Elah

When a Christian continues to walk in darkness, he has lost fellowship with God. He is living in darkness and not in truth. The individual is deceiving himself. If we say we have fellowship with Christ and continue in sin, we are liars according to 1 John 2:4. Jesus is light and if we have fellowship with Him then we are illuminating His character, love, and presence. Walking in step with Christ leads us to be cleansed from sin and unrighteousness. Confession places you in agreement with what God says about sin and brings one back into fellowship with God. There is no sin so great where God won't extend His mercy. It is the cross that justifies us. Even when we are in sin, His love is fiercely pursuing us.

When one looks at the Greek word for fellowship (koinonia) and definition, it means participation, partnership, communion, intercourse. When you partner with someone you are committed to establishing, building, and maintaining. These words indicate that there will be an exchange or sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings. This relationship building process requires a level of vulnerability. Receiving salvation is a vulnerable act. It requires the recipient to admit their frailties and inadequacies and pledge total dependence on an invisible God. People are afraid of vulnerability and view it as a weakness. American society encourages individualism. Americans love stories of triumph that describes an individual “pulling himself up by his own bootstraps” overcoming insurmountable odds, and becoming successful. The Kingdom of God thrives on community, family, and tribe. Father encourages us to come to Him and call Him and He will answer. He wants to hear from us. That’s why we were created. We don’t realize the entity that connects us which is Christ. Christ is what we have in common. Being in Christ means that we are walking in the light and the light is truth. We are walking together, taking His yoke upon us and learning about Jesus. We are becoming Christ; a mirror reflection full of love, joy, peace, kindness, etc. We don’t always look at what we have in common but view others in light of our differences. The “light” that reflects from us should draw “light”-minded people. We aren’t deliberate in our interactions. We need to reach for people and engage them. Be genuinely interested in being your brother’s keeper. Seeking a life of selflessness and not selfishness.

Gideon's father had been a leader that "goes along to get along". He compromised his beliefs and that he knows to be true for a god that has proven to be unfaithful, unworthy, undeserving, and dead. Joash could have been embarrassed by Gideon's actions. Joash was the head of his household but he buckled under the pressure of not having a visible and tangible king to follow so he conformed to the Midianites ways and practices. Gideon's act may have helped Joash to gather the strength and courage he needed to stand for Yahweh. God told Gideon that He was with him so Gideon couldn't think too long or hard about his act of obedience to God and how it would affect his father. Maybe Gideon's act of obedience to God was a part of the bigger plan to save his father and the rest of his family. Joash experienced the miracles and movement of Yahweh so he knew Yahweh's faithfulness and love to His people. When our backs are against the wall, there are times when the only alternative is to fight and trust God. His son's life was being threatened but he knew how faithful God is. This caused Joash to look the enemy in the face and say "Let Baal contend for himself".

The strategic significance of God's command for Gideon to tear down the Baal altar is to put Yahweh back where He belongs: on the throne and head and Lord of Israel. Gideon could have been killed because this was a direct act of defiance to the religious practices of the Israelites and the people of that region. This is ironic because the Israelites who were the "called out ones" "the sanctified ones" unto God would have killed their fellow tribesmen because they began to engage in apostatic practices. Gideon destroyed the altar at night because he feared for his life but in the midst of his fear he still obeyed God. He trusted that God at His Word when he told Gideon "go but I am with you". It doesn't matter if you are afraid just obey. Go! Go scared if you have to but just go. God IS with us.

God ignored what Gideon says about himself and responds with how He sees Gideon. God sees and knows what we lack and as we obey He supplies what we need. We have to view ourselves in light of what God says about us in His Word or what He says to us directly. Our prayer should be "teach me, God, to see myself as you see me. Cleanse me of unbelief, doubt, and fear when you speak into my life and replace the negative thoughts with belief, faith, and assuredness. Your validation is the most important and the one that counts. Allow your validation of me to rank supremely in every area of my life".

Gideon doesn't acknowledge Israel's role in their suffering. He immediately begins to shirk the responsibility of his people to obey God. He isn't holding the Israelites accountable for their actions. When we blame others for our shortcomings, it leaves us in a never ending cycle of deceit and we walk in perpetual disobedience. The bible states that there is way that seem right to a man but the end of that path is destruction. You begin to live and align your life based on your own standards rather than the standards of Christ.

The Israelites disregarded Yahweh's commandment of not having any gods before Him. This is the first commandment and breaking it caused them to be oppressed, terrorized, and abused by the Midianites and the Amorites. Being handed over to the enemy is in direct correlation with disobedience. God means what He says and says what He means. Actions bring forth consequences good or bad. However; Father's forgiving nature, everlasting love, and covenant with Israel causes Him to answer them when they called.