Bring Out Your Son - Judges 6:30

In the book of Judges we learned how Jehovah God told Gideon, “Take your father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the grove that is by it. And build an altar unto the LORD your God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which you shall cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. And they said one to another, Who has done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing”, and in chapter six and verse thirty of Judges, we learn how,”the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out your son?” where we read,

Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out your son, that he may die: because he has cast down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the grove that was by it.

The verse reads, “Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out your son, that he may die:” The writer began with the words, “then the men of the city” which means “at that time the male human being belonging to the dwelling place, habitation and abode” “said unto Joash” or “uttered, declared and proclaimed Joash whose name means ‘given by the Lord’”, “bring out your son” which means “proceed forward and exit with your, Joash’s, male offspring and progeny”, “that he may die” or “that he, Gideon, might be killed, made lifeless and be without breath”. The writer shared how the male human beings within the “city” told Gideon’s father “Joash” to exit with him so they might kill him. 

The verse continues, “because he has cast down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the grove that was by it.” The writer added the words, “because he has cast down the altar of Baal” which means “since and on account that he, Gideon, threw, beat dow and destroyed the sacrificial offering place belonging to “Baal” whose name means ‘lord’ and was the supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites”, “and because he has cut down the grove” or “and since and on account that he, Gideon, has cut out, killed and eliminated the accompanying timber, planks, stalks and sticks belonging to the ‘Ashera’ which were used for idol worship” “that was by it”  which means “that existed next to and beside the altar of Baal”. The writer shared how the “men of the city” wanted “Gideon” to be brought to them out on account that he destroyed the sacrificial offering place of “Baal” and eliminated the tree orchard for idols that was beside it. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn how the “men of the city” desired that Gideon’s father “Joash” would lead him out to them so they might kill him for destroying the “sacrificial location of Baal” and the trees used for idol worship that were beside it. We see how committed these “men” were to their god and the worship places erected for him, and when God destroyed them through “Gideon”, they wanted revenge. God wants to be our One and Only True God through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was resurrected from the dead after three days. When we believe and trust in 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 ability to keep His commands which are better for His Kingdom and for us. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)

Next time we learn how, “Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will you plead for Baal?”, 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".