The Midianite spirit seeks to steal the harvest, but God has His Gideon and 300 faithful men to stop it. Judges 6-8
God’s people were in an awful situation because they had turned away from the Lord. The Midianites and other eastern peoples came in and ravaged the land and left nothing for Israel; their harvest was devoured and destroyed. Gideon, the hero of the account, was threshing grain in a wine press, trying to save some for himself and his family. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him, ‘The Lord is with you mighty warrior’. Judges 6:12
Gideon was astonished and asked why God had given them into the hands of their enemies, when He was so Mighty? The angel didn’t answer his questions (God doesn’t always answer us but may still direct us!) but told him, ‘to go and save Israel out of Midian’s hand’. Judges 6:14 God could have come down and saved Israel in a moment, but He’d chosen to send a little known man, least in his family and from a small clan to accomplish this (as David the shepherd boy, youngest of Jesse’s 8 sons).
Fast forward to Gideon calling the people to come and help him fight and deliver Israel;
34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. Judges 6
Gideon called out the army of Israel to go to battle against Midian and they went out and camped nearby.
2 The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, “My own strength has saved me.” Judges 7
The first cut came, when Gideon told the men anyone who was afraid could leave, 22,000 departed. God still said there were too many;
4 But the Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift/thin them out for you there. If I say, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go; but if I say, “This one shall not go with you,” he shall not go.’ Judges 7
God reduced the force to 300 men, by only taking those who drank from their hands and not those who put their faces into the water. Judges 7:7
I believe there is a huge harvest coming for the Church in this day, but the enemy has already sent the harvest stealers/Midianites to obstruct the workers and steal the harvest. God will not allow the harvest to be stolen this time and will raise up faithful workers to bring in the souls to His Kingdom. This will be the Lord’s work and He will choose those who will work with Him to win this harvest.
Judges 8 describes how Gideon and the 300 with Him pursued a much larger force of Midianites and captured Zebah and Zalmunna, two of their leaders. He followed them until those enemy leaders were dead (see yesterday’s blog).
Gideon was opposed by some of the people in Israel and it’s possible that some of God’s people/ religious people in this day will also seek to hinder the harvest. May God have mercy on us not to oppose His work.
God bless and keep you today.