On The Rock

 DEVOTION

JUDGES

ON THE ROCK

Judges 6:25-32

25 That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering." 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. 28 In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, "Who did this?" When they carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it." 30 The men of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it." 31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, "Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar." 32 So that day they called Gideon "Jerub-Baal," saying, "Let Baal contend with him," because he broke down Baal's altar.

NIV

First, we must understand why those Israelites chose to build an altar to Baal and erect an Asherah pole, the female goddess counterpart to Baal. She was supposed to be a Canaanite goddess of fortune and happiness. How is it they replaced the One True God of fortune and happiness with a wooden pole? Was that just plain dumb or stupid? Perhaps it was the lack of understanding of who Jehovah truly is. Nevertheless, a man from the weakest clan in Manasseh and the least in his family tore down both the altar to Baal and used the wood of the Asherah pole to burn a proper sacrifice to the LORD. However, the men of the town wanted Gideon dead because he ruined their idols. Yet, the fact is that if Baal were a real god, a real divine entity, a living breathing being who could strike down anyone who offended him, first, but disbelieving in him, second, by destroying his altar, would not need people defending him. However, if Baal were simply the creation of man, and nothing but an idol who has no eyes to see, ears to hear, or a mouth to speak, then it is meaningless and should be destroyed and covered over with a proper altar made of rock. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for rock, which is used in the original text, means a place of safety, a stronghold, a refuge, when used of God. There is only one Rock and He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages, our one and only who sacrificed himself on an altar of his choice, first, so our sins would be forgiven and second, because he was resurrected and lives, we too can have life everlasting. In addition, our God does not need us to defend him, although many treat apologetics as defending God, instead of defending their position or belief. Perhaps we can defend why we believe what we believe, and that could or should first be based on our personal relationship with Jesus, and second, based on our experiencing divine intervention, a miracle that we can explain to anyone and everyone. However, we do not need to defend God, Himself, for He can defend Himself far better than we could; in fact, He could either perform a divine intervention in someone’s life who has been worshipping an idol, or He could simply strike them down. However, because He so loved the world, that is all mankind, all his creation, that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for their, our, sins. Therefore, God can and will defend and reveal himself to anyone who wants to see the truth. No idol could do that, so let us not even attempt to engage any idol, but build a proper altar on the Rock.