Theophany of God was in the glory of the word, which is encapsulated by the name Jehovahshalom, God our peace. At a time of great depredations from the Midianites and of strife in the land what prompted Gideon to think of peace unless it was from God? The angel of the Lord had greeted him by 'TheLordis with thee, thou mighty man of valour.' In short God's word brought it in so many words that he found peace, unlike anything he had known before and it was a covenant as it were when the angel accepted his offering. 'Can two walk together unless agreed upon?' The angel of the Lord visited him as a mighty man of valor and now he had to grow into the stature God desired of him. This is what we find in vv.25-35.
Gideon was a new creation and where he was nervous of the Midianites coming down to rob him of his crop he had 'threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites'. Now he was demanded of God to cut down the grove 'and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath', God was now leading him to a point of no return. No more he could continue his former life going against his grain, while putting up with the practice of Baal-worship of his father's household he was cultivating a defeatist attitude of taking the line of least resistance. No more of that. The word of God had planted the light of the knowledge of the word, and he had to be heroic for God. This reminds the words of Jesus," If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.( Luke 14:26)".
He had to choose bullock one for himself as a peace offering and the second bullock of seven years old as a token of cutting himself loose from vain traditions of his father. The bullock of seven years holds another significance and it signaled that the threat of Midian was coming to an end and unknown to him he was spearheading the revolt.
"At the ordered place"
Theophany of God was in the glory of the word, which is encapsulated by the name Jehovahshalom, God our peace. At a time of great depredations from the Midianites and of strife in the land what prompted Gideon to think of peace unless it was from God? The angel of the Lord had greeted him by 'TheLordis with thee, thou mighty man of valour.' In short God's word brought it in so many words that he found peace, unlike anything he had known before and it was a covenant as it were when the angel accepted his offering. 'Can two walk together unless agreed upon?' The angel of the Lord visited him as a mighty man of valor and now he had to grow into the stature God desired of him. This is what we find in vv.25-35.
Gideon was a new creation and where he was nervous of the Midianites coming down to rob him of his crop he had 'threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites'. Now he was demanded of God to cut down the grove 'and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath', God was now leading him to a point of no return. No more he could continue his former life going against his grain, while putting up with the practice of Baal-worship of his father's household he was cultivating a defeatist attitude of taking the line of least resistance. No more of that. The word of God had planted the light of the knowledge of the word, and he had to be heroic for God. This reminds the words of Jesus," If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.( Luke 14:26)".
He had to choose bullock one for himself as a peace offering and the second bullock of seven years old as a token of cutting himself loose from vain traditions of his father. The bullock of seven years holds another significance and it signaled that the threat of Midian was coming to an end and unknown to him he was spearheading the revolt.
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