read about that in the book of acts seven sons decided to mess with the devil they didn't even know Jesus themselves and they were of course pounced upon, but to not comply with God when he tells us to do something that we are not ready to do willing to do.

Or maybe just afraid to do to not comply. This even more foolish. So you have you puts us in a spot I'm a we don't get ahead of the Lord and attacks the enemy until we are. We have leading from the spirit in most circumstances other sometimes it's obvious and be if we are commanded that we better do it and see to not do it is very bad news because God will get somebody else more than likely not always because it is think of Jonah God was the persistent exponents instead of firing him. He just impressed upon Jonah how important it was for Jonah to be compliant with God's commandment so we look at this verse was that God is telling him to take this bowl that belongs to his father. What right does Gideon have, to take his father's ball and then go and tear down this altar with the bull that evidently is as something to do with this pagan worship is every right. Incidentally, why should at this to stone his father for this sin in Israel that was there law like I we have a Constitution they had a Constitution.

The Constitution was the Commandments of God. The laws of Moses given to them through Moses. The Jews had heard a lot about God without learning a thing just like Gentiles, just like many who claim to be Christ course we want to be not only attentive to the spirit teachers but responsive verse 26 now God's continuing his instruction to take that second bowl and tear down that altar and build an altar to Yahweh your God. On top of this rock in the proper arrangement and take the second bowl and offer a burnt sacrifice with the word of the image which you shall cut down so build an altar to Yahweh your God tear down that route monstrosity and replace it with truth on this rock I think it said that way to make a distinction from the rock that Gideon had already established a sacrifice on offering on to the Lord. This is a different one and that will come out verse 28 that the two different authors going on here, but it's is not laid out is clearly as you would like. If you dig into the text to come to this conclusion is the only way it works, and in the proper arrangement God wants this done right and take the second bowl that's not another bowl. That's the one that he referred to earlier that was used to tear down the altar and butcher him kill it, slaughter it, butcher it and burn it up with the wood you with the word of the image which you cut down so Gideon's father's idolatry is going to cost him and his son Gideon is going to deliver the bill God wanted no association with idolatry as he was about to work no fate.

God was going to get any of the credit there is not going to be of this joint venture with the only true God, and the make-believe God's. The man-made versions and so he's making this statement right at the beginning before he deals with the Midianites and the all of the other people that have invaded the land he's going to deal with the pagan invasion, the hearts of his people.

He says the word of the image.

Literally that's the pole of Astra so they had this altar for the pagan God, and next to it was the shrine that was slightly phallic.

As many of them were the two marked their perversity. They would often say all this fertility with that fertility includes sexual perversions and we have it today to this very day some form under some name men are doing, and men and women are doing honor to these sexual perversions, and by that I mean would God and I had not intended to be. They have twisted and there is your perversity in the very indignant about it and want to, but also the reasons why they should have no guilt and it is a big problem it's always been a big problem but it that the purpose of bringing it up is to say that we have to do it sin all the time. No way around it and you have to name names when it comes to sin. If this is the sin.

This is what this is Gaul, the 10 Commandments names the sentence does nothing you thou shall not steal. The longer you don't take it for yourself. Well, God treated these devilish images of this devilish image singular. In this case it was off the ballot master.

They were together and he treats them for what they use them what they are at peace award Isaiah and Jeremiah go to mock these things you cut down a tree and you carbon image doing a piece of wood you used to eat the fire and visa would you bow down to visit spooky and so got insane just cut that thing down and just use it for fuel as would nothing but would and that is what Gideon's is going to do dealing with society's favorite thing their opinion about God against God's revelation about God again in the Bible is relevant because everything it deals with in human behavior is being dealt with. To this day.

Nothing new under the sun, and so to be publicly use the public had to take a stand with Gideon. He had to kick the nest Exodus 34 verse 12 and 13 take heed to yourself Moses speaking to the people, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going Blessed be a snare in your midst, and that's what they did.

They made covenants with the people of the land, and included their gods and it was a snare. Moses continues verse 13 of Exodus 34, but you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars cut down their wooden images. You have a Christian knees. Ozzie at work he or she is at work in the person is telling them all the pagan ideas.

We interrupt them as I'm sorry I don't believe this study is a lie I think comes right out of hell. I think of the word of God is God's revelation to man and all that other stuff is speculation and I can back it up. I can back it up with the prophecies I can back it up with the logic that is breaking down the altars not letting them get away with on their times. God systems anything we know and those times are supposed to register scared to say something. What worked for me… I just love the message at best.

I never was afraid to share the message because I loved and that I never thought about the consequences.

I just thought about no, I don't believe in that an immaculate you tell me what you believe Anna can tell you what I believe it is work that way you want to talk about all the sins you commit with glee will I'm going to send. I'm trying not to commit with good for us right now, think about choking you but I'm restraining myself because of God. Aren't you glad let's pray. Verse 27 so Gideon took 10 men from among his servants and did as Yahweh had said to him, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city too much to do it. He did it by night. Okay, here's where everybody not everybody but a lot like the gang up on Gideon was a coward and God use it is not a coward is smart is not a coward, nor is he a fool.

First he was to tear down the old altar and then build the proper altar unto God, to model the steps which was pagan and has recovered to offer that ball on it. This is a lot of work too much for one man get to the nighttime part. I think what happens is a lot it's easy to read verse 27 that Gideon took 10 men and then the next sentence talks about his fear of the men in the city and it's easy to say that's why he took the 10 men because he's afraid no mistaking the 10 men because is a lot of work. They are not enough to protect him from the men of the village.

These are servants and that there workers. They are to demolish the building.

They are at the butcher and he's going to need their help. Then it says, but because but because he feared his father's household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night because he is not stupid when I got the job done. He's going to get the job done. He knows I gonna find out is a little town come on and noted to find out it was beginning in your name came up last night when he said I'm the least of my father's house, it was likely the implication that is the one that didn't follow bow because all of his father's house did so they going to say who doesn't show up on our worship days.

Gideon tore down the Psalter. Gideon he knows that had he been a coward when we get to chapter 7, he would not be part of the men that went to war he be part of the 22,000 I went home I get overprotective of these characteristics we learned so much from them, and we miss it.

If we wrongfully attack them like Joe Thomas and Peter Stevenson was a doubting Thomas like we don't doubt Thomas was a courageous man of God. Yet he was good repute because of said another believe until I see him in the Lord's okay fine but let me tell you something that you will roll that way is the consequences are others. I got out faith you and we don't like to hear that. I bet you that stuck in Thomas dear for the rest of his life, and I bet you he did something with it. Well, he had he been a coward. He wouldn't have acted on this night or day. I should add that to do it in the daylight would've been divided into fears able to stop them. Would've been a you know it was shut down the job they were would've gotten ugly unnecessarily so so he's doing what is wise and you know being wise is not necessarily being a coward, not even close. He knew they were going to come at him for this but if he did it at night by the time they found out what was going on. It be done to be nothing left ashes. That said, in the new altar the proper altar and all the conviction that would go along with it. So this precaution smart versus reckless.

Too often we believe it some mindless – somehow makes us courageous and courageously to home if were not careful. I like it, you know, was a mention I've been reading Gen. MacArthur's reminisces that's title of his memoirs at well outside of that which is his history that the Japanese Imperial Japanese Army were notorious for their bonsai attacks on the position they just come at you sprayed on what they did that to the Marines and Guadalcanal and they were slaughtered they were slaughtered wherever they tried this, the machine gun made this an obsolete tactic. MacArthur knew this in World War I when he was a general in World War I.

He said modern weapons make formal salt obsolete, that stuck with him.

So when he takes command of the war in the South Pacific. Instead of attacking the strongholds on the Japanese on the islands the Japanese army had taken. He bypassed them. His philosophy was hidden where they ain't got that from baseball player baseball player will go into the centerfielder hit it where he ain't and it registered with my God.

And so he put his philosophy at first.

His staff gave him pushback on their wall were we going to be attacked from the rear. He said listen what was going to do is going to take the air feels where they have little forces will nobody put our airplanes there. I'm going to take Halsey's Navy and I'm going to put that in the way of their Navy so that between the planes and maybe they will be able to supply their big forces on these islands and we just let them die on the vine is doubled with his word the starve to death with minor attack on the other side of the island whether not let the Japanese Army try to go into the jungle. By the time they get to us.

They going to be so jungle with would just pick him off and network he stacked up victory after victory turned in the lowest casualty reports of of them all bypassed when it had to be had to face them head on right, of course, in the Philippines.

For example, he had to fight it out. My point for bringing up MacArthur's to show you how much reading I do my vacation is not true at all. I like I like people who aren't like by other people. When the people that I like that aren't like a really good got got so Gideon says is hidden with a eight why would I do this in broad daylight is just to home and he accomplishes the mission. God did not say Gideon I need you to do the day-to-day time when they can all see doesn't say just I just need you to take on that altar burn up the junk billed me in altar there was a lesson.

If Christians would just say it's okay to think.

It doesn't block God out.

It invites him in. I know we get emotional. We all have everybody it makes emotional mistake. Sometimes objective check in verse 28 and when the men of the city arose early in the morning there was the altar of valve torn down and the wooden image that was beside it was cut down in the second bowl was being offered on the altar, which had been built. Verse 29 so they said to one another who has done this thing and when they reviewed the film footage and when they had inquired and asked, they said Gideon Gideon, the son of Joash is done this thing speaking no way to hide it. May God always help us to be a step ahead of the lost and the pagans may reach us out with them and beat them to the points made by the time we make our move. They don't know what hit them with the truth in love appetite about destroying them physically, but to help us stay a step ahead of the enemy is that a bad thing to want Lord help me stay a step ahead of them.

There it is. Verse 30 in the men of the city center Joash bring out your son that he may die because he has torn down the offer of bile because he has cut down the wooden image that was decided in his fingernails a dirty little like a legal like you picking anything out, they can find.

Well, Gideon's loyalty to his God got him into trouble with Gideons God would get him through the trouble.

So again, you know, Gideon.

Your name came up last night and now were going to kill you. The pagans take their religion very seriously.

That's another lesson in this, I knew when I was born again. I felt that everybody was the love what I had to preach.

I didn't factor in that they loved what they did what they believed in.

In most cases they loved what they wanted because religion essentially is an extension of the self. At some point become your identity of who we are. That's why Christ is him to be like me to date me. Paul said, as I imitate Christ likeness of Jesus Christ our identity becomes us so they had felt they felt obligated to defend their God still happens to this day. And, of course, that we believe that if you have to force your God on someone or if you have to defend his honor, violence, then he's not God can't defend himself. I'm not talking about upholding civil laws that may have come from your God. Such it was it was in Israel. I'm talking about the honor of the name.

Israel's intolerance was to be strong to the point they would not honor any other gods they did not all of them but many of them and that's what we're dealing with right now.

So according to these men.

Gideon had to be executed for dishonoring and probably cost him a good penny to know how much would we put into that. You know the price of lumber so verse 31, but Joash said to all who stood against him. Would you plead for bile would you save him. Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning. If he is God, let him plea for himself because his altar has been torn down is going always. Joash's name means Yahweh is strong is he saying this to protect his beloved son Gideon possibly is that the only reason why I don't think so II think that would for him to have a speech like this ready his conviction. He probably really believe in Balla.

Now he sees Ballard's been chopped up by his son who does not worship. Worship the God of their fathers, and probably is incentive if they didn't want to kill Gideon. We never maybe never. We would not of been pushed to the point of coming to this realization, which is very true in the in them. The men of the village that they signed off on his reading. I got a good point there.

Joash went to say that if we wanted to kill him. Now he looked like a mop and images everything. I will Christians have to learn early on that were not his lawyers were not trying to get God out of trouble were not prosecutors were witnesses. We tell what we saw. Only when that is based on love.

Our love for Christ. There is power in evangelism that that's contagious you so you just be careful with that that would not trying to force people into our views will win the argument, I mean I don't if I minute when I say argument on remaining heated discussion. I mean the exchange of ideas. I want to win them all of you pretty Tom if I want this one. When half of them when I want to win everything I do is why I don't do something kiss me in the flesh I I had a pastor friend he still her friend. If you played sports with him and you one. He was instantly in the flesh I and he would talk to you just shut you right off you good good game look the other way). Wait a minute the pastor. You cannot like that says right here first. Really, because often he come back and be his buddy buddy self again, but you remember that and I never forgave him and I will didn't get it.

It is comical. It was worth seeing him drive. I'm not kidding, telling who it is that would make the costs the lessons. The lessons is a great guy, great man of God I think. I mean, he loves the Lord and let a lot of people to Christ and what he had the that was his fight in the flesh.

I don't know what that has to do anything since I got that shot in any way. May we all I can say that they have been times that I've gotten the flesh, and I would think about human and say well you know yeah I know God loves him and I know God loves me to verse 32. Therefore, on that day, he called him Gerard about how saying let bow plead against him because he has torn down his altar so his pad.

Who gets Gideon out of the problem, God of course doing it all. He makes a big deal out of this. It makes it you know the nomenclature of Gideon is changed is become review. It's now in nickname Gerard about the ballot God proven that God proven, that's his name every time someone was a Gerard about it was a view of God mouthing glad Pruitt 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 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 that work just follow the links and cross reference radio.com that's all the time we have for today.

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