Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

you?"ance."they had had victory so many timeswith God's help.But after Deborah died, it's sad, butthey were doing evil things again. TheLord had to punish in some way, soHe let a people called Midianites cometo make war again. These people movedaround from place to place and weren'tliked because theying.were always stealThe Midianites had troubled the Israelites for about 200 years before. Thiswas the time before the Israelites hadcrossed over Jordan into the land ofCanaan. They were living in the landof the Amorites and came to Canaanto steal crops from the Israelites.Now they had increased to a largenation. Theywouldn't settlein onespot to work their own crops in theirown fields, but would take all crops ofa weaker people and move on to dothe same thing again.This time they treated the Israelitesthe same way, coming with tents andcattle like a cloud of grasshoppers andleaving almost nothing for Israelites.They were left so poor and scared because these people would also kill themif they decided to.This went on for seven years andthey didn't even live in their own homesany longer, but ran away to live incaves in the mountains for these peoplehad taken so much from them.When they were about starving theyfinally called to God to help them.They really should have talked withGod long before. He sent a prophet toscold them for worshiping other godsand to remind them He had led themout of Egypt and kept them all thistime.God became sorry for these people,even though they had disobeyed, anddecided to help them. He came in theform of an angel and sat under an oaktree, near to a young farmer namedGideon. Gideon was threshing somewheat and keeping it secret from theMidianites. This angel said, "The Lordis with you; you are a mighty manand brave." Gideon said, "If the Lordis with us, why does all this happento us and where are all the miraclesour fathers have told us about? Itseems like the Lord has forsaken usand given us to our enemies, the Midianites."The Lord looked at Gideon and probably seemed disappointed in him. Hesaid, "Go in your might and save Israel. Haven't I sentGideon was very surprised and managed to say, "O my Lord, how can Isave Israel? My family is very poorand I am the least important in myown home." The Lord said, "I will certainly be with you and you shall con-October 19, 1955quer the Midianites as easily as if thereman."were only oneGideon said he wanted a sign that allthis was true because he could stillhardly believe it. He asked the angelnot to leave until he had brought apresent to him.So he went home, killed a goat andboiled it and made some little cakesof bread. This he took back to the oaktree and the Lord told him to put iton the rock and pour out the brothand he did so.The angel of the Lord touched themeat and cakes with the end of therod he had in His hand. Then firerose up from the rocks and burned theoffering and then the angel disappeared.Then Gideonrealized he had beentalking with the very angel of God!He was very frightened thinking hewould die for having talked to Him.The Lord told him, "Have peace, anddon't be afraid because you won't die."Then Gideon built an altar to worshipGod.Now Gideon's own father did not believe in God, but worshiped idols. Sothat night, the Lord told Gideon tothrow down the altar of Baal that hisfather had in the village. Then he wasto build an altar to the Lord on top ofthe rock and take a young calf of hisfather's and offer a sacrifice to theLord.Gideon was brave and obedient andhe took ten men and did as the Lordhad said, doing this bynight since heknew the wicked men might try to stophim.In the morning the men of the citywere furious, demanding to know whohad donethis. They discovered thatGideon was the one and they went tohis father, saying they would killGideon. It seems that Gideon had toldhis father that the Lord had spoken tohim and he was ashamed of how he hadworshiped idols. So the father said,"Are you standing up for Baal? If he isa god, let him defend himself!" He wasshowing by this that he was withGideon, was obeying God.When the people heard that the trueGod had spoken to Gideon and told himto do this, they were ready to help him.The people had not been willing tostand up for what they believed earlier.But now they were sorry and ready tohelp Gideon, their leader. The Spirit ofGod then came down upon Gideon andhe was filled with great courage tofight the Midianites.Next week we will see how he prepares for this great battle.All of us don't receive big "calls" asGideon did.But God calls all Christians, young and old, to do somethingspecial for Him. Maybe it is to visitthose who are sick, praying daily for afriend to accept Jesus, doing somethingkind and helpful for parents or someone in need, using talents (such asmusic, speaking, acting, writing) allto His Glory, living a Christ-like life,and being an example of Christ tofunothers in our school, work, ortimes. The big question is,"Are wegoing to be obedient when God calls,was?"as GideonNotebooks1. Mention ways God calls young peoplefor His service, such as throughChristian people, messages, Bibleverses, Christian literature.2. List talents that different ones haveand name ways theycan be usedin obedience to God's will, or in waysthat would be disobedient.SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONNovember 6, 1955Rev. W. J. McBurney(Lessons based on international Sunday SchoolLessons; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching:, copyrighted by the Inter*national Council of Religious Education.)JESUS MEETS HUMAN NEEDSLuke 5:1-6:15Printed Text, Luke 5:12-15, 27-32Memory Verse: Luke 5:31, 32 "Theythat are whole need not a physician; butthey that are sick. I came not to callthe righteous, but sinners to repentThis lesson begins with the last of agroup of miracles. Some have sought toinvent new miracles for Christ. This, tosay the least, is unnecessary. There areenough true miracles recorded to answer everyneed. Some claim to haveperformed miracles, or their power to doso. There is little said about Christ'spower to perform miracles. The recordis of what He did perform. In how faris it right for us to dream of miraculouspower?Aesop's Fables ascribe to animalspowers that belong to man, in order toillustrate man's virtues and vices. Wesee no reason to condemn him for thatuse of fiction. What about ascribing toman powers that belong only to God?Christ's miracles were all performedfor others, never for Himself. His tormentors used that fact in seeking tocondemn Him; "He saved others, himself he cannotsave."What the worldsaw as evil was the evidence of Hisgoodness and love.The Healing of the LeperThe leper saw Jesus, and madeprompt use of his opportunity. The op-249