Choices Pt. 3 -- Baby Steps

Today’s declaration is about a man named Gideon, an Israelite, who lived in a time when the Israelites had no King and they were ruled by Judges.  During this time period the Israelites were under the control of a nation called Midianites because they were disobedient to God and engaged in idolatry and other wickedness.  The Midianites and Amalekites regularly raided the Israelites land, destroying and/or taking their crops, stealing their livestock (cattle, oxen, etc.), completely desolating the land.  This happened so often that the Israelites made hideouts in caves in the mountains to protect themselves.  They were terrorized by their enemy for seven years.  Finally they realized their sin and began to cry out to God for mercy.  God answered them by raising up one of their own tribesmen, Gideon.  He wasn’t a popular jock who got all the women or a strong yoked up warrior, in fact he was the most insignificant, looked over member of his family.  Isn’t that just like God to use an ordinary person like me or you to accomplish his will (not by power, nor by might but by my spirit says the Lord of Hosts.  Zechariah 4:6b (NKJV)

Gideon, in his hometown of Ophrah, was hiding the food he has gathered from the Midianites and the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said:

·       “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” 

·       Gideon says: “With me? If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, ‘Didn’t God deliver us from Egypt?’ The fact is, God has nothing to do with us—he has turned us over to Midian.” 

·       God said: “Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven’t I just sent you?”

·       Gideon is like:  “Me? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan’s the weakest in Manasseh and I’m the runt of the family. 

·                 ·       God said: “I’ll be with you. Believe me, you’ll defeat the.”

·                ·       Gideon said” “If you’re serious, do me a favor: Give me a sign to back up what you’re 
               ·            telling me. Don’t leave until I come back and bring you my gift.”

·                  ·       He said, “I’ll wait till you get back.” (Judges 6:11-23)

Gideon described himself as a runt (the smallest or weakest, a person who is small and contemptible).  He didn’t see himself as important, perhaps because of low self-esteem or short man’s complex perhaps because that is what he was labeled and he made the choice to accept it.  Clearly God didn’t see him as he was, he saw him for who he created him to be, a Mighty Warrior.  It’s no different for you and I; he doesn’t see us in our current state he sees us as significant members of the body of Christ, his children whom he loves.

I have often heard it said that Gideon was a coward.  Perhaps he was, but he was bold enough to ask God for a favor.  God must have liked Gideon’s spunk because he obliged him.  Perhaps God was more lenient with Gideon because there had been no real communication between God and the Israelites for the past seven years and even then it wasn’t consistent.  Not because of God, but because the Israelites were so wishy-washy and double minded.  They would obey God for a while but then go back to their old lifestyles of idol worship and sinful lifestyles.  God would allow them to run buck wild, he wouldn’t interfere with their choice but when they got tired of getting whopped they would call on him and he would rescue them.  Each time he warned them of the consequences if they turned back to their old sinful lifestyle but they went right back to it.

Gideon proceeded with caution because there was no intimate relationship with God like Abraham the OG of faith and the ancestor to all Israelites.  When God made promises or instructed Abraham in specific things he didn’t waiver in his belief nor did Joshua, a bona find warrior, who stayed ready for battle as well as countless others but they had intimate relationships with God.  Gideon didn't and he asked for a sign. 

The First Sign:  Gideon prepared a huge gift of meat, bread and soup and brought it as a gift to the Angel of the Lord.  The Angel instructed him to place the items on a huge rock and to pour the soup over the meat and bread and then the Angel touched the rock with the end of a stick and it burst into flames, consuming the gift as the Angel disappeared.  It was at that point Gideon finally realized he had been in the presence of God.  Assuming he was going to die because he saw God, he panicked but God reassured him he wasn’t going to die.  Now that God had Gideon’s full attention he gave him a small assignment (I believe to build his confidence).  He was to take 10 men and destroy his father’s Baal altar and fertility god, Asherah.  He opted to do it at night because he was afraid to do so during broad daylight.  (Judges 6:27)

Victory Thought:  God meets us where we are, but he doesn’t expect us to stay there.  In Gideon’s  

case he increased his courage incrementally, baby steps.

The next morning the town of Ophrah was in an uproar and after some investigating discovered Gideon destroyed their gods.  They demanded that Joash, Gideon’s father, turn his son over to them so they could kill him.  How stupid is it for them to feel like they have to vindicate their god.  Joash said: “If Baal is a god in fact, let him fight his own battles and defend his own altar.” Judges 6:31b (NLT)  And that was the end of that.  Gideon made a choice to obey God, he got street creds for it and nobody bothered him again.  Shortly thereafter the Midianites and Amalekites were spotted, it was clear they intended to raid the land and Gideon discovered it.

The Second Sign:  the Spirit of the Lord (anointing) came over Gideon and he summoned the men of the nation – this is the first time in seven years someone showed leadership.  As they were arriving Gideon prayed to God as follows:  “If this is right, if you are using me to save Israel as you’ve said, then look: I’m placing a fleece of wool on the floor. If dew is on the fleece only, but the floor is dry, then I know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said.”  That’s what happened. When he got up early the next morning, he wrung out the fleece—enough dew to fill a bowl with water.  Judges 6:36-37 (NLT)

I’m out of time, we’ll have to pick it up tomorrow.  Will you make the choice to follow me to get  hear the conclusion of the whole matter?

In His Excellent Service

Tania