Sometimes You've Got To Tare Down, Before You Can Build!

Sometimes You’ve Got To Tare Down, Before You Can Build!

By Crossfire

If a person bought a lot and was going to build a house on it and when he got there he found that someone had built a shack on his ground, would he just build on what was already there?  Of course not, for if he did the whole structure would be unsound.  He would first tare down the shack and start with a good foundation.  And so it is with building God’s kingdom.

In Judges Chapter 6 God sent a messenger to Gideon, called him a  “mighty man of valour”.  This is before Gideon had done anything, except listen.  Could it be that listening to God  and his messenger makes us stronger?  At first, Gideon was much like us in that he questioned the messenger and said,” if the Yahweh be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of”  Why, why, why?  The massager did not respond to his doubting, but instead told Gideon to, “Go in this thy might” and that he would be able to defeat his enemies. Could it be that questioning things is also a strength?  Gideon still having doubts ask the messenger how he could defeat his enemies when his family was just poor folks and he was the least of his family?  And the messenger told him it was because he would be with him. After asking for a sign, Gideon finally believed what the messenger had said and built a small alter to God.

That small alter was not going to do it, not when there were still Alters to Baal and Ashtoreth.  You know, “I’m going to serve God no matter what everyone else around me is doing.”  Is that going to win against your enemies, God’s enemies?  What is our small alter or service to God, when we allow and/or do not even expose what is false?  What good is our little praise, from our little pew, when false doctrines are taught in our Sunday Schools and from the Pulpit?  Back to Gideon. With all the false gods well established all about him, his small alter to the true God, would just seem like foolishness to others.  That would not defeat his enemies.

Judges 6:25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD (Yahweh) said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

Verse 26 And build an altar unto the LORD (Yahweh) thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.

Verse 27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD (Yahweh) had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

There would be no victory without first tarring down the false gods and their  alters  and symbols. No, we can’t all just get along.  Tolerance is not a Christian virtue.  Our God is a jealous God have will not have any other gods among us.   Exodus 20:3 “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Even doing what is right is not without difficulties, but God can work it all for good.

 Judges 6:28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

The world gets upset when you tare down their heros, their false gods, their false beliefs.  The first thing they want to do is attack you.  It does not matter that what you did was right and true.

 Judges 6:29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

Verse 30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

Verse 31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

Verse 32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

I found this very interesting that Gideon’s  father called him “Jerubbaal” after he had torn down the false gods and had the area angry at him.  Remember Joash ask the people why they were fighting for the false god, that if he was a god, he could fight Gideon himself.  “Jerubbaal” means: Baal will contend or loosely Adversary of false gods.  I like it.

Side note:  the Hebrew word for “Joash” is Yoash, pronounced yo-awsh’. The Hebrew word for “Jerubbaal” is Yerubbaal, pronounced  yer-oob-bah'-al.  There are no “J”s in Hebrew.  And for those who wonder, “Gideon” in Hebrew is Gid`own, pronounced  ghid-ohn'. It is interesting that the translators left “Baal” as Baal and did not change it.  Only in the translations of the Bible, have the names been translated or replaced, anywhere else a person’s name remains as it is.  Think about that.

I would encourage reading on in the Book of Judges about Gideon calling his country men together, how Yahweh had him send some home and then select only 300 of what was left.  Read about the great victory that Yahweh gave them, over their enemies.

The victory would not have ever happened if Gideon had not first torn down the alter to Baal and the wooden idols of Astarte / Ashertoth.  We need that good foundation, we cannot coexist with false doctrine and pagan items (especially in our churches).  They must be torn down, removed before we can have the victory.