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June 12th, 2008, 06:16 PM
Wheat In The Winepress - Gideon
Judges 6
10 And I said to you, 'I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.' But you have not obeyed my voice."
The Call of Gideon
11 Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor."1h you, mighty warrior.'"
Gideon was one of the many Judges raised in a new phase of God's Project of Salvation after the people of Israel entered the promised land. Previously they had been wandering the wilderness having been saved out of Egypt. Having entered the promised land, they had now to be established. To subdue the land. In the same way we who have been saved out of slavery to sin and death (from the world), have already begun to taste what is next in eternity, even here and now. Jesus will one day return, and until they we have the struggles and trails of this life to deal with. The promised land reminds us of eternity. But having been saved, we also recognize that from our new birth we are expected to grow in grace. This growth requires ridding our Spiritual lives of all foreign invaders: our old habits, vices, etc. Doing this by ourselves we would be hopelessly lost. But as Moses, Joshua, and the Judges being raised (like Gideon) demonstrated - we can always have victory by the power of the LORD. It doesn't come from man. We are merely instruments to be used in His hands.
As for the events of this passage with Gideon, we see the people of Israel going through a great struggle after a period of disobedience. Yes we are instruments in God's hands, but we must submit to His lead. When we take the lead, and try to solve things by ourselves without His council, we will fail. When we mix in our own ideas, it's a sure recipe for disaster! Israel was reminded of this painful lesson time and time again - as have we at various times in our own growth. Oppression was upon them from the Midianites. Israel was once again crying out for God to deliver them. But, praise the Lord because of His continued grace and mercy towards His people! Those of the Body of Christ, also can share in these benefits, and have this protection. We don't deserve this, yet He provides - all the more reason to give thanks and praise to His name. Let us therefore be humble and observe how this victory was achieved.
Israel was crying out because the Midianites had taken their wheat harvest. It happened time and time again, and it seemed hopeless for Israel. Now God would raise up another faithful servant to be used powerfully as an instrument in His hands. Enter Gideon - where we see him threshing wheat in a very unusual place - not the THRESHING FLOOR - but rather a WINEPRESS. The threshing floor is the place most would expect to fine the wheat. There the wheat would be threshed. This is also why it was so easy for the Midianites to find it, and keep stealing it. As for the wine press, this place was where one would normally crushing the grapes to collect the juice for wine making. This would be the last place one would think to find wheat. But not for those led by the Spirit of God - not for Gideon! This is where it would be safe from the Midianites - from the enemy.
Furthermore, this winepress was hewn from a ROCK on which grapes would be crushed. Little did Gideon know that he was discerning God's Project of Salvation for mankind. Just as Abel had discerned God's Project and Cain had not in what they did. Abel was led by God's Spirit and therefore offered the sacrifice of the Lamb. Cain on the other hand did things by human ideas. Abels actions however actions were prefiguring a great mystery revealed through Jesus Christ. So too with Gideon!
In the same story we also see an angel greeting Gideon and calling him a "man of valor". How unusual, because Gideon was the youngest of all the sons in his house. Further more how could he save Israel, as his clan was the "weakest in Manasseh" (Judges 6:15). But time and time again, God uses the weak/foolish things to confound the strong/wise things of this world:
1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
2 Corinthians 12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
So for the Body of Christ - The Faithful Church - The Beloved Bride - Christ is raising up for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb - what does all this signify? Let's see:
The Wheat is used to make food. Today the revealed Word of God is used to nourish the souls of His people. This comparison can be found very directly here:
Jeremiah 23:28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD.
Human ideas not from God from their vain imaginations are meanwhile compared to "straw", something dry and lifeless and blown about by the wind.
Ephesians 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
We never want to be without God's Word, we never want this kind of famine:
Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land--- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.
Wheat is also used to make bread, so the connection is clear and found in the OT (not to mention the NT). It all ties together.
This passage today reminds us of the dire situation of modern Christianity, where the wheat is being threshed on the THRESHING FLOOR (where it's easily stolen by the enemy) and mixed with the CLAY floor and mixed with dust (human ideas, philosophies, scholasticism, culture, relativism, etc). This is the word that the enemy can steal and use for his own purposes. We want nothing to do with this mixture! We do NOT want our wheat threshed on the THRESHING FLOOR.
Rather we want our wheat threshed on the WINE PRESS. A place not imagined by man, but revealed by the Lord. A place that eluded the religious establishment that opposed Jesus. A religious system that mirrors modern Christianity today with it's own sects, scandals, violence and infightings. All a result of having threshed on the threshing floor - without revelation. Where the enemy can leave God's people Spiritually hungry and starving - weak, sick, and even asleep. All for not discerning the Body of Christ.
Threshing wheat on the clay floor comes in the form of bible studies led by secular-minded individuals who mix in human opinions and reasoning. These often breed strife and even unbelief. Sitting in a circle they create a mixture by inserting their own ideas and preferences into God's revelation. This wheat on the clay floor would have the TASTE of clay, just as these studies carry with them the TASTE of man and his religious preferences. This too is an invitation for oppression.
Some may say this kind of word may bring greater book-intellectual knowledge - but this kind of knowledge will not save anyone. The religious establishment that opposed Jesus are a clear demonstration of that. So whether it's great book knowlege or "principles to live by," it usually doesn't do much (if anything) to deliver them from the enemy.
So what does deliver and feed the soul of man? The Revealed Word of God. The gospel preached in the same way that Paul and company did - free of all these things. Their preaching is just like the wheat threshed on the WINEPRESS. Carrying with it the TASTE of the CRUSHED GRAPES used to make WINE on the ROCK.
Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.
Who is the ROCK? Jesus is the Rock of our Salvation our firm foundation! So many examples could be given, here are just a few: Matt 21:42; Acts 4:11; 1 Cor 10:4; 1 Pet 2:4-8.
The WINE is compared to the BLOOD OF JESUS at the last supper. Just like grapes He was crushed for our iniquities!
Matt 26:27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you,28 for this is my blood of the <Note:Some manuscripts insert `new`> covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
Genesis 49:11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
The WINE and BLOOD speak about the HOLY SPIRIT who opens up the scriptures. Who raised faithful servants like Paul and company. Who lived by God's revelation and not the vain imaginations of man. Peter was a difficult case, but even he learned this lesson.
1 Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
Look at the connections here and consider what this means:
Isaiah 25:6-8
6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.
So all this to say that the winepress speaks of God's Word Revealed (mixed with the Wine of His Holy Spirit) safe from the influences of the enemy. The enemy has no hold on this. The Blood of Jesus (the Holy Spirit) protects and hides this. It's a great secret that can only be revealed by God.
Matt 16:17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church..."
This all ties together. It must be upon Jesus the Rock, and by His Holy Spirit. This way...
"..., and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...."
May the taste of our wheat carry with it the taste of the crushed grapes on the ROCK in the WINEPRESS. May our Spiritual food always come from Jesus through His Holy Spirit - and never be mixed with the things of man - so we too may enjoy this protection.
Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
Judges 6
10 And I said to you, 'I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.' But you have not obeyed my voice."
The Call of Gideon
11 Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor."1h you, mighty warrior.'"
Gideon was one of the many Judges raised in a new phase of God's Project of Salvation after the people of Israel entered the promised land. Previously they had been wandering the wilderness having been saved out of Egypt. Having entered the promised land, they had now to be established. To subdue the land. In the same way we who have been saved out of slavery to sin and death (from the world), have already begun to taste what is next in eternity, even here and now. Jesus will one day return, and until they we have the struggles and trails of this life to deal with. The promised land reminds us of eternity. But having been saved, we also recognize that from our new birth we are expected to grow in grace. This growth requires ridding our Spiritual lives of all foreign invaders: our old habits, vices, etc. Doing this by ourselves we would be hopelessly lost. But as Moses, Joshua, and the Judges being raised (like Gideon) demonstrated - we can always have victory by the power of the LORD. It doesn't come from man. We are merely instruments to be used in His hands.
As for the events of this passage with Gideon, we see the people of Israel going through a great struggle after a period of disobedience. Yes we are instruments in God's hands, but we must submit to His lead. When we take the lead, and try to solve things by ourselves without His council, we will fail. When we mix in our own ideas, it's a sure recipe for disaster! Israel was reminded of this painful lesson time and time again - as have we at various times in our own growth. Oppression was upon them from the Midianites. Israel was once again crying out for God to deliver them. But, praise the Lord because of His continued grace and mercy towards His people! Those of the Body of Christ, also can share in these benefits, and have this protection. We don't deserve this, yet He provides - all the more reason to give thanks and praise to His name. Let us therefore be humble and observe how this victory was achieved.
Israel was crying out because the Midianites had taken their wheat harvest. It happened time and time again, and it seemed hopeless for Israel. Now God would raise up another faithful servant to be used powerfully as an instrument in His hands. Enter Gideon - where we see him threshing wheat in a very unusual place - not the THRESHING FLOOR - but rather a WINEPRESS. The threshing floor is the place most would expect to fine the wheat. There the wheat would be threshed. This is also why it was so easy for the Midianites to find it, and keep stealing it. As for the wine press, this place was where one would normally crushing the grapes to collect the juice for wine making. This would be the last place one would think to find wheat. But not for those led by the Spirit of God - not for Gideon! This is where it would be safe from the Midianites - from the enemy.
Furthermore, this winepress was hewn from a ROCK on which grapes would be crushed. Little did Gideon know that he was discerning God's Project of Salvation for mankind. Just as Abel had discerned God's Project and Cain had not in what they did. Abel was led by God's Spirit and therefore offered the sacrifice of the Lamb. Cain on the other hand did things by human ideas. Abels actions however actions were prefiguring a great mystery revealed through Jesus Christ. So too with Gideon!
In the same story we also see an angel greeting Gideon and calling him a "man of valor". How unusual, because Gideon was the youngest of all the sons in his house. Further more how could he save Israel, as his clan was the "weakest in Manasseh" (Judges 6:15). But time and time again, God uses the weak/foolish things to confound the strong/wise things of this world:
1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
2 Corinthians 12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
So for the Body of Christ - The Faithful Church - The Beloved Bride - Christ is raising up for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb - what does all this signify? Let's see:
The Wheat is used to make food. Today the revealed Word of God is used to nourish the souls of His people. This comparison can be found very directly here:
Jeremiah 23:28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD.
Human ideas not from God from their vain imaginations are meanwhile compared to "straw", something dry and lifeless and blown about by the wind.
Ephesians 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
We never want to be without God's Word, we never want this kind of famine:
Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land--- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.
Wheat is also used to make bread, so the connection is clear and found in the OT (not to mention the NT). It all ties together.
This passage today reminds us of the dire situation of modern Christianity, where the wheat is being threshed on the THRESHING FLOOR (where it's easily stolen by the enemy) and mixed with the CLAY floor and mixed with dust (human ideas, philosophies, scholasticism, culture, relativism, etc). This is the word that the enemy can steal and use for his own purposes. We want nothing to do with this mixture! We do NOT want our wheat threshed on the THRESHING FLOOR.
Rather we want our wheat threshed on the WINE PRESS. A place not imagined by man, but revealed by the Lord. A place that eluded the religious establishment that opposed Jesus. A religious system that mirrors modern Christianity today with it's own sects, scandals, violence and infightings. All a result of having threshed on the threshing floor - without revelation. Where the enemy can leave God's people Spiritually hungry and starving - weak, sick, and even asleep. All for not discerning the Body of Christ.
Threshing wheat on the clay floor comes in the form of bible studies led by secular-minded individuals who mix in human opinions and reasoning. These often breed strife and even unbelief. Sitting in a circle they create a mixture by inserting their own ideas and preferences into God's revelation. This wheat on the clay floor would have the TASTE of clay, just as these studies carry with them the TASTE of man and his religious preferences. This too is an invitation for oppression.
Some may say this kind of word may bring greater book-intellectual knowledge - but this kind of knowledge will not save anyone. The religious establishment that opposed Jesus are a clear demonstration of that. So whether it's great book knowlege or "principles to live by," it usually doesn't do much (if anything) to deliver them from the enemy.
So what does deliver and feed the soul of man? The Revealed Word of God. The gospel preached in the same way that Paul and company did - free of all these things. Their preaching is just like the wheat threshed on the WINEPRESS. Carrying with it the TASTE of the CRUSHED GRAPES used to make WINE on the ROCK.
Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.
Who is the ROCK? Jesus is the Rock of our Salvation our firm foundation! So many examples could be given, here are just a few: Matt 21:42; Acts 4:11; 1 Cor 10:4; 1 Pet 2:4-8.
The WINE is compared to the BLOOD OF JESUS at the last supper. Just like grapes He was crushed for our iniquities!
Matt 26:27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you,28 for this is my blood of the <Note:Some manuscripts insert `new`> covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
Genesis 49:11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
The WINE and BLOOD speak about the HOLY SPIRIT who opens up the scriptures. Who raised faithful servants like Paul and company. Who lived by God's revelation and not the vain imaginations of man. Peter was a difficult case, but even he learned this lesson.
1 Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
Look at the connections here and consider what this means:
Isaiah 25:6-8
6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.
So all this to say that the winepress speaks of God's Word Revealed (mixed with the Wine of His Holy Spirit) safe from the influences of the enemy. The enemy has no hold on this. The Blood of Jesus (the Holy Spirit) protects and hides this. It's a great secret that can only be revealed by God.
Matt 16:17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church..."
This all ties together. It must be upon Jesus the Rock, and by His Holy Spirit. This way...
"..., and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...."
May the taste of our wheat carry with it the taste of the crushed grapes on the ROCK in the WINEPRESS. May our Spiritual food always come from Jesus through His Holy Spirit - and never be mixed with the things of man - so we too may enjoy this protection.
Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.