A. INTRODUCTION
1. In our study last week we met B __ __ __ __, one of those less-than-perfect "heroes" that appear here and there in the Bible. His careful and cautious approach to the revealed will of God stood in sharp contrast to both the confident assurance of Deborah and the opportunistic courage of Jael. But, truth be told, the character of Barak -- as revealed in Judges 4 and 5 -- more closely resembles the "average" Christian than does that of either of these great women of faith. Still, in spite of his initial reservations, Barak did finally do as he was told, and God provided a great military victory for Israel through him.
2. Deborah taught us much about spiritual l __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. A simple wife and mother, God empowered her to serve Him faithfully as Israel's only female judge and one of the very few prophetesses mentioned in Scripture. Her excellent leadership skills, coupled with complete faith in the promises of Yahweh, led to a great victory over Israel's oppressors and forty years of peace in the land.
3. The exploits of Barak demonstrated to us God's penchant for using all kinds of "vessels" as channels through which He exercises His power. Not all of the Bible heroes were already "great" when God called them into His service. Barak, although a leader of the tribe of Naphtali, possessed a weak and insecure faith in God. Moses was the son of slaves, afraid to speak in public. David had a heart for God, but was morally weak. Isaiah was considered by many to be absolutely crazy. And Christ's inner circle of twelve disciples included several common fishermen, a despised tax collector, and the one who would eventually betray him to the authorities in exchange for a reward of money.
4. In our study this morning we will meet another unlikely hero in the "rogues gallery" of God: G __ __ __ __ __. Only Samson is given a larger portion of the book of Judges. Gideon's name is well-known, attached as it is to one of the most famous para-church organizations in all the world. Most of us also remember the story about Gideon and the 300 soldiers with the trumpets and the pitchers and the torches. But, I dare say, most of us know little of the essential character of Gideon before and after the famous surprise attack recorded in Judges 7:1-25. It is part of the Bible record and, I think, it will surprise some of us. Gideon, like Barak before him, was an unlikely leader of men. He, too, 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. Still, God used him in a powerful way, just like He uses the most ordinary garden-variety Christian in this day and age -- if we are willing to believe Him and to do what He commands us.
1 Corinthians 1:25 [ KJV ]
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
B. TEXT: Judges 6:1-40
1. The fourth epoch of the period of the Judges in Israel is introduced in v.1 in the same way as are all of the six epochs - Israel's inability to remain faithful to Jahweh. Just like before, successive generations succumb to the false gods of the Canaanites, and the familiar pattern falls into place:
a. s __ __,
b. s __ __ __ __ __ __, and
c. s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
2. This time God "g __ __ __" His disobedient people into the hands of the Midianites.
a. They were descended from Abraham's second wife, K __ __ __ __ __ __ (Genesis 25:1-5). She bore him six children, including Midian.
b. The Bible records that a prominent Midianite family gave sanctuary to M __ __ __ __ after he fled Egypt as a fugitive from justice. He married into that family and lived among the Midianites for forty years (Exodus 2:10-25).
c. It was Moses' Midianite father-in-law, J __ __ __ __ __, who gave him the idea of using a group of e __ __ __ __ __ to help him govern the new nation of Israel (Exodus 18:1-27).
d. Subsequently Israel and Midian became enemies. Just before his death, Moses was ordered by God to completely wipe out the Midianite people, who had become completely devoted to the false god Baal and had led many Israelites into idolatry. Although many Midianites were slaughtered and their cities put to the torch, they were by no means annihilated.
ref: Numbers 25:1-18
Numbers 31:1-18
Psalm 106:28
Hosea 9:10
e. Now, nearly 200 years later, God would use the Midianites to discipline His disobedient people. Their oppression of Israel was unique. It came in the form of carefully-timed marauding raids at harvest time, when great numbers of Midianite tribesmen -- along with Amalekite allies -- swarmed into the fields, plundered grain and livestock, killed the helpless farmers, occupied their lands, then finally burned everything they couldn't haul away.
(1) Their weapons:
- overwhelming n __ __ __ __ __ __ and
- a brand-new secret weapon: the c __ __ __ __.
(2) This went on for _____ years. Israelites were so paralyzed with fear of the Midianites that they fled to the mountains, abandoning their farms and living in caves (6:1-6).
3. Once again, Israel cried out to God for deliverance from their enemies (6:7). God's response to their cries was different from the times before.
a. First He sent an unnamed p __ __ __ __ __ __ to Israel who proclaimed to them:
"The Lord God of Israel brought you out of slavery in Egypt, and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who were cruel to you, and drove out your enemies from before you, and gave you their land. He told you that He is the Lord your God, and that you must not worship the gods of the Amorites who live around you on every side. But you have not listened to Him." (6:8-10, TLB)
b. An unspecified time later, the A __ __ __ __ of the L __ __ __ appeared to a surly young farmer named Gideon. Their curious exchange is recorded in 6:11-23.
(1) The term "Angel of the Lord" appears several times in the Bible. Sometimes he is depicted as an angel. Other times he is referred to as Jahweh Himself. It is sometimes implied that such appearances are actually glimpse of the pre-incarnate Christ. An interesting study can be made of a systematic reading of "Angel of the Lord" incidents.
ref: Genesis 21:1-21; 22:1-19
Exodus 3:1 - 4:17
2 Samuel 24:1-17
In Judges 6:11-23 this "Angel of the Lord" is addressed in at least three other ways:
- as adonai ( "Lord" ) in v.15;
- as Yahweh ( "Jehovah" ) in v.14, 16, and 23; and
- as elohim ( "almighty God" ) in v.20.
(2) We are given two completely different pictures of Gideon in v.11-12.
- He is threshing wheat in a w __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ -- hiding from the Midianites.
"Any farmer along the Mediterranean would find it ludicrous to see a man trying to do his threshing in a winepress. Since Gideon was no fool, we can be assured that the situation was highly critical. He normally would have used a flat place where the winds and open air would blow away the chaff, but he needed to hide his harvest from the eyes of the invaders. Thus, he was obliged to thresh his grain in the covered shelter where grapes were pressed into wine." - Arthur Lewis: Judges and Ruth
"The visit of the angel of the Lord could hardly have come a more distressing time. Threshing wheat was normally done near the harvest field. A stone slab drawn by a yoke of oxen was pulled over the grain, the driver sitting or standing on the huge stone, until the kernel had been separated from the ear, leaving only the straw chaff. Gideon, however, was flailing at the grain with a stick in a wine press. This was both time-consuming and inefficient. The quantity that he could beat out in a day would be very small, barely enough to meet the needs of his household." - Cyril J. Barber: Judges
"Verse 11 does not picture a man of strength. His father owned land in Ophrah, which normally was a very fertile part of the country. But when we meet Gideon, he was threshing wheat by beating it with a stick in a winepress. Normally, a man would thresh wheat on a wooden threshing floor, using a threshing sledge pulled by oxen. The floor would be by a wheat field, in a exposed place, so that the wind could carry away the chaff. Only the very poorest people would have so little wheat that they would thresh it by beating. Yet that was exactly what Gideon was doing. In a hidden winepress, under a tree, beating out a few sheaves of wheat, he desperately tried to save the little bit of food that he had hidden from the Midianites. It was the picture of a defeated, discouraged man, filled with doubts and fears. The man under the oak in Ophrah was no hero!" - Gary Inrig: Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay
- In spite of these humiliating circumstances, the angel of the Lord addresses Gideon as a "great man:"
"The Lord is with you, m __ __ __ __ __ w __ __ __ __ __ __!"
(3) Gideon's blunt response seems to indicate that he is more than a little perturbed by his humiliating circumstances, but his question has theological significance.
- One of the most precious Biblical truths is contained in Romans 8:31:
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
- Gideon's response to the angel of the Lord asks a question which has been asked for centuries by struggling people who have read Romans 8:31. " If God is so great, and if He loves us so much, then why are we having all this trouble? Where is God in all this mess?"
- It is interesting to note that Gideon's question is left unanswered, although the angel of the Lord does indicate that God is about to deliver Israel from their most recent oppressors.
(4) In v.14 Gideon is given a clear call from God.
- The call: "G __ .... and s __ __ __ Israel out of the hand of Midian."
- The call came with three attached promises:
(1) s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ sufficient for the task (v.14);
(2) I will be with you (v.16); and
(3) I guarantee v __ __ __ __ __ __ (v.16).
(5) Gideon responds to the call of God with excuses of inadequacy:
- "My family is from an insignificant tribe - M __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
- "My family is the l __ __ __ __ significant family in that insignificant tribe;
- "I am the least significant ( y __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ) member of my family.
(6) His excuses not accepted, Gideon in v.17 asks for a "s __ __ __" to authenticate his calling. A long delay ensues while he spends several hours preparing a meal for his heavenly guest. When he finally returns with the food, he gets his sign, then fears for his life, since he has "seen the angel of the Lord face to face." (v.22)
ref: Exodus 33:18-23
4. V.25-32 record the story of the first assignment given by God to Gideon. He was ordered to destroy an altar to Baal belonging to his father and to replace it with a "proper kind" of altar to Yahweh. Finally he was offer one of his father's bulls as a sacrifice to the God of Israel.
a. Gideon obeyed God, but did the job under cover of d __ __ __ __ __ __ __, "because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town."
b. Nonetheless, Gideon was found out, and the men of the town decided to kill him. Let us not forget that most -- if not all -- of these men were Israelites. That they demand the blood of someone who has destroyed a pagan altar is indicative of how far away from God they had fallen in a few short decades. It also points out the seductive attractiveness of Baal worship.
ref: Deuteronomy 13:6-11
(1) As a Baal worshipper, he could not have been pleased at his son's behaviour, and he surely did not approve of the sacrifice of one of his own bulls. But he came quickly to his son's defense.
(2) He convinced the angry townspeople that, if Baal were indeed a god, he could exact his own vengeance; he wouldn't need the help of any man. "If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar." Gideon got a nickname that day: "Jerub-Baal," which means literally "Let Baal Contend" but which came to mean "Baal-Fighter."
(3) Does Joash's actions here represent a change in his own heart? or was he simply trying to save his youngest son? The Bible is silent on this subject.
5. Gideon is rewarded for his faithfulness in two ways:
a. He gets a new r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __; and
b. He again is called upon by God to s __ __ __ __.
c. ref: Matthew 25:16-30, particularly v.21
6. In v.33 it appears that the time of the annual invasion by the Midianites had come again, but this time God prepares a deliverer for Israel: Gideon.
a. the S __ __ __ __ __ of the L __ __ __ came upon him (v.34);
b. he blew the call to arms, sending messengers throughout his own tribe (Manasseh) as well as the tribes of:
- A __ __ __ __,
- Z __ __ __ __ __ __, and
- N __ __ __ __ __ __ __
(Having just read Judges 5 we should not be surprised that Zebulun and Naphtali answered the call. The tribe of Asher, though, had refused to join Deborah and Barak against Jabin and Sisera.)
7. In v.36 Gideon appears to be having second thoughts about all this, so he again asks God for a s __ __ __ of authentication regarding his call. V.37-40 recount the familiar story of Gideon the tests of the f __ __ __ __ __.
C. APPLICATION
1. What about this business of "putting out fleece?" Is it a good way to "force" God to "get specific" about what He wants us to do?
a. "Was Gideon testing God, or was he simply asking God for more encouragement? In either case, though his motive was right ( to obey God and defeat the enemy ), his method was less than ideal. Gideon seems to have known that his requests might displease God (6:39), and yet he demanded two miracles (6:37, 39) even after witnessing the miraculous fire from the rock (6:21). It is true that to make good decisions, we need facts. Gideon had all the facts, but still he hesitated. He delayed obeying God because he wanted even more proof.
Demanding extra signs was an indication of unbelief. Fear often makes us wait for more confirmation when we should be taking action. Visible signs are unnecessary if they only confirm what we already know is true.
Today the greatest means of God's guidance is His Word, the Bible. Unlike Gideon, we have God's complete, revealed Word. If you want to have more of God's guidance, don't ask for signs; study the Bible ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17 )."
- study notes on Judges 6:37-39, The Life Application Bible
b. "It is always hard to wait. We prefer action. Inactivity gives us time to think. Questions arise in our minds. This questioning was probably what preceded Gideon's request for a sign. Will the Israelites support me? How many men will be enough? What type of strategy should I use? How will I communicate my plan of attack to my people? Will any plan be successful against so many people with better equipment and greater maneuverability? How can we possibly hope to overcome their superior numbers? And what about their camels?
Of course, we know how the story ends, but Gideon did not. It was during this period of waiting that he felt the need for reassurance and asked the Lord for a sign. And the Lord gave him one."
- Cyril Barber: Op. cit.
c. Swirling around "fleece-setting" is one important truth: For a Christian, nothing is more important than k __ __ __ __ __ __ and d __ __ __ __ the will of God.
ref: Mark 3:35
John 9:31
Colossians 1:9-10
Ephesians 5:15-17 [ NKJV ]
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
2. Was Gideon afraid? Was he just making sure that he was hearing God correctly? Did he need more information? Maybe "putting out fleece" is a good way to get specific directions from God, to make sure that I don't miss His will by means of my not fully understanding what it is that He wants me to do. Four things stand out in Gideon's actions.
a. He was not I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of God's will.
b. So then, setting out the fleece is evidence of d __ __ __ __, not faith.
c. Fleece setting is d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ my terms to God as regards His will for my life.
d. Fleece setting doesn't solve the problem. The real problem is not: "What does God want me to do?" Gideon knew perfectly well what it was that God wanted him to do! The real problem for him was the matter of t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ God. If God shows me all the facts, there is no need for faith. He will always reserve in His will the necessity for some degree of the exercise of f __ __ __ __ on the part of those through whom He is working.
3. The matter of "How not to know God's will" is handled extremely well in Gary Inwig's splendid commentary on the book of Judges, Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay. He offers "five clear biblical principles" about God's guidance in our lives.
a. God does not give us guidance, as much as he gives us a G __ __ __ __. We sing this truth over and over in some of our most beloved hymns: "He Leadeth Me," "Saviour, Like a Shepherd, Lead Us," "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah," and "Lead On, O King Eternal," among so many others.
b. Guidance must be based on the principles and precepts of the W __ __ __ of G __ __.
(1) specific, direct c __ __ __ __ __ __ __
(2) general p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
c. Guidance is confirmed through the indwelling p __ __ __ __ of God.
ref: Colossians 3:15-16
Philippians 4:6-7
d. Guidance is communicated through the d __ __ __ __ __ __ God gives us.
ref: Psalm 37:3-4
Psalm 145:19
e. Guidance also comes through the c __ __ __ __ __ __ of other believers.
ref: Colossians 2:1-2
4. "We can know the will of God. It is not a mystical or magical or mysterious process that leaves us perpetually in doubt. It is simply a matter of walking with the Shepherd. We do not need fleece setting to know His will. Gideon's problem was not that he did not know God's will, but that he hesitated in doing it.
What is the will of God? It is the voice of the Shepherd. The Lord Jesus said, "My sheet hear My voice and I know them and they follow me." If you want to know His will, listen to His voice, then follow Him. As His child, you can rest in the fact that His will perfectly reflects His character. His will is good, gracious, holy, wise, and perfect, because He is all of those things. You can also rest in the fact that His guidance is certain. He leads us "for His name's sake"
( Psalm 23:3 ).
Trust Him. Keep your eyes fixed on Him and follow where He leads, and you will be able to rejoice with Asaph:
Nevertheless I am continually with Thee;
Thou hast taken hold of my right hand.
With Thy counsel Thou will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory. ( Psalm 73:23-24, KJV )"
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. Read Judges 6:11-13.
a. Does Gideon's "tone" seem a little out of place here? Is it wise to speak to God so bluntly? Why,
or why not?
b. Gideon's churlish response to the angel of the Lord may be understandable, but name at least 2
things which are wrong and/or short-sighted about his comments.
c. Does God "punish" Christians who disobey Him? ________ Explain your answer. __________
2. Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. V.4, 9, and 11 provide 3 reasons why God allows trouble to come into our lives. Can you find them?
(1) v.4
(2) v.9
(3) v.11
3. Now read James 1:2-4 and Hebrews 12:1-15.
b. According to Hebrews 12:11, what is the desired outcome of the chastening of God?
c. According to James 1:2-4, what is the ultimate purpose of "trials" and "tribulations?" ________
4. Using only what is recorded in the sixth chapter of Judges, summarize your feelings about Gideon.
5. Share an experience in your own life involving an effort to learn God's will for a time or an event
