THE SPIRIT IS PUTTING US ON

Talk of the meaning of Bible words' in their original languages (Hebrew, Greek), admittedly, has been overdone in recent years to the deadness, boredom, and confusion of many believers. However, there are some real blessings of understanding and illumination to be had by honest inquiry into a word's meaning in the original. One such word is "came" in Judges 6:34: "But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon." The Hebrew word translated here as "came" is really different from other Hebrew words translated "came." In fact, most of your Bibles will indicate this difference in the margin. This "came" has the meaning of putting on clothing. Literally, the Scripture is saying that the Spirit of the LORD clothed himself with Gideon. The Spirit "came" into Gideon so that the Spirit became the Inhabitor of Gideon. More than just dwelling in Gideon as one would in a house, the Spirit dwelt in Gideon as a man does his clothes. Clothes go where the man goes. Clothes do what the man does. Clothes are formless and flat until the man fills them. In other words, there was a job to be done, and, much as one puts on work clothes and goes to work, the Spirit put on Gideon and went to work. It was the Spirit filling and moving Gideon. It wasn't Gideon's strength, wisdom, skill, prowess, it was the Spirit's in Gideon. One would have seen Gideon moving, speaking, doing his exploits for God; but, it wasn't Gideon, but the Spirit inside. The Spirit did the work, Gideon was only the clothes he wore. We need to let the Spirit fill us. We need to let the Spirit put us on.