It's Your Day Of Midian

 

 

"For God will break the chains that bind His people and the whip that scourges them, just as He did when He destroyed the vast host of Midianites by Gideon's little band." - Isaiah 9:4(The Living Bible Paraphrased)

 

"What we seek to accomplish by our own devices and in our own strength, only plays into the hands of our spiritual foe. It is when we are weak that we are strong." - Isaiah - Prophecies - Promises - Warnings by W.E. Vine

 

Isaiah 9:4, in the King James Version, says - "For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian."

 

What is "the day of Midian"?

 

Barnes' Notes explains it in this way - "This refers to the deliverance that was accomplished under Gideon against the Midianites; see <Judges 7;8>. That deliverance was a remarkable interposition of God. It was accomplished not by human strength; but was a signal manifestation of the power of God in delivering the nation from the long oppression of the Midianites."

 

Said another way - it can be described as a time when the child of God is undergoing great oppression from the enemy and feels surrounded by the evil hosts of Satan. He seeks deliverance through natural or carnal means and nothing avails. It is only when he turns his focus from himself or another man and places his faith completely in the Lord of hosts that a great victory is won over his foes. What is remarkable is that God brings total redemption through apparently insignificant means.  

 

What this saint could not do for himself - God accomplishes through a memorable and conspicuous manifestation of His power - using the least, smallest, unfitting, and most trivial means to do so.  

 

Today, do you find yourself in the heat of the battle?

 

Throughout the Scriptures, we find several images of oppression which emphasize the sufferings of God's people. Let's look at some of them and see how they relate to your situation at hand.

 

1. A Shoulder Under A Grievous Burden

 

Psalm 81:6 - "I removed his shoulder from the burden..."

 

This is a picture of hard bondage. This person feels as though he is ready to sink under the back-breaking load of an intense burden.

 

2. Hands Carrying A Heavy Load

 

Psalm 81:6 - "...his hands were delivered from the pots."

 

This is a picture of the burdensome slavery which the Israelites encountered while under the rule of the Egyptians. These "pots" were baskets or hampers swung over their shoulders in which they carried the clay or bricks used in building cities for Pharaoh. It indicates any form of slave labor or heavy task that one is forced to fulfill.

 

3. The Yoke Of His Burden

 

Isaiah 9:4 - "For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden..."

 

This "yoke" denotes any kind of tyranny or oppression whatsoever. It refers to the custom among the ancients of placing a piece of wood on the necks of slaves as a mark of servitude.

 

4. The Staff Of His Shoulder

 

Isaiah 9:4 - "For Thou hast broken...the staff of his shoulder..."

 

This was a bough, branch, staff, stick, or rod that was used to inflict punishment on slaves by striking the neck or shoulders. It also referred to the wooden yoke worn on the shoulders as a badge of servitude.

 

5. The Rod Of His Oppressor

 

Isaiah 9:4 - "For Thou hast broken...the rod of his oppressor..."  

 

This was an emblem of tyranny which depicted great oppression and captivity. It referred to the chastisement that was inflicted on those in bondage to imperial tyrants.

 

6. Embittered Lives

 

Exodus 1:14 - "And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field..."

 

Life in Egypt for the Israelites was wearisome, bitter, grievous, severe, and painful. They received the cruelest manner of treatment while performing their tasks of digging clay, kneading it, then preparing it into bricks.

 

7. Rigorous Service

 

Exodus 1:14 - "...all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor."

 

The Egyptians were very ruthless and cruel toward the Israelites. They required them to carry heavy materials to the places where the buildings were being constructed...dig channels for their rivers...and build walls for their cities and pyramids for their aggrandizement. They sought to break their spirits through all ill treatment.

 

Perhaps after reading through these various images, you find yourself relating - in some measure - to the oppression which Israel suffered at the hand of her enemies.

 

You feel as though -

...your shoulders are weighed down by a heavy burden - whether it be for yourself, your spouse, or your children

...you are required to perform an impossible task with very little strength to accomplish it

...you are in bondage to sin or Satan in some form or fashion

...you are constantly being afflicted by the devil with "rods" of guilt and condemnation for the sins of your past

...you are in a relationship where you are being used and emotionally and verbally abused by another

...you are on a job where you are required to do all of the work while others slack off

...you are oppressed by inordinate fears concerning your future

...your life is plagued with pain, sorrow, and regret

...you are under the tyranny of an incurable disease or sickness

...you are constantly oppressed with financial troubles - never able to make ends meet

...you are swamped by medical bills or other oppressive debts which you are unable to pay at this time

...you are in a situation where deliverance seems impossible

...you are seemingly at the mercy of man for your life.

 

If you feel as though any of the above - or other situations of oppression fit your life at this time - God has a word of encouragement for you today.

 

It is found in Exodus 6:6 and says - "Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments."

 

The Lord God is promising to - "bring you out," "rid you," and "redeem you" - from that awful bondage that has enslaved you over the past weeks, months, or years.  

 

How will He do it?

 

He will use His mighty power and perform Great Miracles - "with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments." He will break the chains that bind you and the whip that scourges you. Even though you may feel weak, small, insignificant, and outnumbered - as "Gideon's little band" - you will see His mighty power break that long oppression over your life.   

 

Isaiah 9:4 gives us His promise of what He will do in our "day of Midian" - "For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian."

 

It's Your "Day Of Midian"!

It's your day to see a manifestation of God's awesome power in the most remarkable, conspicuous, and memorable way.  

And remember - what makes it your "Day of Midian" is the fact that He will use the most insignificant means to do it - as He did for Gideon and his "little band." 

 

Get ready for it! 

Deliverance is coming! 

Believe it and receive it!