Live the Word Bible Studies

Purpose Study Bible 289: You Won't Die

Samson's parents offered a sacrifice to God after they received instructions concerning their son's purpose when this happened:

And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. . . . “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!” (Judges 13:19-22).

God also showed up in fire when Gideon made his sacrifice as we saw in Judges 6. In both cases, Gideon and then Manoah thought they were going to die when they saw the fiery manifestation of God.

When you are dealing with matters of creative purpose, you're encountering God face to face. You're receiving your earthly instructions from your heavenly headquarters, and it can be a frightening thing. Usually your purpose is more than you can fathom and you don't see how you can possibly handle your assignment. In Samson's case, he had a godly mother whose reasoning put their God meeting in proper perspective:

But his wife answered, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this" (Judges 13:23).

Where has your thinking limited or dismissed the magnificent truth that you also have had face-to-face encounters with God? When have you assumed God is against you when He is really for you? What has God shown you to do that seems too spectacular or overwhelming to you? Where has your thinking been more like Manoah's (fear) than his wife's (rational faith)?

God isn't out to get you; He's out to bless you, and His confirming signs are proof of His presence and power. Don't run from Him, but run to Him, for the same presence that revealed His will for your life will also empower you to fulfill it.

Purpose Study Bible 286: Good Questions

In the last entry, we saw that the angel of the Lord appeared to Samson's mother and announced that her son was to be set apart for God's service from birth. The woman told her husband named Manoah, and then we read how the man responded:

Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.” God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!” Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?” “I am,” he said. So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?” (Judges 13:8-12).

On two occasions, the angel appeared to the woman and not her husband, but then she went to her husband for advice and clarification (this is what Eve should have done in the Garden). Her husband didn't dismiss what she said, but took it to heart and asked God for clarification concerning their son and how they were to raise him.

While Samson's life was both unique and bizarre, his parents were models of how to raise a child according to Ephesians 6:4 (NKJV): "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." Samson's parents wanted to know "the rule that governs the boy's life and work." That should be the question of every parent so they can identify their children's purpose and then cooperate with the plan God reveals.

Do you have children in your family, including nieces and nephews? Do you work with children at your job or church? Are you seeking God for their purpose, or are you choosing a career for them according to your culture's custom? Once you get understanding on their purpose, are you seeking God for your role in how to raise them?

God made God's will for Samson crystal clear for his parents and wants to do the same thing for you and the young people in your life. Ask God good questions about their future and He is certain to provide good answers.

Purpose Study Bible 285: Samson

The Angel and Manoah and His Wife / Pieter Lastman (1617)

We move on from Gideon this week to begin a new series looking at the life of Samson, one of the more unusual characters in the Bible. Before he was born, the angel of the Lord appeared to his mother:

“You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean.You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines” (Judges 13:3-5).

The angel's appearance was sovereign, random, and unexpected, for Samson's parents were not priests or prophets. The child was assigned the role of a Nazirite, an unusual designation that involved a person vowing not to cut their hair or drink wine for the duration of their vow—which in Samson's case was to be for a lifetime. 

Samson's parents were given notice of what their son's purpose was to be, just like Moses' parents. That's because God wants you and yours to know His will; otherwise, how can you be expected to do it? Do you have an idea of what your children's purpose is? Do you know yours? What price are you willing to pay to find out? What price are you willing to pay to fulfill it?

In coming lessons, we will learn why a Nazirite was forbidden to have fermented drinks or trim their hair, but for now, ask God for clarity concerning your purpose or help those closest to you find and walk in theirs.

Purpose Study Bible 284: A Gold Ephod

With this entry, we will finish our look at Gideon's life, which has been a treasure trove of insight into all five of the Goldmine Principles. In this final lesson, we once again look at Gideon's creativity:

And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. . . . Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town (Judges 8:24-25, 27).

When Gideon led the people, he did so without charge, but then he asked them for one thing as payment: an earring they had taken from the spoil of the enemy from each person. The people were only too glad to comply and gave Gideon a small fortune in gold earrings. After that, Gideon took the earrings and made them into a golden ephod, a garment the priest was to wear.

We don't know why Gideon chose to create the ephod and we don't know what it looked like. But first Gideon had to see this ephod in his mind and then asked for the resources he would need to create one. After that, he either fashioned it himself or secured the services of someone who could make it. The lesson is that Gideon used his creativity to make a memorial of his and his family's service during this period in the country's history. (Even though Israel went on to worship this ephod, we are not told that this was the reason Gideon created it.)

How are you using your creativity these days? Are you envisioning something that doesn't exist and then taking steps to make it a reality, like poetry, clothing, a book, a business, or a painting? Are you using your creativity to memorialize God's goodness, something like a family celebration, a special outing or trip, or some tangible item like a sculpture or room decoration?

God gave you your creativity to use—creatively. Gideon went from a timid farmer to a mighty leader and used his creativity along the way to ask God for unique confirmations and then to devise never-heard-of battle strategies. The result of all that was a great victory for God's people. Now it's your turn to do the same—deploy your creativity in the service of your God-assigned purpose. It's time to make your own ephod.

Purpose Study Bible 283: How Others See You

Remember when we first met Gideon? He complained to the angel that he was insignificant, a powerless man from a small tribe and clan. Yet after the battle to free Israel, look at how his enemies saw him and his family:

Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “The men you killed at Tabor—what were they like?” “Like you,” they replied. “They all had the look of a king’s son.” “They were my brothers, the sons of my own mother!” Gideon exclaimed (Judges 8:18-19, NLT).

Others saw Gideon and his family as champions with the look of royalty. Yet their thinking, or at least that of Gideon, spoke of low self-esteem and poor self-image. God had to help him adjust his thinking to match the reality of who he was and how others saw him. God may be trying to do the same thing for you.

How do you describe yourself, or at least think of yourself? Are you royalty in God's house, or insignificant and powerless? How would others say they perceive you? Do you know? Do you care to find out? Will you accept what they say if it is more positive than the self-image you have?

Often others can see you and your strengths, which you take for granted. Hearing what they have to say and being willing to adjust your self-image to theirs can be a key to you being more confident in who you are—who God made you to be. Do you want to be like the Gideon we first met or the one we encounter here in Judges 8? The choice is yours, but your goal should be to see you as God does, and that may very well be reflected in what others see that you can't—or won't.

Purpose Study Bible 282: Faith Talk

After Gideon's initial victory, he moved with his army of 300 to finish the job and completely defeat Israel's enemy. When he tried to enlist some local leaders to help him, they refused, causing Gideon to tell them,

“Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.” From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower" (Judges 8:7-9).

Don't focus on what Gideon promised to do to them, but consider his boldness and courage he exhibited when he vowed to return. When we first met him, he complained that he and his family were the smallest and most insignificant, which were the reasons he thought he could not possibly be the one to do what God was asking. He needed multiple confirmations that God was with him and speaking to him.

However, in these two instances, Gideon was bold and full of faith. He was going into battle but was so confident of his survival and success that he promised to come back and punish the people who refused to help. Like Abraham in Genesis 22, Gideon promised that he would "return in triumph," a statement of faith and confidence in God's ability to preserve and protect him.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:19, "It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak." How is your faith talk these days? Are you like the first version of Gideon—tentative and unsure—or this new, improved version—confident and bold? What are your words telling others (and God) about your faith in the God of your creative purpose?

Your productivity and success are in God's hands, but He still needs your cooperation as you build, fight, write, learn, or go. It's time your image of yourself matched the one God has of you, and that is one of a victorious, successful servant of the Most High God.

Purpose Study Bible 281: No Family Support

God had used Gideon to defeat Israel's enemies but one of the tribes benefiting from the victory wasn't all that happy:

Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?” And they challenged him vigorously. But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided (Judges 8:1-3).

Gideon was of the tribe of Manasseh and the Ephraimites were their relatives, since the tribes' namesakes, Manasseh and Ephraim, were Genesis Joseph's sons. Instead of rejoicing and offering congratulations, however, Ephraim took Gideon to task for not including them in the battle. Of course, God was the One who had chosen the warriors He wanted to go with Gideon, so Ephraim's problem really wasn't with their brother; their problem was with God Himself.

When you begin to make progress in your creative purpose, sometimes people closest to you are threatened by your growth and may not be your most ardent supporters. If that happens, remember how Gideon handled their complaint. He did so humbly and diplomatically, but he did not change course or include them in his future plans. In a sense, he shrugged it off and moved on.

Are some people you expected to support, celebrate, or encourage you not responding as you expected? How are you you handling this painful and disappointing scenario? Are you trying harder to win their approval, or are you carrying on with the work God has given you to do?

You shouldn't expect a parade or a bouquet of flowers from anyone when you do God's will, even those closest to you. It's nice if that happens, but whether it does or not, your focus needs to be on one thing and one thing only: being true to who God made you to be and what He gave you to do.

Purpose Study Bible 280: Listening to Others

Gideon had asked for a sign and God gave it to him. Then God offered him another sign but Gideon had move out and go down to the enemy's camp to receive it:

During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.

Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.” His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped (Judges 7:9-11, 13-15).

This confirming sign came through other people, which is how God often sends a sign to you. Perhaps you have received a compliment all your life about something: "You're so easy to talk to, you have such a good sense of color usage, I enjoy hearing you speak, etc." You haven't thought much about it, but could those be prophetic messengers coming to confirm God's will just like the men talking in the enemy camp were doing for Gideon?

What compliment or comment have you regularly heard about yourself from others? What clues could or does it have to help you understand your creative purpose? Are you willing for God to send you some messengers now to give you insight into how they see you? Can you be open to the fact that what they tell you is how God sees you? Gideon had to go down to the camp and listen to what the people were saying. Now it's your turn to listen in as others talk about you too.

Purpose Study Bible 279: "For the Lord and for Gideon"

“Gideon and His 300” (1907), Providence Lithograph Co.

Once Gideon got over his fears and insecurities as the leader who was to set his people free, he became quite creative in his leadership style.

Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon'” (Judges 7:16-18).

First, he asked the angel of the Lord for a confirmation that He was God's messenger when they met. Then he requested a sign which involved the fleece and the dew. Finally, Gideon asked for one more confirmation, and God allowed him to overhear someone who had a dream of a barley loaf striking the Midianites—the loaf representing Gideon and his army.

After God's will was confirmed, Gideon became a creative genius as a military leader, coming up with the plan to utilize his out-manned army in such a way that the enemy would be surprised and overwhelmed, thus defeating themselves. Once timid, Gideon boldly told his men to "watch me" and then to shout his name, along with God's, as the army's battle cry.

Like Gideon, are you bold in your approach to life and purpose? Do you devise creative strategies to accomplish the tasks God has assigned you to do? Are you waiting on God to do what He expects you to do? Are you willing to put yourself "out there" for people to watch for direction and inspiration? God is still looking for people who are willing to be purpose champions for others. I encourage you to make yourself available to be one of them.

Purpose Study 278: A Fleece

God was asking Gideon to do things he had never done before, including putting his life and the lives of others in danger, and he was apprehensive and fearful. Therefore, he asked God for multiple confirmations that what he was hearing was truly from God. Here's one of those requests:

Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water (Judges 6:36-38).

This incident gave the name to a common phrase "putting out a fleece." It's refers to any petition asking God for a miraculous or unusual sign to confirm His will. In Gideon's case, God provided the sign on three occasions and Gideon went on to lead his people to victory, confident of God's presence and help.

While appropriate on occasions, the constant demand for a sign is not an act of faith but of unbelief. During Jesus' ministry, the Jews demanded a sign and He responded, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah" (Matthew 12:39). The sign of Jonah is His resurrection and we now have that as our sign if we are looking for a fleece.

If God raises the dead, He can do anything. He can provide money, resources, open doors, healing, and deliverance from your enemies. When He asks you to write, build, study, speak, go, or do, you don't need a sign. You already have one. However, God knows your heart and if He is giving you a "stretch" goal or task that is out of the ordinary, He will confirm it with a sign—something that is meaningful for you.

But if you're considering writing poetry, doing missions, being generous, or some other simple faith act that is already described in His Word, then asking for a confirmation is not appropriate. You should simply act in obedience and not wait.

Where have you been demanding a sign from God, confident you were doing so in faith, but only to be revealing your unbelief? To think that God would be required to give you constant confirmation is to ignore what Jesus said to the Jews: You have a sign, the sign of Jonah. It's time to stop asking God to jump through hoops before you consent to act. Faith requires action, so find a way to do something today and stop blaming your inactivity on God not giving you a confirming fleece.