The Call of Gideon: Startling Leadership, Stunning Reversals (Judges 6:36-7:23)

Gideon provided startling leadership to the people of Yahweh during some of their darkest days. This startling leadership led to a stunning reversal of fortune. Before, the Midianites exercised impoverishing control of Israel. No one, Midianite or Israelite, could even imagine a change in this relationship. Yahweh, however, could. Soon enough, Israel stood triumphant over Midian.

The Call of Gideon: Unexpected Adventures (Judges 6:25-35)

In response to the suffering of his people, Yahweh spoke surprising words to Gideon. Yahweh called this weakest man of the weakest clan a “mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). Yahweh then commissioned Gideon to deliver Israel from Midianite control (6:14). When Gideon understandably doubted his own ability to do so, Yahwe assured him, “I will be with you” (6:16). Their conversation ended when Gideon affirmed his call (6:22-24).

The Call of Gideon: Surprising Words (Judges 6:1-24)

In the Book of Judges, we read of how the people of Yahweh routinely abandoned Yahweh to worship the six false gods of Olympianity. Of course, once they did that, the Olympian gods and their minions made life difficult for Yahweh’s people. Yahweh’s people would then cry out to him for help. Mercifully enough, Yahweh would raise up a leader through whom he would free his people from their slavery.

Book of Judges: Strange Behavior Then and Now

1. In the time of the Judges

The Book of Judges records a time both sad and happy for the people of Yahweh. Sadly, from about 1400 to 1100 BC, Yahweh’s people settled into a destructive pattern of behavior in their relationship with Yahweh. They constantly rejected him and devoted themselves to the six false gods of Olympianity. Happily, Yahweh did not abandon them as their behavior deserved. Instead, he freed them from those gods and their oppressive minions over and over again.

With All Our Mind: Thinking Paradoxically

Today we continue our reflections on The Subversion of Christianity by Jacques Ellul (trans. Geoffrey Bromiley; Eerdmans, 1986).

 
Strangely enough, conversion to Jesus, and repentance from the six Olympian gods, involves radical changes not only in what we know but in how we think. To love Jesus with our whole mind means following the biblical witnesses in their way of thinking. It means learning to think of things paradoxically.

Babylon: Chosen City

The prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah lived as faithful witnesses to Yahweh. Today they remind us of certain truths.

One, Yahweh’s people do not always remain loyal to Yahweh nor witness to his ways. Two, when this happens, Yahweh may use Olympians to discipline his people even though Olympians do not believe in Yahweh’s existence. Three, Yahweh as easily restrains Olympians as he does unleash them.

Today we will recall the words of Jeremiah and Isaiah concerning the people of Yahweh in Judah and Jerusalem around 600 BC. In 588 BC Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroyed Jerusalem, burned down the temple built by Solomon, and dragged them into exile.

Jericho

In 1491 BC, on the night of the first Passover, Moses led the people of Israel out of the city of Ramses and slavery in Egypt. He led them into freedom for Yahweh in the wilderness and they camped, according to tradition, by the Red Sea. When Pharaoh’s army threatened them, Yahweh separated the waters of the Red Sea, led them through it on dry ground, and then collapsed the waters on the advancing Egyptian army (Exodus 12-14).

The City: Abraham to Moses

When Yahweh created the heavens and the earth in 4004 BC, we human beings got to enjoy a few days of conviviality. Our rupture with Yahweh came quickly enough and with it began our first age, the Old Age of Dominant Powers of Evil; as well as our first historical period, the Age of Olympianity. That period witnessed our devotion to six false but compelling Olympian gods. It also saw the construction of our greatest monument to them: the city. Today’s Global Technological System (GTS) is simply that monument built to the greatest possible degree.

But Yahweh started a second historical period, the Age of Yahwism, in 1921 BC with his call of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4).

The City: Nimrod to Babel

Today we continue our reflections on the spiritual nature of the city with the help of Jacques Ellul’s The Meaning of the City (pp. 9-20).

Ham (Genesis 9:18-28). After the Flood, Noah planted a vineyard and then made some wine, got drunk, and fell asleep naked. That’s the way his youngest son Ham found him. The next morning Noah cursed Ham for seeing him naked: “Cursed be Canaan [son of Ham]; lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers” (Genesis 9:25, New Revised Standard Version, here and following).

Two responses to being cursed are possible. First, one may seek reconciliation with the one who pronounced the curse and be blessed instead. Two, one may seek enough power to keep the curse from having its intended effect.

Watching TV, Reading Scripture

“Come out of her, my people” (Revelation 18:4, New Revised Standard Version, here and following).

Let us take a deep breath and recall, briefly, that we have but one true god. He revealed to us his name: Yahweh. He remains the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob embodied by Jesus Christ.

In contrast, we have six false but universally worshiped gods: (1) Jupiter, god of politics; (2) Mars, god of war; (3) Vulcan, god of technology; (4) Venus, goddess of sex; (5) Pluto, god of money; and (6) Bacchus, god of consumption. We may refer to these as the Olympian gods and to the religion based upon them as Olympianity.

What's in a Name? (Exodus 3:13-15)

13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘[Yahweh], the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this is my title for all generations” (Exodus 3:13-15, New Revised Standard Version [NRSV]).

Early in the book of Exodus, Yahweh calls Moses to go to Egypt with a special message for Pharaoh (the ruler of Egypt). The quote above is part of that conversation.

The Importance of Daily Bible Reading (Psalm 1)

1 [Blessed] are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

or take the path that sinners tread,

or sit in the seat of scoffers;

2 but their delight is in the law of [Yahweh],

and on his law they meditate day and night
(Psalm 1:1-2, New Revised Standard Version).

Olympianity is the religion devoted to the six gods of Olympus: (1) Jupiter, god of politics; (2) Mars, god of war: (3) Vulcan, god of technology; (4) Venus, goddess of sex; (5) Pluto, god of money; and (6) Bacchus, god of consumption.

Making Religion Serve Politics (1 Kings 12:25-33)

Before 1095 BC, Yahweh himself served Israel as its king. In that year, however, the people of Israel demanded a human king so that they could be like everyone else. Yahweh told Samuel his prophet to warn the people that a human king would only exploit and enslave them. When they still insisted, Yahweh granted them their wish (see 1 Samuel 8).

Yahweh and Jesus vs. Bacchus

Bacchus is traditionally known as the god of wine. We may understand him more accurately as the god of consumption. If Pluto would have us hoard our money, Bacchus would have us spend it wildly.

Yahweh vs. Pluto

Pluto clearly demonstrates the nature of all six Olympian gods. These gods bully us into being loyal to them by threatening us with punishment. They threaten us, each da Yahweh vs. Pluto y, with radical insecurity, misery, insignificance, meaninglessness, and guilt. Conversely, these gods also bribe us into being loyal to them by promising us rewards. They promise us, each day, to bless us with radical security, happiness, importance, meaning, and justification.

Yahweh vs. Venus

The motto of Venus, goddess of sex, is, “If it feels good, do it.” One spring afternoon, David, king of Israel, accidentally saw a woman bathing (1 Samuel 11). Although David learned that she was married to a man named Uriah, David sent for her, had sexual intercourse with her, then sent her home. Venus wholly approved.

Yahweh vs. Vulcan

Yahweh, the one odd god of truth, freedom, love, and vitality, differs absolutely from the six conventional gods of Olympianity. Today we will reflect briefly on how he differs from Vulcan the god of technology.

Yahweh vs. Mars

Mars is the god of war. To be courageous in battle is to win great glory from Mars and from those loyal to him. Saints are the heroes of a religion. Successful warriors are the saints of Olympianity. Alexander 3rd of Macedon is such a hero. He is called “the Great” because he waged victorious battle against everyone from Greece to India. Movies are still made about him.

Yahweh vs. Jupiter

Jupiter is the god of politics. Ramses 2^nd, pharaoh of Egypt, was a most faithful servant of Jupiter and the most powerful ruler of his time. Because Jupiter justifies everything in politics, Ramses felt perfectly justified in making slaves of all the descendants of Abraham living in Egypt during his reign. Ramses lived off their vitality and so did Jupiter through him.

Yahweh, our one true god, revealed himself to be very different from the false god Jupiter. First, Yahweh identified not with the ruler of Egypt but with his slaves. He identified not with the one central person but with hundreds of thousands of marginal ones. Yahweh committed himself to liberating his people from the political control of Ramses.

Names of God in the Old and New Testaments

Through the normative witness of the Bible, we learn that there is only one true god and also that this one true god is Trinitarian in nature. Today we will reflect on the names by which we may rightly invoke and speak about this god.