O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected] window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 10:44 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Friday March 13 > Judges 7-9 (The Message) > > Judges 7 > 1 Jerub-Baal (Gideon) got up early the next morning, all his troops right > there with him. They set > up camp at Harod's Spring. The camp of Midian was in > the plain, north of them near the Hill of Moreh. > > 2-3 God said to Gideon, "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn > Midian over to them like > this-they'll take all the credit, saying, 'I did it > all myself,' and forget about me. Make a public announcement: 'Anyone > afraid, anyone who has any > qualms at all, may leave Mount Gilead now and go home.'" > Twenty-two companies headed for home. Ten companies were left. > > 4-5 God said to Gideon: "There are still too many. Take them down to the > stream and I'll make a > final cut. When I say, 'This one goes with you,' he'll > go. When I say, 'This one doesn't go,' he won't go." So Gideon took the > troops down to the stream. > > 5-6 God said to Gideon: "Everyone who laps with his tongue, the way a dog > laps, set on one side. > And everyone who kneels to drink, drinking with his face > to the water, set to the other side." Three hundred lapped with their > tongues from their cupped > hands. All the rest knelt to drink. > > 7 God said to Gideon: "I'll use the three hundred men who lapped at the > stream to save you and give > Midian into your hands. All the rest may go home." > > 8 After Gideon took all their provisions and trumpets, he sent all the > Israelites home. He took up > his position with the three hundred. The camp of Midian > stretched out below him in the valley. > > 9-12 That night, God told Gideon: "Get up and go down to the camp. I've > given it to you. If you > have any doubts about going down, go down with Purah your > armor bearer; when you hear what they're saying, you'll be bold and > confident." He and his armor > bearer Purah went down near the place where sentries were > posted. Midian and Amalek, all the easterners, were spread out on the > plain like a swarm of locusts. > And their camels! Past counting, like grains of sand > on the seashore! > > 13 Gideon arrived just in time to hear a man tell his friend a dream. He > said, "I had this dream: A > loaf of barley bread tumbled into the Midianite camp. > It came to the tent and hit it so hard it collapsed. The tent fell!" > > 14 His friend said, "This has to be the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the > Israelite! God has turned > Midian-the whole camp!-over to him." > > 15 When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he > went to his knees before > God in prayer. Then he went back to the Israelite camp > and said, "Get up and get going! God has just given us the Midianite > army!" > > 16-18 He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He gave each > man a trumpet and an > empty jar, with a torch in the jar. He said, "Watch me and > do what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly what I do. > When I and those with me > blow the trumpets, you also, all around the camp, blow > your trumpets and shout, 'For God and for Gideon!'" > > 19-22 Gideon and his hundred men got to the edge of the camp at the > beginning of the middle watch, > just after the sentries had been posted. They blew the > trumpets, at the same time smashing the jars they carried. All three > companies blew the trumpets and > broke the jars. They held the torches in their left > hands and the trumpets in their right hands, ready to blow, and shouted, > "A sword for God and for > Gideon!" They were stationed all around the camp, each > man at his post. The whole Midianite camp jumped to its feet. They yelled > and fled. When the three > hundred blew the trumpets, God aimed each Midianite's > sword against his companion, all over the camp. They ran for their > lives-to Beth Shittah, toward > Zererah, to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. > > 23 Israelites rallied from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all over > Manasseh. They had Midian on the > run. > > 24 Gideon then sent messengers through all the hill country of Ephraim, > urging them, "Come down > against Midian! Capture the fords of the Jordan at Beth > Barah." > > 25 So all the men of Ephraim rallied and captured the fords of the Jordan > at Beth Barah. They also > captured the two Midianite commanders Oreb (Raven) and > Zeeb (Wolf). They killed Oreb at Raven Rock; Zeeb they killed at Wolf > Winepress. And they pressed > the pursuit of Midian. They brought the heads of Oreb > and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan. > > Judges 8 > 1 Then the Ephraimites said to Gideon, "Why did you leave us out of this, > not calling us when you > went to fight Midian?" They were indignant and let him > know it. > > 2-3 But Gideon replied, "What have I done compared to you? Why, even the > gleanings of Ephraim are > superior to the vintage of Abiezer. God gave you Midian's > commanders, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I done compared with you?" > > When they heard this, they calmed down and cooled off. > > 4-5 Gideon and his three hundred arrived at the Jordan and crossed over. > They were bone-tired but > still pressing the pursuit. He asked the men of Succoth, > "Please, give me some loaves of bread for my troops I have with me. > They're worn out, and I'm hot on > the trail of Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings." > > 6 But the leaders in Succoth said, "You're on a wild goose chase; why > should we help you on a > fool's errand?" > > 7 Gideon said, "If you say so. But when God gives me Zebah and Zalmunna, > I'll give you a thrashing, > whip your bare flesh with desert thorns and thistles!" > > 8-9 He went from there to Peniel and made the same request. The men of > Peniel, like the men of > Succoth, also refused. Gideon told them, "When I return > safe and sound, I'll demolish this tower." > > 10 Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of about fifteen > companies, all that was left of > the fighting force of the easterners-they had lost 120 > companies of soldiers. > > 11-12 Gideon went up the caravan trail east of Nobah and Jogbehah, found > and attacked the > undefended camp. Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but he chased and captured > the two kings of Midian. The whole camp had panicked. > > 13-15 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by way of the Heres > Pass. He captured a young > man from Succoth and asked some questions. The young man > wrote down the names of the officials and leaders of Succoth, > seventy-seven men. Then Gideon went to > the men of Succoth and said, "Here are the wild geese, > Zebah and Zalmunna, you said I'd never catch. You wouldn't give so much as > a scrap of bread to my > worn-out men; you taunted us, saying that we were on > a fool's errand." > > 16-17 Then he took the seventy-seven leaders of Succoth and thrashed them > with desert thorns and > thistles. And he demolished the tower of Peniel and killed > the men of the city. > > 18 He then addressed Zebah and Zalmunna: "Tell me about the men you killed > at Tabor." > > "They were men much like you," they said, "each one like a king's son." > > 19 Gideon said, "They were my brothers, my mother's sons. As God lives, if > you had let them live, I > would let you live." > > 20 Then he spoke to Jether, his firstborn: "Get up and kill them." But he > couldn't do it, couldn't > draw his sword. He was afraid-he was still just a boy. > > 21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Do it yourself-if you're man enough!" And > Gideon did it. He stepped up > and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. Then he took the crescents > that hung on the necks of their camels. > > 22 The Israelites said, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson. > You have saved us from > Midian's tyranny." > > 23 Gideon said, "I most certainly will not rule over you, nor will my son. > God will reign over > you." > > 24 Then Gideon said, "But I do have one request. Give me, each of you, an > earring that you took as > plunder." Ishmaelites wore gold earrings, and the men > all had their pockets full of them. > > 25-26 They said, "Of course. They're yours!" > > They spread out a blanket and each man threw his plundered earrings on > it. The gold earrings > that Gideon had asked for weighed about forty-three pounds-and > that didn't include the crescents and pendants, the purple robes worn by > the Midianite kings, and > the ornaments hung around the necks of their camels. > > 27 Gideon made the gold into a sacred ephod and put it on display in his > hometown, Ophrah. All > Israel prostituted itself there. Gideon and his family, > too, were seduced by it. > > 28 Midian's tyranny was broken by the Israelites; nothing more was heard > from them. The land was > quiet for forty years in Gideon's time. > > 29-31 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and lived in his house. Gideon had > seventy sons. He fathered > them all-he had a lot of wives! His concubine, the > one at Shechem, also bore him a son. He named him Abimelech. > > 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age. He was buried in the tomb > of his father Joash at > Ophrah of the Abiezrites. > > Abimelech > 33-35 Gideon was hardly cool in the tomb when the People of Israel had > gotten off track and were > prostituting themselves to Baal-they made Baal-of-the-Covenant > their god. The People of Israel forgot all about God, their God, who had > saved them from all their > enemies who had hemmed them in. And they didn't keep > faith with the family of Jerub-Baal (Gideon), honoring all the good he had > done for Israel. > > Judges 9 > 1-2Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to his uncles and all his > mother's relatives and > said to them, "Ask all the leading men of Shechem, 'What > do you think is best, that seventy men rule you-all those sons of > Jerub-Baal-or that one man rule? > You'll remember that I am your own flesh and blood.'" > > 3 His mother's relatives reported the proposal to the leaders of Shechem. > They were inclined to > take Abimelech. "Because," they said, "he is, after all, > one of us." > > 4-5 They gave him seventy silver pieces from the shrine of > Baal-of-theCovenant. With the money he > hired some reckless riffraff soldiers and they followed > along after him. He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his > half brothers, the sons of > Jerub-Baal-seventy men! And on one stone! The youngest, > Jotham son of Jerub-Baal, managed to hide, the only survivor. > > 6 Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered at the Oak by > the Standing Stone at > Shechem and crowned Abimelech king. > > 7-9 When this was all told to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount > Gerizim, raised his voice, and > shouted: > Listen to me, leaders of Shechem. > And let God listen to you! > The trees set out one day > to anoint a king for themselves. > They said to Olive Tree, > "Rule over us." > But Olive Tree told them, > "Am I no longer good for making oil > That gives glory to gods and men, > and to be demoted to waving over trees?" > 10-11 The trees then said to Fig Tree, > "You come and rule over us." > But Fig Tree said to them, > "Am I no longer good for making sweets, > My mouthwatering sweet fruits, > and to be demoted to waving over trees?" > 12-13 The trees then said to Vine, > "You come and rule over us." > But Vine said to them, > "Am I no longer good for making wine, > Wine that cheers gods and men, > and to be demoted to waving over trees?" > 14-15 All the trees then said to Tumbleweed, > "You come and reign over us." > But Tumbleweed said to the trees: > "If you're serious about making me your king, > Come and find shelter in my shade. > But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed > and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!" > > 16-20 "Now listen: Do you think you did a right and honorable thing when > you made Abimelech king? > Do you think you treated Jerub-Baal and his family well, > did for him what he deserved? My father fought for you, risked his own > life, and rescued you from > Midian's tyranny, and you have, just now, betrayed him. > You massacred his sons-seventy men on a single stone! You made Abimelech, > the son by his > maidservant, king over Shechem's leaders because he's your relative. > If you think that this is an honest day's work, this way you have treated > Jerub-Baal today, then > enjoy Abimelech and let him enjoy you. But if not, let > fire break from Abimelech and burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth > Millo. And let fire break from > the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up > Abimelech." > > 21 And Jotham fled. He ran for his life. He went to Beer and settled down > there, because he was > afraid of his brother Abimelech. > > 22-24 Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. Then God brought bad > blood between Abimelech and > Shechem's leaders, who now worked treacherously behind > his back. Violence boomeranged: The murderous violence that killed the > seventy brothers, the sons of > Jerub-Baal, was now loose among Abimelech and Shechem's > leaders, who had supported the violence. > > 25 To undermine Abimelech, Shechem's leaders put men in ambush on the > mountain passes who robbed > travelers on those roads. And Abimelech was told. > > 26-27 At that time Gaal son of Ebed arrived with his relatives and moved > into Shechem. The leaders > of Shechem trusted him. One day they went out into the > fields, gathered grapes in the vineyards, and trod them in the winepress. > Then they held a > celebration in their god's temple, a feast, eating and drinking. > And then they started putting down Abimelech. > > 28-29 Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is this Abimelech? And who are we > Shechemites to take orders from > him? Isn't he the son of Jerub-Baal, and isn't this > his henchman Zebul? We belong to the race of Hamor and bear the noble name > of Shechem. Why should we > be toadies of Abimelech? If I were in charge of this > people, the first thing I'd do is get rid of Abimelech! I'd say, 'Show me > your stuff, > Abimelech-let's see who's boss here!'" > > 30-33 Zebul, governor of the city, heard what Gaal son of Ebed was saying > and got angry. Secretly > he sent messengers to Abimelech with the message, "Gaal > son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem and are stirring up > trouble against you. Here's > what you do: Tonight bring your troops and wait in ambush > in the field. In the morning, as soon as the sun breaks, get moving and > charge the city. Gaal and > his troops will come out to you, and you'll know what > to do next." > > 34-36 Abimelech and his troops, four companies of them, went up that night > and waited in ambush > approaching Shechem. Gaal son of Ebed had gotten up and > was standing in the city gate. Abimelech and his troops left their cover. > When Gaal saw them he said > to Zebul, "Look at that, people coming down from the > tops of the mountains!" > > Zebul said, "That's nothing but mountain shadows; they just look like > men." Gaal kept chattering > away. > > 37 Then he said again, "Look at the troops coming down off Tabbur-erez > (the Navel of the World)-and > one company coming straight from the Oracle Oak." > > 38 Zebul said, "Where is that big mouth of yours now? You who said, 'And > who is Abimelech that we > should take orders from him?' Well, there he is with > the troops you ridiculed. Here's your chance. Fight away!" > > 39-40 Gaal went out, backed by the leaders of Shechem, and did battle with > Abimelech. Abimelech > chased him, and Gaal turned tail and ran. Many fell wounded, > right up to the city gate. > > 41 Abimelech set up his field headquarters at Arumah while Zebul kept Gaal > and his relatives out of > Shechem. > > 42-45 The next day the people went out to the fields. This was reported to > Abimelech. He took his > troops, divided them into three companies, and placed > them in ambush in the fields. When he saw that the people were well out in > the open, he sprang up > and attacked them. Abimelech and the company with him > charged ahead and took control of the entrance to the city gate; the other > two companies chased down > those who were in the open fields and killed them. > Abimelech fought at the city all that day. He captured the city and > massacred everyone in it. He > leveled the city to the ground, then sowed it with salt. > > 46-49 When the leaders connected with Shechem's Tower heard this, they > went into the fortified > God-of-the-Covenant temple. This was reported to Abimelech > that the Shechem's Tower bunch were gathered together. He and his troops > climbed Mount Zalmon (Dark > Mountain). Abimelech took his ax and chopped a bundle > of firewood, picked it up, and put it on his shoulder. He said to his > troops, "Do what you've seen > me do, and quickly." So each of his men cut his own > bundle. They followed Abimelech, piled their bundles against the Tower > fortifications, and set the > whole structure on fire. Everyone in Shechem's Tower > died, about a thousand men and women. > > 50-54 Abimelech went on to Thebez. He camped at Thebez and captured it. > The Tower-of-Strength stood > in the middle of the city; all the men and women of > the city along with the city's leaders had fled there and locked > themselves in. They were up on the > tower roof. Abimelech got as far as the tower and assaulted > it. He came up to the tower door to set it on fire. Just then some woman > dropped an upper millstone > on his head and crushed his skull. He called urgently > to his young armor bearer and said, "Draw your sword and kill me so they > can't say of me, 'A woman > killed him.'" His armor bearer drove in his sword, and > Abimelech died. > > 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. > > 56-57 God avenged the evil Abimelech had done to his father, murdering his > seventy brothers. And God > brought down on the heads of the men of Shechem all > the evil that they had done, the curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal. > > > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
