YHVH Sifting His People

One of the meanings of Gideon’s name is ‘pruner’ and this is what YHVH did with the
men that He gathered for His army, He pruned away the ones that did not fit His
criteria. We find the same in the NT where we see the Father as the Gardener Who
prunes away or cut those off those who do not bear fruit. [John 15:2]. Which fruit?
The fruit of the Commandments and of His Spirit.

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YHVH took away people from the army of Israel to make it impossible for them to win
the battle on their own, they needed His help and the situation would force them to
trust in Him. In the pervious portion we drew the parallel between Jacob fleeing from
his uncle Laban and they went to Mt Gilead [Gen 31:21] and here we see the people
who were afraid were taken away from Mt Gilead. Mt
Gilead was East of the Jordan (the river of judgment).
Gilead means ‘heap or mass of testimony’ and that is
why YHVH took away the people who were afraid so
that they would not be part of His Testimony, but only
those who had courage and faith. Gideon lined 32 000
people up for the fight but YHVH reduced their number
so that the victory would be a testimony unto Him that
He is the One Who delivered them.

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The people, who bowed down on their knees with their faces in the water and drank
directly from the river, were not chosen. The water means the Word of YHVH and
surely this is a good sign. What does YHVH want to tell us here? Knees are first used
in Scripture is in Gen 30:3 where Bilhah, the maidservant of Jacob, had to bore her
child on the knees of her mistress Rachel (to whisper) so that it would seem that she
bore the child. Bilhah means ‘old or confused’.

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 This is a picture of believers who will not be chosen to
fight because they ‘seem’ to have fruit (child) but it is the
fruit of another. They are the ‘wanne-bees’ who act and
imitate in their flesh but do not have intimacy with YHVH
and His Word to receive the ‘seed’ that will impregnate
their spirits that will produce fruit (actions) that will look
like the Father. They are happy with second hand
‘revelations’ and rely on someone else’s relationship with
YHVH and do not have a relationship with YHVH and do
not search the Scripture themselves. They talk and
sound as if they know YHVH’s Ways but they do not
commit and make time to fellowship with YHVH in His Word. It seems as if they bear
fruit but are actually the fruit of others they copy. They follow YHVH mechanically
without their hearts being really rafter Him. They follow YHVH to be blessed and not
to serve. YHVH will not choose people who act like this for His army of 300 who will
conquer the Midianites. They are people who are fleshly trees with plastic fruits who
grow among the other trees in the Garden of YHVH. They still commit the seven
deadly sins represented by the Midianites and bring discord among the brothers
through their tongues (whisper). To overcome this enemy in the Assembly is for
everyone to follow YHVH with their hearts, to FOCUS ON THE REAL ENEMY and to
keep their tongue from speaking against their brothers.

If you have a solid and healthy relationship with YHVH and your life bear the fruit that
show this, you will not cause others harm or be offended easily. Your focus will be on
the things of YHVH and His Plan you will understand the importance of unity because
you are part of the 300 who needs YHVH desperately because you cannot win this
battle in your own efforts. 3, 30, 300 means Covenant and the chosen few
understand His Covenant and Plan and live for YHVH and not for their own gain. If
you are part of this 300 (spiritually), your life will bear fruit that testifies (Gilead) of
YHVH’s victories in your life and He will always get the glory and not you. These
fruits are the lights that shine in the dark world and you will bear His Testimony for all
to see so that they will know that YHVH is active in your life. If they look at you they
must praise YHVH and not praise you. Is your life a testimony unto Him? You not
only represent YHVH’s Character in your life by walking (halachah) in the Torah, you
also bear the testimony of His greatness and power through the fruit of your
relationship with Him and the things He did for you. Be part of the 300 who have a
personal testimony in their lives instead of talking about other people’s testimonies
(31 700).

The Battle against Midian - Discord

In this battle, they not only faced the Midianites, they also faced the
Amalekites or the flesh. The enemies were far greater than
Gideon’s army and they were as grasshoppers and their camels
without number. Gideon’s faith was stretched and he had to
overcome his fear by trusting YHVH.

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YHVH divided the 300 men into 3 camps, each having 3 items. This
shows that YHVH honoured His Covenant He made with Abraham and deliver His
people for His Name’s sake.

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The Torch – Believe in the Covenant: Torch is first found in Scripture in Gen 15:17
where YHVH walked in between the pieces of meat prepared by Abraham for the
cutting of His Covenant with Abraham and with his seed (Israel). The Covenant (of
Abraham) is still standing today and if you want to take part of it, you have to
become grafted into Israel through the Blood and work of the Messiah Y’shua.

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The Ram’s horn – YHVH’s Voice & Unity: Ram’s horn is first used in Scripture in
Ex 19:16 where Israel faced YHVH at the Mt Sinai and received the Ten Words of the
Covenant, verbally, directly from YHVH’s Voice. The Ten Words or Ten
Commandments represent the two sets of Instructions on how to have a relationship
with YHVH and how to have a relationship with man. As we have seen in the
previous sections, our relationship with YHVH is paramount and the unity with
our brothers is that which makes us beautiful and manifest YHVH’s presence
here on the Earth. The ram’s horn is also to assemble people into this unity,
and we follow His Instructions to maintain this Unity. You need to see the
importance of the Relationship with YHVH and the relationships with man. This
is the next step in being part of YHVH’s Covenant; you have to embrace YHVH as
your new Master through Y’shua, following and listening to His Voice (Word/Spirit).
He gave us His Torah (Y’shua, the Word of YHVH), and everything we need to know
in this life is written and captured in His Word.

The broken Pitcher - Humility: Pitcher is first found in Scripture in Gen 24:14 and is
the event where Abraham’s servant, went to find a Bride (us) for his Master Isaac
(Y’shua). He gave an empty pitcher to her to test if she has the character to fulfil this
purpose. She had to fetch water for him and his camels. The water is the Word and
the Camels are your fellow servants of Y’shua. If you fill your vessel with His water,
searching and studying the Scripture, you will have enough for your self as well as for
others He will send across your path to disciple. The pitcher was broken and show us
that this task can only be done effectively though humility and with a servants heart.
Be willing and available to be used by YHVH and you will fulfil His higher
calling of being His Bride and part of His Priesthood as seen in the Judge
Deborah (Collative Judge & Bride) to serve His people in humility. Be ready to
disciple His people with a servant’s heart.

These were the three things YHVH gave us to fight the battle against discord
(disunity and fighting amongst the brethren).

• Everybody have to be grafted into the Covenant of Abraham through

Messiah. As followers of Messiah we shine His Character through living out
the Word/ Torah in this dark world. We must know the Covenant and the Plan
of YHVH that associate with it so that we can have one goal which is to be
available to be used by Him to fulfil His purpose.
• You must have a living personal relationship with the Father and be in unity in
spirit and in Truth so that we can be beautiful in the sight of YHVH and useful
to ‘fight the battle’ (containing His Presence in us, His Body).
• Commit yourself and be available to serve YHVH and His people and have a
humble heart and pursue the fruit of the Spirit so that the people will be
edified and not broken down through your obedience to His Commandments.
Realise that you are part of Deborah/ Bride) and will “judge” the world
thorough your lifestyle that reflects Y’shua’s Character and the Torah.

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YHVH reduced the army from 32000 men down to 300 men, this gives us the insight
that YHVH work through small things. How can I be small? Choose to be humble.

Humble – “anah” - - To answer, to respond, humble, to be broken, to

be low, to be afflicted, to oppress.

We find this word first used in Scripture in Gen 15:13 where YHVH said to Abraham
that He will ‘afflict’ (humble) Israel for 400 years in bondage. This shows us an
important concept that we also see in the Book of Judges; every time the people did
what was right in their own eyes, which resulted into chaos, He brought their enemies
to rule over them in order to make them humble, so that they could ‘see’ (Eye- Ayin)

that the only way to be ‘fruitful’ (Nun) is through YHVH’s Ways and ‘Word’ (Light –
Truth - Hey).

YHVH’s Word can only be accepted if you are ‘humble’ (broken vessels). If you are not
humble, He will ‘afflict your soul’ as He did with Israel, to break your stubbornness so
that you will become humble and able to receive His Word and be changed by it.
Receiving the Word is like sowing seed and you have to have enough seed sown in
your heart to outgrow the thistles and thorns that is sown previously by the world.
YHVH allows ‘bad situations’ to prepare your heart to receive His seed:

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So if you are currently experiencing affliction or bad circumstances, or things just go

wrong in your life, you are being made humble. YHVH is either bringing you in from the
wayside (Egypt), or He is breaking your stubborn heart (stony ground), or He is
plucking out thorns (fear of rejection by the world), or He is pruning you to bear more
fruit (good ground).

Look, See and Do accordingly

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Under the inspiration of the Spirit of YHVH Gideon instructed his men to look at him
and to do as he is did. Y’shua made a similar statement in John where he said the
following:

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This implies that the Father lived what He said because Y’shua saw Him living out
His Word, and He did accordingly. He did not say that He repeated everything He
heard from His Father, but He spoke everything He saw His Father did. Our faith is
an active faith and not just head knowledge, we do actively what we belief and this is
the true definition of FATH. Y’shua is asking the same of His Bride (His leaders), to
look upon Him and do as He is doing, following His example, and leading by
example. He lived the Torah and we should live and speak what we see Y’shua is
doing. How do we see Him? We see Him in His Word because He is the Word. Many
people are spiritually blind and they cannot see Y’shua in the Word or that Y’shua is
the Word (Torah).

The Bride, Israel and the Midianites

YHVH chose only 300 men from all of Israel, why was that?
These men were committed to follow YHVH’s Instructions under
the leadership He appointed and they worked together in Unity to
overcome the enemy and to set Israel free from bondage. As you
can recall from the previous sections, YHVH destroyed the
external enemies through the unity of His people.

These 300 men followed Gideon but acted as “leaders” in Israel,

setting the standard and leading by example they learned from
Gideon. This is a perfect example of discipleship; YHVH shows
His leaders (300 men – elders/ teachers/ shepherds/ judges)
through Y’shua/Spirit (Gideon) and they live the example and
standard of YHVH’s Word in the world (Israel) to draw them back
into the Kingdom. Gideon’s men are the example of the “early rain”, the Bride or
Collective Judge, who will follow in the footsteps of Her Master Y’shua (Gideon) and
in the end, YHVH will pour out the ‘latter rain’ upon all His people and they will follow
Him in His Kingdom.

There are three groups among the Believers and followers of YHVH today; the Bride,
the rest of Israel and the Midianites. The Bride (300) is a small group of people who
are committed to follow their Master in battle, no matter what. YHVH will use them to
set the pace and break open the stony ground, sowing seeds of repentance and truth
among His people Israel (currently blind). Israel is believers (part of 31 700) who are
partly in the world, not fully committed and struggle with sin and the flesh. The
Midianites are believers (part of 31 700) who fight against YHVH’s people who are
trying to YHVH’s work. They cause conflicts and make the 300 ineffective by all sorts
of small issues and disputes, breaking down the unity.

We will see the same pattern after the Second Coming of Messiah; where there will
be people known as the Bride, inside the New Jerusalem, His Priesthood, serving
Him in His presence, and on the outside, there will be many ‘saved’ people who still
have to learn the Ways of YHVH. [Zec 14:16] They will be people who served Jesus
in ignorance and with sincere hearts, together with people (I belief) who have never
heard the Truth, but lived a good life convicted by their conscious. [Rom 2:14] These
people will have to go through the same things we went through, learning His Ways
and how to worship Him the way He wants to be worshipped.
These people will be taught and led by the Bride (Deborah) who will rule over them
and who will teach them YHVH’s Ways.

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Confusion is the Enemy’s Enemy

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When Gideon’s men blew their ram’s horns YHVH caused confusion in the camp of
the enemy and each man drew his sword against his brother and killed each other.
Looking at this from a spiritual point of view, then we see that the Midianites (people
causing conflicts in YHVH’s House) drew their swords (Word / doctrine) against his
brother and they killed each other.

Those who listened to the ram’s horn in the first place and assembled under the
authority, they were protected from the Enemy (confusion) who killed the Enemy
(Midianites). Those in YHVH’s Assemblies who refuse to submit under authority of
the Truth given to them through His appointed people (300 men), would be destroyed
by the confusion and lack of commitment and unity in faith. If you are not one with the
truth, you will be confused, and this confusion is the enemy that causes disputes and
it is also the enemy that will destroy those who allow it in their lives.

It is extremely important, especially as the time of the end draws closer, that we unite
in the truth, under YHVH’s appointed people (through the Gifts the of Spirit), to
prevent disputes, so that the people will be led in safety when the last day events
start to happen. You will not survive on your own and you have to humble yourself
and be part of YHVH’s 300 (covenant people / Bride), or you will be part of Israel who
will have to follow or part of the Midianites who will be destroyed. Just as YHVH led
Israel out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses (Judge and Prophet), so will He
appoint leaders (144 000) to lead His people through the Wilderness (Tribulation).
You must get use to follow so that you will not oppose His leadership and authority.
He will choose His leaders and if you are not one of them, you will have to follow in
order to be safe during this terrible time that is to come.

The House of Decline

The rest of the enemy (Midian) fled to Beth-Shittah that means ‘House of turning
aside’, or ‘House of decline’. Shittah is found in Prov 7:25 and gives us more detail of
the ‘House of turning or House of decline’.

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If you decline YHVH’s wisdom and turn aside from His Ways and obstruct His Plan,
you will be destroyed with all those who choose to do wicked. Who is the woman he
spoke of? Can it be the same woman found in the Book of Revelation, the Whore of
Babylon? Babylon means confusion and mixing and this qualifies her to be one and
the same woman spoken of in Prov 7. The ‘House of decline’ is the System that fuels
the enemy, the Midianites, by bringing confusion that causes conflicts and disunity.

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They fled to the border of “Abel-meholah” to “Tabbath”. “Tabbath” means
‘goodness’ and ‘celebration’ and shoes that those who were part of the Midianites,
those who repents from their evil hearts obstructing YHVH’s Plan, they will be saved
by the goodness of YHVH and by His Grace. This is in line with the passage we have
looked at earlier which Paul wrote to the Assembly in Corinth.

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The enemy of Confusion will chase those to the borders of death and destruction and
this adversity will break them and make them humble so that they might repent and
submit to YHVH’s authority and His Word. Those who are part of the Bride will
rejoice when these rebellious sons will repent and in humility accept YHVH’s Ways in
His Kingdom.

This is the purpose of the Tribulation that will drive the “Midianites” (proud / rebels)
to the borders of death so that the oppressions and plagues will destroy the flesh and
humble them so that they will repent and submit to His Torah. Remember the
Midianites are fellow believers (Third Giant) that allow Satan to work through them
(because of unresolved issues and hurts) so that he can break up the unity in
YHVH’s Assemblies and make YHVH’s people ineffective and useless.

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At the end of the battle they caught the two main leaders of the Midianites, Oreb and
Zeeb and killed them by cutting of their heads. Oreb means ‘mixing’ and ‘pledge’, and
Zeeb means ‘wolf’. The wolves are the false prophets and ‘mixing’ and ‘pledge’ is the
deal or treaty they have made with the enemies in Jud 2:2-3. It also refers to the
System of Babylon and the City that will be destroyed at the end, together with the
false prophet.

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Those who follow YHVH but mix and make deals with the enemy are seen as
enemies of YHVH and they will receive the same punishment if they do not
repent.

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