Passage is Judges 8:1-12.
The Ephraimites complained to Gideon the he hadn’t called them to fight the Midianites. He appeased them by praising and complimenting them, humbling himself. Then he and the 300 went chasing Kings Zebah and Zalmunnan and their 15,000 men. Gideon asked for bread for his men from two towns, Succoth and Peniel, but they refused. Gideon says he will punish them when he has captured Z and Z. Gideon and his men destroyed the Midian army and captured Zebah and Zalmunnan.
Why do Succoth and Peniel refuse to help? Why do the Ephraimites resent not being asked to help earlier?
Everyone likes a victor, no one likes to help. We all want a free lunch.
Even though Ephraim complained about not being invited to the battle at the beginning, at least they fought and killed the Midianite leaders of Oreb and Zeeb.
The men of Succoth and Peniel, however, did nothing in the battles and when asked to contribute some food to exhausted troops, they refused and showed no gratitude.
They deserve to be beaten with “desert thorns and briars” (7) and have their tower pulled down (9).
How have I shown ingratitude?
God provided me with an apartment as part of my school salary.
Compared to the one in Ansan that my wife and I lived in, our current apartment is huge. Other people don’t think so, however.
They think it’s just ordinary size.
Soon after we moved, my wife asked if her handicapped brother could come to live with us.
I said Yes because God had given us more room than we needed.
I believed he gave us our big apartment to share with others.
I just didn’t think it would be with my brother in law.
I have been ungrateful to God by not wishing to share with my brother in law.
I wanted to share with someone else, but God sent him to be my trainer.
My lack of gratitude to God nags at me like desert thorns.
Everything I have has been given by God. It’s not even mine.
It’s God’s. But I behave like it’s mine.
I self-righteously want to choose who I share God’s bounty with.
I deserve to have my tower pulled down.
Application: To tell my brother in law that I’m glad he lives with us to share in God’s generosity.
Lord, let me not be ungrateful. Thank you for your desert briars scratching my heart. Inspire me with your generosity to all.
