Welcome to a year in the Bible with Daily Grace. The Bible tells one big story of redemption,

and we want to spend five minutes every day journeying through the Bible from start to

finish and exploring how all of it points to Jesus.

Look back to a year in the Bible of Daily Grace. My name is Alexa, and today we are continuing

our city of Judges by looking at Judges 7-9. In Chapter 7, Gideon prepares his army

to fight the Middendites. There is something that needs to be taken care of first. Gideon's

army is too big. God saw this size of Gideon's army as a way for Israel to boast in the military,

rather than in the grud. Before going into battle, God takes Gideon's army from 22,000

people to 300. Even though this army seems small, God tells Gideon that he has given Midian

into his hands, and will strengthen Gideon and his men to take Midian over. As they go into

battle, God is something amazing by turning the Middendites swords against one another and

the army flees. All of this happens with Gideon and his men standing around the camp. In essence,

Gideon and his men have done nothing in this fight. The Lord has given them victory all in his

own. In Chapter 8, Gideon takes matters into his own hands and pursues another military

fight without the Lord. Gideon assumes that the Lord will help him defeat his enemies, but there

is no mention of God's blessing this fight. When Israel desires for Gideon to rule over them as

King, Gideon denies kingship by saying the Lord will rule over you. Gideon's words seem humble

in the moment, but sadly the rest of the chapter shows Gideon turning away from the Lord,

and is starting to himself as King. He even names one of his children and the Molech,

which means my father is King. Even though Gideon turns away from the Lord, the nation of

Israel has rest while he is alive. But just like the pattern we have seen, once he dies,

the people of Israel go right back to their evil ways. What makes Israel a situation even worse?

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