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士师记［第7章］
Book of Judges 7

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士师记第7章|Book of Judges 7

【成为神的基甸三百】

主讲：陈蕙菁传道 + 陈炎明牧师

05/01/2023

引言：被召的人多、选上的人少

一、挤入基甸三百（v1-8）
1. 不凭眼所见（v1） 米甸军队人数像蝗虫般的不计其数、骆驼多如海边的沙。而今天，基甸回应了神的呼召，早晨起来第一件事就是带领跟随的人，对着米甸人来安营。从这里我们看到，基甸因为耶和华3次给他的印证，使他勇敢的相信神对自己的拣选，而不再凭眼见，勇敢地面对敌人。

2. 不自我夸大（v2）
神告诉基甸祂不能把米甸人交在他们手中。理由不是他们的人太少，没有能力击败米甸人。而是跟随他的人过多，免得他们在得胜后向神夸大，认为是自己的能力所做到的。

谦卑不自夸是我们当有的生命素质。骄傲自负的人在争战中必会落败。因为神抵挡骄傲人。

3. 不惧怕胆怯（v3）
神接下来的筛选条件是惧怕胆怯的人可以离开。惧怕胆怯的人会影响军队的士气，对一场战役的输赢有很关键的影响。还记得12个探子进入窥探迦南地吗？当10个胆怯的回来报恶讯后，给神的子民带来的结果是倒闭旷野。

神在筛选军队的同时，也在考验基甸的信心。3万2千人，要对付13万5千人已经是很不容易的事了，现在神还要他宣告（公开批准）惧怕的可以回家。所以对基甸来说，这是他的信心受到严厉考验的时刻。但是我们看到基甸就是这么单纯的顺服照做。结果真的超过三分之二的人就离开了。剩下1万人。我们会像基甸那样信靠神吗？

4. 不体贴肉体（v4-8）
军人喝水的两种方式，一、要先将背包取下、还要摘脱部份军装、武器，才可以跪下用口对水，大口大口地喝。这种喝水的方式、耽延时间，也容易被敌人攻击。二、为防备敌军，站着用手捧水而喝。所以，用手捧着舔水的人，不但是个时刻儆醒的人，更是一个不体贴肉体的人。（不为了方便和能大口大口地喝水，而放下背包、军装、武器）。
有机会放纵而不放纵的人，是经过十字架对付的人。这样的人神才能用。神今天看重的不是人数，不是教会有多大？有多少会众？神看重的是教会里有多少生命成熟、能被主用的基督徒。

二、争战得胜在神（v9-25）
我们若挤入了神拣选的基甸三百，就要相信神必带领我们胜过人生的每一场战役。就像在接下来的经文所看到的：

1. 神赐印证加信心（v9-11）
300人要对付13万5千常常欺压他们的米甸军队。我想当基甸看着远方密密麻麻，米甸军营里火把发出的光，心里一定是焦虑、挣扎和惧怕。神很体谅基甸。因此祂吩咐下到米甸营里去，还可以带着仆人普拉给他壮胆。并且让他亲耳听到一人所做的梦，目的是要让他很有把握地知道，神已经将仇敌交在自己的手中、以坚固他的胆量。

真正的信心是神所赐的，也是神所坚固的。当我们像基甸那样单纯的来回应神时，要相信神能够体恤我们的挣扎和担忧。祂会用我们所能明白的方式给我们印证，使我们的信心被坚固，赐我们勇气去完成所托付的。

2. 神赐策略人跟随（v15-22）
当基甸和三百勇士们按着神的策略摆阵站立、大声吹角及呼喊“耶和华和基甸的刀！”，神就开始行动。当人跟随神所赐的策略来争战时，得胜是必然的。因为是神为我们来争战。就像V21基甸他们只在敌营四围站立，并没有进入战场。神就使敌军自乱阵脚，全营的人都乱窜，自相击杀和逃亡。

3. 同心合一必得胜（v23-25）
接着v23-25以色列人其他的支派从全地聚集，同心合一的来追赶米甸人。并把他们的两个首领俄立和西伊伯杀了。军队里没有个人表现。争战要得胜，除了绝对服从领袖的命令外，同心合一的应战是很关键的。就像在巴别塔事件中，当每个人同心合一的做一件事，即便不合神心意的事都有可能成就，更何况是神已经应许要把仇敌交在他们的手中。因此，当以色列的各个支派从全地聚集，来击杀仇敌，就带来了大获全胜！

总结：起来回应神
要成为神的基甸三百，我们必须竭力挤进去。2023，我们不要再坐着等组长来推我们才动，而是自动的起来回应神。鼓励弟兄姐妹们，让我们甘心牺牲，愿意献上自己！成为神的基甸三百，在生命中不断突破，也带领别人经历复兴，成为荣神益人的将领！

Judges 7:Many are called, but few are chosen
GK611 Morning Devotion
05/01/2023
Speaker: Ps. Deborah + Rev. David Introduction: Many are called, but few are chosen

I. Squeeze into Gideon's Three Hundred (v1-8)

1. Not by sight (v1) Midian's army was as innumerable as locusts, and camels as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Today, Gideon responded to God’s call, and the first thing he did when he woke up in the morning was to lead his followers to camp against the Midianites. From this, we can see that Gideon bravely believed that he was chosen by God because Jehovah has given him 3 times of affirmations. Hence, no longer by sight, instead he faced the enemy bravely.

2. Do not exaggerate on your own (v2) God told Gideon that He could not deliver the Midianites into their hands. The reason was not that they were too few to defeat the Midianites. It is that there are too many people following him, lest they boast to God after victory, thinking that it is their own ability.

Humility without boasting is the quality of life we should have. The proud and arrogant will lose the battle because God resists the proud.

3. Not afraid, not timid (v3) God's next screening condition is that people who are afraid and timid can leave. The fear of timid people will affect the morale of the army, which has a critical impact on the victory or defeat of a battle. Remember when the 12 spies went to spy on the land of Canaan? When the 10 cowardly returned to report the bad news, the result brought to God's people was collapse in the wilderness.

While God was selecting the army, he was also testing Gideon's faith. With 32,000 people, it is not easy to deal with 135,000 people, and now God wants him to declare (publicly approve) that those who are afraid can go home. So for Gideon, this was a time when his faith was severely tested. But we see that Gideon simply obeyed and followed. As a result, more than two-thirds of the people really left. There are 10,000 people left. Will we trust God as Gideon did?

4. Not carnal (v4-8) There are two ways for soldiers to drink water. First, they have to take off their backpacks, part of their uniforms and weapons before they can kneel down and drink water with their mouths. This way of drinking water, delaying time, also easy to be attacked by the enemy. 2. In order to guard against the enemy, stand and drink water with your hands. Therefore, a person who holds water in his hands is not only a person who is always vigilant but also a person who is not carnal. (Not putting down backpacks, uniforms, and weapons for convenience and to be able to gulp water).

Those who have the opportunity to indulge but not indulge are those who have been dealt with by the cross. Gods can only use such people. What God values today is not the number of people, but the size of the church or how many congregations. What God values is how many mature Christians in the church can be used by the Lord.

II. The battle is won by God (v9-25)

If we squeeze into Gideon’s three hundred chosen by God, we must believe that God will lead us to overcome every battle in life. As can be seen in the following verses:

1. God's affirmation and faith (v9-11) 300 men against 135,000 Midianite troops who were constantly oppressing them. I think Gideon must have been anxious, struggling, and afraid when he looked at the densely populated places in the distance and the light from the torches in the Midian army camp. God cares for Gideon. He, therefore, commanded him to go down to the camp of Midian, and may also take Purah his servant to embolden him. Then let him hear the dream of a man with his own ears, to let him know with certainty that God has given the enemy into his hands to strengthen his courage.

True faith is given by God and established by God. Trust God that He will empathise with our struggles and worries when we simply respond to God the way Gideon did. He will affirm us in a way we can understand, strengthen our faith, and give us the courage to complete what we have been entrusted with.

2. God strategises, man follows (v15-22) When Gideon and the three hundred warriors stood in formation according to God's strategy, blowing the trumpet loudly and shouting "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!", God began to move. Victory is guaranteed when man follows a God-given strategy to fight. Because God fights for us. Just like V21 Gideon, they only stood around the enemy camp and did not enter the battlefield. God caused the enemy army to confuse itself, and the whole camp ran wild, killing each other and fleeing.

3. Unity will prevail (v23-25) Then v23-25 The other tribes of the Israelites gathered from all over the earth and pursued the Midianites with unity. Then killed their two leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. There is no individual performance in the military. To win a battle, apart from absolutely obeying the orders of the leader, it is very important to fight with unity. Just like in the Tower of Babel incident, when everyone does one thing with unity, even things that are not in line with God’s will can be accomplished, not to mention that God has promised to hand over the enemy into their hands. So when the tribes of Israel gathered from all over the earth to strike down the enemy, it brought a great victory!

Conclusion: Rise Up and Respond to God

To be Gideon’s 300 of God, we must squeeze our way in. In 2023, we will no longer sit and wait for the cell leader to push us before moving but will automatically get up and respond to God. Encourage brothers and sisters, let us sacrifice willingly and offer ourselves! Become God's Gideon 300, constantly breakthrough in life, lead others to experience revival, and become a general who glorifies God and benefits others!