Judges 5:18-6:16

1. Judges 5:18-6:16 Old Testament Bible Studies True Love Church of Refuge Prophetess Delisa Lindsey Class April 29, 2009

2. 18) Zebulun and Naptali risked their lives on the top of 1300 ft Mt. Tabor. 19) Although the kings of Canaan came to fight against Israel, they were defeated. The waters of Megiddo near the Jezreel Valley is a strategic center of wars. It will be the stage for the final war, Armageddon. 20) The Powers of Heaven fought along with Israel against her enemies. 21) The Red Sea swallowed the Egyptian army and the Kishon River swept away the Canaanite armies. We will always take refuge and strength in knowing who our God is. We can face any battles with a fierce determination that our God, is God, especially in battle. 22) The stomping and galloping of Sisera’s horses can be heard as the chariots dismantled. Judges 5:18-22

3. The Curse of Meroz - Judges 5:23 • Anytime you are summoned to battle in the Lord’s army and you fail to surrender your will for His, you are cursed with this curse. • In the ministry of deliverance, because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God by pulling down strongholds, and if you don’t engage in • casting out devils, (the children’s bread) • praying in the Spirit, (bypasses demonic and fleshly interruptions) • fasting for supernatural breakthroughs, (some things are affected only by fasting and prayer). • and dethroning satanic princes and minions in areas and regions God has assigned to you, this curse applies. • Meroz was an Israelite town in Naptali whose inhabitants were cursed for refusing to help the army of the Lord. • Two additional cities were cursed in the Book of Judges for not coming to the aid of the children of Israel while in battle. • Judges 8 – Gideon whips Succoth with briars and thorns for not feeding his famished soldiers while he fought the Lord’s battles. • Judges 20-21 The Tribe of Benjamin is separated from Israel for their sins and engaged in civil war against them killing all their women.

4. 23) Meroz was bitterly cursed by the Angel of the Lord (Jesus –pre-incarnate) for not helping the Lord fight His battles. 24) Jael is blessed above all women for being a true hero/ 25) Sisera asked for water and she gave him curdled milk in a handsome dish. 26) She used one hand to steady the nail and the other to handle the hammer. She crushed his head as she pierced his temple with the nail through to the other side. 27) She made him bow at her feet. She was his real enemy. 28) Sisera’s mother is ridiculed as she is depicted staring out her grand window awaiting her villainous son to return home. She wonders why his chariot takes to so long to return home? 29) She is depicted again asking the question to her wise ladies. 30) She responds to herself as she licks her lips in greedy anticipation of the rewards Sisera usually brings home, the loot, the treasures, the weapons, the virgins, the maidens, the slaves, the extravagant cloths and linens. Judges 5:23-30

5. Judges 5:31 Deborah and Barak conclude their song with pronouncing curses upon their enemies and blessings upon those who love the Lord.

6. Judges 6-8:35 Israel Sins and Midian Oppresses

7. Fourth Cycle Gideon versus the Midianites

8. Judges 6:1-5 • Israel sins and God allows Midian to oppress them for seven years. • It was so severe that the Israelites had to hide themselves in caves and mountains. • Whenever Israel would plant her crops, the Midianite raiders would invade their country and take their fruit of their ground. (The Spirit of the Devourer) • They would set up camp and consume and waste the Israelites’ food supply. • They spared no Israelite alive whom they saw during their raids. They would also kill their domestic animals, sheep, cattle, and donkeys.

9. Judges 6:5-6 • The Midianites ascended upon the Israelites in innumerous numbers along with their camels like a swarm of locusts every harvest season. • They invaded the land to destroy it, rushing in like grasshoppers. • The oppression of poverty caused by Midian caused Israel cry out to the Lord for deliverance.

10. Who were the Midianites? • Desert nomads (wanderers) who learned to trained their camels for warfare and used them in long distance raids into occupied regions. • A camel could carry 400 lbs., in addition to the rider. It can travel a week without having to stop for water and can cover approximately 100 miles per day in journey. They could reach Israel so fast they didn’t have time to assemble an army to defend themselves. • They attack primarily at harvest-time, to take Israel’s crops. They would attack and kill any Israelite they found during their raids. • They were not numerous enough to war against the Israelites alone, so they formed coalitions (demonic clusters and evil groups or gangs) with the Moabites, the Amelekites and other eastern tribes.

11. Judges 6:7-10 • God sends a prophet to Israel to rebuke them for forgetting how He delivered Israel from Egypt (bondage) and that the land they were enslaved in, was theirs. • Read v. 7-10 • The prophet reminded that they didn’t deserve deliverance, but he didn’t say there would be no deliverance.

12. Judges 6:11 • Christ Himself (an Angel of the Lord), appears under a oak tree to watch Gideon (mighty warrior, or to cut down), His man for this season. • Gideon was threshing wheat. (God loves doers and people of industry, consider the fishermen, <apostles>). • Gideon was the son of Joash (God is strong) of the tribe of Manasseh. • Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress! He was literally beating out the grains of wheat in winepress so that the Midianites could not take it.

13. Judges 6:12-13 But God sees you as a Mighty Warrior • The Lord appeared to Gideon and greeted him as Mighty Man of Valor and told him that the Lord was with him. • Gideon replied with a question as to why this turmoil has befallen his people if the Lord was with him. He presents the Lord with a series of questions? • Where are all the wonders? • Didn’t the Lord bring us out of Egypt? But now He has abandoned us by the hand of the Midianites. • Gideon’s was a new generation who had not yet seen the glory of God from the past, the miracles, the signs, and the wonders. You may see yourself as this turtle

14. Who was Gideon? • His name literally means, “One who cuts down the enemy” • Although he began with a little faith and a lot of fear, he became a man of great faith and no fear. • He started out being afraid of the Midianites and he ended destroying the Midianites. • Although he doubted the promises of God, he kept seeking confirmations and reinforcements that he was in God’s will. • He was instructed to tear down Baal’s altar, and because of fear, he obeyed God but tore the altar down by night. • His army was comprised of fearful men, like himself and even after God sifted his army, he still had a platoon of fearful soldiers remaining! • Fear is one of the most powerful and unfortunately, the sometimes most effective enemy of the saints of God. Fear will rob you and manipulate you into accepting less than God’s best for your life. • Grab fear by its horns and crush him underneath your feet. • God didn’t call coward soldiers. Don’t be numbered with the portion of Gideon’s army who weren’t prepared for battle and returned home shamefaced. Stand up and tell the devil, NO MORE!

15. Judges 6:14 • The Lord looked at him, indicates that the Lord Himself was the Angel of the Lord. • He calls Gideon the next deliverer or judge of Israel. • He also tells Gideon to go in his strength (this thy might) and save (deliver ) Israel. • God knew Gideon had strength beyond his recognition. What type of strength has the Lord given us that we have no knowledge of? • Why is it that God has to persuade us of who we are in Him? • We may be as weak as Gideon when facing our battles, but if the Lord is with us, we are strong indeed and fit for the battle.

16. Judges 6:15 • Gideon makes excuses as to why he is unable to deliver Israel out of Midian’s hand. • How can I do this Lord? My family is poor and I am the least esteemed in my father’s house. • Gideon disqualified himself by stating that he was the youngest in his father’s house and Manasseh was a weak in military might. In his eyes, neither he, nor his family, nor his tribe were fit for this tremendous task. • Do you remember that Moses attempted to disqualify himself in the same manner? How can we tell the Lord what we cannot do and it is He who has created us? What can the lump of clay say to the potter about its creation? 1 Corinthians 1:26“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that notmany wise men after the flesh, notmany mighty, notmanynoble, are called:”

17. Judges 6:16 • The Lord comforted Gideon by informing him that, “surely I will be with thee and you shalt smite Midian as one man.” • Irregardless to what the Lord said, Gideon asked the Lord to show him a sign that it was really the Lord who was talking to him. • Before he goes any further in his request, he presents an offering. • The Lord promptly replied that He will wait on Gideon.

18. Judges 6:17-9 Class begins 5/6/09