Choices Part 5: Summary of Gideon

This week’s blogs have been centered on choices.  While I pointed out individuals who made the right choice based upon their life’s purpose, I am sure we can all agree that we know at least one person that during their lifetime has made the wrong choice (perhaps you are that one person.  I don’t know, I’m Just Sayin’ – IJS).  As a result of that one choice their lives were forever altered, some to the point of meeting death prematurely.  We live in a society that is full of negativity and rather than point out the consequences of making the wrong choice, I wanted to focus on making the right choices, even when making that decision is uncomfortable and/or we are uncertain.  Esther and Gideon were the characters that I felt led to use as examples this week, but there are countless other biblical and regular, average, everyday people that I could have featured.
What am I trying to say? God is not looking for the most talented, beautiful, intelligent, wealthiest, athletic, spiritual, whitest, blackest, reddest, brownest, largest, smallest, thinnest, thickest or politically correct individual, he is looking for people that will say “Yes”.  In Esther’s case making the right choice took a little coaxing from her uncle (Mordecai) but she had the advantage of having had a relationship with God prior to this experience.  Gideon, however, lived well before Esther in a time when God was silent much of the time because of the great sins of the Israelites.  I am not justifying his lack of faith.  I want to be clear that Gideon didn’t have to get himself together before entering a relationship with God all he needed was a surrendered (willing) heart.  God met Gideon where he was and built him up from that platform.  Can you see the plain liberty in that statement?  Do you understand how incredibly simplistic it is?  No, I don’t think you do, seriously.  First of all you really cannot fix you.  Granted you can make some external changes (e.g. exercise, diet, wardrobe/hair makeover, etc.) all of which are great.  You can even make some behavioral changes that may last for quite a while, but we cannot change the spiritual man, we need God for that.  Simply put, all we need to do is show up with the right attitude and God will take care of the rest, with regards to conversion.  After that point it is left up to us to cultivate our relationship with him and discover his will for our lives based on his purpose for us, not someone else.

I cannot insinuate that I know the mind of God, however, I had an epiphany yesterday and felt that it would be a great analogy to offer as a way of better understanding how God groomed Gideon for his “purpose”.  Baking is a favorite past-time of mines and I can confidently say I’m pretty good at it, so I’ll use that as an analogy: 

•  First I have to make the decision (choice) that I want to participate (bake) 
• Secondly I must decide what type of cake I want to bake, for example 7-Up, Lemon Jello, Sock-it-to-Me, Sour Cream Pound, Carrot Cake, German Chocolate or German Chocolate cupcakes.  Let’s go with German Chocolate cupcakes
• I must go through the process of:

o   Acquiring the ingredients;

o   Combining the ingredients – which demands exact measurements and can take a while;

o   Filling each cupcake with the right amount of batter

o   Baking the cupcakes – the refining process;

o   Applying the icing; and

o   Lastly, the reward of eating those delicious little cakes. 

The spiritual analogy:

• Once we make the choice to obey God,
• We must seek (ask) God for direction for our lives, what is your passion(s) -- the desire(s) that you have really comes from God so it’s no surprise to him, it’s all a part of his plan
• We must go through the process of acquiring the ingredients (desire, obedience, courage, prayer, fasting, reading/studying the word, etc.) to start the journey;
• We combine the ingredients throughout the journey to make us stronger and wiser;
• We begin the refining process (the trial of our faith which can get so heated sometimes that we think we’re going to disintegrate – give up – but God knows exactly how long we need to be refined, he will never allow us to be burned);
• When we’re good and ready God will remove us from the situation; and
• Reward us by lavishing us with the final touches of his rewards and secret promises that only he knows about which will allow us to shine like a light that sits on a hill as we walk in completeness in him.

In conclusion, Gideon may have started out with cowardice tendencies but his willingness and obedience got God’s attention and he was ultimately labeled one of the heroes of faith in the bible.  Hebrews 11:32 (NLT): How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.  Someone said it’s not how you start that counts, it is how you finish. 

 

In His Excellent Service

Tania

Choices Pt. 4 -- Gideon's OG 300

In yesterday’s Blog we discussed Gideon, who believed he was insignificant and identified himself as a runt but God called him a Mighty Warrior; Mighty Man of Valor.  It amazes me that God does not see us in our unfinished state rather our perfected (matured) state, the person he designed us to be. 

Gideon was instructed to save his people but he doubted his abilities and asked for a sign or confirmation if you will and God obliged him.  This increased his courage and belief in God.  Remember, this was Gideon’s very first encounter with God, in fact he didn’t even realize it was God talking to him.  John 10:4-5 (NLT): After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.  Once God obliged the request Gideon’s faith was increased.  While this isn’t complete faith, belief without evidence other than the word of God and trust in him it is an example of a sovereign God showing mercy to Gideon to build his unbelief.  When we know more we do more.

The request for a second sign came as a result of the alert Gideon received that the enemy (Midanites and Amalekites) were en route to desolate the land.  He asked God to keep the floor dry but allow the fleece to be wet (imagine a fleece jacket which absorbs water but keeps you dry).  When he wakes early the next morning the floor which should have been wet from morning dew was DRY and the fleece was so wet he wrung out enough water to fill a bowl.

What I find ironic about Gideon is his initial cowardice disposition but his courage to ask God for assurance and he was specific about his requests.  God honored his incomplete faith and obliged him.  Most of us don’t ask God for anything we just assume he’ll do everything for us magically, no ma’am, no sir.  James 4:2-3 (NLT):  You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.  And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.  Gideon did the opposite.

Now let’s continue with the story:

The Third Sign:  Judges 6:39-40 (NLT):  Then Gideon said to God, “Don’t be impatient with me, but let me say one more thing. I want to try another time with the fleece. But this time let the fleece stay dry, while the dew drenches the ground.”  God made it happen that very night. Only the fleece was dry while the ground was wet with dew.  Gideon knew he was overdoing it at this point but again God in his sovereignty obliged him a third time.  After receiving his confirmation he assembled the army he had summoned but God told him there were too many. 

God said to Gideon, “You have too large an army with you. I can’t turn Midian over to them like this—they’ll take all the credit, saying, ‘I did it all myself,’ and forget about me. Make a public announcement: ‘Anyone afraid, anyone who has any qualms at all, may leave Mount Gilead now and go home.’” Twenty-two companies [22,000] headed for home. Ten companies were left.  Judges 7:2-3 (The Message).  Notice Gideon doesn’t ask for a sign, nor does he question God, he obeys immediately.

God said to Gideon: “There are still too many. Take them down to the stream and I’ll make a final cut. When I say, ‘This one goes with you,’ he’ll go. When I say, ‘This one doesn’t go,’ he won’t go.” So Gideon took the troops down to the stream. God said to Gideon: “Everyone who laps with his tongue, the way a dog laps, set on one side. And everyone who kneels to drink, drinking with his face to the water, set to the other side.” Three hundred lapped with their tongues from their cupped hands. All the rest knelt to drink.  Judges 7:4-6 (The Message). From a logical standpoint Gideon could have expressed concern about the dwindling.  The bible says the enemy was: spread out on the plain like a swarm of locusts. And their camels! Past counting, like grains of sand on the seashore! Judges 7:12 (The Message). That’s a lot of enemy.

Now that Gideon has his predestined army they set up camp and wait for God’s instruction.  That night, God told Gideon: “Get up and go down to the camp. I’ve given it to you. If you have any doubts about going down, go down with Purah your armor bearer; when you hear what they’re saying, you’ll be bold and confident.” Judges 7:9-11 (NLT)  Gideon and Purah arrived just in time to hear one of the soldiers tell his comrade about a dream he had which was interpreted that Gideon’s God was going to wipe them out.  Now how did the enemy get word about this mighty man of valor?  There was no Instagram, FaceBook or any form of digital communication.  It doesn’t matter how they got the news what matters is that they got it and they were scurrrred.  You can only imagine how Gideon and Purah must have felt as they hurried back to camp.  They woke the 300 and gave them specific instructions and each of them received their weapons.  They were divided into companies of 100, went to the edge of the enemy’s camp and on Gideon’s command, withdrew their weapons (trumpets) and blew them simultaneous as they broke their jars which contained torches (high powered flash lights).  It was the middle of the night, the enemy was drooling and in between dreams.  That noise and the lights scared the living crap out of them.  Then Gideon and The 300 shouted in unison:  “A sword for God and for Gideon!”  The enemy was so confused that they didn’t know what to do and before you knew it, it was friendly fire on steroids as the enemy killed themselves while Gideon and The 300 stood flat footed and ready to engage.  The enemy that didn’t die from friendly slaughter ran but they were killed too, including the commanders.  There is more to the story, but this was the major battle that gave the Israelites the courage and freedom they so desperately needed.

In His Excellent Service

Tania

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