Lesson from Gideon

Judges 6

1 The Israelites did evil (worshipping Baal) in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. // Lots of people when reading this verse, they see God as a terrifying Father. We have to remember that our Father is a loving Father. He doesn't long harm in our life. The Israelites chose to live outside God's protection. What God did was actually an act of grace. The word "he gave them into" is more towards Let Go. Why this was an act of grace? See verse 3-6.

3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. // God knows that this was the most "less suffer option" for the Israelites. The only thing that the Midianites did was ruined all their crops so they had no food. If the Israelites were given to other tribes, there is high possibility that they will execute the Israelites.

7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, 8 he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.” // God loves His people and answered even after what the Israelites did. Remember that it's not because of our works or doings. 1 John 4:19 we love because He first loved us.

11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. // The fact that Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress, it means that he was hiding and he didn't the Midianites to know that he had some crops. What we can learn from this is Gideon lost his Identity. It is very important as children of God to always remember our Identity. So who are we? what is our identity? 

You are a child of God

John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

You are a friend of God

John 15:15 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

I will not be condemnded by God

Romans 8:6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

I have been set free from the law of sin and death

Romans 8:2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

I have been accepted by Christ

Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

I have become the righteousness of God in Christ

2 Cor 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I have been set free in Christ

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

I am chosen holy and blameless before God

Eph 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

I am God workmanship created to produce good works

Eph 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The peace of God guards my heart and mind
Phi 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God supplies all my needs
Eph 2:10 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Listen to what God says about you!

12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” // God strengthened Gideon  by reminding him of his true identity. Even after God appeared and gave conviction to Gideon of his identity, Gideon still unsure and questioned God. If you read verse 13-19, you can see that Gideon still unsure and keep asking God for signs and confirmations. God always answered. 

25 That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. // God already spoke to him, Gideon was still afraid and did it at night.

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. 36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. // Still, even after the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, he asked for more signs and confirmations. On the positive note, Gideon is a man of faith where he wished to be sure that God was leading him.

 Judges 7

2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. // The Midian had 132,000 men whereas Gideon brought 32,000 men. But God said too many. So Gideon sent 22,000 men home and had 10,000 men. God said still too many. So God gave a test where only 300 men passed and those who passed will following Gideon to take Midianites into their hands.

9 During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying......19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands.......22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their sword // Learn to trust God step by step! From verse 9 onward, we can see how God showed Gideon step by step in detail how to defeat the enemies. Even in verse 19, we can see that it is God's perfect timing.

Judges 8

22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” // From Gideon who was insecure and afraid to become Gideon who was humble, courageous, faithful and full of wisdom. He was the greatest judge out of all 15 men who ruled as Judges of Israel. God can accomplish great things through us if we forget our weaknesses, believe in Him and follow His guidance.