The Way of Zebah and Zalmunna

Illustration Courtesy of: www.st-takla.org via Google Images

LISTEN! to this lesson on SOUNDCLOUND!  Just click the link:

https://soundcloud.com/archdale-church-of-christ/retreat-relocate-relax-judges-8-012118-am-sermon-acoc-russ-mccullough

It's called a number of things.  Pragmatism.  Outcome based thinking.  Visualization.  Positive thinking.  Self improvement.  Self actualization.

Pick your own title.  They are all the same.  We are told that we can "become what we imagine."  Really?!  Can we?  Can we make our own success by these methods?  Sadly, no.

Long ago, a 15,000 man army "imagined" that they could retreat, relocate, and relax having escaped from the Lord of Hosts and the 300 man army of Gideon.  Their two "positive thinking" commanders were named Zebah and Zalmunna.  The Bible says in Judges 8.11 that this army "felt secure."  Feelings lie.  Far from secure, this army that retreated from the Lord of Hosts, relocated to a valley of perceived security, and finally relaxed in a false hope...instead were soon destroyed as a fighting force.  Their two leaders were slain by Gideon himself.

And so it is today.  Unless we surrender to Jesus Christ, we too, will be surrounded and destroyed.  To retreat from our sin, relocate to a new place of perceived security, and relax in a false hope will gain us nothing and cost us everything.

This sermon was preached by Russ McCullough at the Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210 at the 10 a.m. morning worship service on Lord's Day morning, 21 January 2018.  Feel free to use this material as you choose.

Judges 8.1 - 21 - The Final Defeat of Midian by Gideon

1                                    LISTEN! On "SoundCloud!"

https://soundcloud.com/archdale-church-of-christ/judges-81-21-midianite-defeat-by-gideon-012118   

         Judges

A Judge by Judge Bible Study -  21 January 2018

Archdale church of Christ – Russ McCullough

Lesson #9 – Judges 8.1 – 8.21

1.     Who has a complaint and what was it?

2.     How was Gideon accused?

3.     What two rhetorical questions does Gideon now ask of his accusers?

4.     What is the “gleaning of the grape?”

5.     What is the “vintage” in comparison?

6.     What 3^rd rhetorical question does Gideon now ask?

7.     After these 3 rhetorical questions were asked and answered, what happened to the wrath of the Eprhriamites?

8.     What does Gideon now do per vs. 4?  In what condition was his army?

9.     To where did Gideon go and what did he ask of those people?

10. Who was Gideon pursuing?

11.  Geography: Succoth is E_______ of the Jordan and NE of the D__________ S________.

12. What was their reply?  Today, we would call this P________________.

13. How did Gideon respond to their terseness?

14. Where did Gideon go next to ask this same question?

15. Geography: Penuel is due E___________ of S________________.

16. What was the response of the Penuelites?

17. How did Gideon respond to them?

18. Where was the combined Midian army of Zebah and Zalmunna?

19. Geography: Karkor is slightly N___________ of Penuel.

20. How many men of Midian were left?  How many had already fallen?

21. Where did Gideon attack?  What was the disposition of the enemy?

22. Gideon attack formation went first N__________ and E______ a considerable ways into the Arabian desert to N___________, swung around to the S_______ and W_______ to J_____________, then swung around to the N______ W_________ to attack the enemy at K__________ which is next to P______________.

23. The two kings did what when attacked?  What happened to them?  What result of this came upon their army?

24. Verse 8.13 - What two words does the King James add here to the text?  The original Hebrew says literally; “the H__________ from the A____________ of..”  The S____________, the S__________ and the A__________ versions model the O___________ Hebrew, while the KJV T____________ the meaning of the places name.  The word translated “before” in the KJV means in Hebrew, min maaleh, which means B___ A___________.

25. As Gideon arrived at Succoth, he captured a Y_____________ man and did what with him?  What intel did Gideon receive from this young man?

26. What does Gideon now do with the leaders of Succoth?

27. What does he now do with Penuel?

28. What question does Gideon now ask of Zebah and Zalmunna?  To whom is he referring?  (6.2)

29. What order does Gideon now give to his first born son?

30. What was Jether’s reaction?  Why?

31. What does Gideon now do?  What did he take?

How does the Holy Spirit remember Gideon?  (Hebrews 11)

ANSWER GRID:

Who has a complaint and what was it?

Ephraim, “Why were we left out?”

2.     How was Gideon accused?

Fiercely

3.     What two rhetorical questions does Gideon now ask of his accusers?

a.     “What have I done in comparison with you?”

b.     “Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the (vintage) of Abiezer?”

4.     What is the “gleaning of the grape?”

The very last left overs in the corner of the field for the poor

5.     What is the “vintage” in comparison?

The very best first fruits

6.     What 3^rd rhetorical question does Gideon now ask?

“What have I been able to do in comparison with you?”

7.     After these 3 rhetorical questions were asked and answered, what happened to the wrath of the Eprhriamites?

It subsided

8.     What does Gideon now do per vs. 4?  In what condition was his army?

Crossed over Jordan with his 300 men.  “Exhausted yet pursuing.”

9.     To where did Gideon go and what did he ask of those people?

Succoth.  He asked for bread for he and his men.

10. Who was Gideon pursuing?

Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian

11.  Geography: Succoth is E_______ of the Jordan and NE of the D__________ S________.

East.  Dead Sea.

12. What was their reply?  Today, we would call this P________________.

No, you haven’t won as yet.  No reward until success.  Quid Pro Quo.  Pragmatism.

13. How did Gideon respond to their terseness?

When I win I will return and flay your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness.

14. Where did Gideon go next to ask this same question?

Penuel

15. Geography: Penuel is due E___________ of S________________.

East.  Succoth.

16. What was the response of the Penuelites?

The same answer as he heard in Succoth.

17. How did Gideon respond to them?

I will break down this tower.

18. Where was the combined Midian army of Zebah and Zalmunna?

Karkor.

19. Geography: Karkor is slightly N___________ of Penuel.

Northeast.

20. How many men of Midian were left?  How many had already fallen?

15,000.  120,000.

21. Where did Gideon attack?  What was the disposition of the enemy?

By way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah.  They felt secure.

22. Gideon attack formation went first N__________ and E______ a considerable ways into the Arabian desert to N___________, swung around to the S_______ and W_______ to J_____________, then swung around to the N______ W_________ to attack the enemy at K__________ which is next to P______________.

North and East.  Nobah.  South and West.  Jogbehah.  North West.  Karkor.  Penuel.

23. The two kings did what when attacked?  What happened to them?  What result of this came upon their army?

Fled.  They were captured.  Panic.

24. Verse 8.13 - What two words does the King James add here to the text?  The original Hebrew says literally; “the H__________ from the A____________ of..”  The S____________, the S__________ and the A__________ versions model the O___________ Hebrew, while the KJV T____________ the meaning of the places name.  The word translated “before” in the KJV means in Hebrew, min maaleh, which means B___ A___________.

Comes up.  Heres   Ascent.  Septuagint.  Syriac.  Arabic.  Original.  Translates.  By Ascent.

25. As Gideon arrived at Succoth, he captured a Y_____________ man and did what with him?  What intel did Gideon receive from this young man?

Young.  Question.  The names of 77 elders and leaders of Succoth.

26. What does Gideon now do with the leaders of Succoth?

Teaches them a lesson by flaying their flesh with the thorns of the wilderness.

27. What does he now do with Penuel?

Broke down their tower and killed the men of the city.

28. What question does Gideon now ask of Zebah and Zalmunna?  To whom is he referring?  (6.2)

“Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?”  His family who was hiding in the caves of Mt. Tabor mentioned in Judges 6.1 – 2.

29. What order does Gideon now give to his first-born son?

To kill Zebah and Zalmunna.

30. What was Jether’s reaction?  Why?

He failed to comply.  He was young and afraid.

31. What does Gideon now do?  What did he take?

He rose up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna.  He took the crescent ornaments that were on the neck of their camels.

32. How does the Holy Spirit remember Gideon?  (Hebrews 11)

Gideon is in the “Hall of Faith.”

I Am A Member of the church of Christ because She was Founded in Jerusalem - Part 3 of a Series

"What Will Owner of the Vineyard Do?"

“What Will the Owner of the Vineyard Do?”

“From Ulster Plantation to the Carolina’s with the Gospel!” *

Russell H. McCullough / Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210

www.archdale.org / gospelcall.blogspot.com - Date:  23 April 2017

Text: Mark 12.1 – 12; Psalm 80.8 - 19

Thesis: The Owner of the Vineyard will return and destroy the evil tenants and give the vineyard to others

1           Introduction – What is involved in establishing and maintaining a vineyard?

A.    Purchasing the land

B.   A Vinedresser is hired

C.    Other workers are hired

D.   Plowing out the rocks

E.    Building a secure wall

F.    Building a tower to guard the vineyard

G.   Terraces are built on any steep hills

H.   A winepress must be built

I.       A permanent cover crop must be planted

J.     Vines are planted at approx. 1,555 per acre in mid-April by hand, one by one

K.   The trellis system is constructed

L.    The irrigation system is installed

M.In the first year, the vines are allowed to grow freely so as to establish a strong root system

N.  In February of the 2^nd year all the vines are pruned back to only 2 buds per branch

O.  In February of the 3^rd year the vines are all pruned back again

P.    In May of the 3^rd year and again after harvest in October of that year, fertilizer is applied

Q.  In July-August of the 3^rd year are cut back radically to remove up to 50% of the young crop

R.   The third year is the last year that slow growing vines are trained and spared

S.    Ongoing in every year during the months of March, April, and May constant care is taken to protect against frost.

T.    Ongoing in every year constant care is taken to discover and eradicate pests.

WHAT WILL THE OWNER OF THE VINEYARD DO?

U.   If unsuccessful in the October Harvest of year 3, all unsuccessful vines are uprooted and destroyed after the very first useable crop is gathered

2          The Owner of the Vineyard Went Into Another Country

A.   12.1

1)     Planted

2)    Fenced

3)   Dug a pit for winepress

4)   Built tower

5)   Leased to tennets

3          The Owner Sends a Servant to the Vineyard for Fruit

A.   12.2 – 3

1)     Took him and beat him

2)    Sent him away empty handed

4         The Owner Sends a Second Servant to the Vineyard for Fruit

A.   12.4

1)     Struck him on the head

2)   Treated him shamefully

5.  The Owner Sends Yet a Third Servant PLUS Many Other Servants to the Vineyard for Fruit

          A. 12.5

                   1) The 3^rd servant they killed

                   2) Some others they beat

                   3) Some others they killed

6.  Finally, the Owner Sends His Beloved Son to the Vineyard for Fruit,

          A. 12.6 – 8

1) The owner said; “He is my son, they will respect Him.”

2) The tenants said however; “He’s the heir!  Let’s kill him

    and take his inheritance for ourselves!”

3)   They took him, killed him, and threw him out of the

 vineyard.

7. WHAT WILL THE OWNER OF THE VINEYARD DO?

          A. 12.8 - 9

1) “He will come and destroy the tenants and give the

       vineyard to others.”

8.  The Answer in Scripture

          A. 12.10 – 11

                   1) The greatest shock in history!

5          CONCLUSION: The servants are the prophets and the beloved Son is the Christ. 

6         The Meaning of the Text in It’s Theological, Historical & Cultural Context: Israel has continually rejected God and His Will.  They have killed the prophets and they have killed the Christ.  Rejecting Christ is tantamount to murder.

A. Knowing far more about God’s will than they did, most are still rejecting God and His Son Jesus Christ.

7          The Challenge of the Text for Christians Today

A.    All we are servants in the Vineyard of God.  He will someday return.  Will we repent or perish?  Will we hear and obey or will we refuse to hear and kill the messenger?  WHAT WILL THE OWNER OF THE VINEYARD DO?  God is on His way back to his vineyard and he will arrive at any moment!

8         “The Gospel Call”

·         My fifth great uncle was Hugh Gaston who was rector at the Ballywillan Presbyterian Church (pictured above left) in County Antrim, Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland) and wrote the most dangerous book of his time; Gaston’s Collections.  It allowed “the ploughman to know more Bible than his clergyman.”  Hugh fled to South Carolina where he died prematurely of the measles.  He is buried just one hour south of Charlotte in Chester County, S.C. in “Burnt Meeting House Cemetery.”   Uncle Hugh continues to inspire my ministry to this very day.  You can read more about Uncle Hugh here: http://www.ballywillanpci.org/rev-hugh-gaston

Ruins photo courtesy of: ballywillanpci.org.

He Began to Speak to Them in Parables - Part 1

“He Began to Speak to Them in Parables”

“From Ulster Plantation to the Carolina’s with the Gospel!” *

 

Russell H. McCullough / Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210

www.archdale.org / gospelcall.blogspot.com - Date:  2 April 2017

Text: Mark 12.1 - 12

Thesis:  In order to rightly divide the Scriptures we must understand how language is used in Scripture.

1           Introduction

A.   Keys are required to open doors.  Language and its use is the key to understanding.

B.   The NT uses Metaphors, Similes, Parables, Epigrams, but not Allegory to communicate God’s Will.  We are going to examine each.

1.      Metaphor – A metaphor is the comparison of two factual things that are essentially unalike in order to make a point – Luke 13.32

a.    IN ORDER TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE SCRIPTURES, WE MUST UNDERSTAND HOW LANGUAGE IS USED IN SCRIPTURE.

2.     Simile – A simile is a more overtly stated metaphor to underline, as it were, the meaning.  A simile is likely to us words such as “like” or “as” – Isaiah 53.6

a.    IN ORDER TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE SCRIPTURES, WE MUST UNDERSTAND HOW LANGUAGE IS USED IN SCRIPTURE.

3.    Parable – A parable is an extended simile or metaphor that is characterized by a setting, an account, and an application.  Many times, such as in Mark 12.9, a parable asks questions of the audience – Mark 12.1.  Sometimes the questions are rhetorical, providing the obvious answer.

a.    IN ORDER TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE SCRIPTURES, WE MUST UNDERSTAND HOW LANGUAGE IS USED IN SCRIPTURE.

4.    Epigram – “…any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed.” – Dictionary.com  -  “Epigram is a clever and witty statement expressed in just a few lines, pointing out foibles and truths of mankind.” – Literarydevises.net – Luke 6.42

a.    IN ORDER TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE SCRIPTURES, WE MUST UNDERSTAND HOW LANGUAGE IS USED IN SCRIPTURE.

5.    Allegory

a.    An allegory is a “½ true metaphor” as it has real things doing or saying things not found in reality, in other words, a fable – Judges 9.7 – 15

1)     This is the only true allegory in the entire Bible.  What Paul calls an “allegory” in Galatians 4 turns out to be a metaphor for the true meaning of the contrast is revealed by the Holy Spirit at the end of the context.

b.    An allegory is also the drawing of factual conclusions with no supporting evidence as taught by the so-called “church father,” Origen in the 3^rd century.  Origen “spiritualized” or “assigned meanings by imagination” to the Scriptures drawing downright stupid conclusions.  His interpretation of the Prodigal Son in Luke 10?

1)Adam is the victim

2)Jerusalem is heaven

3)   Jericho is the world

4)   The Robbers are the devil and his demons

5)   The Priest is the law

6)   The Levite is the prophets

7)   The Good Samaritan is Christ

8)   The Beast is the Body of Christ

9)   The Inn is the church

10)           The 2 denarri coin is the Father and

11)  The Son Promise to come back is the Second Coming of Christ.

c.     The “Allegorical Jump”

1)     “Well, that’s not a heaven and hell issue.”

2)    “We know that babies are baptized in the New Testament because the “entire household” of both Cornelius and the Philippian Jailer were baptized.”

3)   “The Bible never says we can’t __________”

2          The Meaning of the Text in It’s Theological, Historical & Cultural Context:

A.   If we ignore how language is used in the Scriptures, we will not have “ears to hear.”

B.   Peter refers to the misunderstanding of the language of Scripture, either done ignorantly or on purpose, as “twisting.” – II Peter 3.15 - 16

3          The Challenge of the Text for Christians Today

A.   At the heart of every error lies a misunderstanding of how language is used in the Bible.

B.   IN ORDER TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE SCRIPTURES WE MUST UNDERSTAND HOW LANGUAGE IS USED IN THE SCRIPTURES.

C.    “Why?”

D.   Luke 12.9 – “What will the owner of the vineyard do?”

4         “The Gospel Call”

·         My fifth great uncle was Hugh Gaston who was rector at the Ballywillan Presbyterian Church (pictured above left) in County Antrim, Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland) and wrote the most dangerous book of his time; Gaston’s Collections.  It allowed “the ploughman to know more Bible than his clergyman.”  Hugh fled to South Carolina where he died prematurely of the measles.  He is buried just one hour south of Charlotte in Chester County, S.C. in “Burnt Meeting House Cemetery.”   Uncle Hugh continues to inspire my ministry to this very day.  You can read more about Uncle Hugh here: http://www.ballywillanpci.org/rev-hugh-gaston

Ruins photo courtesy of: ballywillanpci.org.