Breaking Free - Beth Moore Study

I will be doing the main study in my book, but thought I would write out different things on my blog as we go through it.

Isaiah 6:2-9
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; They rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the days of Midian. For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, and garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The Lord sent a word against Jacob, and it has fallen on Israel. All the people will know -- Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria -- who say in pride and arrogance of heart:"

Last night she went through Judges 6 & 7, where Israel was released from the Midianites, after reading these verses in Isaiah. Some notes that stood out to me were as follows:

1. God does not allow His people to be oppressed so they will be defeated, but so they will ultimately be victorious. Victory begins with the cry for help (Compare 6:1 with 6:6).

Judges 6:1
"Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years."

Judges 6:6
"So Israel was greatly impoverished (dried up, emptied, failing) because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord."

2. God sees the potential of his children and appoints the experiences necessary for them to fulfill their destinies (6:11-16).

Judges 6:11-16
"Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!'

Gideon said to Him, 'O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, "Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?" But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.'

Then the Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?'

So he said to Him, 'O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.'

And the Lord said to him, 'Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.'"

3. God waits for us to come back (Judges 6:17-18).

Judges 6:17-18
"Then he said to Him, 'If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.'

And He said, 'I will wait until you come back.'"

4. God's mighty warrior got rid of his idols at night, but he still did what God commanded (Judges 6:25-27). It is ok to follow God's will shaking, crying & in fear, but we still need to do God's will.

Judges 6:25-27
"Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, 'Take your father's young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.' So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father's household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night."

5. God wants to remove all doubt concerning Who brings the victory (Judges 7:1-8)

http://bible1.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi - Lookup Judges 7:1-8.

I will continue my study on Christ's descendants when we are finished with this Bible study, which will finish in April.