SEEING THEY WILL NOT SEE….

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.  

In addressing the need to teach in parables, Jesus responded,  “so that seeing they will not see, hearing they will not understand….”  Are you one of those people who went to church, was bored or could not connect? Maybe it was because what was being taught did not capture your heart and mind. Maybe it was because what was taught at times did not make sense nor feel true at heart? Give God a chance, it is humans that make  mistakes and fail.  He really wants your attention and your heart. He loves you and sees you for who you really are. In fact you may not know who you really are. Let Him into your heart and he will teach and show you your identity and purpose.  Then seeing you will see, and hearing you will understand.

The following is another example of how some traditional teaching has gone off track: In the Bible we see that Jesus often taught with parables, so those with faith would understand, but those who were rejecting truth would not. In the Old Testament there are many passages that people fail to comprehend either because they do not take the time to study or because they are partially blinded by doubt or the cares of the world. Today the pastor gave a good sermon on Gideon, however he made an error in his observation. He stated that Gideon chose the 300 based on the cupping of their hands to drink the water. He said that the act of cupping the water demonstrated that they could see around them in case of a sneak attack! JUST THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE! Unfortunately, he did not read the details before writing his sermon. The 300 chosen were those who lapped the water and not those who cupped their hands! The Word specifically says, “separate those who lap the water with their tongue as a dog laps.” Now get a bucket of water and try to lap like a dog! You cannot do it, because your tongue is not designed like a dog. The tongue of the dog curls backwards. God always wants us to depend on Him and not on our own effort. He will even use a dog trait to identify his chosen!

Many people make the mistake of reading the Bible using pure theology with little or no scientific logic or “God purpose.” I define, “God Purpose” as seeing things from God’s viewpoint. Our mind identifies with those using cupped hands, and then imagines that certain other people can naturally drink water like a dog. At least this is what our uninformed Bible teachers have taught us. This is NOT TRUE. God wanted to show Gideon and us that He would win the battle using unconventional methods. In fact He wanted us to know that He was not choosing men based on their skills or strengths. As with Naaman the Syrian commander, God would use a humbling method to teach and transform. Elisha’s servant passed Elisha’s prescription for God’s healing to a leprous and proud Captain Naaman who was reluctant to obey until his humble maid reminded him that God’s truth was real and would work through anyone. Naaman obeyed and was immediately healed.

A human cannot lap water like a dog because our tongues do not curl. Our nose would be under water! Those teachers who suggested that a certain percentage of people normally lap water are wrong! They just heard or read what some other misinformed teacher had said, and did not do any research. God gave those 300 men a supernatural ability to drink that water vertically– maybe drawing the water into their mouths through His divine power. The point is, God was using this as a Sign to separate 300 chosen men! These were men that He chose for a reason, maybe because they had pure thoughts, and hearts. They would then use clay pots, torches, and trumpets to defeat an army of over 100,000 well trained and well-armed warriors!  The Midianites were a fierce nomadic war group trained to fight in all kinds of terrain.  This unconventional battle would be won by God, and He wanted everyone to know this both then and now.

People try to put the story into a human mindset, leaving God’s methods and message out.   Then they teach the wrong message which only turns people off or does not allow them to see the Power and Character of God.  It does help to know a little simple biology and use common sense. To those who suggest that a person with a big enough tongue could roll there tongue to create a “straw effect” – it might be true, but that would not be “lapping like a dog” and so would not fit the context.  The word “lap” and its compounds are used over 3 Times for emphasis – which does not mean “sup.” One can kneel 2 different ways – with one leg or two. However, there is another way to bend down to drink and that is to squat which is probably what these men did to then lift the water in both hands and lap like a dog.

Now imagine what it was like for those unconventional 300 as they stood there and looked down on that massive army destroying itself! They had taken into battle “Light for Fire”, “Vessels of Pottery” to break, and “Trumpets” to blow- each saying something about God’s work in us.  God is the potter and we are the clay.  He is our Light and our refining Fire, calling us, to become like broken vessels so that He might conquer our strongholds! He wants to light a fire in us so that as humble broken vessels we will go out and trumpet the Good News of the Gospel. The Trumpets announce the coming victory which he promises those who follow Him.  Remember our world may be dark and getting darker, yet the Gospel is the Light that will win against the forces of darkness.  God is going to give you and me unconventional methods to win the war and one of those is through prayer.

There is also an eschatological message in this powerful foreshadowing.  God is illustrating his plan for redemption of mankind.  As mentioned we are broken pots that need restoration and he is the potter that will refine us with fire.  He will save us in a very unconventional way by sending His Son to die for us and then return for His Bride with the Last Trumpet.

Read and digest my book COSMIC CROSSROAD COUNTDOWN: The Fig Tree and the Prophetic Generation and you will see other examples of where traditional thinking may be in the way of correct interpretation and exegesis.  Now are you one of those people who went to church, saw your peers come to Christ and decided to join in, but never truly accepted Jesus as Savior? Or maybe you said a prayer or repeated a prayer, or just went forward without repenting and accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? Jesus taught the parable of the two sons to show us that those who at first rejected Him or His Fathers messengers, but then repented and surrendered to Him were the ones that were truly saved – and not those who said they believed yet failed to follow through with true faith and commitment. He also shared the parable of the wheat and tares which explains how Satan sows bad seed in the world and in the church among believers. He says that the enemy comes at night to sow weeds among the wheat. God is teaching us that we cannot judge the church because of bad seed in our midst. These tares are sown in the darkness of heart and time. Do not let the “tares” in the church determine your faith in God and in the church. Seeing you will see and hearing you will understand the truth if you keep your heart open to God and His Word.