BBD 08.19.08 Going Against the Grain
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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08.19.08
Going Against the Grain
But the Lord said to Gideon, "The people are still too many; bring them down
to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of
whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' the same shall go with you;
and of whomever I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' the same
shall not go." So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said
to Gideon, "Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps,
you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees
to drink." And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their
mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on
their knees to drink water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, "By the three
hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your
hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place." - Judges 7:4-7.
Against the grain is an interesting phrase and according to phrases.org
"brings to mind the image of the grain in wood, which, if planed in the
wrong direction, will tear rather than lie smoothly." It means to go
"against one's inclination or natural tendency." God calls upon His people
at times to do the unexpected and to go against the grain of the world's
expectations.
Gideon went against the grain when he was obedient to God's instructions.
Gideon had 32,000 men but even this army was not enough to match the men
arrayed against them. Judges 7:12 describes the opposing force as "numerous
as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the
seashore in multitude." But God reduced, instead of increasing Gideon's
army. He reduced the thousands to only 300 men. Yet we know that God gave
Gideon and his 300 men complete victory over the Midianite army.
Joshua went against the grain when God instructed him to attack Jericho in a
strange way, and he obeyed. They were to march around the city once a day
for six days but on the seventh day they were to march around Jericho seven
times. The seven priests were to blow the trumpets and the people were to
shout. As we know the walls came tumbling down.
Jonah was also called upon by God to do the strange and unusual - to go
against the grain of the world's expectations. He was to go to Nineveh and
preach to the hated enemy. Jonah thought that he would rather die than do
that, and so he headed in the other direction. He was swallowed up by a
great fish and in the belly of the fish he had a change of heart. Jonah then
went to Nineveh with God's message "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be
over thrown." One of the greatest revivals in history broke out and those
evil people got right with God.
Many other men and women of God have gone against the grain of the world to
be obedient to their Lord. People like Noah, David, Esther, Peter, and Paul
were all faithful in obeying God even though the world thought they were
foolish.
The point is that when God calls it could be something the world will think
is laughable. But make no mistake. If we are faithful to be obedient to God's
call, the world most likely will not be laughing at the results of our
obedience. The Midianites were not laughing after the battle was over. The
people of Jericho were no longer laughing at those crazy Israelites when the
walls came down. And the Ninevites called a fast and sat in sackcloth and
ashes when they heard the one sentence sermon of Jonah.
Is there something that God has been speaking to you about, but you have put
it off because you think that you will be ridiculed? Maybe now is the time
for you to move forward in faith by going against the grain of the world by
following the example of the great men and women of God who have gone before
you.
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