Road Signs to Him

91) Gideon, Gideon, I’m not Kiddeon!!!

The title of today’s article is a nod to one of my youngest daughter’s favorite CD’s…a collection of Bible songs, my favorite of which goes something like this: “Gideon, Gideon, I’m not kiddeon, you’re the one I want for the job…” Even knowing this reading of one of my personal favorite Bible stories has had this song stuck in my head for days!!!

Day 91 reading: Judges, chapters 6-7

 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. (6:1, NIV)

I am terribly excited. Today we are introduced (or reintroduced, as the case may be) to Gideon, one of my favorite people of the Old Testament. For me, Gideon is one of the more reachable characters from our history. He was called and he hesitated. He was called again and he hesitated again.

Let’s jump in!

Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them. (6:1-3, NASB)

We find ourselves knee-deep in the story of unfaithful Israeal, falling away from God once again, and doing “what was evil in the sight of the Lord”. But the timing of the Midianite attacks strike me, as they were well-planned at the most destructive time possible. Verse 3 tells us that the Israelites had just sown their crops. They had done their planting and were feeding their seeds so they could reap a nourishing harvest, that would likely have to feed them much of the coming year. Therefore, the Midianites attacked right when it would leave Israel with no resources for food, but would provide for the Midianite army as they pillaged the land and stole all the resources Israel had available.

Can you recall a time when you faced a trial that seemed to be the end of a giant snow-ball effect; where the trial seemed so well-planned to cause the greatest amount of personal devastation on your own life?

So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it. So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord. (6:4-6, NASB)

My NIV translation says the armies came upon the Israelites “like swarms of locusts,” which brings a very distinct picture to my mind. My family spent some time living in the flatlands of West Texas, where locust truly swarm thick as night. As these armies came and came and came and kept coming upon the Israelites in swarms, I can just picture the sheer number of people and the deafening noise of the enemy coming on so strong, I’m sure there seemed no where for Israel to go. They were far away from God; they had no exit-strategy.

But our Lord knows our trials and sees what we face. He saw the Israelites “brought very low because of Midian” (v 6), but His timing was perfect as He waited to act until the Israelites remembered to seek His guidance.  How often in our own lives, do our human instincts tell us to just take care of it, when our initial instinct needs to be to first and foremost seek His wisdom?

“When the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord,” (v 7) He sent a prophet to save them. Here these words of God, and allow them to speak to your trials today as they spoke to the Israelites in their trouble:

“It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery. I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, and I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in those whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me.” (6:8-10, NASB)

Wow! Does this resonate with you?!? We live in such fear, such a mode of preparation and defense against those who serve other gods (money, possessions, power, idleness, etc.) that we actually allow ourselves to be distracted from obeying the Lord our God.

Where is your Egypt?  

What has enslaved you, either currently or in the past?  

What people or situations have oppressed you?

What reminders has He sent into your life to speak over you words of love, and feelings of peace in the midst of the storms of your own life? How has He said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of {those who are against you}.”  

Then, an angel of the Lord appeared in the midst of the chaos. Gideon is in a huge hurry, working so hard to get the wheat stored and hidden from the Midianites, so that all will not be lost to the enemy and Gideon’s family will have some sustenance left for survival. There is a sense of urgency in Gideon’s actions that is so telling, even in this one simple verse.  Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. (6:11, NASB) But the Lord chose this moment to send one of His angels to appear to Gideon and stop him in his tracks.

Have you ever been stopped in your tracks of doing by a calling to stop? Did you stop, or did you keep doing?

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” hen Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” (6:12-16, NASB)

Read that entire four verses, but then focus your attention on the beginning of verse 14: “The Lord looked at Gideon.” Other translations read: “The Lord looked upon him,” “The Lord turned to him,” and “The Lord answered.”

This picture of the Lord God stopping Gideon and turning to him, looking directly at him, and getting his attention in the midst of his dutiful busyness to tell Gideon he has been chosen to be useful. Wow!

Gideon did stop by this word from the Lord, and asked, “How can I save Israel? My family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” (v 15) How many of us so often feel that we cannot truly make a difference in the Lord’s kingdom, feeling like the “least of these?”  When have you felt so unworthy, so ill-equipped, so “least of these” in your walk with God and His calling on your life?

In our obedience, we are enabled by Him to be truly useful. As God reminded Gideon at the time, “Surely I will be with you, and you will defeat Midian as one man.” (v 16)

So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”

Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them. The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” (6:17-23, NASB)

TEST #1: How often in our weakness and our uncertainty do we just beg God for a sign. ‘Lord, is this really the way you want me to go? Are you really leading me here or there? Really???’ And the Lord’s answer is a still, small voice, saying, “Yes.” “Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.” (v 21)

Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.  Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night. (6:24-27, NASB)

Again, there is a sense of urgency. Judges tells us that “on the same night” the Lord came to Gideon a second time, giving instructions about tearing down the altar of Baal and making a burnt offering to the Lord. Yet, even under direct orders from God, and even with the first sign that Gideon requested from God proven, Gideon still moves forward in fear of his enemies. He took 10 men for protection and out of fear he acted in obedience to God, but relied on the protection of night, rather than the Lord’s out-dwelling protection, for “he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day.” (v 27)

When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched about and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.” Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. So the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them. (6:28-35, NASB)

One of my favorite phrases throughout the bible is “the Spirit of the Lord came upon…” in this case, Gideon. As the Lord’s indwelling Spirit came upon Gideon, he blew a trumpet and sent messengers throughout the land to be called together in God’s holy army.

Consider a time when you felt the Spirit leading you to act. You likely did not understand the why’s or how’s of what you were doing, but you trusted that He was leading you.

Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.” And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. (6:36-38, NASB)

TEST #2: Then Gideon asks for a second sign of God’s promise. This second test dumbfounds me, as Gideon admits twice to God within these three verses that God has told him specific all what to do as Gideon says, “as You have spoken.” So, even though God had spoken directly to Gideon, laying out the designs of God’s mission, Gideon still tests Him. Gideon is asking ‘Really? Are You sure?’ a second time. “And it was so.” (v 38)

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground. (6:39-40, NASB)

TEST #3: Then, we see human nature really kick in, as Gideon begs Gods pardon, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more…” (v 39)

From the least to the greatest—as Gideon’s family was of the lowest class in Manasseh, and Gideon was the youngest of his family—to the greatest, we will all know Him! Indeed!!!

This is the point where Gideon’s story gets really exciting! In a matter of a couple of days, through God’s guided calling, Gideon went from being the “the least of these” to the greatest warrior among God’s chosen people.

Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.

The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’ (7:1-2, NASB)

The army of Israel gathered together 32,000 men, and God responded by saying, “The people who are with you are too many.” (v 2) His point here being that of course giant armies can defeat, but if God allowed a mighty army of 32,000 warriors to defeat the enemy, it would be easy for unbelievers to say it was by sheer number, and not by the will and power of God.

This is an easy trap to fall into as we go through life, as well, and one of the things I LOVE about small group ladies Bible studies. It is an awesome experience to attend a giant ladies Bible conference and get all fired-up for God and go out from there sharing His love with many. But how much cooler is it when there is a small number of ladies gathering regularly in prayer and study and deep adoration of the Word, who live and love and walk as Salt & Light in the world every day of their lives? Sometimes, getting fired-up for a weekend fizzles out just as quickly as the time it takes to get home and back to reality. But when a smaller grouping of God-seeking women, who come in the doors to gather together and lift one another up, then go out into the world and influence the lives of all they touch, there is no doubt where that kind of power comes from; for by His power we are delivered!

Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’” So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained. (7:3, NASB)

With one question, the gathering of 32,000 warriors is reduced to 10,000: “Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart.” 22,000 mighty warriors got a ‘pass’ on this battle for two reasons: 1) out of fear, which we know is not from God, but from the enemy; 2) because it was God’s perfect plan that those 22,000 would not be glorified for doing His work.

Then the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink.” Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water. The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.” (7:4-7, NASB)

With a second test, the warrior army of Gideon was reduced from 10,000 down to 300: “The Lord said to Gideon, ‘I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.’” (v 7) This is a very interesting test, as the civilized way to drink would have been to kneel down, gather water into your hands, and drink from your hands. However, God chose the 300 men of the 10,000 who drank as dogs drink, lapping water with their tongues. This reduction in the number of warriors was also a reduction in the quality of people to the human eye. If the Gideon army was made up of 300, or 10,000, or 22,000, or 32,000 men who were like Conan the Barbarian, then defeat of the enemy would be obvious and eminent. However, defeating the Midianites with a rag-tag group of “the least of these,” in God’s holy name is a whole different story!

So the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

Now the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp. Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.” His friend replied, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.”

When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands.” (7:8-15, NASB)

Have you ever been awakened with a sudden urgency to pray for someone or some situation, or you feel guided to get up and write to someone or make a note to contact someone the next day when they are awake, as well?

Don’t you know that when the Lord wakes you up, He has something to say and He will use any means necessary to get your attention?! There is a quote from a 13th century poet named Rumi that illustrates this point beautifully: “The morning breeze has secrets to tell, do not go back to sleep.” God is in the morning breeze, and He is in those quiet times when we are awakened for seemingly no reason (not from a noise in the house, or kids wandering sleepily into your bedroom) with a desire to pray or just live in that quiet space for a time in awe of God’s power and mercy.

God did have a message for Gideon to hear that night, as well. He overheard the enemy warriors discussing a dream one of them had, for even the Midianite soldiers knew of the fall to come. “God has given Midian and all the camp into [Gideon’s] hand.” (v 14)

He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. He said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled. When they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. The men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against Midian and take the waters before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were summoned and they took the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. They captured the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan. (7:16-25, NASB)

Then 300 were reduced to 100: Gideon “divided the 300 men into three companies.” (v 16) So, the Lord has whittled the Israelite army of 32,000 warriors down to three companies of 100 men each to show that it is not by number but by Power that Israel overcame their enemies.  “Gideon said to them, ‘Look at me and do likewise.” (v 17)

Gideon began with an army of 32,000 men, and defeated the Midianites with 100 left. Gideon didn’t do that alone. That was our Lord! Just think what He has in store for you and I.

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Day 92 reading: Judges, chapters 8-9 (the adventure continues!!!)