Shalom Dear Brothers and Sisters Gideon Blows the Shofar In Verse 33 we see the enemy's who had been oppressing the Israelites gathering, in verse 34, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon so that he blows the trumpet. Now the word trumpet there means rams horn or shofar. This woke up the men as it had been a long time since the shofar had been blown. The shofar is used for a call to congregate and also used as a weapon of warfare! Every man in Israel within earshot would have come running, verse 35 says: messengers were sent out to all the other neighboring Israelites who couldn't hear it. There must have been great expectation and excitement as well as some fear running through their hearts when they heard the blast of the shofar! Many had never heard it they had heard of it when their fathers and elders told the story of how Joshua was commanded by God to take the Israelites and march around the city and on the seventh day blow the shofar and the walls came crashing down and they plundered the city. They would have known to come as this was a call for all the men to congregate. They didn't know why, they just knew they were supposed to do it. They knew it was a war cry as well I think, because they knew the Midianites had been oppressing the tribe of Manasseh. They knew God was about to do something new in their midst. All the men of Asher, Zebulun and Naftali all came out to help, to answer the call. In the meantime the Midianites and the Amalekites had joined forces and were encamped in the valley of Jezreel and other enemies were coming up behind them. It appeared they were being surrounded on all sides. Yet they had heard the call of the shofar and the tribe of Manasseh and their brother Israelites were coming from all corners to help them in their time of need! This is such a good picture for us when all the odds look like they are coming against us whatever the situation might be that's when we must just stand strong and firm and trust in the Lord with all our heart soul and strength knowing that He has things going on in the background that we are unaware of! This calls for a great patience and great faith knowing that He is in control if we allow Him to be. Gideon was not sure yet as to what was to transpire and neither were the rest of the men, they just knew to answer the call of the shofar! The call of the Lord. Let us also be prepared and ready at all times to answer the call of the Lord what ever that may mean. And most importantly stand beside your brothers and sisters! B'Shem Yeshua Hamashiach, Amen In His Love, Theresa
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