Religion blog
The watchman was greatly encouraged today when he heard the Lord said, “think of Gideon”. He was lamenting over past fortunes being stolen, robbed, destroyed by the spiritual enemies during the last century.
Then he heard this clearly. Look at the characters and their backgrounds in the Bible. They are usually the most unlikely candidates for success. Even the Lord Jesus Himself was hung on a cross! The strategy used by God is impossible for a natural human mind to figure out.
Indeed, he was further encouraged when he recalled the record of people of faith and found names like: Gideon (from the weakest clan and least in his family), Jephthah (son of a prostitute), David (youngest and least impressive in natural endowment in family), Samuel (just a weaned child left alone in the temple), odd men out (Noah, Joseph, Moses, Caleb, John the Baptist, Paul), Rehab (the prostitute), Ruth (the foreign widow), Anna (old widow), Simeon (old retired man) and all the prophets (not in the main stream popular religious system).
Who was Gideon? He was really at his rock bottom when he was called by the angel of the Lord. He was hiding and “threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.” He was doubting the Lord too seeing all the hardships he and his people endured and no help was insight for so long!
Judges 6:2-6 “The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel, camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. 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. So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.”
Judges 6:2-6
GOD CALLED THE WEAKEST AND LEAST
Judges 6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.11 Then the angel of the Lord came .. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?" 15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”
GIDEON ASKED FOR SIGN AND BUILT ALTAR TO THE TRUE GOD
Judges 6:17 Gideon replied, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me.19 Gideon hurried home. ..And Gideon did as he was told. 22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” 24 And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”).
GIDEON PULLED DOWN THE FALSE GODS’ ALTAR
25 That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd… Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded.
GIDEON ASKED AND RECEIVED TWO SIGNS FROM GOD
Judges 6:33 Soon afterward the armies of ..(enemies) formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him. 36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised,” He then asked the Lord for two more signs (the signs of the fleece) and the Lord answered his request.
GOD USED A SMALL READY REMNANT ONLY
Judges 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. 4 But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many! 7 The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” 8 So Gideon sent 31,700 soldiers home. But he kept the 300 men with him.
GOD USED A DREAM & PROCLAMATION BY THE ENEMY TO CONFIRM GIDEON’S VICTORY
Judges 7:11 Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. 13 Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. 15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!”
GOD USED THE MOST UNLIKELY WEAPONS -FAITH AND OBEDIENCE IN ACTION
Judges 7:19 It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars.
Judges 7:20 Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 8:11 Gideon circled around, taking the Midianite army by surprise.
GOD HONORED FAITH
Judges 8:28 That is the story of how the people of Israel defeated Midian, which never recovered. Throughout the rest of Gideon’s lifetime—about forty years—there was peace in the land.
Isaiah 10:26 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will lash them with his whip, as he did when Gideon triumphed over the Midianites at the rock of Oreb, or when the Lord’s staff was raised to drown the Egyptian army in the sea.
Hebrews 11:32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.
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