Pastor's Study
(Judges 6:12-14)
I would like to share with you in the book of Judges where God called Gideon into His service. When God called Gideon to serve Israel as the next judge, Gideon was a fearful man. He was afraid of the Midianites and the Amakelites.
Gideon was thrashing grain in a winepress when God called him to be the next judge of Israel. He was hiding and working in the winepress, because he had fear in his heart. This man was afraid of the Midianites and the Amakelites, because these tribes frequently raided the Israelites and stole their crops.
While Gideon was hiding and working in the winepress with fear, the Bible tells us in Judges 6:12 that the angel of the Lord appeared into Gideon and said unto him, "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.”(KJV) In verse 13 of the 6th chapter of Judges we read "And Gideon said unto Him, Oh my Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsake us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites." (KJV) In Verse 14 God tells Gideon he will free the Israelites from the opposition of the Midianites. It says "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?" (KJV)
Even though God calls Gideon and assures him that He is sending him, Gideon continues to resist and give opposition. He tells God that he is from the tribe of Manasseh and is the least of his father’s house. Gideon tells God that his father offered up worship to idols and he could not see that he was the one God could use to free his people. After all the excuses, he finally surrenders. Gideon then decides that he must put a fleece before God.
After God proved to Gideon he was the man for the hour, he surrenders to God, and God uses him to free his people. He becomes a great military and spiritual leader of Israel, and delivered Israel from their most feared enemy, the Midianites, who had opressed them for years. God used him to defeat the Midianites of 130,000 men with 300 men under the presence and power of God.
We can learn from the call of Gideon two very important truths:
1. Regardless of where we have come from, if we will allow God to use us, and answer his call for our lives, we will be leaders in the work of His kingdom. Even though our family may have not served God, God will bless us, and use us ,if we are willing to answer His call for our lives. Gideon’s father did not honor God, but Gideon did , and God blessed him.
2. Another truth we can learn from the call of Gideon is when we have faith in God, He will give us power to defeat our enemies. God gave Gideon power to defeat and Israel’s most feared enemy. All it takes is God’s power, but we must be obedient, have faith, and answer the call of God for our lives.
Love in Christ
Bro Larry
