Judges 6-9“Thus says the Lord”; God Can’t Use Me; “The angel of the LORD”; Jehovah shalom; Finding

the Will of God; Don’t Test The LORD!; Gideon’s fleece; No Boasting

The city of Shechem in Samaria by Boruch Len. Shechem is mentioned numerous times in the Bible, beginning with Genesis 12:6, where it is described as the site of Abraham's first stop in Israel.

Cycle of Judges Ryrie Study Bible

page 283Israel had 7 distinct cycles

of disobedience, judgment, repentance,

deliverance.

Judges 6:8, “Thus says the Lord”

• NAU Judges 6:8 that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery.

• NAU Judges 6:16 But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”

• “Thus says the Lord” = 419 NAU uses in OT• “The Lord said” = 233 NAU uses OT & NT• If the Bible is not the very words of God then it is the

biggest fraud ever foisted upon men.

Judges 6:11, God Can’t Use Me• NAU Judges 6:11 Then the angel of the LORD

came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.

• Flailing and winnowing the wheat was normally done on the ridge line to take advantage of the prevailing breeze to blow away the chaff. Wine pressing was done in the valleys. Gideon is hiding.

Judges 6:11, God Can’t Use Me• NAU Judges 6:11 …

Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.

Judges 6:12-16“The angel of the LORD appeared”

• NAU Judges 6:12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." 14 The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?" 15 He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house." 16 But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man."

Judges 6:12-16No One Has Seen God, Seeing God

• NAU John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained [explain,

interpret, tell, report, described] Him.• NAU John 10:30 "I and the Father are one.”• NAU John 12:45 "He who sees Me sees the

One who sent Me.• Well, which is it LORD? Have humans seen God

or not?

Judges 6:12-16No One Has Seen God

• NAU John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time…• Yet very many passages in the Bible declare that people

have seen God;• Genesis 32:28-30, 35:9-10, 16:13, 18:10-20, Exodus 24:911, 33:11-20, 34:5-

10, Deuteronomy 5:24, Joshua 5:14-15, Judges 6:12-14, 13:22, 1 Samuel 3:21, 1 Kings 8:27, 2 Chronicles 2:6, 6:18, Isaiah 6:1-5, 66:1, Jeremiah 23:24, John 1:14, 1:18, 4:24, 6:46, 10:30, 12:41, 12:45, 14:7-9, Acts 7:49, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Colossians 1:15, 1 Timothy 6:14-16, Hebrews 1:1-3, 1 John 4:12, 5:20, Revelation 17:14

• My best attempt at reconciling these verses is in my PowerPoint presentation, slides 9-22, at;

http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers/john-11851-is-believingreceiving-a-work-no-one-has-seen-god-seeing-god-synoptic-problem-elijahjohn-the-baptist-jewish-baptism-the-lamb-of-god

Judges 6:12-16No One Has Seen God

• NAU John 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

• NAU 2 Chronicles 2:6 "But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him…

• “Why?” Can easily cross over into our irreverent rebellion. We had better consider who we are speaking to when we say “why”.

Judges 6:16“I will be with you”

• NAU Judges 6:16 But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”

• Here is the secret to success in your Christian walk “I will be with you”

• Is Christ in this endeavor?

Judges 6:22-23“the angel of the LORD face to face”

• NAU Judges 6:22 When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” 23 The LORD said to him, "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.”

• NAU Genesis 32:30 So Jacob … said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.”

• NAU Judges 13:22 So Manoah said to his wife, "We will surely die, for we have seen God.”

• Ezekiel 1:28, Isaiah 6:5, Daniel 8:18, Luke 5:8, Revelation 1:17

Judges 6:24, The LORD is Peace (only use)

• NAU Judges 6:24 The LORD is Peace…

Judges 6:24, The LORD is Peace (only use)

• NAU Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

• KJV Judges 6:24 … called it Jehovahshalom…• Numbers 25:12 "Therefore say, 'Behold, I give him

My covenant of peace;• Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep,

For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.• Jeremiah 6:14 "They have healed the brokenness of

My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.

Judges 6:32Gideon's Name Changed

• NAU Judges 6:32 Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he had torn down his altar.

• How would you like it if your parents changed your name to include the name of an idol?

• I guess it would be okay if it was like his, a rebuke of the idol.

Judges 6:36-40Finding the Will of God

• Let’s read it…

Judges 6:36-40Finding the Will of God, OT

• NAU Genesis 24:14 …the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also …by this I will know…

• NAU Leviticus 16:8 "Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats… [Joshua 18:6, Nehemiah 10:34]

• NAU Exodus 28:30 "You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim… [Numbers 27:21 …the judgment of the Urim before the LORD…]

• 1 Samuel 14:8-14, Isaiah 7:11, 2 Kings 20:10

Judges 6:36-40Finding the Will of God

• Before you decide to “place a fleece before God” make sure you are in the same position that Gideon was in. The angel of the Lord had already appeared to him and given him a direct commandment and assurance of victory (6:16).

• Gideon had to go to war against a vastly superior army (135,000 Midianites to 35,000 Israelites. That's a 4 to 1 disadvantage. God would later whittle his army down to 300. A 500 to 1 disadvantage.

Judges 6:36-40Finding the Will of God

• NAU 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

• NAU 2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight• Scripture is the clearest path for us to follow. Especially the

Psalms, Proverbs and epistles.• NAU 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always;17 pray without

ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. [no fleeces here]

• NAU John 20:29 …Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

Judges 6:36-40Finding the Will of God

• NAU Psalm 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 … in whatever he does, he prospers … 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

Judges 6:36-40Don’t Test The LORD!

• NAU Isaiah 7:12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!”

• NAU Matthew 4:7 Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’"

• NAU Acts 5:9 Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.”

• Don’t try to fleece God!

Judges 7

Judges 7:1, The Hill Of Moreh

• NAU Judges 7:1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.

• NAU Genesis 12:6 Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.

• NAU Deuteronomy 11:30 …across the Jordan, west of the way toward the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?

Judges 7:1, The Hill Of Moreh• wikipedia, “…On the northeast side of the Jezreel

Valley… "Givet Hamoreh" (Moreh hill) south of Mount Tabor.. the bottom of the Jezreel Valley …North of it are the plains of the Lower Galilee…”

The Hill Of Moreh

http://www.bible-history.com/geography/ancient-israel/israel-old-testament.html

Judges 7:2, No Boasting

• NAU Judges 7:2 The LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.’

• NAU Deuteronomy 8:17 "Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ [Deut 9:4]

Judges 7:2

• NAU Judges 7:2 The LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.'

• They were outnumbered 4 to 1.• Gideon must have been thinking “Lord can you

multiply our troops by four? So it's a fair fight.”

Magog War, No Future Boasting

• NAU Ezekiel 39:21 "And I shall set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. 22 "And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward. 23 "And the nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword.

• We can know for certain this is a yet future war.

Judges 7:3-22

• So, the Lord systematically reduces their armies by almost 33,000 soldiers.

• Gideon must have been sick to stomach as he realized he had 300 men to go against;

• NAU Judges 7:12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

• So God gives him an encouragement;

Judges 7:13-16• NAU Judges 7:13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was

relating a dream to his friend. And he said, "Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat." 14 His friend replied, "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand." 15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands." 16 He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers.

Judges 8

Earrings

Judges 8:4, Gideon and God

• NAU Judges 8:4 Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing.

• How many men had he lost?• NAU Revelation 7:4, 14:1 …the Lamb was

standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand…

• NAU John 6:39 "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

Judges 8:21There is strength and there is strength.

• A young strong man at the construction site was bragging that he could outdo anyone in a feat of strength. He kept making fun of one of the older workers. After several minutes, the older worker had had enough. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is," he said. "I will bet a week's wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that outbuilding that you won't be able to wheel back." "You're on, old man," the braggart replied. "Let's see what you got.” The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles. Then,

• …nodding to the young man, he said, "all right, get in." • There is strength of body and strength of mind. And

strength of spirit.

Judges 8:24, Earrings

• NAU Judges 8:24 Yet Gideon said to them, "I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil." (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

Judges 8:24, Earrings

• Did you ever wonder why earrings became so popular with men? “A man is at work one day when he notices that his co-worker is wearing an earring . The man knows his co-worker to be a normally conservative fellow and is curious about his sudden change in "fashion sense." The man walks up to him and says, "I didn't know you were into earrings." "Don't make such a big deal, it's only an earring," he replies sheepishly. His friend falls silent for a few minutes, but then his curiosity prods him to ask, "So, how long have you been wearing one?"

• "Ever since my wife found it in my truck."

Judges 8:26, Gold Earrings

• NAU Judges 8:26 The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels' necks.

• About 42 pounds of gold

Judges 8:27Golden Ephod

• NAU Judges 8:27 Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

• A golden ephod became a snare to Gideon and all Israel. It’s all downhill from here.

Judges 8:31, Shechem

• NAU Judges 8:31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

Judges 9

The Abimelech Chapter

Judges 9:1, Shechem, Abimelech

• NAU Judges 9:1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives, and spoke to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother's father, saying,

• Judges 9 could be called the Shechem chapter. The word "Shechem" is used more in chapter 9 than in any other book of the NAU Bible (almost 1/2 of it’s uses).

• Judges 9 could also be called the Abimelech chapter. The word "Abimelech" is used more in chapter 9 than in any other book of the NAU Bible (2/3 of it’s uses).

The City of Shechem

• 17. MOUNT GERIZIM AND MOUNT EBAL These two mountains overlook the ancient city of Shechem, where Joseph’s bones were buried (see Josh. 24:32)

Judges 9:2, Abimelech

• NAU Judges 9:2 "Speak, now, in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you?' Also, remember that I am your bone and your flesh."

• NAU Judges 8:31 His [Gideon’s] concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son,…Abimelech.

• NAU Judges 9:4 They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, and they followed him.

Judges 9:5, He Murders 70

• NAU Judges 9:5 Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.

• Gideon’s sad legacy. • NAU Judges 9:53 But a certain woman threw an

upper millstone on Abimelech's head, crushing his skull… 56 Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers.

Judges 9:16, Speaking In Truth

• NAU Judges 9:16 "Now therefore, if you have dealt in truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved--

• James 1:19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

• “The three essential rules when speaking of others are: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?” Unknown

• So, In Closing

The End

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox 433Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His Word,Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.

Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

Abimelech• TODAY'S CREATION MOMENT• ABIMELECH THE WATERMELON• inArchaeology• Listen• Judges 9:53• "And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull."• In the book of Judges we read of how "a certain woman" gave the Philistine leader Abimelech a skull fracture when she threw

a millstone on him from a tower. Some biblical scholars concluded that no woman could lift a millstone to throw it. Besides, what would a millstone be doing at the top of a tower?

• However, archaeologists easily answered these questions. First, the large round stones, often powered by a donkey, weren't invented until a thousand years later. The type of millstone in use at the time of this incident was a round, loaf-shaped stone that weighed between four and seven pounds. Archaeologists have found many of them in the Holy Land. It was used to grind flour in a stone base at a time when every household ground their own flour every day. This job was often done on a roof, in the cool breeze, under an awning.

• To test the story, archaeologists in Israel assembled the type of stones that would have been used and a watermelon. They used a magic marker to give the melon a face and named it Abimelech. Then, with the help of several women volunteers, they tossed their stones from an ancient two-story tower. Abimelech did not survive.

• Whether the Bible is talking about salvation or history, we know we can trust it as God's Word.• Prayer: • Lord, I thank You for Your love to me in Jesus Christ and Your love in giving us Your Word, faithfully preserved. Amen.• Notes: • Biblical Archaeology Review, 1-2/02, pp. 34-37, 62, Denise Dick Herr and Mary Petrina Boyd, "A Watermelon Named

Abimelech." Illustration: Gustave Doré, The Death of Abimelech.

Judges 6:11, Gideon• At Moody Publishers, our goal is to serve you, the Church Leader, which is why we’ve asked our author, Jonathan Malm, to

write 350 words on thinking creatively. May you be encouraged this post-Sunday morning.• We know the story: Gideon’s army is outnumbered. Things seem hopeless and there is no one else to rescue the Israelites

from the Midianite invaders. Then, God shrinks Gideon’s tiny army down to an even tinier troop of just 300 people. Gideon’s troop surrounds the Midianite army in the middle of the night and scares the wits out of them. The Midianites flee and turn on each other out of fear. End of story.

• Have you ever noticed that this plan actually makes sense? Many miracles in the Bible seem like long shots. But this seems like it could be straight from a movie script. It seems natural.

• But what makes this solution a miracle is that it comes directly from the mind of God. It is an incredibly creative solution. God could use the full army at Gideon’s disposal. He could tell Gideon to do something else. But this idea is the best.

• The idea is so creative that it keeps the Israelites from losing a single man. This is an outside-the-box solution to a problem, and God offers the plan when Gideon asks for it. It is wisdom and creativity from the mind of God.

• There are times in our lives when circumstances seem impossible. You may be under financial pressure. Or in the midst of relational struggles. Perhaps there’s a deacon at your church who’s making your life impossible.

• You might think it takes a miracle to solve the problem. But I say it only takes creativity. God loves to give His wisdom and creativity to those who ask. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (James 1:5 NLT)

• Seek God’s wisdom. Seek His creativity in your situation. His plan will work, and there will be zero casualties.• Creative challenge: Choose one project you’re working on and cut your resources for that project in half. Now think creatively.

What are some unique ways that you can still accomplish your goal?• Jonathan Malm is an author, speaker, and creative entrepreneur who consults with churches and creative directors to make

their ministries more successful. For more creative challenges, read Jonathan’s first book, Created for More. Find out more about Jonathan atjonathanmalm.com or read his magazine for Sunday workers atSundayMag.tv.

Judg. 6:36-40, Finding the Will of Godby Paul Henebury

• “It is a commonly held belief among Christians that one of the most perplexing problems we experience is knowing what the will of God is for our lives. The reason for this is not hard to find. For one thing, we are most sensitive to this question in times of stress, when the stakes are high and our emotions are perturbed. We want a clear path to appear in front of us – we want to know what our heavenly Father would have us do. In these situations we turn to God and pray for guidance. But frequently we discover that the help does not come to us when and how we think it should, and we begin to wonder if there is some secret key to the will of God which we need to discover.

• The Problem with Fleeces• Everyone is familiar with what Gideon did when he wanted absolute assurance that he was not deluded, but that the

Lord truly had told him to take on the Midianites – he laid a fleece out, not once but twice (Judg. 6:36-40).

• So we say to ourselves, well, if God honored Gideon’s prayer for guidance and God answered him, He may honor my request – after all, we say to ourselves, we just want to do the right thing in God’s sight. So we spread before God our fleeces, metaphorically speaking. For example, we pray,

• “Father, if I am meant to go into business with this guy then let such and such happen.”

• Or,

• “Lord, if it is your will for me to meet the women who will be my wife then let her come and talk to me at church tonight (P.S. and let her friend who despises me be home sick or something).” We may even cite Gen. 24:12-14 to help our case!

• But there are several things wrong about this procedure:

• First, it tempts God in that we make stipulations that we then want God to meet. We forget that our Father is also the King.

• Second, it contradicts the injunctions which tell us that we must walk by faith and not by sight (or sign).

• And third, not infrequently, when our desired ‘sign’ occurs (or some semblance of it), we still feel as much in the dark about things as before.

• Further, there are a few exegetical matters which need to be thought through:

• First, Gideon already had been given a very clear sign from God and had been told what he must do (Judg. 6:15-23).

• In the second place, Gideon had to go to war with a vastly inferior army (135,000 Midianites against his 35,000 Israelites who would be whittled down to 300 – Judg. 7:1-6). “Accordingly,” wrote Leon Wood, “Gideon felt in need of reassurance that God truly wanted him to proceed with this frightening venture.” – Leon J. Wood, The Distressing Days of the Judges, 211-212.

• The extraordinary circumstances in which Gideon found himself called for a “double-check.” But they did not call for any new information. In short, Gideon had warrant for his prayer, we do not. So it is unwise to put out fleeces a la Gideon and expect to get any direction from the exercise. This is because a. Gideon had a vast army to go up against, and, b. because we are to walk by faith, not by sight. So let us pursue this question of the specific will of God further.

• How Then Can I Know What God Wants Me To Do?• In his often helpful book Decision Making and the Will of God, Garry Friesen puts forth what he calls “the Wisdom View”

(p. 199). Friesen defines his view thus (I have clarified some of his wording and added some thoughts of my own):

• First, the revealed commands and principles of God’s Word (i.e. God’s ethical code), are to be obeyed. Thus, where we know what God requires of us (e.g. the Beatitudes, the Armor of God, The Ten Commandments minus the Jewish Sabbath, etc.) we should be striving to please Him. This is the burden of passages like 1 Thess. 4:1f. or Rom. 6:11.

• Second, in those areas where the Scriptures give no specific command or principle, and it is not a question or morality per se, the believer is free to responsibly choose his or her course of action – provided they do not violate God’s ethical requirements as set forth especially in the New Testament (e.g. Eph. 4:1-5:21). All decisions must be faith-decisions, since “whatever is not of faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:23).

• Finally, the objective of the Christian always to make wise decisions, decisions both spiritual and practical. Thus, the Book of Proverbs comes to the fore here. See e.g. Prov. 3:5-6; 16:3.

• Earlier in the book Friesen gives J. I. Packer’s definition of wisdom: “Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.” Wisdom, (Chokma – which denotes practicality as well as problem-solving), is discovered by those who fear the Lord (Prov. 9:10). This fear forces God into every decision and compels pride and self-centeredness to leave (or at least to take a subordinate place). The culture of pragmatism and the obsession with image which permeates not just secular America but Christian America too (and to the same extent!), means that the thoughtful believer who truly wishes to know God’s guidance will be careful to keep the fear of God always as a mark before him.

• To this definition I add these comments of John Stott:

• The [general] will of God for the people of God has been revealed in the Word of God. But we shall not find His ‘particular’ will in Scripture. To be sure, we shall find general principles in Scripture to guide us, but detailed decisions have to be made after careful thought and prayer and the seeking of advice from mature and experienced believers.– John R. W. Stott, Authentic Christianity, 248.

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