Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night (verse 27).
Message: The Lord Calls Gideon
Time: Judges covers about 250 years from death of Joshua to birth of Samuel (1360-1110 BC). The people of Israel largely divided with different local triable judges. It was a period of stirring interventions by the Lord and also great disobedience on the part of the Israelites. Without a king, everyone did right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).
What the Lord is Saying: Chapter 6 begins with familiar footing - verse 1 - "Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." This seems to be the theme of this book. Back and forth. Evil. Discipline. Prayer. Restoration. When we sin or abandon the Lord, we receive punishment. The evil that is done is defined by the Lord. Verse 1 - "and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years."
But it seems like there is this cycle of life - we live and trust God and they we go wayward - falling in line with the way of the world. Our hearts and our minds become far from God. And perhaps bad times come to our lives. Though we often don’t characterize these times as God judging us. Life does seem to be hard because that’s the way it is and then also hard though because of us doing evil.
Verse 2 begins to describe what this discipline looked like to Israel. Israel had to hide in the mountains and caves because Midian was so cruel to them. Israel planted crops and Midian attacked them, destroying the crops and leaving them with nothing to eat. Eventually, the land was stripped bear. Israel was starving. Verse 6, "and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord." The Midianite people in stealing produce and taking livestock is partly the result of the oppression of Israel.
We are like this. We get into the consequences of our actions, get disciplined and it begins to hurt us so much and at this low point we cry out to the Lord. "Please God - take this away."
A prophet is sent to Israel to speak to them on behalf of the Lord, telling them or reminding them of the works of God and how God had rescued them - "I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery." God did these things for us. God was faithful and delivered them (us). God directed them and told them what to do but they did not listen. It is important to God that his people underhand their wayward ways. We need to be convicted. God wants to get personal with us.
The angel of the Lord visits Gideon and says in verse 12, "The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior." Gideon though doesn't understand for if God is with them then why have all of these bad things been happening to them. The hard times we experience could me God looking at all of us as a body rather than simple as individuals. In verse 14 the Lord says to Gideon, "deliver Israel from the hand of Midian." This will be the role of Gideon - to deliver the people. Again Gideon wonders and again the Lord says to him (verse 16), "Surely I will be with you." And Gideon asks for a sign of confirmation.
I took a moment to study this idea of God speaking to the prophet and saying that He was with him. The prophet Isaiah foresaw the virgin birth of Messiah - stating Immanuel which means "God with us." Jesus is God with us. God had been with His people always—in the pillar of cloud above the tabernacle, in the voice of the prophets, in the ark of the covenant. Yes, prophets have been needed and they are a part of our history. But once Jesus came on the scene - God with us. God is with us. You and I have direct access to God. The writer of Hebrews said it, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." Jesus is all we need now, but then we needed prophets to help us.
Gideon asks for a sign from the angel of the Lord. He prepares a young goat, flour, and unleavened bread and brings it out to the angel of the Lord in a pot. He is told to lay them out on a rock, pouring broth over them. The angel put a staff out and fire sprung up and consumed the bread and meat. Gideon had received his confirmation. Yet even in this story we see the weakness of Gideon in not simply trusting the Lord.
Verse 25 records direction from the Lord for Gideon to pull down the altar of Baal (sun god) and the nature goddess Asherah as these were important to his father and the entire community. Baal's altar must be overthrown before God's altar can be built. He does this by taking his father's bull and then another bull that is 7 years old and throwing it down upon the altar. He seemed to be exercising the sin of his father and the people. Following taking these down he built an altar to the Lord. But Gideon does it at night rather than be seen by all during the day. He is obedient but he will define how he will be obedient. The next day thought the men of the city arose and saw what had been done and upon inquiry discovered it was Gideon. The men want Gideon's father Joash to deliver Gideon over to them, but Joash somewhat refuses and saved his sons life in the process. Rather than the men killing him, the father states that Baal has the power to do it. And his father names Gideon, "Jerubbaal" which means that he will contend with Baal.
Judges is recording the trust that people place in other gods. Again, there is a difference among people - those that are saved and those that are not saved. There is clearly an opposition in the world of the things of God. We should not be surprised. What we can find comfort in is that God will care for us and always rescue us and always provide a way out of these non-Godly situations.
Summary: The people are recorded once again as doing evil in the sight of God. God disciplines then and then provides Gideon to correct them though Gideon is stubborn in His trust of God.
Promise. Let us continually guard against being feared by man.
Prayer. God you are God and Lord. You are holy and my creator. You are faithful and my provider. You are persistent in caring for me and you continue to correct me so that I will fear you. I am a sinner. Thank you for these lessons and helping me see the condition of man that does not change despite different environments. Thank you for providing all that you have to help me be obedient but still I must act. Still I must trust You Lord. Thank you for giving me rest continually. And providing so many good opportunities for that. But help me to live in a manner that honors You continually.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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