Answers Bible Curriculum 2nd Edition Unit 8 Lesson 71
We resume Sunday school this Sunday by returning to the book of Judges and investigating the deliverance of Gideon. Why does God call fearful Gideon to be the deliverer? Why does God insist that Gideon go into battle with only a small group of men? And what can we learn for our lives so that we trust God and do not fear?
Our main text for this lesson is Judges 6:1-7:25, though you will also benefit by reading Judges 8:1-35 in preparation.
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all right well it’s about time to get started so let’s do that officially good morning welcome to the Calvary Community Church Sunday School class for those of you might be joining the stream are watching it later who don’t know me my name is David Coppola and it’s my pleasure to open up the Word of God with you I hope you had a good Resurrection Sunday and that you also enjoyed our special lesson on ancient Israel’s geography on the week before but we’re moving on today and moving into unit 8 of our answers Bible curriculum from Answers in Genesis so unit 8 is going to take us over the next line lesson over the next nine lessons through the judgeship of Gideon to the end of Saul’s kingship so we’re going to the book of Judges a Ruth and a First Samuel but today we’re back in the book of Judges and we’re looking at God’s gracious acts with Israel despite the people’s continual downward spiritual spiral now we don’t have time in our class to look at each phase of this cycle that we’ve outlined this sin oppression repentance and deliverance cycle but we are going to talk about in the book of Judges we’re going to talk about two of the judges that God raises up we’re going to talk about Gideon and we’re going to talk about Samson and this week it’s Gideon next week we talk about Samson it may be somewhat familiar with the accounts of how God used Gideon to save Israel but let’s look at that account again together with fresh eyes so that we might know and that we might apply all that God has for us in this holy history one thing we’re gonna discover pretty quickly is that Gideon was a weak man of fear but one also that God transformed into a mighty man of faith and could we not all benefit from a similar transformation today in our own lives considering the many difficult circumstances and temptations that we face what is it that we can learn from the account of Gideon especially when it comes to knowing and trusting in the only God and Savior that there is that’s what we want to find out so before we get into it let’s pray and ask the Lord’s blessing on this time Heavenly Father we thank you that you are sovereign and that you are the savior there is no Savior besides you Lord when you decide something it cannot be controverted we thank you God that when you act it is always for the good of your people and for the glory of your own name but Lord we’re gonna see that we’re so much like Gideon we are weak we are so many times fearful and doubting and yet God we can become mighty men women and even children of faith it would help me to be able to explain your word now and help us to pay attention to this wonderful account that’s given in your word the things that really happened and that are meant to instruct us pray Lord you would work in us by your spirit and Jesus name Amen all right please take your Bibles and open up to the book of Judges chapter 6 book of Judges chapter six but we’re going to start with looking but we’re gonna be looking at a number of sections between chapters six and seven we’re gonna start by just looking at God’s call God’s calling of Gideon and judges 6 11 to 24 now just to summarize a little bit at the beginning of Judges chapter 6 where we get the situation that Gideon encounters after a period of peace and obedience in Israel the people of Israel once again turn away from God to serve idols and to do evil and God has an covenant faithfulness allowed Israel to once again be oppressed by a foreign power this time it is the people of Midian now if you remember from our geography lesson the precise habitation the people of Midian is not known but they seem to have lived southeast of Israel on the Arabian coast next the Red Sea well these mini Knights they team up with Amalekites and some other Eastern tribes to oppress Israel specifically by starvation the Midianites with their great armies they will constantly attack different portions of Israel and then destroy all the crops that they can find and all the livestock that they can find also these enemies they bring their own animals into Israel’s land to eat up the grounds produce so to kind of act like a plague of locusts they come in they eat and destroy and they leave nothing left for or they leave nothing for Israel and Israel meanwhile is just hiding in caves and Den’s and in strongholds eventually though Israel cries to the Lord cries to their covenant God Yahweh and God he sends a prophet to tell Israel that are to remind is you it is Yahweh who brought them out of the land of Egypt not their false gods and he actually charged them not to serve the gods in the land the prophet who relays this message to Israel reminds them you have not kept this charge from God so God rebukes Israel even in their repentance but then what that’s where we pick up the account in verse 11 so follow along with me as I read now judges 6 verses 11 to 24 the Word of God says then the angel of the Lord that is Yahweh Covenant name there then the angel of yahweh came and sat under the oak that was in Afra which belonged to joash the abbeys right as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress in order to save it from the Midianites the angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him Yahweh is with you a valiant warrior then Gideon said to him o my lord if you always with us why then is all this happened to us and where are where are all his miracles which our fathers told us about saying did not Hollway bring us up from Egypt but now Yahweh has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian Yahweh looked at him and said go and 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’m the youngest in my father’s house but he always said to him surely I will be with you and you shall defeat Midian as one man so Gideon said to him if now I found favor in your sight and 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 ephod flour put the meat in a basket and a 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 he did so and he did so then the angel of Yahweh put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat in the unleavened bread and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread then the angel of Yahweh vanished from his sight and Gideon saw that he was the angel of Yahweh he said haha so Lord Yahweh for now I’ve seen the angel of Yahweh face-to-face he always said to him peace to you do not fear you shall not die and Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh and named it Yahweh is peace to this day it is still in Oprah of deities rights right this is the first section we want to analyze and as always we want to start our analysis with just simple observations of the details of the text so what do we see here note who is said to speak to Gideon in our passage we’re told at different times like in verses 11 to 12 that it’s the angel of Yahweh it’s the angel of God but we’re also told that it is Yahweh himself we see this in verses 14 and 16 by now we’re somewhat familiar with this phenomenon how can these descriptors both be true at the same time it’s the angel of Yahweh and yet it’s Yahweh that’s because they’re the same the angel of Yahweh is Yahweh and yet distinct from Yahweh the doctrine of the Trinity is not as clearly revealed in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament what we’re seeing here is that doctrine manifest the Son of God is speaking and acting on behalf of God as the always messenger so this is God the Son of God even speaking with Gideon notice what Gideon is doing in verse 11 when God comes to speak to him Gideon his threshing wheat in a winepress this is not what one would normally do but he’s he’s doing this in order to save the wheat from the Midianites he’s hoping that beating the grain in the winepress it prevents any marauding Midianites from seeing the grain this food and attacking and taking it using the winepress by the way probably indicates there wasn’t very much grain to be beaten I mean wine prices aren’t not usually that big geography side note here says that Gideon isn’t Oprah and from what we understand about this place named Oprah was a town in the Jezreel Valley which is if you remember just north of the hill country of Samaria or the hill country of ephraim and manasseh which makes sense because he says he’s from Manasseh so this would be around where the tribal inheritance is is in the Jezreel Valley which is normally a great place for growing wheat now note what God says to Gideon in this passage he says a couple things for in verse 12 he says to Gideon Yahweh is with you o valiant warrior and as God confirms his presence with Gideon and he pronounces Gideon a mighty and powerful warrior in verse 14 Yahweh says further go and miss your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian have I not sent you my god again makes reference to Gideon strength and he commands Gideon to deliver Israel from Midian and then notice verse 16 God also says to Gideon surely I will be with you and you shall defeat Midian as one man now God uses the word surely emphasizing the trustworthiness of what he is announcing what are you saying he promises that he himself Yahweh will be with Gideon and he also promises that Gideon will defeat Midian as one man that is totally it’s gonna be a total defeat of the enemy now these are some pretty amazing words from God some great assurances and promises but notice Gideon’s response Gideon at first notice addresses God as Lord but the term is not an all cap letters in our Bibles remember when it’s in all capital letters that’s just the translators telling us that the writer or the speaker is using the covenant name for God Yahweh that name that was special between God and Israel begin Ian’s not using that name at first just Lord now what does this tell us well he’s using this more generic respectful title it could be translated even as sir which is what we see in ESV it tells us a little bit of something about whom Gideon thinks he’s speaking to at first just you know maybe some random person that you want to be respectful to also Gideon clearly does not believe God’s encouraging words again at least at first because Gideon questions after God says you know the Lord is with you Yahweh’s with you getting questions whether God is really with him or with Israel and note the reasons that Gideon gives in verse 13 he says look the circumstances are terrible we don’t see the mighty works and the miracles of God these things that we’ve heard about and God has given Israel into midians hand he’s abandoned us further in verse 15 Gideon believes that he himself is unable to deliver Israel he says I’m not from a great family I’m the youngest or least in my family oh my how could I deliver Israel but then notice after God says the third statement to Gideon there’s a shift in the way that Gideon responds to God Gideon starts to realize something and he tells the angel of Yahweh and verse 17 I’d like a sign from you that it is you who speak to me and how does Gideon want God to verify himself well he wants him to do something special with an offering so Gideon prepares a meal he puts it on the rock just like God tells him to and then in verse 21 when God touches with his staff this offering this meal that’s prepared it instantly incinerates and then the angel of Yahweh disappears well Gideon gets his verification it is the angel of Yahweh it is God Himself that he’s speaking to how does that make Gideon feel do you say man that was awesome I’m so glad Wow I got to talk with God yeah it’s not his reaction is the reaction is very much like the reaction we see throughout the Scriptures when someone realizes they’re talking with God or with an angel of God he’s terrified he realizes he’s met and spoken with the I am and he thinks he’s gonna die but God speaks to him again and he says to him peace peace to you do not fear you shall not die so Gideon builds a commemorative altar and names it Yahweh is peace right we’ve observed the main basic details of the passage let’s proceed now to questions of interpretation things that may not be quite as apparent and we’ll have to look at the details of the passage to answer all right first why does God call Gideon I mean it could have called a whole bunch of people in Israel why choose Gideon we might want to say well that’s because Gideon is so strong and capable I mean he says you’re a valiant warrior that’s why he chose Gideon but based on what we’ve observed in the passage does Gideon seem like a great choice for a deliverer or a poor choice for a deliverer you’re gonna have to say he looks more like a poor choice doesn’t seem strong a courageous or faith-filled at all he’s hiding in a winepress to beat grain doesn’t believe God when God gives him encouragement he questions God’s care and doesn’t think his family background or life situation give him the capability to accomplish anything great for God or for Israel yet God calls this man Gideon and he even affirms him as a valiant warrior but how can this be I mean God can’t be lying so how can God call fearful inadequate looking Gideon a strong warrior again we might think well alright maybe he’s not strong right now but it’s in there somewhere Gideon you just need to believe in yourself but again we notice the that’s not where God directs Gideon’s thinking what is it that God says to Gideon that’s supposed to strengthen and embolden Gideon what’s to give Gideon confidence merely the statement I will be with you I will be with you we’re gonna see that Gideon will indeed be a strong warrior but it’s not because of his own natural courage or might it’s because God is with him God empowers Gideon to act this situation may sound familiar where else in the Bible do we have someone who believes himself incapable of doing God’s work and God rather than telling that person how capable he really is deep down he simply tells that person I will be with you where else have we seen that you can right hands in a chat Yeah right Linden this is exactly what we saw with Moses at the accountant there burning bush in Exodus chapter 3 Moses proved himself to be a very capable leader of Israel and actually a pretty good speaker you memory he says Oh Lord I’ve never been a great speaker not even from my youth but actually it proved to be the opposite he was a great leader and a great speaker how did that happen it’s because God worked in him he empowered Moses to believe and obey he was with Moses that’s what he promised right at the beginning now we’ll have more to say about why God chooses Gideon but even now we can see this is ultimately about God rather than any particular ability in Gideon now another thing I want to bring up here another question to bring up when Gideon questions whether God is really with Israel what is missing from Gideon’s understanding of Israel’s situation now God says you know you’re always with you and he says how could y’all way be with me how could y’all way be with us what’s missing from Gideon’s understanding actually a couple of different things a number of different things and I’m gonna put these specifically on the screen first Gideon forgets what brought Israel into this situation it’s not God’s cruel or uncaring abandonment but it’s the people’s continual sin Gideon asked why are these things happening to us implying that they didn’t do anything to make it happen to themselves but of course the answer is rather obvious from the context and from what we’ve seen in the book of Judges if the answer is these things are happening to Israel because of Israel’s sin Gideon forgets this second Gideon forgets that blessing is not the only sign of God’s presence God’s judgment and discipline is also a sign of God’s presence because let’s face it when these circumstances that Israel are experiencing they are exactly what God has promised he is proving faithful to his covenant world word to the people of Israel he is proving him of trustworthy because he told them if you depart from me if you turn away from me and serve other gods then I will bring these difficult circumstances on you I will cause you to be oppressed I will cause you to be conquered by other nations so Gideon really should not be asking where is God because God is right there keeping his covenant with his people doing exactly what he promised he is judging Israel’s sin until Israel repents his real circumstances are not accidental they’re not out of control they’re actually a sign of God’s continual continued special relationship with his people just because he’s not experiencing the blessing of God doesn’t mean that God is not there in fact God is showing himself to be there and then finally another thing that get in a fundamental truth that Gideon forgets is that just because you don’t see something happening doesn’t mean it isn’t happening I mean consider the great irony gideon complains that god is not showing any of his mighty works where is god what’s the great irony in all that he’s talking with god right there where’s god uh he’s talking to you i no see any mighty works from god maybe consider that his angels right in front of you and can make this sacrifice instantly incinerate gideon is asking where god is and where the miracles of God are but they’re actually happening right in front of him now we’ve seen this kind of thing before where God is at work even miraculously at work the people don’t realize it remember when Abraham went to Mount Moriah to sacrifice his son Isaac he didn’t know that while he was enduring that testing of faith and ultimately proving his faith by mmm preparing to sacrifice even his own son to God that God was at the same time providing a ram Iran that would be caught in the thicket right we’re right where Isaac and Abraham would go and that Ram would be the substitutionary sacrifice it was happening God was arranging it but Abraham didn’t know it at the time in a similar way Gideon has no idea what is doing but rather than trusting God like Abraham did Gideon complaints he thinks that because I don’t see what God is doing that is proof that God is doing nothing it’s the old if I can’t see it it doesn’t exist attitude now we’re prone to this ourselves aren’t we actually let’s think about an application for a moment aren’t these things that I’ve just shared with you that Gideon forgets in his thinking aren’t they the same things that we sometimes hear from others today or even say to ourselves that we feel we ask where is God God obviously doesn’t exist doesn’t have power or doesn’t care because and we pull up the same excuses that Gideon does my circumstances are terrible if God did exist he obviously wouldn’t let these things happen to me I mean so many people in the world are suffering a good God couldn’t possibly exist and allow this and I don’t see any evidence of God working in the world no one that I know is getting saved no miracles are happening around me people just continue to be evil nothing is changing there is no God or if there is he’s not paying attention he obviously doesn’t love me and he doesn’t love people you ever thought these things you hear these things like Gideon we need to realize we need to communicate to others that first the evil and trouble that we experienced today is because of what we have done not because of some deficiency in God we with our ancient parents we sinned against God in the garden and we continue to sin we show our solidarity with our first with the first humans when we continue to sin and rebel against God in our lives we’re simply reaping in the circumstances we encounter we are reaping what we ourselves have sown as a rebellious human race so God is not not obligated to do good to us we’re rebels the fact that he allows any good to happen to us is a ridiculous mercy from him so instead of asking why am I not experiencing good or why don’t I experience more good we ought to be asking why do I experience any good at all considering my sins against God considering my participation in rebellion along with the rest of humanity against God I shouldn’t be saying where is God because good things aren’t happening to me I should be saying how can God who is holy allow anything good to come my way we need to realize the same thing that Gideon failed to realize and second we need to realize that the suffering that we see or experience in the world is actually proof that God is faithful and His Word is true because what did God promise God promised that there would be consequences for sin God also promised that nothing in the world would ultimately last or satisfy as a result of the curse of sin and God also promised that he would use suffering to draw people to himself and to sanctify them to put his glory on display actually so when we experience one of these realities the brokenness of the world the consequences of sin or the sanctifying nature our suffering we ought not to say where is God but instead we should say here is God the word of the Lord is proving true once again he said that this would be the case and I see that it is so if you’re listening and you don’t know Jesus Christ don’t be surprised at the troubles you experienced in your life these are what God promised would happen as a result of Adam and Eve sin and even your own sin but if you do know Christ again don’t be surprised at the trouble that you experience because you’re still in a sin cursed world that is awaiting redemption just as the Bible says and your Lord specifically promised you Jesus specifically promised you that you would have tribulation in this world but for your good and His glory God is not far from you when you experience trouble he’s actually there in the trouble proving himself faithful to his word so again we need to realize the same thing that gideon needed to realize that trouble we experienced on the one hand it is what we ourselves have sown and we are reaping it second it’s actually proof that God’s Word is true and he’s being faithful easy actually in the trouble and third when we don’t see God acting that does not mean that God is inactive rather we know what he told us in his word that he is always active and we can doubt this we often do and we say to ourselves why isn’t this person saved yet why haven’t doctors found a cure for my cancer from my particular ailment why’s China still getting away with persecuting Christians why is abortion still legal where’s the money I need for my medical bills where’s the spouse that God has for me why are we still in the Cova 19 quarantine God why aren’t you doing anything if you could forgotten about me have you forgotten about us often we ask these questions not out of faith but out of sinful unbelief and we charge God with wrong in our hearts where are you God I don’t see you acting but God is good he’s not cruel he does not forget he demonstrates this again again in the Bible and he is always acting always bringing his will to pass I will says he doesn’t sleep he doesn’t go and take a break now in a sense he did and the first week of creation just to set a pattern for us but in another sense he never takes break now God is not obligated to do for us what he did for Jacob remember the whole thing with jacob’s staircase Jacob’s Ladder God doesn’t have to do for us what he did with Jacob pulling back the curtain and letting us see the heavenly staircase with the angels going up and down on it those angels were a testimony that God is indeed at work even when we don’t see it God doesn’t have to do that for us because he did in the scriptures God often secretly works in his own way in his own timing and we don’t see it until much later maybe never in this life so we are to proceed by faith in that truth doing so of course requires humility it requires submission to God saying all right god you’re there the one in the high place you’re the one who’s allowed to you don’t have need to be questioned I need to take the low place and trust you these two qualities humility and Trust these are things that the flesh is very loath to embrace doesn’t want you to take the humble place before God and say God I don’t need to know God you know take care of it yet trust this humble trust in God it is essential if we are to have peace in the middle of difficult circumstances now it’s true for Gideon it’s certainly true for us to pay do you want peace during this copán 19 crisis and you need to stop asking yourself where is God you need to realize that he is here he is in the trouble he is proving himself faithful and he is doing good to those who know him and love him well God calls Gideon but what does Gideon do next let’s look at the next section of Judges chapter 6 and 7 I actually paraphrase verses 20 25 to 40 I won’t read through this section together but God commands Gideon additionally to what he has already commanded him to destroy his father’s Astra and altar to Bale so there are some idols even in the place where he’s living even in his own household and God says get rid of those go and destroy those again Gideon should have known why are these things happening to us maybe the idols in your own house will have something to do with that anyways God commands him to destroy these idols and Gideon does but because Gideon is fearful he does it secretly at night he fears the idolatrous community around him he fears a reprisal from them so he tears down this altar and tears down the Astra at night but the people find out and they call for Gideon’s death they said who did this let’s put him to death Gideon’s father those saves could life by saying hey if fail really is a god let bail contend for himself so Gideon’s Gideon survives shortly afterwards the text says the Spirit of God comes upon Gideon and doesn’t mean that he was saved the Spirit of God worked in a slightly different way in the Old Testament and in the New Testament whenever we read the Spirit of God came upon somebody in the Old Testament that is an indicator of empowerment for special service and this can happen on somebody who knows God or somebody who doesn’t know God but we’re gonna see Gideon is ultimately someone who does know God who proves himself to be a man of faith anyways God’s Spirit comes upon Gideon and Gideon sends out a call to his fellow Israelites to gather and fight against Midian and as the people of Israel come together that is those around where Gideon was Gideon asks God for two more miraculous signs he’s looking for more assurance from God and he says hey there’s this fleece thing could you make it wet could you make it dry and show me that you really are with me how God is not obligated to provide these signs he’s already made clear to get in even by miraculous sign that he’s with Gideon but God grants Gideon’s request and he grants in two more miraculous signs but with the Israelites gathered let’s see what God in Gideon do next let’s look at Judges chapter 7 verses 1 & 2 8 is what says in chapter 7 then Giroud Bale that is Gideon and all the people who are with him rose early and camped beside the spring of Herod and a camp iminium was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley he always said to Gideon the people who are with you are too many for me to give Midian into your hands or into their hands for Israel would become boastful saying my own power has delivered me now therefore come proclaim in the hearing of the people saying whoever is afraid and trembling let him return and apart from Mount Gilead so 22,000 people returned but 10,000 remained then you always said to Gideon the people are still too many bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there therefore therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you this one shall go with you he shall go with you but every one 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 you always 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 a number of those who lapped putting their hand to their mouths was three hundred men but all the rest of people kneeled to drink water he always said to Gideon I will deliver you with the three hundred men who lapped and will give them many nights into your hands so that all the other people go each man to his home so the three hundred men took the people’s provisions and the trumpets into their hands and Gideon sent all the other men of Israel each to his tent but retained that three hundred men and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley all right we won’t spend as much time on this section of text but let’s make some observations as the army visual gathers notice in verse two God’s conclusion about the army size it’s too large for Israel to receive the victory why is this God says specifically mmm Israel might take credit for the victory in its own strength so God downsizes the army via the means in verse three it tells Gideon to send all the fearful ones away twenty-two thousand the original thirty-two thousand Israelite warriors leave and that leaves ten thousand others but how does God respond to this new army size in verse four he says it’s still too big and he further reduces the Army has Gideon further reduced the army by this somewhat perplexing issue of how the soldiers drink from a body of water and verses six to eight God tells Gideon to take the soldiers who lap the water like dogs though these soldiers are also said to be the ones who put their hands to their mouths so what exactly are you supposed to be picturing here I actually have a picture on the screen but how are we supposed to understand this well perhaps the men who are lapping like dogs they cut the water in their hands bring it to their mouths and then lap it with their tongues that that would be an odd way to drink water John MacArthur Study Bible understands this description to mean that the men’s hands are acting like dogs tongue drawing up the water to the men’s Mouse so therefore this description of lapping is really those who cup the water in their hands and bring it to their mouths before drinking it God says take those men don’t take the men who kneel to drink the water that seems to be the way what’s going on here how many soldiers does Gideon end up with according to verse 8 just three hundred Gideon sends all the others away but how many soldiers is Gideon up against it’s not said here but if we look ahead in chapter 8 verse 10 which is kind of the aftermath of the deliverance that we’re going to see judges 8 10 gives us the detail that Midian has a hundred and thirty five thousand soldiers now consider three hundred personal hundred thirty five thousand imagine you were part of that band of three hundred soldiers you’re facing four hundred and fifty times a force of your own four sets of four hundred fifty times bigger than yours how are you gonna win this how could as you’ll possibly win such a lopsided matchup oh it’s lopsided all right but not in the way that it first appears alright having observed these details let’s ask a few more interpretation questions which soldiers are better those who cup the water in their hands to drink it or those who kneel to drink it we might make an argument one way or the other but actually there’s probably no relation between martial skill and how you drink water because we see what is the main point of this distinction and how people are drawing water it’s to drastically reduce the army size you say oh but if they cup it to their mouths maybe they’re more watchful soldiers yeah maybe but that doesn’t seem to be God’s point the point is I want to drastically reduce this number let’s take the rarer form of drinking water so that your force is quite small yeah I see Roy you’re looking ahead to what I what I basically want to ask when I want to direct us towards the thinking from a human perspective what are the odds of three hundred defeating 135 thousand basically nil it’s impossible so why does God arranged for an impossible engagement it’s actually exactly what Roy is written in the chat God is going to work through Gideon and these 300 men against this huge midnight force so that it’s clear God is the one who brings the victory God is the one with the power and who grants the victory not man again this is the truth that we’ve seen emphasized before in the Old Testament we’re going to see it emphasized again because it’s a thing that we just don’t want to believe in our sinful flesh we want to rely on our own power the guy says no I’m the one with the power look I brought down the walls of Jericho without you doing anything practical to bring them down look I destroyed the chariots of Egypt when they pursued Israel in the Red Sea I’m the one who has the power I’m the one who brings deliverance and I’m working on your behalf if you know me so trust me and that’s what we’re seeing here but God’s not done emphasizing his power let’s actually continue on in judges chapter 7 again I’ll summarize a little bit of the verses here judges seven verses 10 to 14 we see that the 300 men of Gideon are getting ready to engage the camp of Midian below them in the Herod Valley so I’ve put a little map here on the screen there’s the Jezreel Valley that you might remember from our draaga fee lesson and the very edge of it is the Herod Valley which goes towards the Jordan River they are on the opposite sides of this valley Gideon at the spring of Herod near Mount Gilboa and the armies of Midian near the hill of morays at the base of the hill Amaury now they’re getting ready to engage but Gideon is still fearful God says hey if you want one more assurance I’ll give it to you go down into the camp of Midian and there’s gonna be some encouragement waiting for you Gideon goes down there during the night and he overhears two enemy soldiers talking one relates a dream to the other and the other person interprets the dream and the interpretation is quite startling the enemy soldier he says oh you know the interpretation of this dream is that there’s a leader of Israel named Gideon he’s gonna and totally defeat us Gideon and a couple of his compadres are overhearing this they are encouraged and they returned to the camp of Israel and they initiate the battle plan so let’s see what plays out and verses 15 to 25 judges 7 verses 15 to 25 when Gideon heard the account to the dream in its interpretation he bowed and worship he returned to the camp of Israel and said rise for yahweh has given the camp of Midian into your hands he divided the three hundred 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 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 Yahweh and forget e’en so Gideon in the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning in the middle watch when they had just posted the watch and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pictures that were in their hands when the three companies moved 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 Yahweh and for Gideon each stood in this place around the camp and all the army ran crying out as they fled when they blew 300 trumpets Yahweh set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army and the army fled as far as Beth Beth Sheeta towards Aurora as far as the edge of able mahalo by Tabitha the men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher in 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 Peres and the Jordan so all the men of Yueh fume were summoned and they took the waters as far as Beth Bera and the Jordan they captured the two leaders of Midian or eben zb– and they killed or apat the rock of horeb and they killed Z but the winepress of Zeeb while they pursued Midian and it brought the heads of war bands Eve to Gideon from across the Jordan Wow well let’s it make some more observations on this section Gideon divides his men is 300 men into three groups unto men each these three groups spread out around millions camp armed with just trumpets and torches coins basically don’t think of a modern trumpet they have these torches covered by pitchers and at Gideon’s signal all the men blow their trumpets they break their printers and they shout a sword for Yahweh and forget Ian what’s the result verse 21 says the enemy cries out and they flee their verse 22 clarifies what God does God throws the enemy army into a panic so that the enemy soldiers kill one another as they flee now as Midian is running away and destroying itself notice Gideon calls out that nearby tribes of Israel to pursue Midian and even seize strategic choke points median would be fleeing East out of the Herod Valley back towards the east where they came from so they’re gonna need to cross the Jordan so they have to find a Ford to do that there are some strategic choke points and Gideon says Ischl other tribes go and seize these points and they do judges 810 and text in the next chapter I already mentioned it tells us that 120,000 Midianites fall this way along with their two leaders Horeb and Zeeb another section in Judges eight judges eight verses 10 to 17 it tells us how then Gideon pursues and destroys the remaining 15,000 of Midian with just his three hundred men no that’s still quite an engagement three hundred verses 15 thousand they go into the battle and the Midianite army is completely destroyed and that’s exactly what God promised isn’t it you will destroy them as one man totally now this victory is so wonderful that at the end of chapter 8 the people of visual asked Gideon to become their king but he declines and he reminds them that Yahweh is Israel’s King alright with these observations let’s go to one one more set of interpretation questions previously Gideon looked weak fearful and inadequate but how does Gideon show himself here shows himself to be indeed a valiant warrior a mighty man how is that possible well it’s because Gideon believes what God told him I’ll be it after several confirming signs for miraculous signs from God but he believes God and he shows this belief by attacking the Midianites not just once but continually until they’re totally destroyed so God’s Word regarding Midian comes true in every way God is with Gideon Gideon is strong and Gideon does smite the Midianites as one man but what is the source of Gideon’s strength not himself it’s God and it’s God’s promises but why does God choose to bring victory to Israel in this way well it’s as we were already understanding when we were considering the size of the army it is to make clear once again that God is the one with power that he loves his people that he is faithful to them and that he will bring victory when they are obedient to be sure Gideon’s attack plan was daring and some might credit just the element of surprise in psychological warfare for Israel’s success but the text makes clear especially in verse 22 that it’s God that made Midian flee panic and destroy one another God could have easily have made things turn out differently yes maybe Gideon would have surprised the middie Knights but God could have caused Midian to rally turn around and destroy Gideon’s little band you know it’s actually amazing to me as you study history great contests military engagements or even sports contests today it’s amazing how one little moment can turn out for victory or turn out for defeat like an injury on the field let’s say in a modern sports engagement that could demoralize a team or could fire up a team you never know how something is going to affect the people it’s really in God’s hands you can’t you can’t necessarily predict it and you can’t totally control it actually it’s all under God’s control and it’s the same thing throughout history it’s amazing how how victory appears many times in history when it seems like it never would or the opposite defeat this is because God is the one with the power not man and he’s showing it once again yes as a as a bold plan from Gideon yet it was God who brought to victory God used Gideon’s tactic as part of the deliverance but even the stratagem came from God and its effectiveness all the glory goes to God so let’s come back to our first question why did God choose Gideon to be Israel’s deliverer is to further emphasize those points that I just mentioned a weak fearful man from a weak clan he becomes a strong warrior when God empowers him you see God is making a very important point with Gideon that we all need to hear God saying I’m the one with the power and I caused the weak to become strong how so God says I give them my presence I give them my promises and even my power so that these ones believe me obey and experience a blessing now God could have delivered Israel without Gideon you didn’t need Gideon but he chose to have Gideon involved because he’s making a point to all Israel and us today about obedience don’t be afraid of the bang the Lord don’t be afraid of the obstacles in your path don’t be afraid of the enemies of God that you encounter God says look what I’m able to do with you yes even you when you obey me I can make 300 put one hundred and thirty-five thousand to flight it’s not Gideon who’s special it’s God and God chooses to use Gideon to make that point obey me like weak Gideon does God says and you can become strong you can be empowered for the work set before you it’s in the Apostle Paul say something similar in the New Testament 2nd Corinthians 12:9 Paul is talking about his thorn in the flesh god this is really hard for me I feel like I can barely go on won’t you remove this thorn God says my power is perfected in the weakness my grace is sufficient for you this will glorify me when you realize that you can’t do it on your own we need to realize the same thing today you think about your difficult circumstances even the one that we’re all experiencing and we say God I can’t take any more of this or God how am I supposed to be faithful during this time this is this is too much this is too hard well if you’re experiencing that if you’re saying that to yourself that’s exactly where God wants you he says yes you’re realizing that you need me you’re realizing ultimately you weren’t the one in control you weren’t the one with the power but you know what continue to look to me trust me God says and obey me in this and you will put my glory on display that’s why Paul says after God said to him what he did in 2nd Corinthians 12 I will gladly boast in my weaknesses I will gladly boast and how inadequate I am for the task set before me even as I pursue them so that God may be glorified because God uses us yes even us these little clay pots to put his magnificent glory on display and with this truth in mind why is it so tragic that Israel seeks to make Gideon their king after this mighty deliverance why is it actually tragic that ischial tries to make Gideon King what do you think I think there is definitely a relation to what we were just saying think about it I think yeah mark you you’ve got it Israel has missed the points I mean the thing the very thing that God was showing and emphasizing is you missed and we don’t won’t look at the text specifically but in judges 8 they say be our King and fight our battles for us now get in says to them yeah just as Liz is mentioning they already have a king and it was God their King who was giving them the victory not Gideon but they don’t want to look to god they want to look to Gideon Gideon you are the one who brought about this my deliverance you be our king they missed it I missed the point they were looking to man for their deliverance and just as Mark said this is vain God uses man but man’s not the one with the power it’s God and they apparently weren’t seeing that I mean imagine if something similar were happening with the church and the Apostle Paul now Paul he’s this weak man made strong by the Lord and imagine if the church said you know Paul you are the one leader we want to just obey and follow you I want to forget everybody else it’s just gonna be you be our leader you’re the one with the power not what Paul had reacted to that no absolutely not Christ is your one leader and he’s the one with the power I’m appointed as an apostle yes but I’m still only a weak man my ministry is empowered by Christ just as yours is if you believe in so what about us we got to take these things home and apply them for us today don’t we we have tasks set before us tasks of evangelism discipleship ministry in the church sanctification we need to overcome sin we need to put sin to death but where’s the power for this going to come from how are we going to get through the difficulties that we face how will we endure how will we overcome do we look to things in the world the caused us to do so did we look merely to people to money to worldly wisdom to overcome these challenges or did we look to the promises and presence of God because Jesus repeats what God says to Gideon doesn’t he Matthew 28 when he’s addressing his disciples he says all authority in heaven on earth has been given to me now here’s what I’m commissioning you to do go make disciples and baptize them and teach them for I am with you even to the end of the age do we realize that we believe that do we realize that it is God’s presence that empowers us I am working in you God says I will bring you to victory if you follow me if you believe in me and don’t rely on your flesh don’t believe what your flesh tells you do we look to the Lord I do we look to ourselves yeah well you’re right Israel is gonna continue to miss this point I mean Israel will get things at certain times and not at other times but yeah when they ask for Saul it’s for the same reason it’s because they want to rely on man and not God and even King Saul his whole life is characterized by that perspective when he’s pursuing David or when he’s not fully obeying the Lord it’s because he wants to rely on man’s strength he’s so fearful of losing the people’s support because he thinks he needs it to maintain his kingship and to win his battles but David stands like a foil somebody who actually relies on God and God brings about great victory through David we need to rely on the Lord to do we sometimes feel like God hasn’t given us enough that God has left us high and dry god I want to obey you but you just haven’t given me enough resources I mean these circumstances are impossible I just don’t have enough do we sometimes feel this we’re inadequate to actually overcome our sin or to do ministry now if you are in Christ if you know the Lord then you have been made how to quit through Christ God is going to do all his necessary resources yes you do need to actually make use of them and become trained in them you have his spirit you have his word you have his church have the Ministry of all the different gifts in the church these things are given to you so that you are able to obey and be made strong in your God Yahweh by faith God makes the weak strong he makes the inadequate fully-equipped isn’t it isn’t that one of the things that we celebrate when it comes to the Word of God that this is a not a mere man-made word but it is the very breath of God and it rebukes it corrects it instructs and it makes a person adequate or we could say completes completely equipped for for life and godliness for all for what we encounter in this life God has adequately provided for us and we can even go to first Corinthians 10 we think about the troubles and temptations and experiences we have today and then God says look there’s nothing that you’re experiencing that is not common to man everybody is experiencing this in one form or another and I will not tempt you I will not put you in a situation that you’re not able to bear I will always make a step victory and deliverance is available but you need to take my word seriously you need to trust me you need to obey me and you need to flee from sin so God has not left us high and dry at all that’s just the flesh speaking that’s just pride speaking God has provided all that we need the strength is not enough but it is in him do we believe that one other question here along the same lines Gideon is mentioned in Hebrews 11 as a man of faith yes even Gideon weak fearful Gideon was made into a valiant warrior and we can be too but will we we are responsible for how we respond to this truth so what will we do about you specifically will you continue to look for yourself look to yourself and excuse failures and inaction due to your own weakness yes god I know you call me to do this but you know I’m just so weak you know I can’t do it sometimes we say this to ourselves don’t we well we continue to do that in light of what we’ve just read in judges today or will we take God at His Word proceed in his strength BAE by faith and behold the victory and blessing yes you are weak we are all weak spiritually even physically but God is strong so he says when you don’t overcome it’s it’s because you weren’t looking to me you were relying on yourself don’t excuse your failure don’t excuse your inaction due to your own weakness actually that should be this thing that causes you to run after God God I need your strength I need your life I don’t have it on my own he’s a good father who when his children cry out in need he he gives to them what they need but to cry out requires that humble trusting position and it’s not what the flesh wants to do so where we haven’t done this brothers and sisters where we haven’t done this we need to repent and this may be a thing that we have to repent of multiple times as God continues to show us where we’re still not trusting him and where we’re still being proud yes even now in the coronavirus situation when you’re starting to get angry are you starting to be impatient and you just want things to be over with yes it is a difficult circumstance and maybe you feel like you’re coming to the end of yourself maybe not yet maybe later on do you know what it’s precisely in that moment you say God this is where you want me and I need to trust you what I need to cling to you and I need to proceed forward in faith obeying the Lord because he will vindicate that faith maybe you won’t remove the difficult circumstances actually many times he won’t but he will give you the ability to persevere the ability to endure just as Paul says right philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who gives me strength that is Christ didn’t mean I could do whatever I wanted you mean that I can endure any situation the strength that Christ provides the strength that God provides strength is ours if we know Christ but it requires humble trust in the Lord well that’s all for this week if you have a question or a comment about what what I mentioned today feel free to post in the chat I’ll hang around a little bit afterwards to interact with it but next week we’re gonna continue on in the book of Judges and look at the final judge that’s mentioned in this book and that’s Samson Samson is a judge well known for his strength but also for his weakness his spiritual weaknesses are quite glaring in many ways he reflects the increasing corruption of visual that we see in the book of judges and even Samson is called a man of faith and he is used by God to powerfully deliver Israel what can we learn from Samson talk about that more next time let’s pray together Emily father thank you for your word Lord it is a word that proves our unbelief but Lord also encourages our faith so god I pray Lord that you would build faith in your people Lord that we would repent of sin and unbelief but that we instead would take hold of you even in our weakness actually because of our weakness and that we would become mighty men when and children of faith let her pray that you would encourage and help and keep your promises to your people just as you will and yet God we know it is righteous to pray for that so we can give you the glory whenever we see the answer uphold the people at Calvary and anyone else listening today gand and vindicate their faith lord as they look to you in whatever circumstance they find themselves in Jesus name Amen thank you for joining me today again I’ll be interacting in the comments for a little bit but otherwise I’ll see you next time