The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Judges 6-9
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 4: The Land: God’s place for his people
Background Information: Judges 6-9
Poverty stricken, living in caves and holes, the people were in a terribly desperate situation. This went on for years, but it was self-inflicted; they had done just exactly as they had been told not to do. They adopted the worship and ethics of the Canaanites. Even Gideon’s family had blended worship of the true God with pagan worship. His first task was to clean up his own household. Gideon is sometimes presented as a man of faith, but his faith was immature. He asked God for multiple signs to confirm his word. God was gracious in accommodating him, but we must not believe that asking for signs is a good thing for the Christian; generally, it is not. When Gideon finally went to battle against the hordes who had annually decimated Israel, the Lord pared down his troops so it would be crystal clear how they had won the victory. Gideon’s small force moved with great speed and outran their supply lines, so they asked for help from their local kinsmen. You can see the breakdown in Israel’s tribal unity when Gideon’s historical ancestors refused to help him out of fear of reprisal from the not fully beaten Midianites. Gideon later exacted cruel revenge from his own kinsmen for the betrayal. His final legacy was moral depravity (he had many wives) and spiritual failure in making a gold object that became a source of apostasy. God used Gideon to rescue his people, but his legacy was not long lasting. The people turned fully away from God after his death. His wicked son Abimelech would murder almost all of his brothers, as well as many others, before he would die a fitting death. Faithfulness to the very end is required of anyone who desires to leave a lasting spiritual legacy.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for people from River traveling to Central Asia this week. Ask God to use them to proclaim the gospel.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call some now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.
Review the Storyline Map: Where we are in the Bible
Act 1 God’s Plan for All People
Scene 1: The Creation: The God of all of life.
Scene 2: The Fall: Rejecting God’s vision for life
Scene 3: The Flood: God judges and makes a covenant to preserve life
Act 2 God’s Covenant People
Scene 1: The People: God calls a Covenant People
Scene 2: Deliverance: God rescues his people.
Scene 3: The Sinai Covenant and law: God embraces and instructs his people
Week 13:
Scene 4: The Land: God’s place for his people
Day 1: Judges 2-5
Day 2: Judges 6-9
Day 3: Judges 10-13
Day 4: Judges 14-18
Day 5: Judges 19-21
Day 6: Ruth
Scene 5: Kings and Prophets: God shapes a kingdom people
Scene 6: Kings and Prophets: God divides the kingdom people.
Scene 7: Kings and Prophets: The southern kingdom as God’s people
Scene 8: Exile: God disciplines his people
Scene 9: Return: God delivers his people again
Act 3 God’s New Covenant People
Scene 1: Christ’s coming: God’s true king arrives
Scene 2: Christ’s ministry: God’s true king manifest his kingdom
Scene 3: Christ’s deliverance of his people: God’s work through the death, resurrection, and enthronement of his king
Scene 4: Christ’s church: God’s people advance the kingdom
Scene 5: Christ second coming: God future for the kingdom