A series on the
Judges of Israel
– Gideon from the tribe of Manasseh
(Click on the
link below to read the verses.)
Judges 6
[The book of
Judges is a roller coaster ride. It’s about the history of Israel following
their entry into the Promised Land. Unfortunately, Israel went through cycles
of rejecting God and then repenting. Each time, the Lord saved them by raising
up a leader who was called a judge. In this series, we will be looking at some
of these judges to learn about God’s character as well as our own.]
1 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of
the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the
Midianites. NIV
Bam! Just like that! The cycle started again! Only this time, the Lord didn’t
oppress Israel through an occupying nation, but instead through a nation of
nomadic herdsmen that invaded the lush Jezreel Valley, the breadbasket of
Israel. Like clockwork, when Israel was harvesting their crops, the Midianites
would invade.
5 These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and
tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous
to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare. 6 So
Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried
out to the Lord for help. NLT
Because the Midianites were so cruel, the Israelites hid in the “mountain clefts, caves and strongholds”,
especially when they were harvesting crops. Such was the case for Gideon who
was hiding in a winepress to harvest his wheat.
An angel of the Lord appeared and spoke to Gideon saying, “The Lord is with you, mighty
warrior.” Gideon was anything but a “mighty warrior”. He saw himself as a fearful
farmer. A man whose clan was the weakest and whose family worshiped Baal. He even
accused the Lord of abandoning Israel. Here’s what the Lord said.
14 Then the Lord turned to Gideon and said, “Go
with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am
sending you!” NLT
Gideon needed reassurance. Therefore, he asked the
angel to show him a sign that it was the Lord who was speaking to him. It was a
small step of faith, but Gideon was “going
with the strength you have”.
Following this, the angel gave Gideon a challenge.
He told Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and the Asherah pole. Because
he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, Gideon did it at night. Still,
he took a huge risk. This step of faith brought him closer to being ready to
fulfill the angel’s title of “mighty warrior”.
As the Midianites and their allies gathered in the
Jezreel Valley, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. He called the Israelites
to prepare to fight. But even then, before Gideon was willing to go to battle,
he twice asked the Lord for a sign.
Gideon was no different than you or me. He was
afraid to take risks; to step out in faith; to lose control. He saw himself as
the world saw him, not as the Lord saw him. He let the culture around him shape
his life. Despite this, when he was called and sent by the Lord, he obeyed.
16 The Lord said to Gideon, “I will be with
you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one
man.” NLT
The Lord doesn’t want a mighty warrior. He wants us
to “go with the strength you have”
and in the knowledge that the Lord will be with us.
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