Gideon is Called to Service. Judges 6:11-18 Under Midian, Israel had lost their freedom, fruitfulness, and food. The number of Midianites increased, and like 'grasshoppers," they had come to "destroy the land' and impoverish God's people. This is typical of the destructive nature of strife, and it remains the same today as it was then. With poverty came bitterness, and with bitterness, despondency took over the people.
The effects of strife touch every part of our lives, whether in homes among our families, in gatherings where the testimony of God's people is impacted, or in the nation when violence and self-interest disrupt the peace necessary for success and growth. Dealing with strife is not easy. People are humbled to the dust, where the only way to look and recover is upward. We cannot handle the problem through human weakness alone, but strength is given when the Lord is acknowledged and called upon. An available man with experience who understands what has happened is a man God can use.
Gideon became the fifth judge. He was likely a strong man who knew how to be a "hewer," as his name suggests. He could thresh grain in an unlikely and uncomfortable place and was willing to do whatever was necessary to provide for his family. As the story of this humble judge shows, he was able to use an ax effectively. Gideon's weakness was that he hadn't yet acknowledged that the trouble that had fallen on God's people was their fault. When they neglected and disobeyed God, they blamed others instead. Gideon was like a man who visits his psychiatrist with a problem.
"Doctor, you must help me. Everything's wrong. I feel worthless. My friends tell me I have a terrible inferiority complex. Can you help me?" A week later, after testing and evaluation, the man returned, and the psychiatrist said, "Friend, I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that we have proved you do not have a complex. There is no doubt about that. But the bad news is, you are inferior."
The Angel of the Lord sitting under that large tree was not just a messenger; He was the Lord Himself. Often in the Old Testament, the Lord appeared as a man. In this passage, the Angel of the Lord accepts worship; “Lord” and “the Angel of the Lord” are interchangeable. The word “Lord” is the personal name of God. The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is a visible manifestation of God as a Person, not merely a messenger.
Gideon's situation and his sense of responsibility despite tough circumstances might be why the Lord called him a “mighty man of valor,” considering his role as a judge in Israel. It is typical of God's call to choose someone who is humble rather than those who appear mighty in the eyes of people. “Go in this thy might” seems out of place until we read the Lord's words, “I will be with thee.” That promise would have encouraged Gideon, but he still had doubts.
Doubts don’t seem too serious at first glance. Who really understands my doubts but me? They're so harmless that they only impact me and my attitude. However, once we think about what and who they are, our doubts become serious, and they can quickly turn into “the sin which so easily besets us.”
Doubt of God’s word started when the devil planted it in Eve's mind in the garden. This deception led to Adam’s deliberate transgression. To doubt God’s goodness, intentions, and truth leads to disobedience. Doubting God and His word causes people to make decisions based on their own considerations and what appeals to them. Unaddressed doubts can lead to sin against God and defeat in our lives.
It is common for people not to trust God fully at all times, but God can use those who know themselves and their weaknesses to fulfill His will despite their shortcomings. Such individuals understand that anything achieved in God's work is because God works through them to “do His good pleasure.”
Gideon questioned God because of his and the nation's problems and wondered why God had not come to help and deliver them. Problems will always exist, and Christians are not immune to them. When they arise and we are finally forced to face them, the first thing we should do is look at ourselves and reflect inward. If we discover areas where we have sinned, either by action or omission, there is no one else to blame but ourselves. Confessing and forsaking sin are how we find the mercy we need. We are called to serve God in specific ways. It is up to us to rise to the challenge and confront the problems rather than make excuses. When God's promises are clear to us, we must move forward in faith and trust Him to give us the ability and strength needed for the work ahead. Instead of making excuses, we need to get up and move forward.
When we recognize there are issues to face and problems to solve, seeking guidance is only right. The challenge often is that we don't know where to find the solution. God's guidance doesn't always appear suddenly in a miraculous way. More often, it becomes clear when the solution is found in the activities we're currently involved in. What we're working on now deserves our full attention until it's finished. When God gives us something new to do, it rarely means leaving our current work unfinished or at risk. God's call for future tasks may come while we're working through the challenges of the present moment.
Gideon's vision was limited because he was focused on meeting his family's food challenge. He showed initiative by using the winepress, an unusual place to thresh grain, so his activity was hidden from the Midianites. Strife always lurks nearby, but when we are addressing urgent needs, strife often isn't present. It was at that place that God met him. In the midst of his urgent activity, God surprised him by showing that He knew what Gideon was doing, even though the Midianites did not. It was also there that God began to expand his limited vision to include His call to help others. Gideon doubted the call because he doubted himself. His feelings of inadequacy had to be overcome by faith in God. We are not enough in ourselves to accomplish everything that God's work requires. In all ways and at all times, we need God.
When our sight is limited, the Lord can add to it and help us meet the challenge. Such a challenge requires genuine sacrifice, which may threaten our survival. Vision also involves stepping outside our comfort zone to act on what God directs. When we surrender what we own, God takes it. With vision, there is a strong conviction that God is in control. A true person of faith understands that victory comes from God. Vision means being willing to move forward in simple obedience to God. Five minutes of obedience can be more valuable than a month of study.
Understanding and vision are interconnected; we gain strength through learning from others. Vision involves assessing a matter from God's perspective. Self-importance hinders God's plans. When our vision is guided by divine insight, we acquire the wisdom to share it with others. Although Gideon was initially difficult to persuade, once he was confident that God was in the matter, he acted on his convictions swiftly and with enthusiasm. His own perceived limitations gave way to obedience to divine authority, allowing him to focus fully on his new responsibilities.
There will always be times when I cannot see far ahead. Moving forward in darkness and fog creates a certain fear of real or perceived dangers that I cannot see, which limits my vision. Instead of embracing opportunities, I work and wait with selfish fear and anxiety, even though I know God controls every situation. I believe He can, through His own power and sovereign will, bring about a solution to a problem I may be contemplating with my limited understanding of what is happening and why.
When God moves to act and provides a needed solution, we can be assured that He has a conclusion in mind that will ultimately bring blessing, even though there is pain in the present. Normally, we would avoid unpleasant actions, but with faith in Him, who knows the beginning and the end, we go through each event step by step. Our confidence is in Him, whom we've proven to be faithful all our lives, and we trust His guidance to navigate everything that following Him involves.
Vision isn't mere wishful thinking; it involves looking farther ahead than usual for those who understand that He has led us through deep waters of opposition and suffering to dry land and high mountains. From that higher ground, we see beyond the valleys and deserts to our home in the sky where the Holy One sits. He knows every event because from His place of authority and by His guiding hand, He has sent both the problem and the solution that will refine our vision. From the fullness of His storehouse, every provision we need is available for us to claim. All of this is permitted by God, even sent so we can learn to act in obedience to His will. As each situation arises, we turn to Him for the guidance we need to sharpen our vision and praise Him, who by grace keeps giving.
All we need from His limitless, abundant supply is available for us to grasp and claim when, in faith, we take the initiative to act on the vision of the work He provides. We may not know now or ever the outcome or the reason for what happens to us, but that is not always necessary, and it might not even be good for us to understand God’s reasons.