A Study in Faith, Flaws, and Divine Purpose

MEMORY VERSE: “And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” (Judges 6:14)

TEXT: Judges Chapters 6 to 8

MASSAGE: A Nation’s Downfall and the Call for a Deliverer

The book of Judges provides a repetitive and sobering cycle of Israel’s history: backsliding, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. In this particular instance, the inconsistent walk of the children of Israel with God led to repeated defeats and a brutal, seven-year oppression by the Midianites. The scripture states, “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” (Judges 6:1).

This was a nation Israel had previously defeated and almost wiped out from the face of the earth. Yet, the remnant of Midian had grown in number over the years, and a spiritually compromised Israel could no longer stand up to them. This serves as a stark reminder: sin is destructive and brings oppression. God, in His infinite mercy, always calls sinners to repentance and faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice for salvation to end the needless and avoidable miseries that attend a life of sin. This lesson focuses on Israel’s sin, the resulting oppression, their repentance, and God’s powerful divine intervention for their deliverance through the unlikely figure of Gideon.

Gideon’s Call and Commission: From Hiding to Hero

The oppression was severe. The Midianites and their allied nations made continual incursions into the land of Israel, especially during harvest time, wasting the nation’s crops and livestock. Israel was so greatly impoverished that they hid in dens, caves, and strongholds in the mountains. At the height of their distress, the Israelites finally remembered God and cried to Him for deliverance (Judges 6:6).

Though it is a tragic reality that people often only remember God when things go wrong, the beauty of His character is that He is always ready to forgive a sincerely repentant heart. This is a testament to God’s loving-kindness and mercy, which no one should take for granted (Romans 2:4; Psalm 130:4). God responded to Israel’s cry by first sending a prophet to reprove them for their sins, reminding them that their affliction was a direct result of their disobedience. God always wants those who cry out to Him for deliverance to first turn away from their sin.

After this prophetic reproof, an angel from the Lord appeared to Gideon, a man engaged in a humble but strategic task. Gideon was threshing wheat, not in the open field, but by the wine press to hide his crop from the fearsome Midianites. While deeply preoccupied in this diligent, if fearful, labor, the angel of the Lord appeared and said, “The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” (Judges 6:12).

Gideon’s “valour” was not yet in battle, but in the diligence and ingenuity with which he was threshing his wheat in a place the Midianites would not suspect. This indefatigable spirit of hard work and resourcefulness always receives divine favor and approval (Proverbs 22:29).

In response to the angel’s message, Gideon’s words revealed a mind filled with doubt and confusion. He bemoaned Israel’s misery, asking, “if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of…?” (Judges 6:13). This is a question that many believers today, in the absence of spiritual revival, also grapple with. However, God’s divine charge to Gideon was not to lament but to act: “…Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” (Judges 6:14).

This call from God is a timeless truth. We must move from asking questions to becoming the solution or the revivalists in our generation. Acknowledging that the divine task was far greater than his human ability, Gideon expressed his unworthiness and inability. But God’s choice is not based on a person’s family background or social status; it’s based on spiritual qualities of salvation and obedience. To reorient Gideon’s mind, God gave him the ultimate assurance: “…Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” (Judges 6:16). God’s presence and power can transform the weakest of instruments into a fruitful vessel of honor.

With growing faith, Gideon requested a sign from the angel, who waited patiently until Gideon prepared a meal for him. When the offering was brought, the angel touched it with his staff, and fire rose from the rock and consumed the meat. For fear that he might die for seeing an angel of the Lord, God assured him, “Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.” (Judges 6:23). In response, Gideon built an altar there and called it Jehovah-shalom, meaning “the Lord is peace.” This marked a turning point in his faith.

Gideon’s Courage and Conquest: Purging and Pursuing

That same night, God gave Gideon more instructions, signaling his readiness to obey. First, he was commanded to throw down the altar of Baal that belonged to his father and cut down the sacred grove around it. This was the first step in a spiritual revival: true worship must be restored by tearing down idols. Gideon’s prompt, though fearful, obedience to this instruction in spite of the people’s hostility was commendable.

Next, Gideon was instructed to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. The Old Testament priests also began their ministry by offering sacrifices for themselves and the people (Leviticus 9:1-8). This implies a powerful truth: God will not use unclean vessels unless they are first purged (2 Timothy 2:21).

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Gideon mobilized Israel for battle. The host of people that gathered was thirty-two thousand men. God, however, wanted to ensure that the victory would be clearly His, so He commanded Gideon to downsize the army, first by sending home the fearful and then through a test at the water. The final army was a mere 300 men. This demonstrates a few key lessons for us:

Quality over Quantity: Many are called, but few are chosen. God is more concerned with the quality of our commitment than the quantity of our numbers.
Divine Glory: God did not want man to take the glory in His own battle. The small size of the army left no room for human boasting.
Dependence on God: The Lord can achieve anything either with many or with few (Luke 1:37). The battle is His.

God, knowing that the small size of his army would be a source of fear for Gideon, commanded him to go down to the enemy’s camp at night for a reconnaissance mission. There, he overheard a man tell his companion a dream about a loaf of barley bread tumbling into the Midianite camp and destroying a tent. When his companion interpreted the dream as “the sword of Gideon,” Gideon’s fear was replaced with faith. He realized that God had already given Israel the victory.

By faith, Gideon quickly divided his 300 men into three camps, giving each man a trumpet, a pitcher, and a torch. At his command, they broke the pitchers, revealed the torches, blew the trumpets, and shouted, “The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon!” (Judges 7:20). The enemy, in a state of confusion and terror, turned their swords on one another and were routed. God knows how to comfort and lift us up when we are cast down (2 Corinthians 7:6).

In a strategic move, Gideon sent messengers to the men of Ephraim to secure the water passages and cut off the Midianites’ escape route. But Gideon’s pursuit was not over. He continued the chase after the two kings of Midian, Zibah and Zalmunna. Despite his men’s exhaustion and the refusal of some of his brethren to provide sustenance, Gideon pursued the kings, captured them, and executed them. He held them accountable for the cold-blooded murder of his own brothers, an act of justice that brought closure to a personal and national tragedy.

The Corruptive Ephod: A Warning Against Pride and Idolatry

Upon realizing how God had greatly used him to deliver them, the men of Israel came to Gideon and offered him the royal throne: “Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.” (Judges 8:22).

Gideon’s initial answer was remarkably surprising and heartwarming: “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.” (Judges 8:23). This was a moment of true spiritual insight, as Gideon rightly sensed that a monarchical system was not yet God’s perfect will for Israel.

However, his next request proved to be disastrous. He requested the golden earrings from the spoils of war. With the jewelry, he made an ephod, which he put in his city in Ophrah. The ephod was a priestly garment, a symbol of divine authority and worship. But Gideon had no divine command to make it. His presumptive action turned out to be a sour point in his relationship with God and a snare to him and his household. All of Israel “went a whoring” after it, making it an object of temptation and idolatry, reminiscent of Aaron’s golden calf (Exodus 32:1-10; 1 Corinthians 10:7).

Gideon’s final days were marked by a tragic moral descent. He married many wives to gratify his flesh and, in making the ephod, his heart was no longer perfect with God. It is not surprising, therefore, that after Gideon’s death, Israel, whose hearts were already corrupted by Gideon’s golden ephod, went back into deep idol worship.

The life of Gideon teaches us a crucial lesson: success can be a dangerous time. We must be watchful, especially in times of great victory and success, whether in ministry or any other venture, to avoid a disastrous end (1 Timothy 6:11-12).

Review Questions

What does Israel’s inability to stand before Midian teach us about the danger of backsliding?
Explain God’s assurance of His presence to Gideon in light of its relevance to present-day believers.
Mention some qualities that God wants in His servants.
Why is it very important to depend solely on God in life’s battles?
List some godly qualities of Gideon.
Why must believers who have records of victory beware?
Cite a reference in the New Testament that forbids idolatry.