Prayer
When the Bishop asked me to be an Archdeacon a few years ago, my first response was “Who me? I’m not good enough, experienced enough or knowledgeable enough to take on that role!” But God visited me in a dream and clearly told me that I was right, I couldn’t take on this role in my own strength, but I could in his strength. I am so glad I listened to and believed the Lord rather than just looked at my own weaknesses and turned the offer down. What a privilege it is to serve and lead in this way and if I only listened to my own voice I would have missed out.
How do you see yourself?
If an angel of the Lord appeared and greeted you with “Hi there, faithful, strong and mighty one!”, what would your response be?
Would it be ‘Oh hi Lord, thanks for believing in and equipping me”? Or would it be; “Are you talking to me? I’m none of those things…maybe sometimes faithful, but often weak and full of doubt.”
God does not see us as we see ourselves most of the time. If we offer ourselves to him, place our lives in his hands and trust in him then he will fill us with his strength and power. The Lord wants us to acknowledge our weaknesses, then grow in faith, standing tall in his strength.
So, let’s look at the story of Gideon and reflect on his journey of faith.
Gideon’s story is the longest in the book of Judges, taking up 3 chapters, hence we did not read the whole story this morning, but I hope many of you have in preparation. But don’t worry I will fill in some of the gaps. But you might like to open your bible to Judges 6-8.
Firstly, we have the recurring pattern, that after 40 years of peace, the Israelites did ‘evil in the eyes of the Lord’ and so they were oppressed, the Lord gave them ‘into the hands of the Midianites’.
The Midianites along with the Amelikites seem to be particularly vicious overlords. They would invade the land like a swarm of locusts and devour all the Israelites crops. The Israelites had taken to hiding in caves.
After 7 years of oppression, the Israelites remember the Lord again and cry out for help.
Firstly, the Lord sends a prophet who just states the reason for their oppression. He reminds them that God had rescued them from slavery in Egypt, delivering them from all their oppressors and giving them the promised land. He reminds them of the Lord’s command after they entered the land. ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites…But you have not listened to me.’
Despite their continued disobedience God again raises up a Judge to rescue his people. Another unlikely hero.
An angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, in Ophrah, where he was threshing wheat in the winepress – why in the winepress? because he could hide in there and hopefully keep the wheat safe from the Midianites. The angel simply says to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior”.
Picture Gideon hiding in the winepress; hardly a vision of a mighty warrior!
He may not have appeared to be very brave, but he was brave enough to challenge this angel. ‘Pardon me’ he says, ‘but if God is with me, why are we oppressed? Why has he abandoned us?’ Typical whining Israelite, who obviously didn’t listen to or understand the message from the first prophet explaining that they are oppressed because of their disobedience!
What a shock it must have been to poor Gideon in response to his complaint, to be told that the Lord is going to send him to save Israel!
Again, Gideon says ‘Pardon me, my Lord… how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’
We can perhaps relate to Gideon just wanting to stay in his safe place, hiding out in the winepress. Gideon reminds me of Moses, the one God called to lead his people out of Egypt. Moses didn’t think he was good enough either, he just wanted to stay being a shepherd, minding his own business.
Like Moses, Gideon wants assurance that the Lord will truly be with him. He tests the Lord; he wants proof that this really is God who is commanding him and that he really is all powerful. Generally, we are told not to put the Lord to the test, but God understands our frailties when we are honest about how we are feeling. He wants Gideon to grow in his faith and understanding.
God is kind and consumes the offering Gideon laid out on the rock with fire coming from the tip of his staff. Finally, Gideon realizes who he has been talking to and is scared that he will die after seeing the Lord. But God reassures him.
He is now ready to do the Lord’s bidding, though still reluctantly.
However before going to battle against the enemy, the Lord instructs him to deal with the sin in his own family. It seems his father has an altar to Baal with an Asherah pole beside it. God asks him to tear it down and build an altar to the Lord.
Gideon is still fearful so takes 10 friends to do this at nighttime, in the hope of not being seen. He was right to be afraid as the town people work out who it was and want him to die! His father, whose altar it was, however, stands up for his son.
These are the same people who had called out to God wanting to be saved from the Midianites, while continuing to do evil in the eyes of the Lord!
Is there any sin in our lives that needs to be dealt with before we can fully walk in the power of the Lord?
Once Gideon had been obedient to God’s instruction to deal with the altar to Baal, it seems the enemy came out in force. Don’t be surprised if when you deal with sin in your life the enemy will come to attack!
But the Lord is stronger, and his Spirit now comes upon Gideon, he blows a trumpet and summons the troops who come in great numbers.
Despite this, Gideon is still not 100% confident in the Lord and puts him to the test again! Gideon is growing in his faith, but it’s only step by step and he is certainly not the ‘mighty warrior’ yet!
You would think God might be getting a bit frustrated with Gideon by now, but again, God is ever so patient and kind and does what Gideon asks with the fleece and the dew – twice!
The Lord then tests Gideons faith and tells him he has too many fighting men, and he should send home all the ones who are afraid. Lots of them are, and 22,000 go home! Still God says there are too many, and with a weird distinction between those who lap water like dogs or went down on their knees, he sends all but 300 men home!
Put yourselves in Gideons shoes, how are you feeling now? God has been proving himself, but this is ridiculous, how can he save the Israelites from the huge armies of their enemies with only 300 men?
God wants to make sure that they know that it is his victory, nothing to do with the natural strength of Gideon and the Israelites.
Gideon is afraid once more and so God tells him to go down and spy on the enemy camp. Again, like Moses taking Aaron, God tells him to take his servant Purah.
God grows Gideon’s faith and courage once more, as Gideon hears two of the enemy talk about a dream where God gives the Midianites into Gideon’s hands.
The men return to camp with confidence and God uses a most unexpected way to defeat the enemy. No military skill required here; it was God’s victory. If you haven’t read it, basically the 300 men blow trumpets, break glass jars with torches in them and shout out, “For the Lord and for Gideon!”
The Lord then causes the enemy to turn on themselves in confusion.
Gideon has been on a huge learning and growth journey in matters of faith. From a man full of doubt and insecurity, he embraced his weaknesses allowing God to fill him with his Spirit and strength. He became a leader who led the Israelites to another 40 years of peace.
In chapter 8 we read that the Israelites, presumably even those who had wanted to kill him, now want him to be their King because he saved them from the Midianites. Gideon rejects their request and rightly says that the “Lord will rule over you”.
However, we are then left with an anticlimax to this positive story of Gideon. For he then asks the Israelite army to give him a gold earring each from their plunder. This equated to a huge amount of gold and he made an Ephod out of it.
Sadly, but not surprisingly, this Ephod became an idol to Gideon, his family and the Israelites. We read that they ‘prostituted’ themselves as they worshipped it and it became a snare to them. Alas, the pattern is set to repeat itself again as the Israelites return to ‘doing evil in the eyes of the Lord!’.
It appears that Gideon did not remain humble and reliant on the Lord as his ego and wealth took hold of him. It is so sad every time we hear of those Christian leaders who start off well but go off the rails once they grow in power and wealth. Gideon’s story is one that is repeated time and again.
We can however still learn a great message from Gideon, regarding our own fears and doubts and our need to trust in God and step out in obedience. We learn from this story that God is always kind and patient, he listened to Gideon’s fears and built up his faith as he showed him time and again that he was God and could be trusted. We are reminded that God is in control, and he is victorious over the enemy, but he might choose and use us to accomplish it.
But then we need to listen to the message from the Apostle Paul we heard from 2 Corinthians today. Paul says he will boast only about his weaknesses, for when he is weak, then he is strong. God’s power at work in him.
Remember that however weak or insecure or full of doubt you are feeling, God is strong. His grace is sufficient for us, and his power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor 12:9)
Let’s pray… Father God, please forgive me when I doubt you and only focus on my insecurities. May I be willing to trust you and be used by you, filled with the power of your Spirit. Keep me humble and mindful that in you alone I am strong. Thank you for your all-sufficient grace. Thank you for our Saviour Jesus. In whose name we pray. Amen.