Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Pride (Judges 9:7-21)


1/25/2010 8:20 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                 Focus:  Pride

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Judges 9:7-21

 

            Message of the verses:  “7 ¶  When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8  The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ 9  But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?’ 10  And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’ 11  But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’ 12  And the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’ 13  But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’ 14  Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’ 15  And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ 16  “Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved— 17  for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian, 18  and you have risen up against my father’s house this day and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative— 19  if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20  But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.” 21  And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother.”

            “3  For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”  This is from Romans chapter twelve and verse three, and it explains what Abimelech did as he became king over the people of Shechem.  His half-brother, Jotham, who escaped from the killing of the other sons of Gideon came and gave a parable to the people of Shechem telling them that they were making a mistake in making Abimelech their king.  He told them this in this first parable that is seen in the Bible. 

            The place where he was giving this address was probably the place that is spoken of in Deut. 27:12, 28, a place where both blessings and curses were given from two mountains with a valley in between.  God would give Israel blessings if they followed His commandments, and curses if they did not.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I continue to read the letter to the Ephesians I have found that in chapter four that because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection that He has given gifts to the Church, gifts that are given to each member of the church in order to build up the body, and to bring glory to the Lord who has given the gifts.  When a member of the body of Christ begins to do things on his own, not using his gifts or not being led by the Holy Spirit then he can get himself in trouble.  The church in Corinth had this problem and Paul had to write to them about this problem in two letters.

            I don’t want to follow the life of Abimelech, but I want to be led by the Holy Spirit using the gifts that he gave me to accomplish the work that was given me to do in eternity past all to the glory of God.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

  1. In the same way that I was saved, by grace through faith, I want to walk, accomplishing the work that God has planned for me to do.

 

1/25/2010 8:47 AM

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