Day 127

Judges 6:1-7:8a, John 5:16-30, Psalm 57:7-11

Today’s main character in the Old Testament is Gideon, another big name. But I want to take a moment out to look at a far smaller character who helps us see how the Bible fits together. We are introduced to that well known person “a prophet” (ch6 v8) who is not named and may be quite insignificant. But soon after the time described in Judges the prophet Samuel is called and starts to do his thing. If we were to lay all the books out chronologically then we would have a very different Bible, with the likes of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea and the others slotting in amongst the other books. So as we read on, keep an eye out for the prophets, they get around a bit!

Gideon though is one of the group of people who actually get a full on encounter with an angel – sat under an oak tree. I can almost imagine him starting the conversation with “How do lad?” (in a broad Yorkshire accent of course), but instead he opts for “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior”, which is actually even funnier. Gideon himself admits that he is the youngest in the family from the weakest of clans. Mighty warrior, my eye! But God has other plans and so ensues one of those encounters when man thinks he is really capable of arguing against God. Although all credit to Gideon, he does get away with testing God, twice. He is one lucky chap.

Skipping on to John, we enter one of those wonderful passages of poetry that John does so well. Not quite as good as “in the beginning was the word…” but still full of poetic repetition (although probably does sound better in the Greek"). No matter how it sounds and how it scans, the theology is the really awesome part, summing up the relationship between God and Christ. This is what has so miffed the Jews off, he claims to be the Son of God, but at the end of the day he is. God has given Christ the power to do all things in his name, to raise the dead, to forgive, to offer the gift of eternal life to all who believe in him. And all for thee and me.

As the Psalmist says, let our “hearts be steadfast” in their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the one true God.