With Cattle and Tents - Judges 6:5

In the book of Judges we learned, “when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them. And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till you come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass”, and in chapter six and verse five of Judges, we learn, “they came up with their cattle and their tents”, where we read,

For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

The verse reads, “For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude;” The writer began with the words, “for they” which means “because, since and on account that they, the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east” “came up with their cattle” or “arose and proceeded forward alongside and accompanied by their, the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east’s, livestock” “and their tents” which means “and their the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east’s, transient and temporary dwelling places”, “and they came as grasshoppers” or “and they, the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east, arose and proceeded forward in likeness and similar to a swarm of locusts “for multitude” which means “because, since and on account of an abundant, great and numerous amount of people”. The writer shared how “the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east” arrived accompanied by their livestock and temporary dwelling places as they proceeded forward like a swarm of locusts which were abundant and great in number. 

The verse goes on to say, “for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.” The writer continued with the words, “for both they” which means “because, since and on account that they, the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east” “and their camels” or “and their, the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east’s, beasts of burden and riding camels” “were without number” which means “existed not having an amount that could be counted”: “and they entered into the land” or “and they, the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east, entered and arrived within the territory, region and district” “to destroy it” which means “to corrupt, ruin and pervert it, the land”. The writer shared how “the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east” were numerous, and their riding “camels” could not be numbered, and at the time and moment the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east entered, there was a great number of them and their riding “camels” for the purpose of ruining and corrupting the “land”. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how “the Midianites, Amelekites and the people of the east” entered the territory of the Israelites with a large number of people, livestock and temporary dwelling places, and there were so many of them that they were similar to a swarm of locusts that could not be counted. Their purpose was to corrupt and ruin the crops, livestock and ground of “Israel”. “Israel” has always had it’s hating adversaries, and whenever the people of Israel were disobedient to Jehovah God by forsaking Him and His ways, they suffered from various ones. God wants an intimate personal relationship with us through His Son Jesus who was crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. When we yield to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and give us the confidence to know He will protect us when the onslaught of our enemies rise against us. (See Deuteronomy 28:7; Psalm 44:5; John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)

Next time we learn how, “Israel was greatly impoverished”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".