Day 1

Scripture to Read: Judges 6:1–10

The Book of Judges is a historical account set between Joshua’s death and the establishment of Israel’s monarchy. God lays out for us the records of Israel and their repeated cycles. The nation of Israel would sin against the Lord by committing idolatry through worshipping false gods. Therefore, God would lovingly discipline the nation of Israel by allowing foreign oppression. When the people of Israel would finally cry out to the Lord, He would send them a “judge” to deliver them. The Judge we focus on this week is Gideon. We read in Judges 6:1, “Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.” Because the nation of Israel sinned against the Lord, He gave them into the hands of the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites, along with the Amalekites and the sons of the east, would destroy Israel’s crops, sheep, oxen, donkeys, and devastate all that the Israelites had. Then, we read in Judges 6:6, “So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord.” The Israelites, at their lowest point, finally cry out to the Lord. In Judges 6:7–10, the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel to remind them that they suffered because they had chosen not to obey the Lord. As Christians, when we willingly disobey our Lord, He promises in Hebrews 12:5–11 to lovingly discipline us as well. Only through obedience to our Lord are we blessed (James 1:25).

Challenge & Application

Why had God brought His discipline upon the nation of Israel? Why does God lovingly discipline us (Hebrews 12:5–11) when we willingly walk in rebellion against Him and His Word?

Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!

Devotionals from this week

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Day 1

The Book of Judges is a historical account set between Joshua’s death and the establishment of Israel’s monarchy. God lays out for us the records of Israel and their repeated cycles. The nation of Israel would sin against the Lord by committing idolatry through worshipping false gods. Therefore, God would lovingly discipline the nation of Isr...

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Day 2

Our Lord had chosen His judge whom He would use to deliver the nation of Israel. God’s choice at this point in history was Gideon. We read in Judges 6:11–12 that our Lord appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat. Our Lord said to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Note that God called him a “valiant warrior,” giving us ...

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Day 3

Gideon prepared an offering for the Lord and brought it to Him. Then, we read in Judges 6:21, “Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his...

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Day 4

God immediately put Gideon to the test in Judges 6:25–27. God told him to take two bulls and tear down the altar of Baal and to cut down the Asherah and to use it as wood for a burnt offering to the Lord. Gideon was fearful, so, he did it at night with the help of ten men from his servants. The next morning, the men of the city were ready to ...

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Day 5

God will never share His glory with anyone. What God teaches us in Judges 7 today is that through His strength and power the impossible becomes possible. We need to remember that the Abiezrites, along with the Israelites from Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, had all come to follow Gideon into battle against the Midianites, the Amalekites, and th...

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Day 6

At the end of Judges 7, Gideon had sent messengers throughout Ephraim to enlist them to continue their pursuit of the Midianites to destroy them. In Judges 8:1–3, the men of Ephraim were mad at Gideon for not calling them to the original battle. It seems they were jealous of not being included and of not receiving recognition, which is exactl...

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Day 7

Even though Gideon led the Israelites astray, God still showed His abundant grace and the land of Israel remained undisturbed for forty years during Gideon’s days. Gideon ended up having seventy sons because he had many wives. God never gives mankind the right to live in polygamous relationships. But God does speak directly about what the mar...

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