God doesn’t need us – he uses us. God can get along just fine without
us – but in his grace and mercy toward us – he uses us.
Judges 6:36-40 – If we are chosen of God, he understands all our doubts
and fears. God answers our fear.
Verse 6 – When we cry – God hears and answers – through a prophet.
An angel spoke only to Gideon. Verse 11.
Verse 13 – Same God.
Verse 21 – Help from unexpected places.
David had only 600 men with him
God doesn’t deliver, as we would expect – See David before Goliath
– Elijah fed with a raven, then God used a widow woman.
7:10 – God knows and comforts in our fears.
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6:1 – When we sin, and under the chastening hand of God, God still
hears and will deliver us.
Describe the terrible time the Israelites had under the rule of the
Midianites – their crops, homes, and livelihood were destroyed. Many of
the Israelites had to live in caves and such.
6:6 – Israel prayed to God and God heard and sent a prophet to them.
The prophet preached about their sins but did not instruct them to repent
and believe. Israel, as a nation, needed to hear about their sins and how
they had grieved God Almighty. It is one thing to know something is wrong,
but it is something else again to know it is our fault. The prophet did not
preach how God would deliver Israel, but he preached to them about their
sins. Many people today like to hear about believing in Christ, but few
people want to hear they need to repent of their sins. After 9/11, many
people asked God to bless America – but nobody – I mean nobody – ever
asked God to forgive America. Before we can receive the blessings of God, we
must be forgiven.
6:11 – The angel came to Gideon without him or anybody else asking for
deliverance. It is apparent from their actions that they were doing all they
could do to sustain themselves and to protect themselves, but their enemies
were too many and too strong for them. When we do not serve God as we
should, God can sent enemies greater and stronger than we, and God can
affect our thinking processes so we do not know what to do. An angel came to
Gideon. Gideon heard about ˝ of the message. According to verse 13, Gideon
heard how God could bless, but he failed to hear that he was a mighty man of
valour. We often hear only about ˝ of God’s message to us. No wonder we
cannot receive blessings from God. Gideon had some knowledge of the
blessings of God in the past, but he had no present knowledge. Gideon knew a
little about the promises of God, but he had never known for himself those
promises, or the fulfillment of those promises.
Gideon had to "grow up" so he could really follow God. Gideon
was hiding when he was threshing wheat. Gideon did not believe the promises
of God – see verse 13. Gideon believed he would die when he understood an
angel had spoken to him. He failed to see the promises of God would come
true to him, even if he had seen the angel. Gideon had to destroy the image
of Baal his father had established during the night because he was afraid of
the household of his father. The bullock Gideon offered on the altar was
seven years old – the same length of time Israel was under dominion of the
Midianites. This teaches me that the way of deliverance is already in place
when the time of captivity took place. So it is with us. But after this,
verse 34, Gideon waxed brave, when the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and
he publicly blew a trumpet, calling Israel to battle. After Israel gathered
together to battle, Gideon still had a lack of faith, because he put the
fleece before the Lord two times. Even after God assured Gideon he was with
him, in Judges 7:9-14, God instructed Gideon to take one man with him, and
go into the camp of the Midianites. Then Gideon truly believed.
7:1-8 – God teaches that he will fight for Israel. All the material
things Israel might gather together will never save them, but God will.
32,000 men were too many, so everybody that was afraid went home. 10,000
were left. This is still too many, therefore God took Gideon and his men to
the water, were God eliminated those that lapped. 300 men were left. Gideon
divided these 300 men into three companies – 100 in each company. They did
not fight with swords, but with trumpets, lanterns, and pitchers. All the
men obeyed Gideon because they knew God was leading him. These are all men
of great faith, willing to do, and not willing to go home. They were more
willing to die than live under the dominion of the Midianites. We must be
more willing to die (give up our lives to God) rather than live under the
dominion of sin, Satan, or this world. When the trumpets sounded, the
pictures were broken, and the Midianites killed each other.
Judges 6:24 - Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it
Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Jehovahshalom means "Jehovah is peace". Note carefully the context.
God gave Gideon after the angel (probably the Lord Jesus Christ) appeared to
him and burnt the flesh And the unleavened cakes on the rock, but before the
fleece and before God divided the army from 30,000 to 300 and before Gideon
went into the Midianites camp. Before we will ever do anything worthwhile for
the Lord, we must have the peace of God. It is also important to note that
even after we have the peace of God we can still be unsure of God’s
leadership – noted when Gideon needed the fleece and God sent him to the
Midianites camp after dark so he could have confidence. This shows us there is
a remarkable difference in having the peace of God and having no fear of the
future. There will always be uncertainty, but we can always have peace.
The peace that Gideon had in 6:24 is because he will not die. He still does
not have peace about the task before him. To gain peace and trust in God, God
instructs Gideon to destroy his father’s idol to Baal, which he did at
night, not during the day because he was afraid.
The peace that Gideon had in 6:24 is because he will not die. He still does
not have peace about the task before him. To gain peace and trust in God, God
instructs Gideon to destroy his father’s idol to Baal, which he did at
night, not during the day because he was afraid.
Verse 33 beings a national event, which Gideon will lead because the spirit
of the Lord was upon him.
Gideon is sure to obey God regardless of his doubts and fears and
uncertainties.
7:9 – God asks Gideon to go down to the camp of the Midianites if he
fears. God wants us to have peace and not fear. God will lead us continually
toward all good things. God understands when we do not understand. But God
continually instructs us to trust him and obey him, then he will do other good
things for us and to us.