Jerubbaal - Judges 6:32

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. 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. And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will you plead for Baal? will you save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death while it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one has cast down his altar”, and in chapter six and verse thirty-two of Judges, we learn,“on that day he called him Jerubbaal” where we read,

Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, 

Let Baal plead against him, because he has thrown down his altar.

The verse reads, “Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, …” The writer began with the words, “therefore on that day” which means “wherefore, then and on this account upon that particular sunrise to sunset” “he called him” or “Joash, proclaimed and named him, Gideon”, “Jerubbaal” whose name means ‘let Baal contend”, “saying” which means “uttering, declaring and proclaiming” the following words. The writer shared how “Joash”, “Gideon’s father”, renamed him “Jerubbaal” or “let Baal contend” after contending with people who wanted him to bring “Gideon” out to them. 

The verse continues, “… Let Baal plead against him, because he has thrown down his altar.” The writer added the words, “let Baal plead against him” which means “allow and permit Baal whose name means ‘lord’ and was the supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites”, “because he has thrown down” or “since and on account that he, Gideon, has cast down, broken and destroyed” “his altar”  which means “his, Baal’s, place of sacrificial worship”. The writer shared how “Gideon’s” father “Joash” told the people opposed to him to allow “Baal” to defend himself since his sacrificial place of worship was destroyed. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how the impact of “Joash’s” contention against those who were opposed to his son “Gideon” was so powerful that “Joash” changed “Gideon’s” name to “Jerubbaal”. God performed the work through “Gideon” because the people of Israel forsook Him for “Baal”, and that needed change. Everyone worships something or someone, and God wants to be the One we worship. He made us, loves us and sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and to be raised from the dead after three days. When we submit to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit in us to guide us into all truth and remind us to keep Him first in our lives and never have need to be concerned whether other deities can defend themselves or not. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Matthew 6:33)

Next time we learn how, “all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together”, 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".