Pastor David J. Taylor

Transcription

1 Bible Character Studies The Life of Gideon Guisborough Evangelical Church Pastor David J. Taylor

2 Contents: Life of Gideon: Gideon ~ Surprised and Called (Judges 6v1-24) page 4 Gideon ~ Down with Baal (Judges 6v25-40) page 10 Gideon ~ 300 Soldiers (Judges 7v1-25) page 19 Gideon ~ Subtle Temptations (Judges 8v1-25) page 29 References page 37 (Messages preached at Guisborough Evangelical Church during January 2007 and March 2007). The Life of Gideon Page 2

3 The Life of Gideon Page 3

4 Surprised by God Reading: Judges 6 v Introduction: Israel was once again in desperate trouble. For 40 years the people had enjoyed rest and security, but instead of walking with God, they turned their back upon him and worshipped the gods of the nations around them (v10). For 7 years a cruel enemy, the Midianites (v2, 11), have oppressed the Israelites, causing many to flee to the mountains where they made hiding places for themselves in caves and dens. The Midianites come like swarms of locusts (v5) and when they attacked, they destroyed the crops and took away the flocks (v4). The Israelites were left with no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox nor donkey (v4). In their suffering, they cried out to God for help. But would God help? These people were suffering because they had sinned against Him - they worshipped idols - gods of the Amorites (v10). Now they are crying out to Him, and yes, God will answer but not in the way they expect! Gideon is a farm labourer on the family farm in Orphrah. Here we find Gideon working secretly so that he would not be seen by the Midianite invaders (v11); it is here that a strange and unexpected visitor comes to him (v12). An Unexpected Visitor (v11-13): Who is this visitor? Gideon is working away when an angel appears to him. What is interesting about this encounter is that Gideon is not at all surprised, and seems to see him as if he were just a passing visitor! Is this visitor just one of Gods angels, sent from the presence of God to send this greeting and message to Gideon? After all this is part of the ministry that God has entrusted the angels with (Heb.1v7). Do we believe in angels? Do we believe that they visit this world? The Bible has many examples of this (i.e. Abraham Moses, Joshua, Mary, Paul etc.). The Life of Gideon Page 4

5 The New Testament encourages us to expect strange visitors (Heb.13v2). It is interesting to notice that Gideon was all alone when the angel appeared to him. It is interesting because this also seems to be a Biblical pattern (i.e. see examples above!) What an incredible idea this is! God sometimes sends his angels to speak to us when we are all alone, downcast or in trouble! At first glance this angel appears to be nothing special, but of course he is more than that, because this unexpected visitor is described as the Angel of the LORD (v13). When Jesus came into this world, he appeared to be just another man, but he was radically different! This angel tells Gideon that God is with him, but Gideon is not so sure about that. He says well if God is with us, where is the evidence of this? Where are all his miracles, which our fathers told us about (v13)? He concludes by saying surely God has forsaken us! Have you ever been in the embarrassing situation where you can t see something that is staring you in the face? Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal they crawled into their tent and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, Holmes awoke and nudged his friend. Watson, look up and tell me what you see? Watson replied, I see millions and millions of stars? What does that tell you, Watson? Asked Holmes. Watson pondered a moment and then replied, Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is within the Leo constellation. Chronologically I observe its night time 3 a.m. on June 14th. Meteorologically, the air appears dry, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day. Why did you ask? What does it tell you?? Holmes says, Watson, you idiot! Someone has stolen our tent! Sometimes we can t see the obvious! Gideon asked where is God? Has he abandoned us? Where are his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt? The Life of Gideon Page 5

6 Gideon was, like so many In Israel, so discouraged and disillusioned by the overwhelming power of the enemy that he failed to see God anywhere! He was so overwhelmed by defeat and suffering all around him that he failed to see God with eyes of faith. Gideon should have realised that they were suffering because they had abandoned God, and that God was urging them to return to him! Today, it is precisely because God has done wonders in the past that we can still trust Him today. God did not deliver Israel from Egypt so that they will one day suffer and perish. God did not save us so that we will one day perish. God did not redeem us by the blood of Jesus, and then see us perish in life through pain and suffering. Do you know how God sees you today? How do you see yourself? Are we like Gideon - living in defeat, with fears, without the courage to face the problems? Do we see ourselves very small and very weak? Gideon felt that way, because his eyes were on himself and not on God. The Lord s answer to Gideon was Gideon it s not about you, it s about me. I will be with you... The question is not how strong you are? but how strong I am? The apostle Paul realised this and was enabled to do great things for God because he knew that if God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8v31), and that he could do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil.4v13). What more do you need? If God is all you have, you have enough. Now back to the identity of this angel! After talking with Gideon, we are told that the LORD turned to him (v14, 16) and the conversation continued. The emphasis is no longer on an angel, but it shifts to the LORD himself. How precious the thought that God would send an angel to speak to his servant and to us but more precious is the thought that God himself draws near to speak to us! How we need to make sure that we are taking the time to be alone with God! The Life of Gideon Page 6

7 An Unexpected Commission (v14-16): What does this visitor want? The LORD has not come to Gideon just to pass the time of day with him; no he has something specific in mind. The LORD has not only told Gideon that God was with him, but he has also described Gideon as a mighty man of war (v12)! You can picture Gideon looking up and looking around him to see if there was anyone else present, then finding there was no one else saying, who me? No, I am a farmer, the son of a farmer; not a soldier or leader! However God says that is exactly what Gideon was! Then God tells Gideon what it is that God requires of him. He says go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. And to enforce his statement he gives two words of promise and encouragement have not I sent you? (v14), and again surely I will be with you (v16). Gideon cannot believe his ears! Me deliver Israel? I don t think so! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my fathers house (v15). Gideon s image of himself, may come from his humility, or because like many Israelites in his day, no one seemed that important anymore. Whatever the reason for such words, God is not side-tracked! He knows his people better than they know themselves! Gideon s problem with all of this is that he can see the real world. He can see that clearly God is not active amongst his people, the enemy has the upper hand, so what difference can he make? God sees us differently! The angel of the Lord didn t greet Gideon as he would have expected; The Lord is with you mighty man of valour (or warrior)! God didn t see Gideon as a nobody or just a weakling. God saw Gideon as a strong and powerful warrior! o God sees Superman; Gideon only sees Clark Kent. o God sees Spiderman; Gideon only sees Peter Parker. Are we any better than Gideon? The Life of Gideon Page 7

8 God calls his people to serve him and promises to be with us, but we look around us and ask where is the evidence of God at work today? Where are the revivals, why do so few go to church, why are there so few conversions? Has not God left us? This is indeed the day of small things (Zech.4v10) but God has not, and cannot abandon his people. If he did he would be going against his own promises and making a mockery of his Word. God has emphatically stated I will build my church (Matt.16v18). He has promised to be with his people even till the end of the age (Matt.28v20). The hymn-writer reminds us in that tremendous hymn: What more can he say, than to you he hath said you who unto Jesus for refuge have fled I ll never no never, no never forsake! (From the hymn: How firm a foundation author Unknown). God will never go back on his Word or the promises contained within his Word! Although there are not many great signs of Gods activity, that does not mean he is not at work! Gods work still has to be done, the gospel still needs to be proclaimed, and missionaries still need to be supported and remembered in prayer. So let us press on, pray on and work on not in our own strength, but in the Lords. Unexpected displays of grace and power (v17-24): Gideon, through this entire encounter, is seen to be a man of doubts, uncertainty and fear. Listen to his words if (v13) why (v13) where (v13) how (v15) if (v17)? Then he asks God to show him a sign (17-18)! This is certainly not the language of faith. Gideon confessed that God had chastened his people justly (v13), but he could not understand how the Lord would use a poor farmer like himself to deliver the nation. God met his unbelief with a series of promises the Lord is with you (v12); you shall surely deliver Israel have I not sent you surely I will be with you (v12, 14). Gideon required a sign and God graciously granted it to him (v19-24). However, this is not a good example for us to follow. The Life of Gideon Page 8

9 Gideon s strength and the strength of every believer was to be drawn from the Lord s promise to Gideon (v12) the Lord is with you so go have I not sent you (v14), surely I will be with you (v14). If we are going to wait until every possible hindrance has been removed before we do a work for the Lord we will never attempt to do anything. This promise encourages us not only in our personal fight against sin, but in evangelism and in our prayer battle against false religions. Conclusion: Gideon reminds us that God speaks calls and uses ordinary people in his work! What an encouragement for those of us who consider ourselves to be nothing special! In Gods eyes we are special, we are his children, he has redeemed and adopted us through Christ, and in his amazing grace he has chosen us to reach a fallen world with the gospel of his Son, not in our own strength and abilities, but in the strength and might of God who promises to be with us! The Life of Gideon Page 9

10 Down With Baal! Reading: Judges 6 v Gideon has had a special visitor: the Angel of the Lord (v11-12, 20-22), who is later identified as the Lord himself (v14, 16, 23). God came to call Gideon to fight against the Midianites (v13-14, 16). Despite all his objections Gideon is assured that God himself would be with him and that victory would be given to him because of the presence of God not because of his own skills or abilities (v14, 16). Sometimes we, as Christians are reluctant to follow the Lord because of the difficult circumstances that such a course leads us into, however we need to remember that there is no situation that I can get into that God cannot get me out of. Some years ago when I was learning to fly, my instructor told me to put the plane into a steep and extended dive. I was totally unprepared for what was about to happen. After a brief time the engine stalled, and the plane began to plunge out-of-control. It soon became evident that the instructor was not going to help me at all. After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity, my mind began to function again. I quickly corrected the situation. Immediately I turned to the instructor and began to vent my fearful frustrations on him. He very calmly said to me, There is no position you can get this airplane into that I cannot get you out of. If you want to learn to fly, go up there and do it again. At that moment God seemed to be saying to me, Remember this. As you serve Me, there is no situation you can get yourself into that I cannot get you out of. If you trust me, you will be all right. Gideon had to learn this lesson so must we. Gideon is not seen as the fearless hero we would like him to be eager, willing and ready! However Gideon, in the New Testament is described as a man of faith (Heb.11v32). Christians are not often found to be what other Christians would hope them to be! Some churches have become so attached to their ministers that they cannot do without them! Christians whether famous or not are just ordinary people! There is a story told about a group of tourists who were visiting a picturesque village. The Life of Gideon Page 10

11 One person turned to an elderly man sitting nearby and asked, Were there any great men born in this village? The old man replied, Nope, only babies. Babies that grew up and became great, Christians are born again sinners that God takes and uses or his glory. Before God could use Gideon, Gideon had to have the assurance that he was at peace with God (v23-24). This is why a sacrifice was to be made it showed a break with the past and a step into the future. He was to leave past sins behind, and enter into a new way of life in obedience to God and his Word. It was necessary that he should first make peace with God (v23, 26), before he made war on Midian. Until sin is pardoned through the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ, no good can be expected. If you brought an old house, one that was run down and in need of a lot of repairs what would you do first? You wouldn t begin by painting the walls, wallpapering the bathroom and hanging pictures, would you? No, you would start by checking the foundation, checking that the structure was sound, and then move onto the plumbing and electrical circuit s etc. These are basics before any decorating can be done otherwise it may prove to be a complete waste of time and money. So it is in spiritual things. We must ensure our foundation is strong, and able to support the structure that is going to be built on it. Gideon - go home! (v25-32): Gideon was eventually convinced that the Lord was calling him (v22), but before God sends Gideon off to fight the Midianites, God gives him a task to fulfil at home. First he has to go and cut down (v25) the image of and altar to Baal. In its place he was to build an altar to the Lord and make a sacrifice to the Lord upon it (v25-26). Gideon was given a thankless but necessary job to oppose the pagan practices of his father, his father s household, and the men of the town, to break the stranglehold of Baal and Asherah from in the community, and to return the Israelites to the worship of the one true God. Things were in such decline that worshipping Yahweh was a joke, an afterthought, and an affront (Does that sound familiar?). The idols were sizable, elaborate, and central in the community. Ten people were needed to dismantle it. The Life of Gideon Page 11

12 Gideon was up to his neck and over his head but up for the task. He was concerned about the people s reaction but committed to the Lord s command. For Gideon, this would have been a great challenge, because of the size of the image itself. An altar to Baal was found at Megiddo which measured some twenty six feet across and four and a half feet high. Made of many stones, cemented together by mud, such an altar would constitute an immense task to destroy and carry away. However the greatest challenge to overcome was his fear of what people would think about him, and what he is doing. For Gideon, this command from God was very difficult. Gideon knew that there was the possibility that his father and his father s household (v27), not just his father, his family members and relatives would all be very angry. In addition to that, the men of the city would also be more than a little upset! So he decides to wait until nightfall to do it! Just imagine how we would feel if we came on Sunday and found our church in ruins, another religious group meeting on the rubble! Despite his fears Gideon obeyed the Lord. Are you willing to stick your neck out for God? Put your life on the chopping block to accomplish His will? The fear of man usually brings a snare to us, and is a great hindrance to our work for the Lord, but not everything works out the way that we fear it will! When the people wanted to kill him, it was Gideon s father who stood up for him! He says that if Baal is real, Baal will take care of it. Baal can defend himself if he is a real God. Every person in that town, and every person who heard the story, would watch Gideon to see if Baal would kill him! God told Gideon to start his work at home, for a number of reasons: One: Israel needed to clean up their own act before they started fighting their enemies. The people must realise that for God to bless them they must abandon their idolatry and worship only the Lord. Gideon s father may have had some glimmerings of Israel s true faith. At any rate he acknowledged the weakness of Baal. The Life of Gideon Page 12

13 Gideons father gives Gideon a new name (v31) Jerubbaal (let Baal plead), because he has stood up for what God showed him was the right thing to do. His new name was a name of honour. Such a moment may not come to us, but when I read in Revelation the mention of a new name, I see in that an intimation of the truth that God has names for his people in connection with their service here. Two: To show Gideon that he isn t alone. There are others who care about serving God. Three: It shows him in a small way that when he acts God will bring him success. Four: Before God gives His servants great victories in public, He sometimes prepares them by giving them smaller victories at home. Before David killed the giant Goliath in the sight of two armies, he learned to trust God by killing a lion and a bear in the field where nobody saw it but God (1 Sam.17v32-37). Jesus said that when we prove that we are faithful with a few things, God will trust us with greater things (Matt.25v21). We should also realise that our service for the Lord begins at home, and like a stone dropped into a pond makes ripples, so our faith spreads outward! How important it is for us to start right! We can t be useful to God publicly, unless we re faithful privately. The New Testament reminds us that it is time for judgement to begin with the house [or family] of God (1 Pet.4v17). That means us - and our own situations! In our own homes and in our own churches! Home is the most difficult place to begin. Representing Jesus Christ among our own family and our closest friends is difficult. They are aware of our altars, our places of worship. They know our shortcomings and failures. But our journey of faith must begin at home. Our commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ must first affect our home life. Often this is very difficult for us to do. We must be willing to burn the bridges of sin in our lives and not look back. We must cut out any relationships that will lead us away from God and into temptation and evil. The Life of Gideon Page 13

14 We must build the foundations for a godly walk with God. Do you think you are too young or old to make an impact? Too busy, tired, or discouraged to care? Don t think for a minute that you are insignificant. You are a trophy of His grace. We are exactly what this world needs! John Wesley, the remarkable founder of the Methodist movement, had a wise insight into how God uses men said, give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I will shake the world. God s provision for victory (v33-35): Following this victory the Midianite army gathered together (v33), but the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon (v34). This literally means that God clothed himself with Gideon. The Hebrew is, The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon; clothed him as a robe, to put honour upon him; clothed him as a coat of mail to put a defence upon him. This is what the Spirit did at Pentecost as he came down upon the disciples (Acts 2) and clothed them with divine authority, power and protection. Give me a sign (v36-40): An age-old question is was Gideon right to ask for a sign? Some would say: Yes - his faith was weak he wanted to be absolutely sure! Yes because it was not so much on his own account as others. Others would say: No - he had been assured of God s presence, Gods promise and God Spirit in the previous verses. Gideon had put God to the test, and God had responded by burning up his offering (v21). Gideon had heard the promise of deliverance (v16). Gideon had seen God deliver him from the anger of both his father and the citizens of his home city. Yet still Gideon wanted more proof that God will deliver Israel! Occasionally I hear of someone putting out a fleece, asking God for some tangible indication of His will, and asking for proof. The Life of Gideon Page 14

15 This is not an act of faith. These fleecings have nothing to do with determining God s will - God already clearly told Gideon what to do. Gideon s fleece shows his doubt, fear and lack of trust. Perhaps this is how one might treat Baal, but not the True God of Israel. Gideon should ve trusted God instead of demanding a sign. Sometimes we can be just the same! the call to the ministry moving from one part of the country to another changing jobs etc. We want the certainty that it really is God who is calling us and giving us a work to do, and that it is not just our subjective feelings that are in play. That is a perfectly natural and worthy desire. Our faith can indeed be weak, especially at the outset of our Christian life, and God is very willing to give us confirmation in one way or another. However, when God has shown us clearly then we must not keep putting God to the test. We need to be careful in what we ask God to do for us, seeking signs in the New Testament was often seen by Jesus as an excuse for their unbelief (John 4v48). However this was not always the case (as with Thomas after the resurrection John 20v24-25, 29), but even then the Lord indicates it would have been better for Thomas to not have asked! He said blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. In such times of uncertainty and doubt our prayer should be Lord I believe help my unbelief! There was a man named Fred who had fallen off the edge of a high cliff but managed to grab on to a small bush. He couldn t get back up. There he was dangling 200 feet above a rocky canyon calling out for help. Finally a voice answered, Fred, Fred, this is the Lord, would you like me to help you? Fred answers, Yes! Thank-you Lord. Please help me! The Lord says, I will help you, Fred. But you must trust me. Fred says, Oh, yes! I will trust you, Lord. Just help me get back up. So the Lord says, OK, Fred, I will help you. Now, let go of the bush. Fred looks down below him, and looks up at the top of the cliff. The Life of Gideon Page 15

16 The Lord says, Fred, if you want me to help you, let go of the bush. Fred calls out, Is there anybody else up there? When God calls us to follow him, he has the big plan, the goal he wants to accomplish, but often he doesn t tell us this from the start. Rather he leads us along as we are able. Leading us step by step. He knows us. He knows what we are capable of. He knows when we need reassurance and signs. He knows when we fake it and ask for things to stall or dodge our responsibilities. Jesus didn t call the disciples to turn the world upside down, change the Roman Empire forever and die a martyr s death; no he simply said follow me and led them along step by step. In Gideon s case Gods patience made the miracle the more remarkable! Gideon got the confirmation that he had asked for. His faith was strengthened, and this prepared him to take the next step - but this does not mean that it is right for us to follow this example! We need to be aware that there are two aspects of the will of God for our lives: God s will is both general and specific. First, the general: This is what God s will is for every believer, and it involves the whole realm of our moral and ethical choices. This statement of God s will is revealed in the Bible. Technically, God s will is for us to become like Christ. This is his primary concern for each one of us. Paul tells us this is the will of God, your sanctification (1 Thess.4v3). It is that we be holy, that we be set apart to be who he wants us to be, morally, ethically, and spiritually. In another place, he also tells us that Christians are to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess.5v16-18). Technically, God s will is that you mature spiritually, that your life reflects his holiness and love, that you manifest the fruits of the Spirit, for faith to be completed in your life. His will majors on character, faith, and holiness. And the blueprint for all of this is in the Bible. God s Word is God s will for your life. Second, the specific: What does God want me to do with my life? The Life of Gideon Page 16

17 In many ways we could say that with many of the choices in life, the answer is, it doesn t matter. The first priority for believers is to honour Christ. Whatever we find ourselves doing; we do it as to the Lord. What really matters to God is that you are being the right kind of person where you are - growing in faith and love - rather than your thinking the right circumstances will make all the pieces of the puzzle fit into place. There is no perfect job, no perfect place to live, and no perfect spouse. These things will not make your life right. The job doesn t make you; you in Christ make the job. Marriage doesn t make your life right; you in Christ make the marriage right. But this is not quite enough, is it? We face many difficult decisions on this road of faith. These decisions are important to us. We need some guidelines by which we can feel confident about God s specific will in our lives. 1. God does not give us road signs as much as he gives us a guide. 2. Guidance is sought and confirmed though prayer. 3. Guidance may or may not be confirmed by circumstances. 4. Guidance is communicated through the desires that God gives us. 5. Guidance is confirmed through the counsel of other believers. 6. God s will is often very logical. Conclusion: Gideon as we have seen was a very unlikely hero. He was reluctant at first to respond to the call of God. He did not always possess strong faith, and like all of us, he had great weaknesses. And he made all kinds of excuses as to why he couldn t do what God was calling him to do. But God still used him in a powerful way, just as He uses each of us today if we are willing to believe Him and do what He commands. In spite of all his fears, Gideon was willing to step out and obey the Lord. He will use you too if you are willing to obey! God uses the committed and the obedient to accomplish His purpose and demonstrate His almighty power. Gideon was called by God to pull down and build up. The church has the same mission, to pull down error and build up the work of the Lord. The Life of Gideon Page 17

18 It is encouraging to know that the Lord calls us all to this work, even those who are fearful and the hesitant, but we like Gideon are to be clothed in the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can fulfil our calling. Then we will know that it is not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit says the Lord, that the work is done and will be successful! The Life of Gideon Page 18

19 Gideon s 300 Men Reading: Judges 7 v Gideon has had a special visitation from God. His visitor was the angel of the Lord (6v11-12, 20-22), who is later identified as the Lord himself (6v14, 16, 23). Gideon has been enlisted into the Lord s army to fight against the Midianites (6v13-14, 16). Despite all his objections he is assured that God himself would be with him, and that victory would be given to him because of the presence of God not because of his own skills or abilities (6v14, 16). God called Gideon to serve him at home before going onto the wider battlefield. It was a testing time for him, but God showed him that even there help was at hand! It is encouraging to know that the Lord calls us all to work for him in one way or another, even those of us who are fearful and hesitant! However we like Gideon are to be clothed in the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can fulfil our work and calling. Then we too will know that it is not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit says the Lord, that the work is done and will be successful! The lessons that God teaches us are to be remembered, and used as an encouragement to press on with our walk of faith with God. Gideon needs to do this so do we. God s choice (v1-8): The Midianite army was as numerous as locusts (6v5), even their camels were like the sand on the seashore (v12)! Gideon had managed to gather an army of 32,000 men victory was now a remote possibility. However, they were still outnumbered, had no weapons, little transport, and supplies were extremely scarce. For Gideon, his confidence was beginning to grow with this army he could at least sense the fact that God would bring victory! Picture a vast army filling an entire valley, its tanks as numerous as sand on a seashore, and you ll get a sense of Gideon s problem. The Life of Gideon Page 19

20 Any wise general would want all the soldiers possible in attacking such a foe. However as we know from this well-known story God said no! He says to Gideon you have too many men (v2)! Many of us are familiar with the management concept of cut backs or downsizing - we re told to do more with less. However, nations don t usually downsize when preparing for war! They mobilise their reserves and cancel all leave and requests for discharge and retirement. There are a couple of important observations from these events that we should consider: a): Salvation is all of God (Eph.2v8-9). In salvation it is God who has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. We do not know why he chose Abraham but he did. We do not know why he chose Gideon here but he did. We do not know why he chose to save certain individuals we cannot see why he should choose us out of all the mass of humanity but he has! This is not a point that we can boast about before the world. It does not mean that we are better than anyone else, but it should humble us to realise God has worked in such a way to choose us! b): Gideon sent home those who were afraid and down hearted (v3, Deut.20v8) because they were a drain on the spirits of others. How we need to examine what effect we are having on others in the fellowship! c): Why was God doing this to Gideon? Why does God allow times of weakness even overwhelming odds at times? It is so that we will be more reliant upon Him and through that, He can show us more of Himself, His work on our behalf, and hopefully prevent us from stealing His glory! To guarantee that history would record this battle as a divine victory, God issued an order for a massive reduction-in-force. Therefore Gideon is to tell all those who are afraid to go home. Out of his army of 32,000 men, 22,000 go home, leaving Gideon with only 10,000 men (v3)! Gideon is now beginning to feel a little uneasy at this! The Life of Gideon Page 20

21 However God speaks to him again and says, Gideon you still have too many men (v4)! So this army of 10,000 men is eventually reduced to 300 men (v6). Then God says to Gideon that will do! I will bring about deliverance with these men (v7-8). Out of the 10,000 people that remained, 9700 kneeled down and drank straight from the water where as 300 evidently stood, and used their hands to bring the water to their mouth. God was only interested in the smaller group who were more watchful and alert. All of this would of course test Gideon s faith again! No man will boast in his achievement it was God (v2). It is the same principle that is found in New Testament God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty that no flesh should glory in his presence he who glories let him glory in the Lord (1 Cor.1v27-31). God does test our faith. Not because he does not know what it is like, but in order to show us that when life s challenges hit us our trust and faith in God s keeping grace will not fail us. God frequently trims our resources to get us to depend entirely on Him. Sickness, financial reversal, family conflict, and other difficulties cause us to turn our lives over to God. When the odds seem overwhelming, God overwhelms the odds! d): God does not worry about a big army or a small army. People always seem concerned with numbers but God is not! 5 loaves and 2 fish but what are they compared with 5000 people? In the hands of God they are all that is needed (John 6v9)! In God s world, what is accomplished does not depend in the final analysis upon the time factor, numbers, size, resources or any of these things, since they are all irrelevant to God and he can use them or ignore them as he pleases. We need to pay attention to these things, but always we must let God be God. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty (Zech.4v6). The other thing to note is that the people themselves, all of whom were keen to be used to fight Midian, didn t even know there was a test going on. The Life of Gideon Page 21

22 Likewise, God tests us, looking for hearts that are truly His, and these tests come in the ordinary events of our daily lives often without our knowing. God s preparations (v9-15): Despite all the words of reassurance that God had given to Gideon, he was still afraid (v10). So God tells him to go to the enemy camp! Gideon over hears some Midianites discussing a dream and hears them say that this can only mean that God was working through Gideon to give Israel the victory over them (v13-14). How amazing these men should have this dream and understand its meaning (v13-14). How amazing that they should be discussing it just at the time Gideon was around to hear it! For Gideon this was a further confirmation of what God had told him (6v14-16). God was preparing the way for the defeat of Israel s enemies, which means that he was also preparing the way for the victory of his people. The path is one and the same! Although God had chosen the soldiers who would fight, though he had gone before, preparing the way, yet Gideon and his army still had to participate in the battle. God chose to use them to defeat his enemies. What would have been the outcome if Gideon had seen and heard these things, then decided, well God has got everything in hand, and says to his men, let s go home! However we are not called to go into uncharted territory or to boldly go when no one has gone before rather we follow in the footsteps of Jesus our King, the Commander of the Lord s army (Josh.5v14)! What is the relationship between God s work and ours? We cannot convict a single person of a single sin, save a soul, or heal a marriage. You and I can do nothing eternal. As we teach God s word, God s Spirit must transform those who hear us, or it will have no effect. On the other hand, we must plan and prepare. We must speak the words the Spirit uses. So what is our role? What is God s? The Life of Gideon Page 22

23 In a sentence: As we work, God works. As we do our part, God does his. As we prepare and pray, God s Spirit then uses the words we have worked hard to communicate, accomplishing far more with them than we can. But if we will not do our work, we limit God s. Whenever we engage on a work of God, we must remind ourselves that God has already gone before preparing the way. This is especially true in preaching and evangelisation. It is not a hit and miss affair whether people are receptive to our message. God by his Spirit prepares peoples hearts. Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war Looking unto Jesus who is gone before (From the hymn: Onward Christian Soldiers by S. Baring- Gould). God was going to work Israel s deliverance for his people and yet with them. It is God s ordinary method to work with and by his people. God s weapons (v16-25): It is significant that there is no mention of swords or weapons in the hands of Gideon s band of 300. Instead the people are told to take a trumpet an empty pitcher and a torch to put inside the pitcher (v16). Surely these are not going to be of much use on a battlefield? What torches the army required were kept in clay jars so they would remain lit but their flames low; in this way the army could creep up in the night undetected. When they broke the jars, the sudden flames surrounding the Midianite camp would be a second indication of a massive army on the perimeter. Paul in the New Testament reminds us an important spiritual lesson (2 Cor.3v5, 4v7). Our Christian service for the Lord is in earthen vessels. He says I am not worthy or strong for it, in order that the excellency of it may be seen to be not in the vessel, but in the gospel itself. When the battle cry went up the Israelites all stood their ground (v21-22), while the enemy defeated itself! We want to offer God our strength and our weapons and our insight but he does not need them. We need him. The Life of Gideon Page 23

24 Rather than trying to get God to accept our plans, strategies, and goals, we ought to strive to understand his. God is not going to do his work our way; he is going to do it his way. It will be the Lord that builds his work here in Guisborough. Of course God does not need us in order to accomplish his work, but he chooses to have us work for him, and equips us with the talents we need to fulfil our calling! We are fellow workers with him (2 Cor.6v1), we are God s fellow workers (1 Cor.3v9). There s a work for Jesus ready at your hand, Tis a task the Master just for you has planned. Haste to do his bidding, yield him service true; There s a work for Jesus none but you can do (From the hymn: There s a work for Jesus by E. D. Yale). It is still the same today! We are still to be serving the Lord. Yes he is Sovereign. Yes he rules over all. Yes he knows who he is going to save. Yes he is much more, and knows much more than we will ever know but still he calls us to serve him in this great task of proclaiming the gospel, so that through us - he will work and bring many to a saving faith in his Son! What principles can we discern from Gideon s battle preparations as we make ourselves ready to serve God this week? First and foremost, listen to God before you act for God. All through our text, the Lord directed Gideon to specific actions at specific times. His leadership was clear, tangible, and practical. He wanted his general to know his will, even more than Gideon wanted to know it. And Gideon was willing to listen to his Lord before he went into battle for him Don t get ahead of God; God may not follow. So start your day with your heavenly Father. Listen to God s word before you consult any other. Pray through your day, giving your opportunities and problems to his Spirit. The Life of Gideon Page 24

25 A woman was seated at a dinner party next to President Lincoln. During the course of the evening she said to him, I pray daily for God to be on our side in this great conflict. He smiled, turned, and wisely replied, I pray daily for us to be on his side? Second, be obedient today and trust God for tomorrow. Nothing of Gideon s preparations made any military sense Obedience is always the key to understanding. We stand up to Pharaoh before God defeats Pharaoh s armies. We step into the Jordan River before God stops its flood. We march around Jericho before it falls. We trust God in the lion s den before God stops the lion s mouth. We praise God before the fiery furnace and meet God in its flames. We must get out of the boat before we can walk on the water to Jesus. Third, the weapons God gives to us are sufficient for the task. The sword of the LORD and of Gideon (v18, 20) God s word! Conclusion: What are we looking for in our service for God? Praise, acknowledgement and rewards for our work here and now? God will not use us - if that is our motive! We all want credit, don t we? I did a stained glass window in my home, and when people come there I make sure they sit where they can look up and say, Oh, what a neat stained glass window. Did you make it? Yeah. It was nothing. Can I show you the lamps I made? We love to take the credit when we shouldn t. So one day my mentor, Bill Rose, who taught me everything I know about stained glass, was in my house with some other people. They sat down and I thought, Oh, no! I hope they don t ask about this. They did. Hey, what a neat stained glass window. Did you make it? Aww, well, no, not really. Bill Rose right here, in fact, taught me how to cut it, then he taught me how to put all the lead together. And of course, it s his design, and he actually put it in. What is it about me that always wants the credit? I struggle so much with this. Just as Gideon began a journey of faith when the angel of the Lord appeared to him, we, too, are on a journey of faith. The Life of Gideon Page 25

26 And the road is often difficult and lonely. Faith is something we need but it is not easy to come by. I am reminded of the story of the little boy who was awakened by a nightmare at 3 o clock in the morning. He called out, Daddy! Daddy! His father answered groggily, What is it? I had a bad dream! said the boy. I m scared! The father responded, Go back to sleep, son. It was just a dream. But I want you come and be with me, said the little boy. Daddy groaned, Just go back to sleep, son. God is with you. After a brief silence, the boy said, But I want somebody with skin on! First, the preparation for Gideon s faith was the drastic reduction of his resources. God eliminated everything tangible that Gideon might have depended on and put him in a situation where he had to fight. There could be no turning back. Faith was the only thing that would get him through. The issue was not the defeat of Midian, but whether Gideon could overcome his own fear and believe that the Lord would give Midian into the hand of Israel. Second, Gideon was empowered to glorify God and not himself. The reason why Gideon s resources were reduced to such a drastic degree was because God knew that Israel might become boastful, or literally glorify herself instead of God, and say, My own power has saved me (v2). God told Gideon that he would be with him, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (6v34). Then Gideon proclaimed to his 300 men that the Lord had given the camp of Midian into their hands (v15). He was empowered, but that empowering was to be contrasted with his own lack of power and resources. God wanted to make it clear to Israel and to the Midianites and to everyone else that he alone was to be magnified. Third, Gideon was equipped with the weapons of faith. Not only was Gideon s army drastically reduced, but the weapons he used, trumpets, torches and pitchers, can hardly be described as intimidating. We wouldn t consider taking them into battle. But, for Gideon, the fight was not so much a physical battle as a spiritual one. The enemy was his own fear and doubt, not the Midianites. The Life of Gideon Page 26

27 Paul wrote, Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses (2 Cor.10v3-4). Fourth, Gideon s journey of faith is a personal one. No one could acquire faith for him. As we have seen, Gideon s servants helped him tear down the altar of Baal, his father renamed him, and Purah (v10) went with him to the camp, but none of these people could acquire faith for him. The offering was ignited, the fleece was thrown out, but these signs did not give him faith. He had but 300 men. He was virtually alone. It was just God and him. Would he acquire faith? The climax of the story (v15) reveals that he did arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands. When he heard the interpretation of the dream, he worshipped and believed. No longer would he operate on a trial and error basis. Faith had finally triumphed. Faith is a personal journey. No one can acquire it with you. There are many people travelling with you on your journey, and they offer support, help and comfort, but there comes a time and a place when it is just you and God. There is nothing left to lean on or trust in. Fifth, the result of Gideon s faith is freedom and confidence. Gideon returns to the camp full of confidence, saying arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands. If you go on to read of his pursuit and destruction of Midian, you will see that faith had replaced doubt, freedom had replaced anxiety, and confidence had replaced fear. A wonderful phrase (in 8v4) describes his attitude as he pursued Midian beyond the Jordan: he was exhausted but still in pursuit or weary, yet pursuing. Gideon was confident and victorious. The focus of this story is the journey of one man. It is a story of faith - trusting in someone who does not have skin on. Paul could say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil.4v13). Who do we trust? When faced with insurmountable odds, do we fall apart, or fall to our knees in prayer, trusting the Lord of hosts? We need to learn the lesson that it is when I am weak then am I strong (2 Cor.12v10, 13v9). The God of Israel is he who gives strength and power to his people (Ps.68v35). The Life of Gideon Page 27

28 Sixth, we shouldn t leave this chapter without emphasising the last ingredient for true victory over Midian. The jars had been smashed, the light of the torches had been exposed, but it was when the trumpet sounded that the Lord brought victory over the Midianite enemy. Blow the trumpet! Not your own trumpet however. A lot of people blow their own trumpet and while they like the sound it gives, it is definitely way off key for the rest of us! Blow the trumpet of God. Look at how the Apostle Paul wrote it in the passage from 2 Corinthians that we have been looking at For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord. The testimony and trumpet call that we sound is about Him, not us. The Life of Gideon Page 28

29 Subtle Temptations Reading: Judges 8 v After gaining the victory over the Midianites and the people of the East (7v12) on the battlefield, Gideon had to deal first with an angry delegation from the men of Ephraim (v1), then with people who refused to believe that God had given the victory to Gideon. The delegation from the men of Ephraim (v1), were angry that they had not been called to the battle with the Midianites. Gideon, in what appears to be a display of diplomatic humility smoothes over their concerns, and praises them on their military achievements. Although this brought about an end to their anger toward him (v3), yet it is surprising that Gideon did not mention the fact that the Lord had been the one who had chosen the men, and it had been the Lord who had given the victory. Therefore he alone deserved the glory. The Bible tells us that a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Prov.15v1) and that if a man is overtaken in any trespass we should seek to restore such in a spirit of gentleness (Gal.6v1). Gideon could have responded with harsh words, reminding them that a call had gone out, but they had not responded etc. But Gideon was given the ability to know what to say and what not to say! It is important that we seek this ability as well! Someone once gave this advice, when seeking to deal with those who are not always appreciative of our efforts and seek to offer helpful criticism : if it is driven by contention respond in peaceableness if it is driven by malice respond in love if it is driven by meanness respond in generosity if it is driven by pride respond in humility if it is driven by arrogance respond in teachableness if it is driven by deception respond in truth if it is driven by mistrust respond in faith. After dealing with the men of Ephraim Gideon pursued the fleeing enemies even though they were weary with exhaustion (v5). The Life of Gideon Page 29

30 On the way he passed through two cities (Succoth and Penuel) requesting help for him and his men. He asked for loaves of bread (v5), but the people were so afraid of the Midianites that unless they knew for certain that they had been defeated they did not dare show that they were sympathetic to Gideon and his men. So instead of supporting and encouraging, they made themselves enemies of Gideon, who promised them that he would return victorious and would punish them for their stand against him (v6-7). When Gideon eventually gained the victory over the enemy he did return and do to those two cities all that he said he would. Gideon did not remember the time when his fears kept him from doing the right thing! He had forgotten in the heart of the moment how God had been gracious and merciful to him h should have shown the same attitude to these people. We too, if we are believers are to remember that we are not perfect, and that we should reflect God s grace to us in the way that we behave towards others. Does this not remind us of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came into the world to defeat and to destroy the power of sin and Satan? Does it not remind us that he has said you cannot serve two masters? Does it not also remind us that he also said he who is not with me is against me? Does it not also remind us that although Jesus has gone away from us for a while his promise is I will come again? How we should learn from these Old Testament stories and realise that God always keeps his Word even if it seems to us to be delayed for a long time let us always remember that what God says he is going to do he will do! Rule over us (v22-23): The men of Israel were so pleased with the way that Gideon had led them to victory that they decided they wanted Gideon to be their king. They said you have delivered us (v22). This was precisely the attitude that God knew would be in the hearts of the people. This was the reason why God reduced Gideon s army down to 300 men - so that they could have no reason to believe that it was by their own military might that had brought them the victory (7v2)! The Life of Gideon Page 30