The cross and Gideon

[mfblume]

It's wonderful to see the cross in Gideon's story, as all the other Old Testament stories.

Gideon was burdened for Israel as the Midianites were destroying their food sustenance. So he hid and threshed wheat by a winepress beneath an oak tree.

Right away we see the cross in foreshadowing form.

Oak tree - cross was called a tree upon which Jesus was hanged.

Wheat - raw material for bread. Jesus called his crucified body the broken bread.

Winepress - Jesus called his blood shed for remission of sins the wine.

He set out to provide food for his people at the foot of the tree.

The enemy comes and destroys all bread and wine when we live erringly and slacken off our spiritual faithfulness. And the Lord allows it! God let the Midianites come.

It makes us cry out to God and seek for the bread and wine, and because Gideon set out to provide just that, we see a picture of our need to gain bread and wine of the truths of the cross to destroy the enemy.

If we understood what the Word teaches about the cross, we'd defeat the enemy immediately. We died and were buried and raised with Jesus, enthroning us with Jesus at the right hand. That power is on us now. Understanding that the resurrection power we're enthroned with is on us now would help us realize the devil could only bring death, but resurrection power exceeds death. Paul said in Eph 1 we have exceeding great power of his resurrection and enthronement on us now! What can the devil do to us once we realize that?

[mfblume]

Gideon was immediately instructed to destroy his father's idol of Baal. He did, and the next day the pagans came to his father and demanded Gideon's death. Gideon's dad, who owned the idol, stood up for Gideon and said if Baal was actually a god then let Baal destroy Gideon himself.

Repentance is the first step once you begin seeking bread and wine. Tear down some idols, and your commitment will catch hold of more of the family who has backslidden.

[mfblume]

Then comes the fleece.

The fleece was requested to be soaked with dew that next night while the ground remained true. Gideon asked for this sign. God did not mind, because even Jesus said the only sign given would be the death, burial and resurrection as Jonah was in the whale and came forth after three days.

The fleece deals with this picture.

The fleece was soaked with dew and the ground remained dry just as Gideon asked. He then asked a repeat of a miracle but this time the reverse. Keep the fleece dry and the land around it soaked with dew instead. It happened!

How does this show the cross?

DEW stands in the bible for blessings and favour from God.

Psa 133:3 KJV As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

And fleece is taken from a sheep. Christ is the lamb slain. The dew-soaked fleece stands for the favour and blessing of God on Jesus while all the rest of the world was dry without blessings due to our sin. But the next night showed the reverse, indicating Christ gave us His righteousness and favour with God, while having taken our sins, leaving the ground soaked with dew while the fleece was dry as a bone instead.

2Co 5:21 KJV For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

THE CROSS!

[KeptByTheWord]

Makes for some good teaching/preaching! Good stuff!

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Makes for some good teaching/preaching! Good stuff!

Tahnks, sister.

I believe it helps show us how to have victory against the enemy.

Gideon was told by God to go down at night to the enemy camp and hear something that would strengthen him, since he was fearful.

He heard a Midianite tell his friend a dream he had about a small cake rolling down the hill and overturning a tent. the man interpreted the dream saying God was using Gideon to destroy the Midianites.

The devil is more afraid of us than we are afraid of him. He knows if we ever learn about who we are due to the work of the cross, he's finished.

It;s like Rahab informing the two spies of Israel how fearful Jericho was of Israel for forty years ever since they heard God dried up the Red Sea before them. Imagine their thoughts after knowing their parents feared Canaan forty years earlier! Had Israel known the enemy was that fearful of them....!!!

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Tahnks, sister.

I believe it helps show us how to have victory against the enemy.

Gideon was told by God to go down at night to the enemy camp and hear something that would strengthen him, since he was fearful.

He heard a Midianite tell his friend a dream he had about a small cake rolling down the hill and overturning a tent. the man interpreted the dream saying God was using Gideon to destroy the Midianites.

The devil is more afraid of us than we are afraid of him. He knows if we ever learn about who we are due to the work of the cross, he's finished.

It;s like Rahab informing the two spies of Israel how fearful Jericho was of Israel for forty years ever since they heard God dried up the Red Sea before them. Imagine their thoughts after knowing their parents feared Canaan forty years earlier! Had Israel known the enemy was that fearful of them....!!!

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.

Excellent! When we know who we are in Christ... there is a powerful source of strength in knowing that whatever happens, we are in Christ, and the battle is His. A true gamechanger!

It is all in our thinking! When we understand and know in our hearts who we are, the possibilities are unlimited in what Christ can do through us. '

Great preaching stuff for sure!

[KeptByTheWord]

I think the greatest knowledge that we can possess is indeed that it is CHRIST in us that is able to do the things that need to be done in our lives. When we let go of the notion that we physically or spiritually are of any use to the Lord in our own efforts, there is a tremendous work that can take place. Letting the spirit of Christ rise up as the head in our hearts and minds, and knowing that the battle is won in Him, and we are just the vessel being used, but the power is in the Spirit within us... not our vessel.

It is a humbling thing to come to this realization, because when you truly get this understanding, you want your flesh to step out of the way so that the spirit of the Lord can truly work mightily through you.

I have realized that it is in the simple things of life that I do... just being obedient to the voice of the spirit moment by moment that great triumphant things are happening.

A very simple example. Yesterday it was raining, cold and miserable outside. I usually walk every day with my dog, and I didn't feel like walking really. I went to the mailbox to get my mail, and just decided on a whim, well, I'll walk a few minutes, it's not so bad. My neighbor, who I mentioned in another post, has been coming to our bible studies. She is in a difficult situation with an alcoholic elderly mother moving to come live closer to her. Today was the day she was leaving to go and get her, and I knew she was so concerned about how it was going to go.

Would you believe that the very moment I walked by my neighbors house, she pulled out of her driveway. Pure coincidence. She stopped, and her face was full of anguish because the day wasn't going well. I grabbed her hand, and we had a prayer meeting right there in the road. I prayed in Jesus name for her, and encouraged her heart. She had a smile on her face as we finished. JESUS orchestrated the whole thing. I had no intention of walking that day, but I believe the spirit of Christ in me arranged the entire meeting. It was a game changer for her, she told me later in the day.

To God be the glory! We can indeed walk in the spirit, moment by moment, and be vessels through which Jesus can work.

[good samaritan]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Tahnks, sister.

I believe it helps show us how to have victory against the enemy.

Gideon was told by God to go down at night to the enemy camp and hear something that would strengthen him, since he was fearful.

He heard a Midianite tell his friend a dream he had about a small cake rolling down the hill and overturning a tent. the man interpreted the dream saying God was using Gideon to destroy the Midianites.

The devil is more afraid of us than we are afraid of him. He knows if we ever learn about who we are due to the work of the cross, he's finished.

It;s like Rahab informing the two spies of Israel how fearful Jericho was of Israel for forty years ever since they heard God dried up the Red Sea before them. Imagine their thoughts after knowing their parents feared Canaan forty years earlier! Had Israel known the enemy was that fearful of them....!!!

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.

The man at the tombs asked Jesus if he had come to torment them before their time. The works that Jesus did are to be the same works of a born again Christian. I believe that devils fear born again Christians because we carry that same Holy Ghost anointing. Although, we should not rejoice because spirits are subject to us, but instead because are names are written in heaven.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

I think the greatest knowledge that we can possess is indeed that it is CHRIST in us that is able to do the things that need to be done in our lives.

Yes, hat has been called the gospel for those already saved! Gal 2:20 is so vitally important.

When we let go of the notion that we physically or spiritually are of any use to the Lord in our own efforts, there is a tremendous work that can take place. Letting the spirit of Christ rise up as the head in our hearts and minds, and knowing that the battle is won in Him, and we are just the vessel being used, but the power is in the Spirit within us... not our vessel.

Right on!! That is EXACTLY the truth.

It is a humbling thing to come to this realization, because when you truly get this understanding, you want your flesh to step out of the way so that the spirit of the Lord can truly work mightily through you.

I have realized that it is in the simple things of life that I do... just being obedient to the voice of the spirit moment by moment that great triumphant things are happening.

A very simple example. Yesterday it was raining, cold and miserable outside. I usually walk every day with my dog, and I didn't feel like walking really. I went to the mailbox to get my mail, and just decided on a whim, well, I'll walk a few minutes, it's not so bad. My neighbor, who I mentioned in another post, has been coming to our bible studies. She is in a difficult situation with an alcoholic elderly mother moving to come live closer to her. Today was the day she was leaving to go and get her, and I knew she was so concerned about how it was going to go.

Would you believe that the very moment I walked by my neighbors house, she pulled out of her driveway. Pure coincidence. She stopped, and her face was full of anguish because the day wasn't going well. I grabbed her hand, and we had a prayer meeting right there in the road. I prayed in Jesus name for her, and encouraged her heart. She had a smile on her face as we finished. JESUS orchestrated the whole thing. I had no intention of walking that day, but I believe the spirit of Christ in me arranged the entire meeting. It was a game changer for her, she told me later in the day.

To God be the glory! We can indeed walk in the spirit, moment by moment, and be vessels through which Jesus can work.

Amen. THAT is the the way we should be experiencing things all the time. And like you said it takes stepping out the way and believing for God to live through us.

[KeptByTheWord]

Have you compiled a list of all the stories in the OT which foreshadow the cross and Christ in them? That would be a very interesting study, maybe even book material