Judges 9: 41-49

Abilemech continued his reign of terror when even after defeating the enemy he went after the survivors who were just milling around in the fields. He divided his army into three groups each designated to  kill a specific group of people. He and one of his groups went to attack the town of Shechem to destroy the people there while the other two groups went after the survivors in the fields.  After destroying the town, he threw salt all around as a symbol of destruction. The people in tower heard this and were afraid and hid in the place where they worshipped their god. He proceeded to torch their place of refuge and kill the 1000 men and women that were there.

If I ever wanted a period of time to have a "mulligan" - this would be it. Monday, I developed a case of food poisoning and that wasn't pleasant as well as sliding and falling down at my work place's parking lot. Hurt my left arm and it is slowly coming back. On top of that I lost a glove which is also a pain. I went home early that day and try to recoup and with my temperature like a sine curve I finally had a 101 fever after a bottom of 96. With some Tylenol I ended up dropping that but I had to purge myself and do the BRAT diet for my stomach. Got my results from the lab and they seem pretty decent and my doctor called me last night to confirm that as well but now it's up to the specialist to see what the next course of action is (i.e - surgery or simply monitoring it). Emotionally, I am ok but I do have my moments and am grateful for the family support.

Heading home tonight and will see the specialist tomorrow and work out of Princeton for the balance of the day.

Praise for today: Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather around me because of your goodness to me.  Psalm 142 : 7

Judges 9: 30 -40

Abimelech had made Zebul the leader of the Shechem so it stood to reason where his allegiance would lie. He baited Gaal into thinking that he was able to defeat them but in reality he was setting a trap for Gaal and his men. With Abimelech's army divided into 4 groups they basically were able to surround Gaal and defeat him via deception and then by appealing to Gaal's pride. He put Gaal's own words to his face which then caused him to fight and lose. Gaal's defeat at the hands of Abimelech and then being offered no refuge by Zebul made him a defeated man.

A long, long weekend. Good to see GG and have the whole family together to support the Quan family but the bitter cold days and some snow made it a rough go. Tough getting back into the grind today but still heading home on Thursday to see the specialist on Friday morning. The saving grace is not having to do that Friday commute from Delly on Friday.

Praise for today: Do good to your servant, according to your word, O Lord. Teach me knowledge and good judgement for I believe in your commands. Psalm 119: 65-66

Judges 9: 22-29

When you build a platform based upon shaky ground, the structure will eventually fall. Thus was the case with Abimelech when his reign was founded upon death and deception. God caused an evil spirit to divide Abimelech and the people. It had started with people of Shechem who didn't honor their agreement with Abimelech and refuse to pay his fees. Because the people of Shechem were responsible for the death of the 70, they too were going to suffer the consequences. The people of Shechem were not God-fearing people since they had their own created gods that they had worshipped. They became robbers and killers to gain their wealth. Abimelech was made aware of their actions. Ebed's son Gaal grew as a man of prominence as he was the one the Shechemites look to with respect for leadership and he was quick to take the reins.

According to the commentary: Gaal said also that Abimelech was the son of Jerubbaal and this was the most important thing. Because Jerubbaal was not from Shechem, then Abimelech was not really from Shechem. So Abimelech was not a ‘man of Hamor’ in that meaning. Although his mother was from Shechem, that was not so important. So, in Gaal’s opinion, the people should not serve Abimelech. Gaal said that if he himself could be the leader, then he would remove Abimelech. 

With the plans set, I will now go to NJ later after work and take tomorrow off to complete my blood tests and attend the funeral of A. Bonnie. Glad to hear that the weather effect will be minimal to affect our travels. Hopefully they can restore heat to my apartment while I am gone.

Praise for today: Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Psalm 90: 1

Judges 9: 7-21

Apparently not everyone was happy with the choice to make Abimelech the king. Jotham, one of Gideon's sons addressed the people of Shechem with a story of nature. He stood at the top of the hill so that all could see and hear him. It also provided him an escape route should things go south as well. The commentary put it this way: The story had a moral meaning. It was about trees that were choosing a king. The olive, fig and vine refused to be the king. The meaning of the story was this. Good men would not stop their work to become kings. The bush with sharp points accepted the invitation. The bush invited them to come into its shade (that is, its protection). But the bush was not able to protect anything. In the heat of summer, it could easily burn. It could destroy even the valuable tall trees that are always green. These trees were like the chief men of Shechem. Abimelech could not give the people any protection. Instead, he would cause their destruction.

Clearly his intent was to discredit his brother and his means to the ascension to power. He had to kill 70 family members to whack his way to the top. Jotham continued to tell the people how much they disrespected and under appreciated his father, Gideon and his line. Clearly, he felt that Abimelech had no value as a person not mention that of a king. He warned them that following Abimelech would lead to death and destruction.

Heard some disturbing news from my results and have to take more blood from my earlier tests on Saturday. Finally got some clarity as far as the arrangements for A. Bonnie and will take the appropriate actions to make myself available on Friday and Saturday. Still anxious but always trusting...  Glad Irene took the initiative and told the boys.

Praise for today: The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 37: 39

Judges 9: 1-6

Abimelech saw his opportunity to seize power albeit on a smaller stage. He appealed to the people of Shechem and gave them the"devil you know is better than the devil(s) you don't know speech to get the his point across. He first went to his brothers and the brothers brought this to the people. Because of family ties, they decided to go with him and even gave him some cash (70 pieces of silver) to hire some protection. The mercenaries and he then killed the competition and symbolically used their means to depict almost a animal-like sacrifice. The place they did it was considered near a "holy" oak tree and even erected a stone monument to remember the place. Abimelech's "kingdom" was very small and his reign only lasted about 3 years.

Very melancholy weekend... Had a funeral to attend on Friday after work in Queens (long ride) and then had a decent Saturday doing our hotpot dinner with the Ongs and Leon family. The kids were so cute! The day was extremely exhausting but worth it. Sunday was extremely long with me skipping prayer meeting to go and visit and pray with my b-i-l's mom whom I've known for over 35 years. She was old and frail and the recent illness and heart attack took its toll on her. She passed late Sunday night. Just waiting for the details for her funeral... Need to do some switching if it's this Friday at work.

Took my tests yesterday and now it goes to specialist see what's what. Out of my hands and in the Lord's .

Praise for today: I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. Psalm 138: 1

Judges 8:22 - 33

With the victory behind them, the Israelites were hankering for Gideon and his family line to ultimately rule over them. He refused to take to total reins since he deferred them to the Lord. Maybe he did want or maybe he didn't but still he acknowledged that God is the ultimate ruler of the Israelites and not he or his family. Still he was smart enough to ask for one thing - an earring from each male which they gladly gave. The amount that was collected was the equivalent of 45 pounds which he converted into an ephod - a priest's coat. The ephod was on display in Ophrah, his hometown and soon became an idol to the people despite it's original intent. This was indicative of the mindset of the Israelite people. Despite this, the Lord granted them peace for 40 years. The balance of the chapter was to talk about Jerubbaal and his family and made special note of a son whose name was Abimelech, which means "my father is king", as well as Gideon. Gideon, who died at a ripe old age and was buried with his father. The people returned to their wicked ways after Gideon's death.

The man who would be king but chose not to and it ultimately was not God's plan until Saul. Still, he had issues since he wanted this ephod. It is still unclear what the ultimate purpose of the ephod was - to please himself or God but.. it became the sin object of the people. Ultimately, he was one of the good guys.

Praise for my comp results, slightly higher but will be eaten away by taxes so less on a net basis than last year. Still His Name is to be praised. Home today after a late night and Princeton tomorrow.

Praise for today: For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Psalm 149: 5

Judges 8:13-21

Gideon captured the two kings and in turn he punished the people who refused to help him. He also captured a young man from Succoth who actually wrote down the names of the 77 leaders that ruled the city. This was important since this the first instance of a written media and the use of a common alphabet. The list was used to exact punishment on those who refused to help Gideon and his men. To the two kings, he asked them their rationale for their violence and they had no remorse to what they did. When Gideon told his son to execute them, he refused since he was young and fearful. The two kings goaded Gideon to do the deed himself to which he quickly obliged and they were dead.What was once a matter of national importance became personal and Gideon dealt with it.

Here was the fulfillment of the angel's charge to Gideon when he told him that he was a "brave warrior". The development of the person of Gideon as a leader and judge was evident as he carried forth the Lord's plan.

Finding out today what my comp will be so that is important. Still I have committed that and everything to the Lord in prayer. Prayers for the family and for the travels today. Tomorrow, I will be heading back to NJ and working out of Princeton on Friday. Have the funeral that evening so the three of us will be going.

Praise for today:With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng I will praise him. For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him. Psalm 109: 30-31.

Judges 8: 3-12

The two Midianite kings were on the run with their troops with Gideon and his men in pursuit of them. Needless to say, they grew tired of their chase and although grew in number from 300 to 1,500 they were still chasing the two kings. When they arrived at Succoth, they asked for help and provisions that were necessary for them to continue. They were denied and ridiculed since they were not able to complete their tasks even before they got there.The leaders of Succoth were then told by Gideon that they would be punished for their lack of ettiquette and attitude when Gideon returned after finishing off the two kings. The men of Peniel also refused to help and they along with their tower would be destroyed - which was their refuge in times of attack. The Midianites were now down to 15,000 after losing 120,000  and were ultimately defeated by Gideon and his men since they were going down a road that they were not expecting an attack from this way. The two kings were captured and their armies were defeated.

This was the first time we saw a mean streak in the life of Gideon but rightfully so. He made a promise that he would exact a measure of revenge against those two places and people that refused to help. God gave them the victory and would help the legacy of Gideon grow. I wonder how the people and the leaders of those cities were after they heard their fate with their refusal to help and assist. I'm sure that they must have heard of all that had transpired before and the divine intervention by God in all of this and yet they still turned a blind eye.

All in all a decent day at work but now my attention will turn to the funeral on Friday in Queens and the long weekend. It will be a long day at church if I attend the workshop but at least I am off of Monday.Glad to hear that all that were in FL arrived home safely and that they had a great time. Also appreciative of the lack of "winter" thus far...

Prayers for Mary Poon's family and also for those who are out of work and are diligently looking.

Praise for today: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.  Psalm 51:17

Judges 7:23 to 8:2

Warriors from Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh's tribes came and answered the call and chased the Midianites as they answered the call of Gideon. They probably came from the original 32,000 that were initially slated for battle. After a few key Midianite leaders had bit the sword, he then called upon the Ephraimites for help who responded by asking why now and not at the outset. They actually felt slighted about this and thus Gideon had to rationalize it by telling them that they are the actual warriors while he was just herding them toward them. He soothed their egos by telling them about their accomplishments. After hearing this, they were not angry anymore.

It seems that Gideon was truly a leader that was anointed and blessed. He knew what and how to say things to get the most for God's purposes. He gave a gentle answer rather than one that would bring resentment - a lesson to be learned...

With Op DD almost over, my prayers are for those who were there and are heading home. Glad to see they all had a great time. Good day at church yesterday and the weekend was relaxing as well. Saw Jack Reacher, which was entertaining and also good lunch at RR and dinner at Mr. Pi's afterwards. Got my new glasses and they still take getting use to. Prayers for Judy Ong who lost her sister last week and is now under the weather now. Awaiting the arrangements for the funeral... which may change our schedule for Friday night.

Praise for today: Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. Psalm 113: 2-3

Judges 7: 8-22

Gideon still needed a push from God since now his "army" was 300 versus the Midianites whose numbers were like locusts wiping out a field. God told him to go with his servant to get the "buzz" around the camp and to see what the sentiments were of the people that he and his 300 were to conquer. The Midianites were scared despite their numbers and were told so by God in a dream. This encouraged Gideon enormously. God's plan was unique. With three groups of 100 men each armed with a trumpet and an empty jar with a torch inside, Gideon had confidence and the Lord on his side. The clamor that the 100 made scared the Midianites so much so that they fought each other and ultimately they ran like scalded dogs. Here was an "army" with no military skills but rather the Chief Advocate that did the fighting for them.

Decent day again at work and happy that the BP is under control. I am looking forward to going home later and for a quiet weekend. Still some last minute preparations for teaching SS that has to be done as well as my usual laundry stuff... So sorry to hear of the passing of Mary Poon and prayers for her family as they make the arrangements....

Praise for today: From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Psalm 3: 8

Judges 7:1-7

God saw that if the people and Gideon were to believe and trust in Him, there must be a "miracle" even in combat. Gideon had as many as 32,000 men ready for combat but that was deemed to many. As a result, he allowed 22,000 to go home and 10,000 remained. Still the Lord was not ready to perform His "miracle". He was told to go to water with his  men and saw how they were to drink. The ones who were on the hands and knees and lapped up the water were told to go home and they numbered 9,700  which left 300 men. These were the ones that took the water and stood while drinking it with cupped hands. Now God was ready and Gideon had his army.

All in all decent day. However, started to run out of steam around 4ish. Glad I do my workout in the AM rather than later in the day. Got my new modem hooked up but still for the life of me, can't see the difference. Now I have to send the old one back on Saturday. Spoke to GG last night while he was waiting for David to land and he sounded much better and hopefully he's able to enjoy his days with the group. Praiseful that the rest of the group got down ok as well. Hate to hear that the truck needs something else done but still cheaper than buying a new one.

Praise for today: Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Psalm 111: 2

Judges 6:33-40

We often wonder if we are following God's will and is God really behind us and our plans. Here is an instance where God was challenged before Gideon would proceed. The Spirit of God came over Gideon earlier in this passage in such a way that he rallied the nation around him against the common enemy - the Midianites. He called upon 4 tribes but left out the strongest ( Ephraim’s) since he was afraid that he couldn't control them. This would come back again to haunt him but for now, he had his army.The test Gideon would use would be for wool, water and the dry earth (rock). The first test would be for the wool to have dew and the ground would not. The second test would be for the rock to have dew and the wool to be dry. The second test would be more difficult than the first.

Clearly God is God and He passed the test easily. Nothing is impossible with God and that was the signs that Gideon needed to proceed. God in the past was tested, particularly in the wilderness, and he always provided. According to the commentary: We follow God by trust. We do not follow him by what we can see. The important thing about God’s advice is not how God gives it to us. The important thing is the fact that he does give it. Gideon here was different. He was humble, unwilling and shy. He was slow to act. But this does not mean that he did not trust God. He had faith, but he was careful. He knew that the second sign was the greater miracle. In the first sign, the wool would easily hold water. But in the second sign, the floor was rock. This would not hold water easily.

Not a bad day at work. Had my review and was able to work out of Princeton on a more regular basis. This will help relieve some stress and also prolong my work life hopefully. The BP seems much better and that is a good thing. Prayers again for the Op DD group and also that they are good about the water situation in Celebration.

Praise for today: I will perpetuate your memory through all generations therefore the nations will praise you forever and ever. Psalms 45:17

Judges 6: 25- 32

The time had come for Gideon to lead his people. This had to start at home in order to have credence and effectiveness. The Lord commanded him to destroy the local temples and cut down the Asherah poles that were erected to the idols and to use his father's male cow as a sacrifice. The male cow was special since it was a breeder and therefore would allow the herd to continue. There was a hesitancy on Gideon's part since he performed his actions at night and was brought to pass by others who gave him and his family up to an irate crowd. Joash, defended his son against the crowd and was also a God-fearing man. Not only did he defend his son's actions but showed amazing support for him and the Lord. Joash's contention was that if the false gods had any power, they would have defended themselves against the attack by Gideon. Joash was willing to use force to defend his son and his God.

Good day yesterday as far as Monday's go. Still on the road to bring my BP and weight under control - easier said than done. I so enjoy coming back and reading a chapter of Proverbs a day and praying to God for his strength and providence for my friends and family. Suprised to see a water alert in Celebration and during the timeframe that David and Daniel are heading down there with the group. Minor inconvenience but they will cope.

Praise for today: But I pray to you, O Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.  Psalm 69: 13

Judges 6: 11-24

Two new people are introduced to us and they are from the tribe of Manasseh. Joash and his son, Gideon (the focus of the passage). Gideon was separating the wheat from the stalks in a pit that was primarily used for turning grapes into wine so that the Midianites would not see him and thus plunder his work. The angel of the Lord was prophetic towards him with his address as "brave soldier". We don't know if he was or that God was pruning him towards that goal but still he didn't object to it either. He was a humble man who knew and followed the Lord. The area known as the winepress was relatively small and was indicative of the prosperity (or lack thereof) that Gideon and the nation were experiencing. Yet still, Gideon knew his limitations and yet he still wanted to give a gift to God and thus made the angel a goat, soup and bread without yeast as a form of worship. The angel in turn proved to Gideon that He was truly a messenger of God and thus touch the food with his staff and consumed it via fire. Gideon knew that he was truly visited by the Lord and was fearful but was assured by God that He was pleased with Gideon and would bless him. Gideon then built an altar to God to mark that spot and the day.

What was truly remarkable was how generous Gideon was with his limited resources and food. The meal was a fortune in today's terms and with his lack of wealth showed true love and reverence for the Lord. Clearly great things would go through Gideon and his life.

Great weekend as we "de-Christmastized" the house and I made a roast on Saturday. Never used this particular cut of meat before but since it was very expensive and sat in my freezer for a while, I decided to make it. Came out pretty well and was enjoyed by all. Church was decent as well and I got down here with no incidents. Only regret was forgetting my gym bag so I had to improvise with another and no tunes... :(.

Prayers this week for the folks heading down to condo for Operation Donald Duck as well as helping GG through his bout with a cold. Also prayers for the Moy family as they deal with a loss of income as well, these are tough times and they are tough people.

Praise for today: For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor, no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.  Psalm 84:11

Judges 6: 1-10

Still after all that the Lord had done and was recorded for them through Deborah and Barak, the people were still back to their wicked ways. The new oppressors are the Midianites and the Amalekites. The rule went on for 7 years before the narrative picks up and they were basically being drained of their resources and identity as a nation. Through a prophet, God did tell them what they did wrong and that He saw their disobediance and allowed this to happen.

Back to the grind for a day down here. Heading home for a specialist appointment tomorrow and working out of P-ton on Friday. Glad that I will see Irene later when I get back and interested to hear what she had to say about the whole trip. Also happy to see GG even if it is for one night and briefly.

Praise for today: The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:14

Judges 5:12-31

The balance of the song that was written probably by Deborah and Barak was recounting the events that were told in 4. What was important to note was that the 12 tribes were not united against the common enemy and did not participate in the battle. It was nature's forces (God) and not the 10,000 people army that won the battle. It also emphasized Canaan's inability to score the victory and the spoils of the victory. Jael is the next person mentioned that deserves credit. While she did kill and violated God's commandment she was more commended for her courage in this instance. The spike she used was probably metal since the Kenanites were metal forgers. The last section deals with the imaginary thoughts of Sisera's mother and her thoughts as to why her son has not come home with the spoils from their "apparent" victory. The Lord ultimately is praised in v. 31.

Very quiet days after Christmas and leading up to NYE. With Irene gone, very little in the way of activity but still went to church to usher for David (who went to Gateway/NYG game) and then dinner with the Quans and m-i-l. Monday was quiet - brunch and light shopping with David, watching a DVD and then dinner and late night church service which was very, very appreciated and needed. Nothing like ushering in the new year with God and prayer.  Today will be equally quiet since the boys will be out and I will head down to Delly in the early afternoon.  Work tomorrow and then heading home to NJ for the balance of the week.

Praise for today: So may all of your enemies perish, O Lord! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength. Judges 5:31a