May 9, Day 129 – Elegant In Its Simplicity

Judges 7:8-8:35; Proverbs 11:19-28; John 5:31-47

"Deutsche Bauernkunst, III" © by Terri L. Stricker - Original Acrylic on Wood

In Judges 7:8-8:35, we see how God uses Gideon to overcome the Midianite oppressors of Israel.  A strange character, Gideon has another name – “Jerubbaal” (Judges 7:1) – which means “contender against Baal.”  This name indicates that Gideon is zealous for God and for His purposes against this heathen deity. Apparently, Gideon seems to think that his zeal entitles him to carry a chip on his shoulder.  Commendably, he takes God at His Word, and even Hebrews 11 cites him as an example of faith (which I completely accept as true), but nevertheless, I find some of Gideon’s conduct questionable.  For example, consider his demanding attitude and his retribution toward the men of Sukkoth in verses 5-8; his incident with the thorns and briers in verse 16; his instructions to his young son to kill the two Midianite kings in verse 20; his creation of a gold ephod in verse 27; his many wives and sons in verses 30-31; and his open antagonism toward the Ephraimites in Judges 8:1; etc.).  Of course, God’s point for us is that He uses anyone who is willing to serve Him.  In chapter 8, however, we cannot be certain that Gideon’s reply toward the Ephraimites was either gracious or sarcastic; all we can say is that “their resentment against him subsided” (verse 3). In verses 22-27, we see several of Gideon’s failures, and this encourages us to know that God can use us, too – if we are willing.  Gideon’s judgeship resulted in forty years of peace “during his lifetime” (verse 28).  We see that “he died at a good old age,” but we cannot help but notice that “no sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals … and forgot “the LORD their God” (verses 32-34).  How sad is that? Gideon’s example emphasizes that finishing well is important – God is interested in all of our time – not just in random moments of our lives.

In Proverbs 11:19-28, we see the wisdom of engaging in righteousness contrasted with the foolishness of practicing evil.  Proverbs 11 also contrasts the placement of our hopes in temporary things (i.e., riches, wealth, pride, etc.) versus those which are eternal.  Here, the biblical advice is elegant in its simplicity. It always amazes me that anyone would intentionally desire to “pursue evil” (verse 19).  Earlier in our Proverbs 11 readings, we noticed examples of the fruit of the Spirit (faithfulness; joy; self-control; kindness; and peace).  Completing Proverbs 11 today, we also notice gentleness (verse 25) and goodness (verse 27).  This is important because verse 30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”  Practicing righteousness is a whole tree – equated here with “the tree of life” (verse 30).  Our lives should be characterized by righteousness.

Reading the Bible in the context of the Person and work of Jesus Christ truly does make a difference.  When everything is about Him, we see and sense so much more that God wants us to observe and to learn.  In John 5:31-47, we see Christ’s testimony about Himself.  I personally appreciate the increasingly powerful evidence that Jesus cites to support the truth that He is the Son of God.  By divine authority and decree, God’s Word is the ultimate and absolute reality.  No greater testimony to the truth exists than what Jesus is teaching right here. Rejecting God’s Word is tantamount to the repudiation of reality and of the certainty of its existence – a fool’s errand.  We wonder how anyone could ever be that absurd, but we observe every day all around us the substitution of reality or the replacement of truth with all manner of current nonsense – which the Bible simply labels as “evil.” The Bible is elegant in its simplicity.