Judges 6:1-40, Luke 22:54-23:12, Psalms 95:1-96:13, Proverbs 14:5-6
Today is the 26th day of April welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is wonderful as it always is, wonderful to be around the Global Campfire together with you as we move into our workweek, take the next step forward and…and let the Scriptures speak into our lives. So, we’re in the book of Judges as we read through the Old Testament. Yesterday we read about the leader of Israel, the female judge Deborah. Today we’re going to begin a story of the judge, of famous judge actually, a very famous story, the judge Gideon. We’re reading from the Good News Translation this week. Judges chapter 6.
Commentary:
Okay. So, in the book of Judges today we have met Gideon and we’ll move all the way through that story as we continue to read forward. And certainly, we’ll have things to talk about as…as we do move forward through that story. But as the stories kinda getting set up today couple things that…that are interest…interesting, anyway interesting enough to point out. In this story, the angel of the Lord or the Lord’s angel comes to Gideon. And it’s interesting because we’ve seen the angel of the Lord before already and will continue to see the angel of the Lord or Yahweh’s angel or the Lord’s angel. We’ll see this reference throughout the Bible. And we can read this and just go, “yeah. It’s an angel of God. There…I mean…there’s. Some of them have names like Gabriel or Michael and this one’s just the angel of the Lord. So, it’s an unnamed angel.” Actually though, this angel speaks like first person as if He is the Lord. Like, let me just quote a passage. This…this is after…after the angel of the Lord disappeared, after Gideon brought the meal and fire came out of the rock and the angel disappeared. “Gideon”, so I’m quoting, “Gideon then realized that it was the Lord’s angel he had seen. And he said, in terror sovereign Lord I have seen your angel face-to-face but what the Lord told him peace. Don’t be afraid you will not die.” It’s interesting that the angel of the Lord is another way of understanding that this is the Lord. This is the Lord’s presence. The angel of the Lord is different than other angels in other words. The angel of the Lord speaking in first person as the Lord. I mean this is the stuff theologians will love to examine from all kinds of angles and have for centuries and centuries and centuries, but general consensus is when the angel speaks in first person, even though they are referred to as the angel of the Lord, this is the Lord appearing and speaking with people. The other thing that’s interesting as this story begins to get set up is how Gideon refers to himself and who it is that God goes to to rescue his people. So, we know the lay of the land. The Midianites are oppressing the people and they have to hideout just to try to make enough food to survive. When the angel of the Lord comes to Gideon Gideons basically like, “whatever happened to the God that our fathers told us about who did mighty acts?” And the Lord speaks to Gideon telling him, “I’m calling you to set Israel free. Like you’re gonna do one of these mighty acts.” Gideon is then like, “who am I? Like my tribe is the smallest tribe and I’m an inconsequential member of a small family in this tribe. Like I’m nothing. Who am I?” After the period of the judges when we enter into the time of the monarchy and we meet Israel’s first king whose name is Saul, he’s gonna say with very similar things, “my tribes the smallest tribe and I’m the least important member of the smallest family of this tribe.” And when we look at the example of Jesus and see that He was born into a normal existence not like born into high-ranking royalty, we begin to see these threads that God really isn’t interested in our earthly power or resources to get done what He wants to get done. Like He demonstrates all the time that He can go to the very least of these and do unbelievably earth changing powerful things. And, so, it should be no wonder to us than that we are continually focused in our faith toward “the least of these.”
Another thing like this…is this little like incidental in the gospel of Luke today. So, we have entered the passion narrative and Jesus has been arrested is being questioned has been brought before the Roman prefect, Pilate, who has determined that Jesus is Galilean, so he sends Him to Herod. And often we can think like they had to bind Jesus and put Him on a cart and carry Him by donkey for several days to wherever Herod was. But that was…they were in the same complex in Jerusalem. So, he sent Him to Herod’s palace, to Herod’s quarters to be examined by Herod. Of course, Herod wondered whether Jesus was a resurrected John the Baptist, what was going on there. So, he’s eager to meet Jesus, but Jesus wouldn’t even really talk to him. This encounter actually becomes a catalyst to…to bring Herod and Pilate together in like friendly relations. Before that they weren’t friendly. Herod was the king of the Jews. He was installed there. He was a client kind of puppet king loyal to Rome and Herod and Pilate didn’t get along. The…the thing that sort of drew them together is Herod’s making fun of Jesus. So, Herod asked Jesus a bunch of questions. Jesus doesn’t answer. The people accusing Jesus, the religious leaders are making all kinds of accusations that Jesus isn’t responding to. The soldiers are there on guard. They’re making fun of Jesus and one of the ways that they make fun of Jesus is to put a royal robe on His back, right? Sort of like they’re making fun like, “Oh. Now we see that you actually are the king of the Jews. Hail King of the Jews.” So, they put this robe on Him and we know from other narratives that the crown, right, the crown of thorns. “Okay. So, you’re the king of the Jews. So, let us bow down before your authority.” That’s what’s going on here. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because He was Galilean because and He claimed to be the king of the Jews. So, he sent the king of the Jews to the king of the Jews for him to sort it out. Herod ultimately doesn’t get the answers. He just thinks Jesus is a peasant crazy person, whatever. And, so, this robe, this royal robe is put on Jesus and then Jesus is sent back to Pilate where Pilate would then see the joke. “oh the king of the Jews has figured out that this Jesus guy actually is the king of the Jews because now He’s got a royal robe on Him.” And that little bit of mockery of Jesus, that joke pulled them together when they had been enemies in the past. So, just a couple, kinda little vistas, little viewpoints off the side of the path here. As we continue our journey all of these things become so fascinating over time as the context of the story that we are telling from the Scriptures becomes more and more personal, more and more part of the story of our lives.
Prayer:
Father we thank You. Every day, nearly every day we thank You for Your word because we are eternally grateful. We are always thankful for the gift that You’ve given us, that we might pour over it, that we might learn from it, that we might learn of it and about it, that its context begins to lay out before us in a way that we can understand and live into. We are grateful that we can do this together in community all over the world. And, so, we pray. Come Holy Spirit continue to lead us into all truth. This is what You’ve promised. This is what we believe. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
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Community Prayer and Praise:
Family it’s Jesse from Washington. It is Wednesday the 21st. I just wanted to update everyone who’s praying for my grandma. She’s not really doing that awesome. I think I mentioned she can’t really move anymore. I mean she can barely lift her hands to her face to eat and she’s very claustrophobic too. So, she can’t just sit and place or just be in a bed or a chair. And it’s even worse now that she can’t move herself. And then the last couple times, the last few days I’ve gone over to talk to her she's…she's…her eyesight’s getting worse, she can move less and less. She has like neuropathy in her hands that she’s had since before all this stuff happened. So, she can’t really feel her hands either. So, and I don’t know what to tell her or how to make her feel better than, you know, other than to tell her people are praying for her. But it seems, you know, pretty bleak. She just keeps getting worse and worse and the last couple days she kept saying, you know, she doesn’t want to be here anymore and, you know, she wishes she could just take a pill and just, you know, be done with it all. So, I don't…I don’t know what to tell her, I don’t know how to make her feel better. Like I can’t imagine being in that situation myself. And then I guess the other thing too quickly is that it’s very sad for…she’s the only real person in my life. Like I don’t…I have parents, but I wasn’t close with them. So, I know it’s very sad and it’s…it hurts me, but I don’t know that I’m dealing with it properly because I kind of numb out these things. So, just prayers for that as well. Love you. Thank you. Bye.
Hey this is Troy in Texas. I think I called around Easter about my mom being in a reck and being in the hospital. I want to thank everybody for your prayers. She fought hard but she did pass away, and things have been really tough. Please continue to pray for our family. Pray for my stepdad. He’s really, really having a tough time accepting it and being alone. I love this family. I listen to my Daily Audio Bible every morning and it helps me a lot. If you would also pray for my marriage. Things have kind of been a struggle and I want more than anything to connect with my wife, you know, the way that God wants us to connect. So, thank you guys so much for all your prayers and love. I pray for you all. Thank you.
Hello DABbers, this is Vonnie in Northern California and I feel urged to pray for a couple of colors. A few days ago, a man I believe his name was Chad called in with…battling depression and anxiety and this morning a man named Ted called in with the same issues. And my son battles with these same things right now. I wanted to read a portion of Psalm 30. And it was a very meaningful psalm for my husband who also dealt with depression and anxiety. Psalm 30 says, “I will exult you Lord for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemy’s triumph over me. O Lord my God I cried to you for help, and you restored by health. You brought me up from the grave oh Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. I cried out to you O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, and you have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You’ve taken away my clothes of mourning and closed me with joy that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. Oh Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” So, I just want to pray, Father please in the name of Jesus rebuke the enemy in these men’s lives. We ask You to bring them out from this painful time of battling depression and anxiety. I ask You God to overwhelm them with Your joy and peace and security and confidence. Bring them out in Jesus’ name we ask You. Amen.
Good morning Daily Audio Bible family this is Egbert from California by the way of Believe city. I greet you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I called this morning for your prayers to allow God to continue to work in my life and to continue to use me as only He can. I thank the community for all of the work and the effort that is shown in communicating with each other and supporting each other and prayers. I want to say thank you to the Hardin family for all they do and for the prayer warriors. There is so many people that I would need to thank so I would just say thank you for all the new members, the elders of the community. Continue to pray, continue to trust God knowing that His soon return is so near and we continue to do our part as the body and allow Him to use us in whatever capacity He sees fit. So, thank you and I pray that God blessings would continue to permeate your circumstances and your situation in spite of God is good and He is in control and…
good morning DAB family this is Gwynne from Texas and it is Thursday April the 22nd and I want to lift up a young lady that called in this morning from Louisiana. She’s gonna have surgery in her right eye. She has two tumors and they’re bleeding, and the doctor says she needs surgery and they’re not sure of the outcome. But I know a God that is sure, a God in heaven. And, so, I’m gonna lift you up right now in the name of Jesus. Lord You know what this surgery means to this lady Lord, that she wants to see just like Lord the…the blind man called out to You, “son of David I just want to see” and You touched him and he was able to see Lord. And I pray for this lady, that You would touch her, she would call out and that You would…she would say son of God. Jesus have mercy upon her that she would be able to see and that the effort the doctors go before her right now Lord that You would anoint their hands and that…that they’re going to do what they need to do but You are going to oversee it Lord in the name of Jesus and she’s gonna come out giving You glory because they’re going to tell her that the surgery was successful. And, so, Father I’m believing and trusting in the name of Jesus for this lady that she will be able to have her sight back 2020 Lord, that she will have her sight back and she will be able to see and that…and that she will give You the glory and the honor. So, Lord, I thank You for what You’re gonna do right now. It’s in Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen.
Good morning DAB family this is La Chula coming to you from Los Angeles and I just want to say that this Daily Audio Bible has been such a blessing to me. This morning April 22nd it just really spoke to my heart. Every day I text my daughters and I say pastor Brian’s on fire today’s amazing. But today's…what stayed with me today is how you live, that’s what you believe. And it’s so powerful. How I live is what I believe. May my heart be open every day to God’s word, to doing His service and living in His will. I actually want to kind of just share that God is not surprised by any actions taken against me. God is in control of my life and He promises His word will never leave me nor forsake me. So, I choose him every day. Every day I choose Him and I just encourage you to do that as well. Choose Him on a daily basis. I lift up my…my family to you, my daughter especially. She’s going through a trying time and I know that she’s gonna breakthrough because the Lord promises that, and His word is faithful. So, I love you pastor Brian, your entire family, the DABbers that tune in and pray for each other. And I just want to say that, from the bottom of my heart, this is…the Global Campfire is a real thing and I just love you…I love you all. Thank you so much.