Festival of Martin Luther, Confessor and Doctor
Posted on February 18, 2022 by under
Scripture: Judges 7:1-8 (NKJV)
7:1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. 7 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.” 8 So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
Devotion
On this date in 1546 Martin Luther was granted the gift of Heaven. During his life he taught that men should not place trust in their own works. Trusting in one’s works for salvation excludes the work of the Lord—the Christ. Men are prone to trusting in themselves. We all want to consider ourselves “good people.” We want to believe our own strengths and abilities are satisfactory. This is certainly what the Israelites would have believed if they had attacked the Midianites with the full force of those who answered the call of Gideon.
The Lord wanted to teach the Israelites to trust solely in Him. Therefore, He reduced their number down to three hundred. There would be no mistaking the Lord’s help when three hundred defeated the Midianites, who were as “numerous as locusts” (vs. 12). The Lord had removed all props with which the Israelites could bolster themselves and claim victory by their own doing.
Through the preaching of the Law, the Lord removes all of our props that we use to assure ourselves of our ability to defeat our spiritual enemies. He places the cross of our Lord Jesus before us to show that only His perfect life and sacrifice can atone for our sins and redeem us from sin and death. Let us give thanks that this Gospel has been restored to us through Martin Luther’s teachings!
Prayer: O God, who didst give Martin Luther as a faithful teacher of the saving truth in a time of great trial, grant to Thy people zeal for Thy Word and faithful teachers for Thy Church, that they may stand steadfast against all error, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who livest and reignest with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Septuagesima Sunday
O Lord, we beseech Thee favorably to hear the prayers of Thy people: that we, who are justly punished for our offenses, may be mercifully delivered by Thy goodness, for the glory of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
