Judges 6: Gideon - The call

Do you ever think about your destiny?

Your calling in life?

Why did God put you on this earth?

If you don’t have clear answers to these questions, don’t panic. In God’s grace and timing, I believe the Holy Spirit will confirm your gifts and calling. There are two types of callings; a general call, and a specific call. All people are first called to follow Jesus with their lives, this is the general call. When you decide to obey the call of Christ and are filled with the Holy Spirit, you then have a specific calling to walk in the for the benefit of the Church and the world. Sometimes it can be difficult to lean into our callings, but here’s the comforting/terrifying reality of our callings - if you are a redeemed child of God, no matter how hard you try, you cannot escape His call on your life. I had a pastor tell me once that “your calling will consume you”, and it has always stuck with me. After being in ministry for 5 years and getting hurt, I tried to deny and run from my calling of being a Bible teacher, and I used every excuse I could to escape it. By God’s grace and redirection, my calling consumed me, and I’ve been able to joyfully step into God’s purposes for my life.

Now again, think of your calling in life. Have you been running from God’s call in your life? We can all run away for a whole host reasons. Perhaps you don’t like what God has called you to do. Maybe you’re insecure in your abilities. Maybe your doubt clouds your ability to operate in your calling. Maybe you’re jealous of other people’s callings and try to be someone you are not. The list could go on, but the reality is - we are on earth for a specific reason. It is not always easy or comfortable, but there is nothing more fulfilling in life than to step into who God has created you to be. Keep this in mind as we study ancient Israel and the specific call of Gideon.

Answering The Call

Big picture: Judges highlights the brutality of ancient war, but it is also reflective of the spiritual wars that are happening in the heavenly realm. The enemies of Israel and their idols are empowered by Satan and demons. Israel repeatedly gets deceived and swallowed up by Satan’s spiritual oppression. Then Jesus himself, as the angel of the Lord, comes to rescue and restore peace to his people. He does this by calling and equipping his servants to fight by God’s power. He is still doing this today, and is equipping his people for the spiritual battles raging on. Let’s be aware of the spiritual fight as we read the story of Gideon, and aware of how God is shaping Gideon’s destiny, and the spiritual destiny for future generations through the coming Messiah.

Judges 6:1-6

1 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.

So here we have the setting for the rest of the story of Gideon. Israel has brutal enemies that are literally boxing them into caves in the mountainside. The enemy owns the territory, and they are in control of God’s people. They control and eliminate the food sources, and won’t lift a finger to ease their burden. Fear is ruling the land. The Enemy wants Israel eliminated, or in complete slavery. Our spiritual adversary has the same goals in mind for us.

The Enemy Hates You.

Perhaps you need a not-so-subtle reminder of this reality. Satan and his demons want you dead; spiritually and physically. The enemy wants to rob you of your resources so that you come begging to him for bread. He wants to back you into a corner, or cave, to keep you paranoid. He wants you running and living in constant fear. Israel had the choice to either run in fear, or fight in faith. We have the same choice to make every day of our lives.

Judges 6:7-10

7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, 8 he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

God is so gracious to the constantly-backsliding group and reminds the people of who He is and what He’s done in the past. It’s interesting to note that this prophet is not named. I believe that God is still raising up prophetic voices today, and they might be people of little notoriety. Regardless of the person that tells you, let God’s Word remind you of who He is and what He has done for you.

Be Aware of God’s Voice

Idol worship under the influence of the surrounding people is happening again because they have forgotten the God’s heart and what He has done for them. As a result, they have become discontent and have searched elsewhere for fulfillment and worship. This continual betrayal was storing up consequences for Israel, but it was also giving God an opportunity to display His power and grace.

Judges 6:11-16

11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

The fact that Gideon is hiding in the winepress while he is threshing wheat shows the fear that Midianites had over Israel. Wine presses were usually large holes slightly underground, and threshing wheat was commonly done in open, windy areas so that the chaff would blow away. You’ll remember from previous lessons that the “angel of the Lord” is actually a pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, because unlike other angels, this one equates His words with God’s words. In this face-to-face meeting with Jesus, Gideon has doubts and questions. He wants to understand why this bad stuff keeps happening to Israel, and Jesus’ response is interesting, “Am I not sending you?” There is profound application from that principle. When we find ourselves asking why God won’t intervene in particular situations in our lives, He might be gently saying “I’ve chosen you to do something about it.” God desires and requires our participation in His will. He enjoys working with us and through us to accomplish His plans.

God Does The Calling, Not Us.

Notice what Jesus calls Gideon - “mighty warrior.” Gideon clearly has different thoughts about his identity. He thought of himself as not-so-important, a “nobody”. I mean after all, he’s in the weakest tribe, and he’s got to hide even doing daily chores.

“How could God use me?”

Have you ever asked yourself that? We all have. But God wants you to know that He defines you, not you. Thank God for that! You might call yourself inadequate, ugly, stupid, weak, awkward, scared, or a loser, but God calls you something else.

Judges 6:17-24

17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.” 19 Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah[a] of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak. 20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. 22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” 24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

We see the doubt still lingering in Gideon’s mind, yet Jesus is patient with him (literally waits for him). While Jesus is gracious towards Gideon, I want to be clear that although this fear and doubt is relatable, it is not something we should justify in our own lives because Gideon did it. Remember, historical accounts in the Bible are often descriptive, not prescriptive. This fear and searching for a sign is something that we can all easily fall into, but God is calling to a supernatural dependence on Him, whether we get affirmation or not.

Fear Is Natural, Faith Is Supernatural.

There are two different accounts in the gospel of Matthew where the Pharisees come to Jesus and demand a sign. He scolds them both times and said “it’s a wicked generation that seeks a sign” (12:4, 16:9). This type of wickedness defined Israel in the times of the Judges. They didn’t want God, they wanted things from God. Once they stopped having miraculous experiences, they sought them elsewhere in idols/demons. We don’t want a conditional faith, we want supernatural, unwavering trust in Christ.

-The residue of faithlessness in Israel has obviously left a mark on Gideon, but God is going to raise Him up and give Him faith regardless of his actions.

Judges 6:25-32

25 That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of[d] altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. 28 In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” 30 The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” 31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32 So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”

Replace The Altar.

Notice that Gideon doesn’t just destroy the idols in the town, he then uses the wood make a sacrifice to God. There is a valuable principle in Gideon’s actions: destroy idols, and then replace them with the worship of Christ. If your phone is becoming an idol, sure, you should get rid of its influence on you. But it does no good unless you replace the phone worship with something else that helps you to worship Christ.

He got a nickname for being a troublemaker in the town, and the writer of Judges uses that nickname interchangeably for the rest of his story. Getting mocked by the world is a badge of honor in God’s book. Jesus said, ”If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19) As God’s people, we should walk in courage, and embrace the hate from the world, lest we start seeking their approval.

Judges 6:33-40

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. 36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Blowing a trumpet, calling the troops to get ready to fight. Who’s that sound like? I’ll give you a hint, check out 1 Thessalonians 4:16. This is all a picture of the spiritual battle that is going to take place in the distant future, where Jesus destroys His enemies once and for all.

Judges is pointing us to the real Judge: Jesus.

We see the Spirit fill him to summon the troops, then the flesh comes back with worry, and needing a sign. Have you ever come down off of a spiritual high, only to see doubt and fear resurface? Have you ever played these kinds of games with God, seeking assurance? Below are a few concluding questions to ponder so that your faith is strengthen, and that you can grasp God’s message in this passage.

What are the underlying reasons that we give God these types of tests?

How can we overcome those issues?

What does God want us to understand about the ways in which He calls people?