"THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL"

“THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL”

Judges 3: 12-23; Judges 4: 21-24; Judges 7: 15-22

WJH The remarkable variety and character of weapons God was pleased to use, as recorded in the book of Judges, affords us great instruction as to how we may meet the activities of various forms of evil that arise when the authority of Christ is not sufficiently recognised. What is indicated in this book is that “there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes”. That condition made way for the activities of various enemies. One has been impressed a little with the weapons that God was pleased to use to defeat them, and that is in mind in suggesting these scriptures.

In the first, we have Moab active bringing great pressure and great distress upon the people of God, and God uses Ehud, a left-handed man, who made himself a two-edged sword which he carried on his right thigh under his raiment, as the instrument through which the king of Moab was overthrown.

In the second passage, the Canaanite greatly distressed Israel, indeed God sold them into their hands — a remarkable expression — and the instruments used against Sisera are a tent-pin and a hammer. God used a left-handed man in the first and a woman in the second case.

In the third scripture, the Midianite long vexed Israel. Gideon is used in this case, a man with a definite sense of his own weakness and a timid man; and the weapons that overthrew Midian were 300 trumpets and empty pitchers with a torch in each pitcher. The power of Midian was broken by the use of these unusual weapons.

Later, when the Philistine was in power, God used Samson, and the weapon was a fresh jawbone of an ass, with which a thousand Philistines were slain.

These are the thoughts in mind, as perhaps affording an indication to us, at this juncture in this city, how the Lord would deliver us from Moab, who is active now; from the Canaanite, who is also active and from Midian, who is especially active at this time. The Lord would help us to understand what these weapons represent and have us use them; so will these evil influences be overthrown.

EE All these weapons you have drawn our attention to are, in themselves, insignificant and very unpretentious, so there must be something morally great about them, to be used thus.

WJH It is remarkable that the Spirit of God should tell us all this detail as to the weapons used. God has chosen the “things which are not, to bring to nought things that are”. He chooses to use what is seemingly of little value and insignificant to bring the enemy down.

EE It might be helpful if you just mentioned briefly what these various enemies represent to us — the Moabite, the Canaanite and the Midianite.

WJH The Moabite, I believe, represents the activities of natural relationships intruding themselves into the things of God — going outside the sphere that God has given to them, for God gave certain territory to Moab and Ammon as children of Lot, but they sometimes go out of that and intrude themselves on the territory of Israel, the people of God. That is one great danger and difficulty and we need to learn how to deal with it.

The Canaanite stands in Scripture for a merchant, a particularly dangerous foe; to us it may mean we use spiritual things to get a reputation, or to get a place. God will have such dealt with.

The Midianite is the man of “contention”, which his name means. He often joins with Moab in the activities of contention amongst God’s people. We need to learn how he is to be dealt with.

The Philistine is the natural mind working on the things of God, instead of learning things in the power of the Holy Spirit, another very great power that rises up in days of weakness. The Philistine has been troubling us in this country for years, especially in some cities. I had not that in mind especially, but feel we are at this moment in this city confronted with Moabite, Canaanite and Midianite influences, and trust the Lord will help us all to secure instruments that will effectively deal with them.

HSH Paul says, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God”, 2 Corinthians 10: 4.

WJH That is very helpful. This sword that Ehud had he made for himself, mark that, he had made it for himself, and he saw there were two edges on it. It is the word of God, “mighty through God”. The tent-pin and the hammer are not carnal weapons, they are “mighty through God”; the trumpet and the empty pitcher with the torch are not carnal weapons, but “mighty through God”.

BOL In every instance they considered for God and what was due to Him.

WJH Quite so. Each of the leaders used were thinking of God and His people, and His rights among His people.

RS Do you think one of the evidences of having the Holy Spirit is that we are able to discern and judge the movements of these principles in ourselves?

WJH I do not think any of us would ever judge anything in ourselves but for the presence of the Holy Spirit. He is the power that maintains self-judgment.

LF Have you something special in mind in saying that Ehud made the sword for himself?

WJH I think the Spirit of God would indicate that having two edges, and having made it, he had first of all in mind to apply it to himself before he applied it to Eglon. He has “a word from God” to Eglon. He is going to deal with the corrupting influence of natural relationships intruding themselves into the things of God. He will deal with this mercilessly, but before he uses the sword upon Eglon, he is accustomed to the sword himself, affecting his own inward parts. He has it under his raiment on his right thigh. In principle, it operates on himself first.

KF What is the significance of Ehud being left-handed?

WJH I think it would show that God uses what is feeble. A left-handed man is a feeble man, his right hand is bound. Nevertheless he has learned to use this sword and to use it effectively.

AC Would you say he held things in an awkward way?

WJH Quite so. We all have to admit that many a thing is done awkwardly, but this sword is effective nevertheless, it is the word of God. The sword that God uses is His word, and we have to learn to let this sword operate under our raiment at the place of our own natural strength, so that we do not intrude natural relationships into the circle of God’s people. This is arising in this city, and I beg us all to face it. When a difficulty arises, natural relationships often rally round the person or persons involved; that is Moab, and has to be dealt with by each one of us by “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”.

EESL Speaking of natural relationships, have you in mind something wider than mere natural relationships?

WJH It may include the relationship of master and servant. The children of Lot were bound to the children of Israel by natural ties, and God had given them certain territory. Israel was to hold the plains of Moab for God. In the plains of Moab we hold the relationships of husband and wife, parents and children, master and servant, for God. These relationships are not to be intruded into the spiritual realm when spiritual conflict arises.

BW It was when they cried to Jehovah that He raised them up a saviour. Is that on the line of what you are indicating to us as feeling these things we cry to Jehovah and He will deliver us?

WJH Yes.

DJM Does Levi hold natural relationships in their right place?

WJH Yes. I do not think Levi was without natural affections, but when it is a question of what is due to God, he is not governed by his father, or his mother or his brethren; he is governed by the word of God; he has this sword. We ought to face this matter uprightly, or the enemy will get in. We must let the truth of the word of God govern us and not what is natural, or we shall be overthrown and lose our enjoyment of what God has recovered.

AE Isaiah 16: 6 says Moab “is very proud”. Would this come into it?

WJH Eglon is a very fat man, showing that the Moabite is marked by human greatness, which need to be dealt with.

GT In view of the pride of Moab we should become left-handed in order to meet it, having no confidence in the flesh.

WJH Very good.

BOL What do we learn from the fact that he gathered the children of Ammon and Amalek to help in this matter?

WJH Ammon and Moab were both the children of Lot. Other relatives become active at such a time and the flesh is not far away then. Amalek can use Moab and Ammon very effectively and join with them.

GCS One has often wondered why Ehud had his sword on the right thigh.

WJH The right side refers to the place of power and strength. He could not use his right hand; he was tied as to that, but there was his right thigh and he had the sword there, and it is under his raiment; that is to say in secret dealings with God he is judging himself in these matters before he deals with Eglon.

LF You mentioned being before God, that that is the right place to come to to get this judgment on the matter of Moab.

WJH He receives a word from God on the matter. The sword is the word of God. God’s mind as to Moab is that it should have its own territory and not go outside it and intrude in spiritual things.

EE “The word of God is... sharper than any two-edged sword”, dividing what is natural and spiritual. The Lord in His sovereignty may have made one a little successful in service, but that is not a guard against natural feelings.

WJH We are not speaking at persons, for even Barnabas, “a good man and full of the Holy Ghost”, was influenced by Mark, who was “sister’s son to Barnabas”. He was diverted from the spiritual conflict, and the testimony, through allowing Mark an undue place instead of the truth. Let us not think we are better than Barnabas.

LF Does this exercise have a peculiar bearing on our outlook in regard to the assembly here, as set over against what is natural? One had in mind the suggestion in the scripture as to “the Benjaminite”, the thought being carried on in Scripture and fulfilled in Paul, through whom we have the truth of the assembly.

WJH Quite so. Paul was a true Benjaminite in that way. He carried the sword under his raiment on his right side and used it when necessary, but on himself first. We need to see that we are all walking in the light of the word of God in this matter.

DJM Would you say Joab had not kept the sword under his garment, he let it fall out, with the sad result Amasa was slain?

WJH Quite so. If you do not keep it under your raiment, you may use it on one of God’s servants.

JS Eglon king of Moab is strengthened against Israel.

WJH That is governmental. If we do not judge these principles, God allows us to feel their power till we cry to Him.

JS One of the features of Moab is that he has been at ease. God would use this occasion to make us rise up and deal with them.

WJH I am sure He would.

SG This is not just a matter of a moment. It goes back for a long period.

WJH Moab has a very long history, right back into the book of Genesis. We are told how he came into existence.

HSH I notice that after this conflict there is the longest period of rest that the book of Judges gives — 80 years the land has rest — whereas in the next two cases it is 40 years.

WJH Showing what a great result there is when we rise above what is natural dominating us in relation to what is for God.

Perhaps we should move on now and look at this tent-pin and the hammer of Jael which she uses with great skill and power.

The Canaanite is the merchantman. God says, “there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts”. In the book of Zechariah He deals with this trading in the things of God. In times of weakness, and difficulty this power appears and it is a great power, for there is a king, and there are captains and chariots, but the point before us is what God uses to break Sisera’s power. That would teach us what He will use now.

EESL You do not mean an ordinary weapon of war?

WJH Surely not, but one “mighty through God”. Jael is in touch with God. She is a stranger, but she has a tent in Israel, and she has a pin to her tent. She does not intend to be dislodged from her part in the territory, though she has only recently come. That is what the pin represents, her great valuation of her place in Israel.

EE As the narrative indicates, there had been a successful conflict beforehand. Would that have a bearing on our exercise in applying this tent-pin?

WJH I thought the conflict preceding it reached a crown in this matter. It is interesting to see that in what went before, God used Deborah, another woman, representing what is weak and outwardly insignificant. Deborah directed Barak in the name of the Lord. This all shows that we are in days of great weakness, which we must humbly own indeed, but nevertheless if we value our tent, and the pin that holds our tent in its place, God will use that to bring the merchantman down.

CBM Could you tell us how we can traffic with the word of God? Paul repudiated that. He did not traffic in the word of God.

WJH “We do not, as the many, make a trade of the word of God”, 2 Corinthians 2: 17. He had no thought of using his service, or his place amongst the saints, to accredit himself — indeed, he says in 2 Corinthians 13: 7, that as long as they did what was right, he would be content to be regarded as reprobate. Here is a man who has complete power over the Canaanite.

LF Is that a development of the first matter? Does that make way for dealing with this matter, too?

WJH I think it is another phase of conflict that comes up in days of weakness — people thinking of their reputations. What is it that hinders many from saying frankly that they are wrong? There are those who do not enjoy the privileges they once had part in for months and years. Why do they not say they are wrong? Is it their reputation that they are not prepared to let go? They lose their tent in Israel because of it. I would urge such to value their tent and get the pin and put it into the temples of such an attitude, using the hammer of the word of God. The hammer is the mind of God applied in this matter.

GCS You were speaking of the pin. Had you in mind in the scripture you quoted just now that God has chosen the weak things to confound what is wise? One was thinking of trouble coming in amongst us. Had you in mind that the tent-pin would suggest what is weak? One was thinking of those who carried the pins of the tabernacle. There was not much to show in carrying them.

WJH I feel that some of us are losing our part in Israel because we fear losing our reputation. Let us give that up and deal with such an attitude, using the word of God as the hammer that breaks in pieces.

Many a difficulty would be overcome if a brother or sister would be prepared to own they are wrong, but that means they have to let their reputation go, which is in principle judging what the Canaanite represents.

GW In a time of weakness, God would come in, as He did in bringing Sisera into the tent, so that he could be dealt with.

WJH She gave him milk. Typically she was accustomed to the word of God and the mind of God for that man was that he was to die. She applied the pin of her tent and the hammer of the word of God to slay him.

BW There was no compromise with her. She was marked by spirituality.

WJH It says, “Blessed above women shall Jael... be”, Judges 5: 24.

Rem It says, “She put her hand to the tent-pin, And her right hand to the workmen’s hammer”.

WJH The right hand is the hand of power, and what she trusts as having power is the word of God. But nevertheless, in conjunction with the workmen’s hammer, no workman can do any work aright without the word of God, the pin is used as well. I desire that we get hold of that to value our tent-pins.

EE I am not aware that there is any description of the material that this tent-pin was made of, but there is an instruction about the pins of the tabernacle, which were made of copper.

WJH Those pins that held the tabernacle down are the same idea. We have a tent individually in Israel and the pin that fastens the tent is the instrument that God uses here.

HSH Was Naboth a man not prepared to be marked by Canaanitish features?

WJH Very good. He valued his tent and place in Israel. He would not be interested in any other part or allotment, not even from a king. He would die rather than lose his tent and his vineyard. This Canaanitish principle will go if we value our place in the inheritance.

LF Reference has been made to valuing our place in the assembly. Is not one of our difficulties that some do not accept assembly judgments? This line results in losing our privileges.

WJH Quite so; whereas honest acknowledgment of being wrong will secure our tent in Israel and secure the Canaanitish overthrow.

Perhaps we could now have a word or two about Midian, and the power that overthrew Midian. The word “Midian” means “contention”; Midian stands for the activities of contention amongst God’s people. In times of weakness they rise up and they multiply. “They came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number”, and the result was that all the produce of the land was destroyed. There was no wheat, no barley, no olives, no vines, no pomegranates, no figs and no honey, because the Midianite had got the possession. This power is at our doors in a very real way in this city. It has been judged in one person who led in it, but may the Lord help us to judge it, everyone for ourselves: the activities of contention are very evil in the sight of God.

EE The apostle says, “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God”, 1 Corinthians 11: 16.

WJH Thank God contention was not the custom of the churches of God. What happens where contention exists is that food disappears, joy disappears, unity disappears, the sweetness of spiritual relationships disappears, and the Midianite gets control. The Lord help us to judge and face this Midianitish foe!

RS Do you think we are contentious because we are not prepared to leave things entirely in the Lord’s hand?

WJH It involves a lack of subjection — insubjection leads to contention. There is no king. It is when there is a king that Midian cannot get a footing.

AC Do you not think that is really the crux of the whole matter: a lack of subjection to the Lord and to one another?

WJH Quite so. Hence the Lord greatly blesses Gideon because he is labouring to preserve food for God’s people against the Midianites. He is a timid man, but God is with those who are seeking to bring in food and are not on lines of contention.

There was no king in Israel, but Gideon has in mind that Jehovah should be king. He said, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, Jehovah will rule over you”, showing that he had come to the kingship of God in his soul.

EE One might refer again to Barnabas and Paul. Is it so that if a faithful word from the Lord is brought to bear on one who is erring, if it is not received on the part of the one who errs, contention will result?

WJH Indeed, it is remarkable that Moab and Midian often work together. You find in the Old Testament those two powers are often together. “Sister’s son to Barnabas” introduced in relation to spiritual things is Moab, but the contention that follows is Midian.

AE Amalek is linked with Midian.

WJH How quickly the flesh appears in time of contention! Other activities of the flesh soon arise when contention exists.

BW Is there anything in the incident between Paul and Peter, when Paul “withstood him to the face”? Then, as Peter judged it, he was able to speak about “our beloved brother Paul”.

WJH What appears there was not so much contention, as dissimulation, and Paul names Peter and he names Barnabas. You may say, that is unkind. The divine way is to name the persons responsible. Peter was the first apostle, yet Paul says Peter “was to be blamed” and that “Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation”. That is not to discredit Peter and Barnabas, but to save them, and is an example to us all.

JS Is there anything in the thought that he had to throw down the altar that his father had built to Baal? Is Gideon thus clear of Moab as he faces Midian?

WJH Very good. He stood against his father in that matter. He judged his father in principle in the matter. There is much instruction in the history of Gideon that we cannot pursue this afternoon, but one would suggest we look at the remarkable instruments that brought Midian down: 300 trumpets, 300 empty pitchers, 300 torches, and God turns the Midianitish army against itself.

GT We should not seek to blow the trumpet without being self-judged.

WJH How can you alarm anyone else if you have not been alarmed yourself? The idea of the trumpet, in this setting, is an alarm. Gideon would bring the trumpet’s terror into the hearts of the Midianites. But how could you blow such a trumpet if you had not judged contention in yourself?

GT He was not calling attention to himself, having judged himself.

WJH Quite so. He says, as I do, you do; he is in keeping with the empty pitcher. He is an empty pitcher, that is, he is free of himself in the matter.

JSD Why do they add to what Gideon said, and say, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon”?

WJH They have discovered this is the weapon for the moment. This trumpet, this empty pitcher, this torch — the sword of the Lord and of Gideon.

DJM “That the surpassingness of the power may be of God”.

WJH Very good. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels”, 2 Corinthians 4: 7. Paul was prepared for his vessel to be broken so that the light of the mind of God might shine.

HSH Might I refer back to verse 14. They say, “This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon”. Is this not the very weapon you have been speaking of as making way for food amongst the people of God?

WJH “A cake of barley bread”, that is a remarkable instrument. A man who is moving in the power of resurrection will turn the whole of the camp upside down. That is a weapon of the Lord, and so is this trumpet, and this empty vessel, and this torch.

Rem I wondered if the trumpet calls attention to that character of man.

WJH It brings God in. When the trumpet is blown, God acts. You remember when they went round Jericho, each day the seven priests blew with the trumpets, and the last day “the people shouted and they blew with the trumpets”, and that was the beginning of the end, it brought God into the matter.

KF It is a wonderful thing that Gideon was able to draw attention to himself, he must have been self-judged.

WJH The Lord would help us in our exercises, that we might be self-judged, that the light of God might be there.

GCS Would that not come out in a marked way with Abram and Lot? “Let there be no contention”, Abram said.

WJH It was not his custom to contend.

BW Gideon had selected these men. As we are moving with God in this matter, He selects us for service.

WJH That is a very testing matter; these 300 have learned to use the mercies of God and pass on, not being controlled by them. In times of difficulty such are the men God will use. All the others are sent back. It is a very important matter that we learn how to lap the water thankfully, but not be detained by it. Those who kneeled down to drink it were sent home. The nearer we draw to the end of this dispensation, the more we will need to lap the water.

Rem Does leadership come into this? Gideon says, “As I do, so shall ye do”. The apostle Paul says, “Be my imitators, even as I also am of Christ”.

WJH Quite so. He speaks of himself as a model. This is a model for us that we be able to bring God into the situation, that we have our vessels empty and the light of God shines as we accept the breaking of the vessel. Paul accepted the breaking up of the vessel so that the light might be clearer.

EE I think that is excellent. It seems to be exactly how the apostle Paul conducted himself, when in Corinth,

and also when he wrote to them.

WJH How completely he was an empty vessel and then a broken one! Think of the list of his sufferings as in 2 Corinthians 11, he says, “I speak as a fool”, but it all discloses what he was prepared to suffer as to the earthen vessel, so that the light of God might shine.

These three hundred were all of one mind, and God acts. He turns the contentious persons on each other. They slay one another.

EESL Is it significant that in the case of Barnabas the contention which arose between him and Paul, which was very sharp, was followed by Barnabas going back to Cyprus, his own country? He apparently falls out of the testimony and is active in his own interests.

WJH I feel that is most solemn, for I am sure we all love the word that Barnabas “was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost”. We will never forget Barnabas’ labours, but he was diverted from the testimony by allowing the influence of his sister’s son to take precedence over the word of God and the path of the testimony. That ought to be a warning to every brother and sister present.

LF You cannot get contention from an empty broken vessel.

WJH What an opposite to contention, an empty vessel, accepting being broken; there is also the light, which is again the word. It is instructive that the word runs through these passages. The sword, which is the word; the hammer, which is the word; and the light, which is the word; and the jawbone is the power to assimilate the word, a fresh jawbone, a fresh enjoyment of the word of God will overthrow heaps upon heaps of Philistines.

SG Where contention is apparent, food goes and joy goes.

WJH I think that is a matter we should consider very feelingly. When the Midianites came in, they destroyed the produce of the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan produces wheat, that is Christ as He is in relation to the purpose of God; it produces barley, that is Christ in resurrection; it produces olives so that there is spirituality; it produces vines so that there is heavenly joy; it produces pomegranates so that there is true unity amongst the saints; it produces honey, the sweetest thing known to the heart; but the Midianite destroys them all.

BOL Gideon greatly treasured what the land produced and he considered for Jehovah in the first place. Then in this chapter he has the consciousness, through the dream and interpretation, that Jehovah is going to consider for him. He has considered for Jehovah and now, going forth to the battle, he has the full assurance that God is with him.

EE Would you support the thought that we see it fully in the second epistle to Timothy, and yet there is a timid brother there?

WJH I think it ought to encourage everyone who feels unequal to facing such a situation that the Lord would support us with the sense that He is with us, and Gideon follows that line until he is this empty vessel.

DJM These three conflicts are all completed matters.

WJH That is important. They are all finished. There will be another one from another angle, and the Lord will use someone entirely different. He uses men from quite a number of tribes. You never know where the Lord will take up one, but each of these matters is gone through and finished.

DJM The matter with Moab did not stop at the king, there were the 10,000 men, and with Deborah they went after Sisera though the army had been destroyed. The Lord would speak to us not to leave matters unfinished.

WJH What you say should help us to be with those who are seeking to finish matters.

The princes of Succoth would be neutral, till the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna were in the hand of Gideon. Often persons wait, till they see how things will go, before they are prepared to support what is right.