APRIL 2, 2023

 

“A proud man is always looking down on things and  
people; and, of course, as long as you are looking 
down, you cannot see something that is above you.”  

~ C.S. Lewis

JUDGES 8-9

22The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

23But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 

LUKE 8:22-56

38The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. 

JOURNAL

Gideon refuses to rule over the Israelites. Jesus heals the demon-possessed man, the woman bleeding and Jairus' daughter. 

Power and influence have a way of corrupting us.  This is precisely why Gideon refuses to be anointed King.  It is also why Christ continually pulls away and always instructs those he heals to praise God.  There is an insatiable danger of wanting to become all powerful and begin to  believe your own press clippings. Jesus has a day where he cures the incurable in various ways and yet in the end instructs people not to tell anyone. 

Ultimately the future Kings in Israel will deviate from this path of humility and will seek honor and therefore will deviate away from God. The deviation will lead them ultimately into slavery again. The lesson there is that humility always comes...in one way or another we will be forced to acknowledge our fallibility and weakness. Even David...as great as he was struggled with this very issue. Early on though he had a firm grasp that humility was the path...not honor and accolades. 

17“Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it 

not the blood of men who went at the risk of their 

lives?” And David would not drink it. 

2 SAMUEL 23:17