Abiezrite

Gideon was at the time engaged in threshing wheat by the wine press to hide it from the Midianites, where they would not find it.

In Judges 6:11, "And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was at Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites." All of a sudden, the angel of God appeared and told him that he was the man chosen to be delivered all of God's people.

Read about it in Judges 6:12 down to verse number 16.

"And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

Think about this for a moment.

Here was Gideon, a timid, unknown young man, threshing wheat, and suddenly the Lord called him to a great task.

In verse 11 and 12, "And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was at Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour." I have noticed that...

"But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon."

"Then he blew the trumpet and the Abiezrites gathered behind him." Hallelujah.

Then he blew the trumpet and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.

Remember before this assignment-

Remember before this assignment-

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.' Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under, under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press to hide it from the Midianites.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.' And Gideon said to him, 'Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wondrous deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, "Did not the Lord bring us out from Egypt?" But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.' And the Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian.

Did not I send you?' And he said to him, 'Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least of my father's house.' And the Lord said to him, 'But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.'" And he said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, then, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.

Do not fear.

You shall not die." Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord is Peace.

And to this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

That night the Lord said to him, "Take your father's bull and the second bull, seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah pole, the, the Asherah that is beside it, and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order.

Look at what Judges 6:11-12 says.

"Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the winepress instead of the threshing floor, to hide it from the Midianites.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, O brave man.' But Gideon said to him, 'Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, then why has all this happened to us? And where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us about when they said, "Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?" But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of the Midianites.'" I also read verse 13.

So Gideon was hiding instead of being on the threshing floor.

The fathers and grandfathers sat upon flat stones at the mouth of the caverns, watching the stars kindle one by one across the great canopy of heaven, knowing in their hearts that the seasons of hardship upon the earth are temporary, but the loving kindness of the Almighty endures from generation unto generation.

Among these peaceful mountain settlements was a modest village named Ophrah, belonging to the family of Joash the Abiezrite, of the tribe of Manasseh.

Ophrah sat upon a gentle shoulder of the hills, surrounded by terraced slopes where olive trees had grown for hundreds of years.

The trunks of these olive trees were thick, twisted, and gray, rooted deep into the rocky crevices, their silvery green leaves whispering together whenever the afternoon breeze blew from the great sea.

The thought came to him with great clearness that he should rise and go down toward the host, for the time had arrived when the burden of fear would be lifted from his people.

Yet the gentle assurance also knew his hesitation, whispering that if his heart still sought reassurance, he should take with him Phurah his servant and step down into the shadows of the plain.

Now Phurah was a faithful youth who had grown up in the household of Joash the Abiezrite.

He was a keeper of the sheep, one who knew every narrow path that wound down the face of Mount Gilboa, and whose eyes were accustomed to the starlight.

Judges 6:34 is the key to winning this battle.

It says, "So the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon and empowered him, and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together as a militia to follow him." The Spirit of the Lord, after the covenant was renewed, clothed Gideon and literally covered him, and the trumpet was blown.

We had a covenant renewed, and we have a trumpet in the White House that was blown, and what we need right now is Judges 6:34 because they are gathering at the battle lines.

That covenant is renewed.

And Gideon, the son of Joash, died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash, his father.

At Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Now there are two other people in the Bible.

Of whom it is said.

But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon.

Then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him." So Gideon's been called of God.

He's been commissioned to go and save Israel, and he says, "How can you be calling me, my father's clouse..." uh, my father's clan, his house clan.

"His clan is the weakest in all of Manasseh.

And so Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it the Lord is peace, shalom.

To this day, it is still in Ophira of the Abiezrites.

Amen.

And then verse 25, this is the first task that the God is giving to Gideon.