Again, the passage is Judges chapter 6, starting from verse 25 to 32. This is God's Word. That night, the Lord said to him, take your father's bow and the second bow, seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bow and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down. So Gideon took 10 men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him, but because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and a second bowl was offered on the altar that had been built. And they said to one another, Who has done this thing? And after they had searched and inquired, they said, Gideon, the son of Joash, has done this thing. Then the men of the town said to Joash, bring out your son that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it. But Joash said to all who stood against him, will you contend for Baal or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a God, let him contend for himself because his altar has been broken down. Therefore, on that day, Gideon was called Jerubel. That is to say, let Baal contend against him because he broke down his altar. This is God's word. The heritage of our church goes back to the Apostolic Age, and notably, to the Protestant Reformation. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle, protesting the sale of indulgences, and that spawned Reformation. For God takes care of His Church. The covenant nation of Israel in the Old Testament was inseparably connected to God. That's not to say that Israel is a part of God, or God is a part of Israel, because God is one simple being without parts. But there is a connection because there is a spiritual relationship. This is God's children. It is the church underage, and God will maintain it. He will take care of it. It is indefectible. It will never fail. The gates of hell will never prevail against it now however that doesn't mean that the nation of Israel is not going to act repugnant to its intended nature because it did it put themselves under the snare of the Canaanite gods and therefore God did discipline and chastened them such is the order of God's government and dealings for he will cleanse and purify his bride and he has ordained all the means before peace can come peace can come there has to be penitence before they're going to be lifted from their sorrow there has to be a turning to God. They have to repent of their sins because sins that are not repented are not forgiven. In order to have this joy, there must be this godly sorrow. As it says in the New Testament, that godly sorrow produces a repentance to salvation which is not to be repented of, but worldly sorrow produces death." Repentance is biblical. It is confessional. Repentance, it should not be rest for any cause of salvation or any part of, but no sinner can expect salvation without it. This is God's church, and he is the one that's going to reform it. The nation of Israel, the church under age, is going to turn to God, and he's raised up a judge. main proposition of the Texas Yahweh commands Gideon to destroy the altar to bail build an altar to the Lord with a sacrifice and in obedience he is given a new name Jeroboam again Yahweh commands Gideon to destroy the altar to build, build an altar to the Lord with the sacrifice, and in Gideon's obedience, he is given a new name, Jeroboam. I've divided the text into three parts here. First, Yahweh commands Gideon to destroy the altar to Baal. And second, Yahweh commands Gideon to build an altar to the Lord Yahweh and offer a sacrifice. And third, Yahweh commands Gideon and in his obedience, he is given the new name Jeroboam. But first Yahweh commands Gideon to destroy the altar to Baal. The first revelation that God, when he appeared to Gideon in the previous passage, that was in a most tangible manner, invisible manifestation, the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon face to face and he gave him a commission. that he has to go battle against the Midianites. And a captain of the Lord's army, Yahweh himself, will be with him, and he shall slay the Midians as one man. And now in this second revelation, it's on the same day, but in a dream at night. And it's giving him a mission to throw down the altars of Baal. Because before they can war, battle with the Midianites, they must first have a war with the Canaanite gods. For how can they expect victory if there's an altar of Baal in the midst of them? Israel is the church underage, and therefore their watchword is God with us. But unless they turn God won't be with them. They have to have a new model, and that is down with Baal. In Gideon, he is convinced of the truth of God, and he is increasing in his conviction of the truth of God. His faith is increasing, becoming stronger, and he will inspire the others. The Lord said to Gideon earlier that he was a mighty man of valor. And just like a CEO with a personality or maybe a charismatic civil rights leader one with vision and direction and self-confidence now Gideon is going to have the same and it's because the Lord himself. He's one is now seated in his heart that Valor he how has a fire of belly and he is to throw down that altar a bell. because God, He's reforming His Church. Beo means Lord, Master, and as such, He was known to be a force of nature. He was a storm God. He could cause it to rain, and therefore He's considered a giver of life. And besides the altar of Baal, there was an astra pillar. It wasn't a statue. It was a wooden pole with human features. These gods were the premier gods. They were like the celebrities of this Canaanite pantheon. Gideon, he has to throw them down. He's not just going to offer a sacrifice to Yahweh on Baal's altar. He's not just going to renovate Baal's altar. He is going to destroy Baal's altar. He is to have that righteous anger just as Moses did when Moses melted the golden calf and grinded it into powder. This is the reformation that is coming to Israel. So where is this altar of Baal? Is Gideon in a secret operation where he has to penetrate through the forces of security? Well, if we look at our text, we find out it's on the family property. It's at his father's house. And God demands exclusive worship to Baal, so Gideon has to make a choice. It's either God or Baal. And as it says elsewhere in the New Testament, if anyone comes after me and doesn't hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, he cannot be my disciple. So here is Gideon. He has to do it first. He has to reclaim that locale. Reformation will begin first at his house, for he is to say what Joshua said earlier at the end of his life, that is, for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord. Now this brings up an interesting notion, because if there's an altar of Baal in this small rural area of Ophira, then If God is the one who is chastening the whole of Israel because their admiration, because they're enamored with this God, then by conjecture we must think that there's probably altars of Baal throughout the land. And also, This brings up another interesting notion because a couple of sermons ago, when we spoke about how the children of God, how they cried out to the Lord, it really wasn't one of repentance because the altars were still standing. It was not one of godly sorrow, but one of worldly sorrow. And it's no wonder why God only sent the prophet and to indict them formally. But God, he will not forget his loving kindness to his people. And he is going to reform this country. This church underage, there's going to be a repentance in their heart. And Gideon is the one God has chosen to spearhead this. We've considered Yahweh commands Gideon to destroy the altar to Baal. Now let's go on to point two. Yahweh commands Gideon to build an altar to the Lord and offer a sacrifice. Yahweh commands Gideon to build an altar to the Lord and offer a sacrifice. This altar of Baal is on the family property. Therefore that house Joash Gideon's it must be a tone for so therefore they have to use their cattle because Yahweh he is the first priority in a supernatural order. He is not going to share his Glory with any other there's no room for any idols in the heart. And this Bullock, the first one, was an ox. It's a work animal, presumably for that house. And then there's a second animal, seven years old. And that signifies the seven years that Israel was under the bondage, under the oppression of the Midianites because of their apostasy. And the sacrifice is going to typify the forgiveness of sins and the wiping away, relinquishing of that punishment. These animals here, Joash has set aside for Baal, but now, dear, for a better use. It is now for Yahweh. The strong man has come into the house and has bound that strong man and spoiled the goods. they're gonna use the animal now for Yahweh. This sacrifice does much good. There has to be peace in the nation, for how else is Gideon going to be running down, crying out later on with his 300 men, a sword to the Lord and of Gideon. In the last sermon, I spoke about a Levite who was wandering out of bounds of the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And I'm going to speak about him again, because if we look at that passage, we see that it's so bizarre. I mean, he takes employment at a private man's home for an idol. And he does it with such nonchalance and glee that one is left scratching her head, thinking, Did Israel descend that far? Because at that time, those sacrifices, the temple of the God, has been so almost largely forgotten. Yahweh, he commands Gideon to have a sacrifice here. It is irregular, it's not proper, but God has accepted it because it's an element of the worship. Now we can think of this in our modern day. We have the primacy of the Word, the ministry of the Word, but what if the pastor is caught in a snowstorm? What if he's sick? well the worship still must go on and there will be someone if not an elder at least a member of the church because when two or three are gathered here there will be worship at that point in time yes it may not have been proper but understand it's a reformation that's going on and they're repenting and God is doing good for that nation We consider Yahweh commands Gideon to build an altar to the Lord and offer a sacrifice. And now let's go to the final point. 3. Yahweh commands Gideon and in his obedience, he is given the new name Jeroboam. Yahweh commands Gideon and in his obedience, he is given the new name Jeroboam. Yahweh's first revelation to Gideon. Yahweh acknowledges Gideon. He's a mighty man of valor. But now in this dream, Gideon must acknowledge Yahweh. Give him immediate obedience. He is to tear down those hideous emblems of unclean rites. And he said, do it in his father's home. He was given the command earlier, and now he must obey here, as it says in the third point. And he's doing it in his father's home. for he does not forsake all he has, is not worthy to be God's disciple. And so we see in our text that Gideon takes 10 men of the servants, and he does as God says to him, and so it is. The Lord was right. Gideon is a mighty man of valor, and he persuaded 10 men to come with him. It was at great risk to them, they accompanied Gideon on his heroic deed. It is at a great risk to Gideon because he is jeopardizing his family, them abandoning him, as well as his own life. But what Gideon did was he did obey and is honorable to the Lord. But then when we look at the second half of the verse here, you notice that it says that He was afraid of his father's household and the men of the city, and he could not do it by day, so he did it by night." And as we look at that verse, we're wondering, possibly, is that the motivation for Gideon to do such a thing, to be so hasty? We must understand that Gideon was not having the purpose to hide this. He knows that in the morning the devotees of Baal will be coming. It was not the sole and only motivation because Gideon was given that seed of faith as it's attested in the 11th chapter of Hebrews. So what Gideon does, he obeys, yet in a timid manner, but understand that there are other passages, such as in the Gospel of John, when Nicodemus went to Jesus by night, and he did it possibly because he was afraid of the Jews, yet Jesus accepted him and gave him concise, firm answers. Jesus gave him the words to everlasting life. And then Nicodemus' faith, it grew. We see in end of chapter seven that Nicodemus started to defend Jesus in front of the other Pharisees. And then we see at the end of the gospel that Nicodemus is anointing Jesus' body with perfume and spices. Nicodemus understands he cannot hide this. It's only going to come in the morning and lo and behold, what happens is that the men of the city come, they make this inquiry, and they find out who the perpetrator is, and they ask Joash to bring out his son so he could be put to death. And Joash, possibly because he has an affection for his son, possibly because he's seen that repentance, that reform in his son, which he's never seen before. And he sees in him a virtuous, valiant, valuable young man. Or maybe Joash has a repentance in himself. and maybe he's a leader, maybe he's an elder of the gates, a civil magistrate, and he has the power to stand up to an honorable cause and for an honest man. Possibly this was what God put him here for, a minister of God for good. And Joash, what he says is, before the men, that who will plead, who will contend with Baal? For he who will plead or contend with Baal, let him be put to death before the morning is over." What does he mean by that? Well, he says that Baal is a god, and someone has pulled down his altar, so let Baal contend for himself. This is spoken out of reasonableness. This is of a sound, logical mind, If Baal, whom we worship, he can't contend for himself, then why are we worshiping him? So from on that day, he gave him a new name, which is Jura-Baal. Let Baal plead also or contend for himself. And that name, As it says here in my outline, given this new name, this really begins to underscore the impotence of Baal and incites the mockery. Because if Joash had given the name contended with Baal, then possibly one might think, well, Baal possibly exists. But he gives him a name where it says, let him contend with Baal. every second that Gideon is alive, that he's breathing with his presence and his prosperity is living proof that Baal is a fraud. Now there will be the advocates of Baal who are probably wondering as it was in a day of the kings where maybe possibly Baal would throw it on fire, but it never happens because Baal cannot, he will not, because he's not, because he's nothing, Baal's motions are idle, I-D-L-E, because he is an idol, I-D-O-E. So Israel doesn't have to worry about those superstitious threats. Israel is safe. Having this name Jerobo is already a spiritual triumph over the idols. This begins this reformation because the army will be gathered soon after. This begins a repentance in their heart. We have considered Yahweh, he commands Gideon. In obedience, he's given this new name, Jeroboam, because he's only an idol. In the song we just sang, there are works of gold and silver, the works of men's hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak. They have eyes, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear. They have noses, but they cannot smell. They have hands they can't handle and feet they cannot walk. Why? Because they're the works of man's hands, and those who trust in them are like those idols. Remember also when Isaiah, when he speaks about a tree and how someone makes an idol out of it, but that was the tree he also baked his bread on the coast and ate his flesh there. I mean, how ludicrous. And we know now when Joash, when he spoke, we know he is speaking reason. And God had opened the eyes of the Israelites. How ludicrous, how silly, and how stupid it is to trust in an idol. That is nothing. That's Yahweh, how he commands Gideon and his obedience. He is given this new name, Jerobel. Now Yahweh, he does take care of his church. For after the Babylon captivity, they were never ensnared by the Canaanite gods ever again. It doesn't mean that they didn't have any issue with idols, physical idols, or even idols of the heart. And we, in this church today, we also have these same idols because if we put something else before our God, if we do not love our God above all else, And it can be power, sex, money, prestige, all those things. I'll say myself, I have idols myself and I have to repent of them. And my idols may be silly, they may be just stupid little things that I just want to keep and not harm. I can think of us just thinking just last week, just had a computer screen that almost broke and I almost I almost was very upset about it. I could have easily just brought another one for $200. We all have idols and I have to repent of my idols too. But as we look at our text here, we see this sacrifice. We see it was for the forgiveness of the sins and also the relinquishing of the penalty We also know it was the Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience, he took the bitter cup of suffering for us. And we are saved by a sacrifice. We are the bride of Christ. And God, he continues to reform the church, and we'll be the better for it. Protestant Reformation, we are a reformed church. We know the history. We're also very happy to report that it's spreading through other countries, even as I speak. God will always reform his church. He will take care of his church. He will purify and cleanse his church. And he will use vessels, even a weak vessel like Gideon. There is no Savior or hero in a Christian faith, except God, except Christ. And he can use weak vessels such as Gideon and such as ourselves. Let's pray to God.