Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1, NKJV).
I was confused. What should I do Lord. My wife and I prayed diligently for God’s direction in our lives. This was a huge turning point.
God had the answer, as He always does.
In Judges 6:20-22 we have the account of the Angel of the Lord,
“With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, ‘Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!’"
The Angel of the Lord is an expression found often in the Bible. There are thirty-five direct mentions of the Angel of the Lord or the Angel of God (NIV)[1] plus many other suggested references. Theologians, both the past and present, consider this acknowledgment and other biblical accounts of this particular angel to be the pre-incarnate form of Jesus Christ.
There is great beauty in this verse if read in gospel language. The eye that beholds God in Christ, is so far from being in danger of death, that in Him He beholds peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jehovah Shalom, means the Lord our Peace. As if he had said, The Lord is at peace with me. It is the title which in that very spot Gideon desired ever after to know his God by. And is it not so by the true believer in Jesus, after once the soul is brought into the possession of that peace with God which is in Christ Jesus? The Lord our peace; the Lord our Righteousness. But there is somewhat particularly striking in the uniform custom holy men of old had in recording divine mercies, and making the very spot forever after memorable where the Lord manifested himself.[2] – Robert Hawker
The weight of biblical evidence indicates that the Angel of the Lord was the pre-incarnate Christ, the second member of the Trinity, appearing in bodily form—as He did on several occasions throughout the Old Testament era (cf. Genesis 16:7-14, Exodus 3:2-5, Numbers 22:22, Joshua 5:13-15). The Angel’s appearances throughout Israel’s history, along with passages like Isaiah 9:6 and Daniel 7:13, provide strong Old Testament evidence for the deity of Jesus Christ.[3] – John MacArthur
His pre-incarnate existence, along with Christ’s appearance in this and other dire circumstances in the Bible are gifts of grace in themselves. Jesus is the provider of peace. He says in John 14:27 (NASB), “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” Jesus, the Son of God, our Savior, and Lord, provides, through grace, a peace which passes all understanding, a peace that guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7).
As a result of our salvation by grace and through faith alone, we not only have peace with God (Romans 5:1), we have the peace of God (Psalms 29:11), and peace from God (Isaiah 26:3). The pronouncement of continued peace is pictured in Gideon humbly asking for a sign of God’s direction.
Later in the same chapter, the writer of Judges (most probably Samuel)[4], says, He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. 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. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew (Judges 6:35-40).
This outward expression of God’s assurance did indicate that Gideon understood God’s command. He was the one chosen to lead the army of Israel into battle. The phenomena of the soaked and then completely dry fleece are another example of the grace of God.
We have God’s miraculous presence in the initial granting of peace and the subsequent substantiation through the revelation of the fleece. However, secondly, we have proof of God’s presence during the entire process.
Gideon was not left to fight alone. He was being led by the Holy Spirit. Judges 6:34 reports the Spirit’s presence with this account of the assembling of the troops, “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.”
It was through the grace given to Gideon by Jesus that allowed Him to feel at peace with God. It was the Holy Spirit who then helped Gideon to establish the army that would take Israel into battle against the Midianites. We see the extraordinary method by which the Spirit led Gideon to choose the small army that would carry out God’s plan. The Holy Spirit directed Gideon to determine those who had the fear of death and asked them to leave and go home (Judges 7:3). However, to reduce the army further so that no one could deny that it was God who brought victory, He ordered Gideon to take the men down to the water and let them drink. The ones who lapped the water like dogs were chosen. That choice left the army at three hundred men (Judges 7:5-8).
As the Holy Ghost, in his comment on this battle, (Hebrews 11:32,) hath pronounced it to be a battle of faith, we have his authority to mark the prominent features of it, agreeable to this account. And hence I do not think the subject at all overstrained, if we behold in it somewhat strikingly typical of the glorious battle fought by the Lord Jesus and his little army, over all the host of enemies which opposed our salvation. Was not the sword of our Jesus the sword of Jehovah, and of the man Christ Jesus? In his sacred person do we not behold both God and man? And, as in the army of Gideon, there was neither sword nor spear, so in the army of our Jesus, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).[5]
(To Be Continued)
[1] Angel of the Lord, © 2016 Knowing-Jesus.com, All Rights Reserved, http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Angel-Of-The-Lord
[2] Hawker, Robert, D.D. "Commentary on Judges 6:4". "Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary". "www.studylight.org/commentaries/pmc/judges-6.html". 1828.
[3] John MacArthur, Gideon: A Weak Man made Strong, © 2016 Grace to You, All Rights Reserved, gty.org/blog/B150907/gideon-a-weak-man-made-strong
[4] Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved says.
[5] Hawker, Robert, D.D. "Commentary on Judges 7:4". "Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary". "www.studylight.org/commentaries/pmc/judges-7.html". 1828.
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