Second Chances: Gideon

Mighty Warrior

Judges 6-8

Even though Gideon tested the Lord, two times, the Lord still gave him a second chance to save Israel.  Gideon’s story takes us to the battlefield where God wins the battle.  Israel started following other gods and got themselves in a lot of trouble.  This is right after the Judge Deborah was the judge.  See: https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/lessons-learned-deborah/)   They forgot God and Deborah.  The Midianites had taken over the land and were destroying crops and stealing the Israelites livestock.  The Israelites were hiding from the Midianites in caves in the mountains and other strongholds.  After seven years Israel came to their senses and cried out to the Lord. 

The following story is Gideon’s story and written in first person.  As with other stories the scripture used is from the New Living Translation and is in italics. 

Gideon’s Story

The Midianites have come in to destroy all our crops again.  We are all afraid of them as they are many.  Like many I have taken my family and we are hiding in a large cave in the mountains.  I managed to grow some wheat but not enough to feed all of us for any length of time.  We are starving, the whole country is starving from the Midianites destroying our crops.  When will it end?

There was a prophet in the land, and he was telling everyone

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt. 9I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land. 10I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

I started to wonder if my father’s gods were worthless since they have not help us at all.  I remember stories my grandfather told me of the Lord how He rescued Israel time and time again.  I hope the Lord will have mercy on us soon because I do not think we can last much longer. 

One night I was threshing wheat in our winepress by the great tree at Ophrah so the Midianites would not know we had wheat.  Suddenly there was a man sitting on a rock under the tree.  He looked different but I could not figure out how.  He said something strange to me.  He said, “Mighty warrior, the Lord is with you.”   I looked around to see who the man was talking to because he could not have been talking to me.  I saw no one.  At this point I was beginning to think the man was a messenger from the Lord. “Sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”  

And he said to me “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”  But, sir, how can I rescue Israel from the Midianites.  My clan is not noticeably big, and I am the smallest of all them. 

“I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”    If you are here to help me fight the Midianites, I would like a sign from you showing you are from the Lord.  Stay here until I get back.  The man said he would stay.

I went home and cooked up a goat and made a flat bread.  I put the meat in a basket along with the bread and the broth in a pot.  I brought it out to the man, and he said to put it on the rock.  He said to pour the broth over the meat and the bread, so I did.  I was wondering if he was going to eat it when suddenly the man took his staff and touch the food with the tip, and everything burst into flames and disappeared along with the man.  I realized it was the angel of the Lord.  I thought I was going to die because I saw the angel.  Then, in quiet voice I heard the Lord say

23“It is all right,” the Lord replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.”

I went to work immediately to build an alter to the Lord.  I believed now that all my families gods were not going to save us, but the Lord would.  I named the alter Yahweh-Shalom, God is peace.

That night I had a very vivid dream.  In the dream the Lord told me “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. 26Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.”

I woke with a start!  If I did that my family and all who are living here in this cave would be mad at me and want to kill me.  I decided to do it right away before morning and before I chickened out.  I took ten of my trusted servants.  The alter to Baal was large and the Asherah pole was very tall.  It took a couple of hours, but we did it and made a well made alter to the Lord.  I killed the bull and burnt it on the alter just like I was told.  I was happy to be rid of that pole of the half-naked goddess.  It was ugly!

The next day the people went out to pay homage to their gods only to find them destroyed.  The people started asking who did this.  I guess someone saw us and told everyone I did it.  They went to my father Joash and said he needed to go get me because I should die for what I did.  I was surprised by my father’s answer.  “Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!”  From then on, many called me Jerub-baal, which means “Let Baal defend himself.

The Testing

Within a week we noticed the armies of Midian, Amalek and others who lived in the east came together and crossed the Jordan river.  They were looking to wipe out all Israel.  Many of the people were frighten beyond belief.  It was the scariest time I could ever remember.  Yet I knew God was in control.  Something had come over me.  I felt a strength I knew was not me own.  God was with me and His Spirit was on me.  It was our custom in those days to blow a ram’s horn when you were calling Israel’s army together.  I climb up as high as I could and blew the horn.  The first to respond was the clan of Abiezer.  From them I sent out messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali.  All the warriors responded.

The Tests

I wanted to make sure this was from God.  I know God had sent His angel and He has been speaking to me ever since, but what if I am doing this battle in my own strength?  So, I asked God for a sign.  “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, 37prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.”  And guess what, yep, you got it the fleece was so wet when I wrung it out it filled a large bowl, but the ground was bone dry.  But I got to thinking, what if it was just a fluke of nature the fleece was wet, but the ground was not, so I asked God again.  “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.”  So, the next morning I got up and went to where the fleece was laid out and it was muddy all the way to the fleece.  Yet the fleece was dry.  Okay God, I know You are going with me to this battle.

So, I led the army to the spring of Harod.  We could see the armies of Midian to the north of us in a valley near the hill called Moreh.  There the Lord spoke to me again.  “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. 3Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’”  Twenty-two thousand left that day.  I could not blame them.  The armies of the Midianites seemed like they numbered in the millions.  That left me with only ten thousand men to fight against them.  Yet the Lord spoke to me again.  “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine    So we all went down to the spring.  There the Lord said “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream. “who will go with you and who will not.”  Only three hundred men cupped the water in their hands to drink so they could stand and keep watch while they drank.  Then the Lord said to me “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.”  I was afraid but I still trusted God and sent everyone home but the three hundred.

The Battle

During the night the Lord spoke to me.  He said if you are still afraid go down and listen to what the Midianites are saying.  So, I snuck down as close to their camp as I could and there were men talking.  One said “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!” 14His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”  I had to cover my mouth I was so surprised by what they said.  I hurried back to the Israelite camp and told everyone to get up.  I told them the Lord had given us the victory.  I divided the men into three groups.  Each one was given a ram’s horn, a torch and a clay jar.  Everyone lit their torch and hid it in their jar.  I told them to watch me and when I give the signal to blow your horns and shout “For the Lord and for Gideon!”

We all went down to the camp and surrounded it.  It was just after midnight.  I gave the signal, and everyone broke their jars blinding everyone in the Midianite camp.  Then we blew our horns and shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

The Midianites were in such a panic they started fighting each other.  Many of the Midianites were killed in the confusion.  We just stood there and watched.  God was right.  It was His battle.

Those who were still alive of the Midianites fled.  I sent messengers to the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh to join the fight.  The Lord gave us victory over the Midianites that day.

Gideon’s Second Chances

I think Gideon was unsure of himself in the way he was always testing God in this story.  Yet God gave him second chances to prove to himself God will use him if Gideon would let Him.  I know I have been afraid to do stuff I thought God was leading me to do.  Sometimes, though, the leading is so strong I plunge right in and God always has the victory. 

I did mention Gideon in another blog post.  See https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/gideon-and-moses-i-cant-do-that/  Like Moses, Gideon was afraid but God led him to do great things for Him.  Are you afraid?  Trust Him!

A side note: As I was writing this story, I was reminded how fearful times could be.  Gideon said, in this story, it was the most fearful time he had ever seen.  It reminded me of what we are facing right now.  The COVID virus is still going strong and I know someone who has it.  Rioting and violence are everyday occurrence and does not seem to be letting up.  And people are at war with each other over wearing of a mask or not.  Just remember: This is God’s Battle!  He is still in control!  DO NOT BE AFRAID!  Trust Him!

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Defined by Moments: Leadership Lessons from Gideon the Biblical Judge
By Joel E. Medley

Wheat in the Winepress: How the Story of Gideon Can Help Us Fight the Good Fight Today
By Bob Hext