“So the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him” - Judges 6:34.
Audio Sermon: Judges 6:33-40
The verb “came upon” is often translated “clothed.” The design of this verse and many others (Judg. 3:10; I Chron. 12:18; II Chron. 24:20) is to reveal God’s endowment when He clothes Himself with the flesh of His chosen ones. The Holy Spirit was incarnated in the life of Gideon so that Gideon’s actions were a virtual reality of God’s actions for that season.
God has the authority and the ability to possess His vessels. When He exercises this faculty, the one claimed by God has this treasure of God “in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves” (II Cor. 4:7). God’s employment of His earthen vessel is legitimate and advantageous for the building of His kingdom. He clothes Himself with His beloved in order for them (us!) to perform fully in their arenas of inadequacy (II Cor. 3:5).
Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (Jn. 15:16). The Holy Spirit is the One coming upon you so that your fruit-bearing is birthed and remains. As an anonymous hymnist penned, “I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew, He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me; it was not I that found, o Savior true; no, I was found of Thee.”
Samson broke faith with God. He was arrogant, impatient, jealous, provoking, selfish and unrighteous (a living contradiction of I Cor. 13:4-7!). Nonetheless, after his eyes were gouged out and he was cast into a Gaza prison bound in bronze chains to serve out the balance of his life as a prison-grinder, he sought the Lord’s counsel: “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God…” (Judg. 16:28).
When the Holy Spirit makes you His clothing, you have received the pearl of great price. As Paul says, “How shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?” (II Cor. 3:8). God gifts His clothed ones with a superlative orbit of godliness, an awareness of the vigor of Christ’s grace and the fearlessness to embrace the “good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Your speech, your decisions, your thoughts and your movements become His - you resemble Jesus!
The pity is that you continue to refuse to believe that the Holy Spirit does do in your day even as He did during the time of the Judges. He still clothes Himself with the flesh of His beloved. Jesus says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (Jn. 14:26). Jesus promises, but you just refuse to trust His promises.
Embrace Christ’s promises. Pray for your Holy Spirit to clothe Himself with you. Commit to prepare yourself to be His clothing to a people without His witness.
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO!
