With all that God is doing all around us and new faces appearing weekly there is something I would like to remind each of us in the church. We have a great responsibility to nurture those coming to Christ and guard against spirits that rise to destroy the harvest. Here is something to study and remember.
Midian was a son of Abraham, which is what his name meant. He was the son of Abraham who was born to Abraham’s third wife, Keturah (keh TYOO ruh). This third wife had children and one of them was Midian. As you follow along after this son you find him as a nation by the time you get to the book of Exodus. It was to Midian that Moses fled and there married the priest of Midian’s daughter. This priest was a great help to Israel and Moses when they are crossing the wilderness and came to the mountain of God.
But as you move along you find these people strayed away from the directions of the God of Israel and by the time you get to Judges they have joined with the Amalekites, and are attacking the children of Israel. It is in the sixth chapter of Judges where the last story of Midian starts. Israel has sinned and God has allowed Midian to give Israel problems. The Bible tells us that when Israel would sow their crops and came to the time of harvest, then Midian would come in and destroy all their increase and take their livestock and leaving no provisions for Israel. It is during this time that Gideon became Israel’s leader. A man, without importance, a man from the lowest family in the lowest tribe. God puts His hand on a willing dedicated heart and when chapter 8 of Judges is finished, Midian as a nation and a power is never heard of again.
These people tend to always be presents when it’s time to gather what God has produced. This got me to thinking and studying about Midian. I wanted to know about their character and actions and why they were like they were. I wanted to understand about the Midianties so I would know them by their works. I begin to define all I could about the very name of Midian, it comes from a word that means H4080 (a son of Abraham) same as 4079; a Midjanite or descendant (native) of Midjan: - Midianite. It also has two variations or expanded meanings H4079 A variation for: H4066 – one means - brawling, contention (-ous). H4066 other means - discord, strife. So Midian is a son of Abraham that is contentious and brawling that sows discord and strife. Three things to remember about Midian
They have the wrong mother.
They are sons of Abraham but not sons of promise. God told Abraham that the promise would come through Isaac, through Sarah. Midian has the right father but the wrong mother. This is very important in the promises of God.
The New Testament church is referred to as a bride preparing for her husband. Jesus gives us the example of the church as a bride waiting on the groom. John in Revelations refers to the church as a bride. He also calls her New Jerusalem adorned for her husband. In Revelations 22:17, John says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. KJV John wrote that the Holy Ghost, God’s Spirit along with His bride, invites people to come and drink of the water of life freely. The Apostle Paul in Galatians says that this Jerusalem that is from above is the mother of us all. (Galatians 4:26) It is so important that we understand how important the mother is. It is so important that we value the life of the mother, the life of the church. God’s word has told us that His bride, the church, joins with Him is calling people, to Him. In short God and His bride are responsible for the harvest. We need to understand how much God loves and values the church. He gave His life for it. It is the spirit of Midian who values the Father but lacks the connection with the mother. Don’t tell me how much you love God then misuse His church or not value the church. It is so important that you love your church so much that you feel for it like God feels about it. The Father is teaming up with the mother to get the harvest in. it is the spirit of Midian that does not place importance on the church.
They are contentious.
Not only was Midian known as a son of Abraham but his name also defined his spirit and nature. The spirit of Midian sows discord and strife. They enjoy stirring up bitter feelings while calming to be spiritual. They easily can tell you what is wrong with people and critically destroy people with their words. They can tell you what is wrong with God’s Bride. If you turn to the book of Proverbs chapter six, in verse 12 the wise man Solomon starts to describe what he calls a naughty person. In verse 14 he says they are a person who sows discord. The word he uses here is the same word that is used to describe Midian in the Book of Genesis. But the wise man Solomon doesn’t stop there, beginning at verse 16 he begins to describe the things God hates. One of the things God hates, “A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” (Verse 19)
They come to rob and destroy the harvest.
The Bible tells us that Midian showed up every year for seven years to rob the harvest. Midian came and took from God’s people so much that they were left without substance. I am worried that we have tolerated the spirit of Midian to the place that we have lost our harvest year after year. Israel started praying for the Lord to help them and they repented and called on God. When the battle was finished, God had destroyed Midian so that they are not heard of as a nation of any power ever again
As the church we need to identify those who come among us and destroy the harvest. Raymond Woodward while teaching a leadership conference said, “The Midianties always show up at the time of harvest”. We must destroy this spirit if it finds its way into the church. Read and study Romans 16:17-18. Watch and stand against the spirit of Midian in this time of harvest.
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