Comments on Chris Hamer-Hodges: Drawn and Separated: Gideon's Men

Thanks for exploring this topic, and please contin...

2006-05-01T11:14:00.000+01:00

Thanks for exploring this topic, and please continue to do so. I'm receiving tremendous value from it.

I've often felt there is significance to the method of selection of the 300. I agree that God wanted to reduce the numbers to show that it was His hand that would win the battle. But I've always been interested (fascinated, and even amused) that He chose on the basis of those who knew how to "drink properly". Compare this to Ephesians 5:18:

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the Holy Spirit." (Amplified Bible)

"Don't drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him." (The Message)

With respect to a comparison of this passage with Pentecost. I offer that the drawing and separating of Gideon's men is more similar to the drawing and separating of the apostles who were obedient to wait for the Holy Spirit before trying to fulfill the great commission.

Maybe I'm reading too much between the lines too? But I think the church would do well to follow the example of Pentecost and let the Holy Spirit lead the way before trying to fulfil the great commission in our own strength. And clearly, tongues and their interpretation are a powerful demonstration of the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit who draws and separates.

(See also this comment.)

Thanks, Carl.I wonder if Paul's connection between...

2006-04-28T16:38:00.000+01:00

Thanks, Carl.
I wonder if Paul's connection between preachers and oxes treading out the grain also raised a chuckle.

OK, I'm reaching. You don't get fresh insight if you don't reach for it. I'd not preach this as doctrine. But I'm happy to share my musings in the Word. Some may help whilst others amuse! ;-) If Jesus shared on the road to Emmaus from all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Then there is much more typology still out there. I like to try to root it out!

Whilst it may be tenuous, I do think there is something here.

I had to laugh when I read this. I think it is fu...

2006-04-28T16:19:00.000+01:00

I had to laugh when I read this. I think it is fun to look for this type of stuff but it is reaching at best. The funny thing is that I used to go to a church that would preach this type of "revelation" as doctrine. After a couple years I finally had to shake my head and declare that this was all groundless babble.

Again, there may be a connection, but scripture does not show it clear enougn to call it a fact. But that does not stop me from agreeing with the analysis.

Please continue this series.

Fair point, Ricky. Thank you.We always have to bew...

2006-04-28T15:42:00.000+01:00

Fair point, Ricky. Thank you.
We always have to beware of taking any symbolic connection, be it in typology or parable, too far. I'm not pressing this one too hard. It's just something that caught my attention.

I do believe there is a seam of typology here though. But I'm quite prepared to accept that I haven't got it pinned down yet.

I think you are absolutely right about the arbitrary vs. non-arbitrary distinction in the separations in these two passages, but that does not necessarily negate the prophetic symbolism which connects them.

Sorry Chris, I think you're reading a bit too much...

2006-04-28T15:33:00.000+01:00

Sorry Chris, I think you're reading a bit too much into this one this time.

I think the selection of Gideon's men was done in this way so that it was clear that it was nothing at all to do with the men's aptitude for battle or anything like that, it was a purely arbitrary way of selecting a small number of men from out of the larger number. God was to do the fighting, not skilled men.

But I don't think the 'separation' of non-believers in response to tongues is a simlarly arbitrary division.

OK Chris - as many folk know you and I have simila...

2006-04-28T14:44:00.000+01:00

OK Chris - as many folk know you and I have similar anoraks, so I like this stuff!

I have always been deeply disappointed by the interpretations given to the significance of the way the men drank.

This is mostly because the verse is so ambiguous as to which drank which way (and the ever accurate ESV seems to make the ambiguity clearer than ever!) that it seems to not allow us to take a simple lesson such as "Gideon chose the vigilant ones who drank but still kept and eye out for the enemy" (as I was taught in Sunday School) from the text.

But the way they drank was what distinguished them... so I like the idea that what was simply a way of God drawing a distinction between men at the time was also a prophetic foreshadowing of the means by which God would achieve the outworking of his greatest victory over the enemy!