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June 10

Reading 1 - Judges 7 & 8

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7 v.2 - You may have noticed that lately I have dwelled on this theme a little, but here we have God arranging the circumstances so that the people would give him the glory. He doesn't always do that, but here he is giving them a chance. We need to learn that it is never of ourselves that we do anything but by God, and constantly thank him for his blessings. 1Sam.14:6, 2Chr.14:11, Zech.4:6, 12:7, 1Cor.1:27-29, 2:4,5.
Peter Cresswell
8 v.16 - The men of Succoth were taught a lesson. We are constantly reminded in Scripture of the need to learn the lessons that we are similarly taught. God constantly chastens us in the way of a good Father. It is up to us to respond - or better still, behave in a way in the first place which prevents the chastening being necessary, as indeed these men could have done so easily.
Peter Cresswell

7 v.13 - And so it was that Yahweh put a dream in a man's head and then ensured that he spoke to his fellow just at the right time so that Gideon could hear and be encouraged. What a wonderful God Gideon had. He is also our Father.
7 v.15 - And being assured in his own mind Gideon wastes no time. Strong in faith now he springs into action before doubts can set in again.

8 v.3 - Oreb and Zeeb pass into use in Psalm 83 as a mark of Yahweh's deliverance. Zebah and Zalmunna are only to be found in Judges and Psalm 83 [Judges 8:5 6 7 10 12 15 18 21 Psalm 83:11] Remember that both the Deborah incident and Gideon took place in the same area - the Jezreel valley.
8 v.4-10 - By tracing on a map these locations it is possible to see where Zebah and Zalmunna went and the sort of terrain that Gideon pursued them across.
Peter Forbes

We noticed links between Deborah and Barak (Chapter 4) and Psalm 83 Here are some more links with that Psalm.

Oreb Zeeb
Psalm 83:11

The wayward Israelite woman of Isaiah 3 is described as wearing Midianitish adornments

ornaments
Isaiah 3:18
earrings
Isaiah 3:21 rings (same word)
earrings
Isaiah 3:21 rings (same word)
earrings
Isaiah 3:21 rings (same word)
Collars
Isaiah 3:19 chains (same word)
Collars
Isaiah 3:19

Peter Forbes

7:3 The provision 'whosoever is fearful … depart' is a provision of the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 20:18). That so many returned on this occasion gives an indication of the fear amongst the nation.

8:10 Consider the odds. Judges 7:6 shows Israel had 300 men. Here we see the Midianites had 120,000 - odds of 450 to 1. Clearly the victory belonged to Yahweh.
Peter Forbes

Reading 2 - Isaiah 34

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v.9,10 - This picture picks up the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, and leads us forward also to the time of the end, where the unbelieving take part in the second death. Gen.19:28, Deut.29:23, Ps.11:6, Rev.19:20, 21:8.
Peter Cresswell
v.7 refers to unicorns. It is felt that this referred to some great wild bulls that are now extinct, but it seems that the concept is that of the great ones. So this verse is saying that the leaders and the righ will be brought down with the rest of the people. No-one will escape.
Peter Cresswell
v.9 - In saying that Idumea will be ‘pitch’ and ‘brimstone’ is likening Edom to Sodom and Gomorrah. That it will not be quenched day or night provides one element of the basis for Jesus ‘fire is not quenched’ [Matthew 9:44, 46, 48].
Peter Forbes

There are a number of phrases from this chapter echoed in Revelation

Heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll
Revelation 6:4
Falling fig from the fig tree
Revelation 6:13
the smoke thereof shall go up for ever
Revelation 14:11

The 'indignation of the Lord is upon all nations' (34:2) so we see that Israel's fortunes will improve as the kingdom of this world become the kingdom of Christ.
Peter Forbes

:8 The 'controversy of Zion' is the issue all the time. It is how nations respond to Israel that matters. Assyria, and then Babylon, came against Israel and so were punished for it. When we see a nation opposing Israel today we can be sure that in due course - in God's good time - that nation will be judged.
Peter Forbes

Reading 3 - James 5

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v.7-10 - Patience seems to be a theme of this chapter, and the ultimate in examples of patience is cited in the man Job, who spent a life-time of patience waiting for, and eventually receiving, the blessing from the Lord. This is to be our experience too - we must spend a lifetime being shaped for our ultimate and eternal blessing. Luke 8:15, Rom.2:7, 8:24,25, 15:4, Gal.6:9.
Peter Cresswell
v.20 - Whilst we might choose to stir up strife by highlighting the error of others the wise man counsels is to do the opposite. [Proverbs 10:12] This proverb then forms the basis for both Peter and James when writing to Jewish brethren. [here 1 Peter 4:8]
Peter Forbes
Notice the emphasis upon 'patience' in James 1:3 5:7 (twice) 5:8 5:10. I suppose patience is one of the most difficult attributes to develop. Notice that patience is the lesson hat we are to learn from Job - one wonders if, without the inspired comment by James, we would ever have thought that Job is teaching us patience?
Peter Forbes
:4 The language of this verse draws on the way in which Israel were to treat their servants and those they hired to work for them

'the hire of the labourers' Leviticus 19:13
'kept back by fraud' Malachi 3:3
'the cries … Sabbaoth' Deuteronomy 24:15

Brethren should understand that the way in which God works does not change. The principles he laid out under the law are just as relevant in James' day and in ours too.
Peter Forbes

DON'T GRUMBLE
It is so easy for us to see the faults in others when we are not in their shoes. It is especially easy to see the faults of those in leadership positions. But until you are in the same position yourself, you have no idea what you are talking about. In the wilderness the children of Israel grumbled against Moses time after time, and the result, in nearly every circumstance, was a form of judgement or condemnation that came upon them. So James picked up the lesson for us when he says, "Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The judge is standing at the door."

Just as the children of Israel grumbled about their leader, Moses, so the main target of our grumbling is often the people that work hardest in our Church. But do we work as hard as they do? Do we have the responsibilities they do? Have we been given the same calling as they have? Jesus asked why we try to take the piece of sawdust out of our brothers eye, when we have a log in our own eye. Let's look at ourselves before we grumble against each other. Then let's change our grumbling to praise and encouragement for our brothers.
Robert Prins