In the book of Judges we learned how, “the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand”, and in chapter seven and verse four of Judges, we learn how, “the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many”, where we read,
And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for you there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whomsoever I say unto you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.
The verse reads, “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for you there:” The writer began with the words, “and the LORD” which means “and Jehovah who is the existing One and is the proper name for the One True God” “said unto Gideon” or “uttered, declared and proclaimed to Gideon whose name means ‘hewer’ and was the youngest son of Joash of the Abiezrites, fifth judge of Israel who led the Israelites against the Midianites”, “the people are yet too many” which means “the male human beings are still abounding, numerous and exceedingly much for me, Jehovah God”; “bring them down to the water” or “carry and lead them, the ten thousand men who remained, in a descending and declining manner to the flowing transitory water”, “and I will try them” which means “and I, Jehovah God, shall test, prove and refine them, the ten thousand men” “for you there” or “on behalf of you, Gideon, at the location of the water”. The writer shared how Jehovah God told “Gideon” the amount of men going to battle were exceedingly numerous, and he instructed him to have the men descend to the flowing water where He would test and prove them on behalf of Gideon in that place.
The verse continues, “and it shall be, that of whom I say unto you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whomsoever I say unto you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.” The writer added the words, “and it shall be” which means “and the following will exist”, “that of whom I say unto you” or “the the men who I, Jehovah God, utter, declared and proclaim to you, Gideon”, “this shall go with you” which means “this number of men will proceed forward beside and alongside of you, Gideon”, “the same shall go with you” or “these selfsame men will proceed forward beside and alongside of you, Gideon”; “and of whomsoever I say unto you” which means “and pertaining to whatever person I, Jehovah God, utter, declared and proclaim to you, Gideon”, “this shall not go with you” or “these men will not proceed forward beside and alongside of you, Gideon”, “the same shall not go” which means “these selfsame men will not proceed forward beside and alongside of you, Gideon”. The writer shared how Jehovah God told Gideon that the men whom He proves are to proceed forward with him, however the ones who prove unworthy will in no way or manner proceed forward with him.
When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how God had a plan to narrow the number of men who would proceed forward to battle with “Gideon”, and those whom Jehovah God proved and tested as faithful would go with him, however those who proved themselves to be unfaithful would not go forward with him to battle. God loves people, and when we yield to God’s Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and equip us with His Holy Spirit so we learn to trust Him in all His direction for our lives. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 14:4)
Next time we learn how Gideon, “brought down the people unto the water”, 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".
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