Burunche’s Blog

Judges 8:22 – 27 “Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.” Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

“We will give them gladly,” they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it. The weight of the gold earrings he had requested was 1,700 shekels, (1,700 shekels is approximately 42.7 pounds or 19.4 kilograms.) in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple garments of the kings of Midian, and the chains from the necks of their camels. From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.”

Gideon has won an amazing victory and everybody is ecstatic. When the Israelites approach Gideon and want to set him up as a king, he responds appropriately that it is the Lord who must rule over Israel. If the story had ended here, everything would have been great. Gideon would have had an unblemished reputation as a hero of faith. But unfortunately, Gideon makes a terrible mistake; he collects gold and creates an ephod.

To understand where things went wrong, we need to remind ourselves what an ephod was in the first place. An ephod was part of the garments for the high priest. The ephod was an outer garment created from costly material, gold, and precious stones that was worn over the other priestly garments. No other priest was to wear the ephod. Inside the ephod were the Urim and Thummim, small objects that were used for priestly divination. Some sources feel that when the high priest wore the ephod and was seeking guidance from the Lord, certain jewels on the breastplate would even light up or rearrange themselves to give an answer.

At any rate, this story sadly illustrates several points:

1. The Israelites had failed to teach their children about God and about his commandments, despite having made several covenants to that effect.

2. There was nobody holding the office of high priest in Israel at that point, or if there was, the Israelites had gotten out of the habit of consulting the high priest. Evidently there were no priests in the area in which Gideon was living. Certainly, Gideon was not from the tribe of Levi and therefore had no right whatsoever to have anything to do with an ephod.

3. We don’t know what had happened to the priestly garments Moses had Bezaleel and Oholiab create for the high priest. Perhaps those garments were in Jerusalem and therefore far away.

4. Given any chance at all, the Israelites would immediately fall back into idol worship and would find any excuse to do so.

5. Despite the fact that God had just done miracles and that Gideon had spoken to God, Gideon didn’t really want any more direct confrontations with God. Divination would actually put a little distance between Gideon and God.

6. Gideon was listening to the wrong spirits. Where did Gideon get the idea to make an ephod in the first place? Such a thing was certainly not something that Gideon had ever done before. This part of the story closely resembles Aaron’s creation of the golden calf. Satan was inspiring Gideon at this point.

There were many instances in the Old Testament where leaders consulted the ephod; however, this may be the only instance where a Levitical priest was not involved. Once more, Israel was wandering off, worshiping a creation rather than the Creator.

APPLICATION: The lessons are obvious but necessary. Teach your children about God and His Kingdom or your children will wander off into some kind of idolatry. Humans are made to worship and will either worship One True Living God or something lesser.

We are generally most vulnerable spiritually when we have just chalked a major success. As long as we are struggling, we generally remain humble; a little success can go to our heads and leave us wide open for satanic appeals to our pride and our vanity.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” How can we hear the voice of God? We must study His Word, the Bible. We must take time to be quiet before Him and wait to hear what He might tell us. And we must always remember that God alone is worthy of worship and that nothing else should take His place.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us even when we mess up. Help us to always look to You, particularly when we are successful, so that we do not become “legends in our own minds.” Help us to worship You and follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 8:18 – 21 “Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.” “They were my brothers,” Gideon replied, “the sons of my mother! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” So he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword; he was fearful because he was still a youth. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.”

Gideon has noticed that his brothers are missing; if they had lived, they would have reported themselves to him. Evidently, Gideon’s brothers were murdered and not killed in the heat of the battle. Had Gideon’s brothers died in battle, Gideon would have accepted that loss as unfortunate but to be expected.

Gideon’s whole family must have been quite handsome and must have resembled one another. Why does Gideon mention that his brothers were the sons of his mother and not of his father? It’s likely that Gideon’s father may have had several wives. In such situations, the siblings belonging to one woman would feel a much closer bond to one another than they would to their half – brothers and sisters. Many times in polygamous families, a man might favor one wife over another; woe betide you, if you were a child of an un – favorite wife! Gideon loved his brothers so much that he would even have spared Zebah and Zalmunna had they not murdered his brothers.

Why did Gideon ask his son to kill the kings rather than doing it himself in the first place? To be killed by a youth was shameful; Gideon wanted to graphically demonstrate that these kings had REALLY been defeated and disgraced. As an inexperienced warrior, Gideon’s son balked at the idea of killing someone in cold blood. The statement “For as the man is, so is his strength” might have been a popular proverb in that part of the world at that time. Pricked in his conscience, Gideon killed the two Midianite kings.

Why did Gideon strip the crescent – shaped ornaments off the Midanite camels? These ornaments would have been made of gold or silver or both and would have been quite valuable. It is also likely that these ornaments were only hung on the necks of the royal camels and not on the camels of all the rest of the Midianites. By taking these ornaments, Gideon was graphically demonstrating his complete victory over the Midianites and their allies. The modern equivalent might be to capture the opposing generals’ vehicles.

APPLICATION: Evil must be defeated completely! Any form of compromise will lead to complete disaster. The Ephraimites have already killed Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite princes, and now Gideon has captured and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings. Most of the Midianites and their allies have been destroyed. For the time being, Gideon’s victory is now complete.

When facing evil, there can be no compromise. Many times, we wish for an easy way out of a difficult situation. We might begin boldly but once things become tough, we wish we could be somewhere else. But the problem is that evil that is not completely eradicated will always come back and it may come back far stronger than it was before. Jesus warned his disciples in Matthew 12:43 – 45 that “When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there; and the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”

The Jews to whom Jesus was speaking were under the crushing rule of the Roman Empire. By AD 70, the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and had taken Masada, that impregnable fortress built by Herod overlooking the Dead Sea. Jesus was trying to warn his listeners that “going along to get along” would not save them, either physically or spiritually.

Around the world today, Christians are confronting a flood – tide of evil on many fronts. Young people who have not been taught about the One True Living God are creating their own deities in their own images. Many churches and religious groups have compromised to get members rather than demanding that would – be members hew to certain standards. But compromise has never saved anybody or any organization.

Each of us must examine our own hearts and ask ourselves what we truly believe and why we believe it. If we are following the One True Living God, well and good. But if anything else has crept in unnoticed, we need to repent and to turn back to God. Compromise will lead to moral and spiritual disaster. Christians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India,China, and Russia are already being hunted down as criminals. If persecution reaches you, would you stand the test of faith or compromise to save your own skin? Let us all pray that when the hour of testing comes, we will be ready and willing to stand for righteousness and not to compromise.

PRAYER: Father God, this morning we lift up all who are being killed for their faith. We lift up the families torn apart by conflict. We lift up the parents who might have to watch their children being massacred. We lift up children who are watching their parents being killed before their eyes. Lord, help these believers to stay strong. And help us, so that when our time comes to stand for you, we will neither falter or fail. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 8:1-15 “Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently. But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.

Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit. So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”

“Very well,” Gideon replied, “when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will tear your flesh with the thorns and briars of the wilderness!” From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth. So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men—all that were left of the armies of the people of the east. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen. And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise. When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, Gideon pursued and captured these two kings of Midian, routing their entire army.

After this, Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle along the Ascent of Heres. There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.

And Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your weary men?’” Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briars of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth. He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.”

EASILY OFFENDED!!! The Ephraimites were incensed! Why hadn’t Gideon called them out to the main battle? Why didn’t Gideon allow them to have the chance for LOTS of loot? For the answer, we must return to Gideon’s conversation with the angel of the Lord. When the angel gives Gideon his assignment to defeat the Midianites, Gideon reminds him that he, Gideon, is from the smallest clan in the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon wasn’t certain that anybody would come if he called. By the time Gideon called the tribe of Ephraim to control the Jordan River, he had chalked up some successes and could show the Ephraimites that it was worth their trouble to join him. But Gideon gives an extremely tactful answer: he points out that by controlling passage across the Jordan River, the Ephraimites have been able to capture both Midianite princes. Once these commanders have been captured, their forces must flee or surrender. Demonstrating commendable humility, Gideon points out to the Ephraimites that theirs is a critically important victory, without which anything Gideon has done would be worthless.

What about the men of Succoth and Penuel? These Israelite cities lie east of the Jordan River. The Midianites have been looting these cities as well as those on the west side of the Jordan. An Israelite victory will preserve these two cities as well. In addition, the Israelites who have claimed land on the east side of the Jordan have made a covenant with the rest of Israel that anytime those on the west bank of the Jordan need assistance, those on the east bank will come quickly to their aid. But the city fathers of these two cities have conveniently forgotten that covenant and are now hoping for cheap deliverance to which they will not have to contribute. Perhaps the men of Penuel and Succoth may even be plotting to attack Gideon’s forces as they return in exhaustion from chasing the Midianites, collecting as much loot as possible in the process. In the end, the men of Succoth are whipped with briar branches while the men of Penuel are destroyed.

APPLICATION: There are several lessons to take from this passage:

1. When you are called to help, don’t quibble about your assignment. The Ephraimites were incensed because they weren’t called earlier; however, the job given to them was critically important and they did it well. Had Oreb and Zeeb not been captured, they could have regrouped and returned to attack Israel.

2. Don’t trash talk someone who is saving you! The men of Succoth and Penuel were crazy! All they had to do was to give Gideon and his men food and water; Gideon was not asking them to fight, even though by the ancient covenant, he could have.

3. Don’t break covenants. In Biblical times, covenants were considered sacred. The men of Succoth and Penuel ignored their covenant obligations and paid dearly for it. Was Gideon being too harsh? Assistance from Israelites on the east side of the Jordan could mean survival or annihilation for the rest of Israel. By the way, where were the men of Succoth and Penuel when the Midianites were passing by in the first place? While we may feel that the punishment meted out to these two cities seems harsh, we must remember that God was directing Gideon. God wanted to teach all of Israel that covenants were made to be kept.

These days, individuals, companies, political parties, and even countries appear to feel no need to keep covenants. Promises are readily thrown away, leaving those who have counted on those promises with little or no recourse. Jesus told His disciples “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ ” (Matthew 5:37) No matter what those around us do, we should maintain integrity, realizing that if we remain faithful, God will bless us and if we break covenants and oaths, we have removed ourselves from God’s protection.

PRAYER: Father God, we lift up those around the world who have trusted in promises made by governments and other groups and who are suffering due to broken promises. Lord, help us to be people of truth and faith and to act on our covenant agreements, even when it is difficult to do so. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 7: 15 – 25 “When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hands.” And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.

“Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said. “When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”

Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran. And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set the swords of every man in the camp against each other. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath. Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.

Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah. They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.”

Picture this: You are a Midianite soldier, sound asleep in your tent in the middle of the night. It’s 10 PM. The soldiers on duty for the first watch from 6 PM to 10 PM have just handed over. All is quiet. Suddenly you hear the blaring sound of 300 ram’s horn trumpets and your sleep – heavy eyes are blinded by the light of 300 torches. Along with the noise of the ram’s horns, you hear loud shouts like those of an already victorious army. As you struggle to get up and find your weapons, an unreasonable panic seizes you. Stumbling outside, you no longer see those around you as allies but rather as attackers, and you begin thrusting your sword in every direction, trying to defend yourself. The panic gets worse; all you can think of is to escape. You find yourself in a crowd of men, all running helter skelter toward the East. The more you run, the more frightened you feel. At some point, you throw away your sword so that you can run even faster.

The map shows the original battle as a red circle. Gideon calls for help from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, and they pursue the Midianites. Then Gideon calls for the Ephraimites who are close to the fords to guard the fords of the Jordan, making it impossible for the Midianites to cross safely. The Ephraimites also capture and behead Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian. What began as the initiative of one man has now involved thousands.

APPLICATION: There are several things we can learn from Gideon’s successful attack on the Midianites:

1. Gideon followed God’s instructions to the letter. Imagine Gideon trying to explain to his 300 picked soldiers ahead of time that they needed to carry torches and ram’s horns. There must have been a number of the Israelite soldiers who were convinced that Gideon was crazy, but they probably shrugged their shoulders and said, “Why not? This isn’t any crazier than expecting 300 men to defeat thousands.” .

2. Once the battle was engaged, Gideon called for help and got it. God had a plan for the initiation of the battle; however, there was nothing to prevent Gideon from involving the surrounding tribes. Experienced development workers have learned the hard way that if you want a project to be sustained, the local people must become actively involved and buy into it. By involving Naphtali, Asher, Manasseh, and Ephraim, Gideon ensured that these tribes also felt a sense of ownership in the victory.

3. Gideon made sure that the battle was won as completely as possible. The Midianites had made life hell for the Israelites for years. Gideon needed to defeat the Midianites so completely that they would no longer be a threat for generations to come.

When we read about the entire Midianite army panicking, it seems difficult to believe. But this is not the only such event described in the Bible. There are other descriptions of huge armies panicking and killing one another. In the case of Gideon and his men, they became Holy Spirit – possessed and turned into a phenomenal force. Who knows what those Midianite solders actually heard and saw?

We used to live in midtown Memphis, Tennessee. Living next door were four men attending a Baptist seminary. One night my husband and I were in a local convenience store when we met a young man who was being stalked by several attackers. The attackers had followed this fellow into the store. This fellow was drunk but sober enough to realize he was in trouble. I remained in the store with this young man while my husband ran to our Baptist friends for help. The seminary student who returned with my husband was tall but wiry. We were amazed to realize that as this student pastor entered that store, suddenly his physique changed, and he began resembling the Incredible Hulk. The would – be attackers took one look and left, never to return. God created an illusion that saved this man’s life.

Want to succeed in life’s battles? Follow God’s instructions, call for help, and make sure the battle is completely won before stopping. Who knows? God might turn you into a super – hero!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for giving us perfect strategies for our battles. Help us to be willing to follow Your directions, even when they seem crazy or unworkable. Thank you that if we will follow instructions, You will give us victories. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 7:9 – 14 “That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hands. But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp.

Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore. And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hands.”

Now that God has Gideon’s forces pared down to an incredibly low number, Gideon is nearly ready for the battle. But God knows that Gideon needs more reassurance, so He sends Gideon and his servant down to the Midianite camp to eavesdrop. The amazing part is the dream that God has given one Midianite soldier and the interpretation that follows. The statement God puts into the mouth of one of the Midianite soldiers is a reassurance to Gideon that God has already delivered the entire horde of Midianites and their allies into Gideon’s hands. It’s quite likely that neither soldier will realize what has happened or remember what this one man has said. Gideon is reassured and returns to his forces ready to fight.

 Many times we would like reassurance from God, but we are afraid to ask for fear that God will disappoint us or be angry with us. Sometimes we even pontificate, claiming piously that “I just don’t want to test God.” Such a statement is rubbish! God is far more willing to be tried than we are to try Him! God is not sitting in heaven, shaking in fear that we might ask something impossible of Him. God tells us in Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

God knows us better than we know ourselves. If you had asked Gideon that evening whether or not he was trusting God to act on behalf of the Israelites, he would undoubtedly have blustered, “Of course!” But inside, Gideon’s heart muscles might have been fibrillating, quivering uncontrollably. God chose Gideon because of qualities that He had already built into Gideon when Gideon was conceived, before Gideon was even born. God knew that given the right encouragement, Gideon would be a willing tool for Him to use. But God also had no illusions as to Gideon’s level of bravery, hence the need for a quick trip to the outskirts of the Midianite camp to hear this dream and its interpretation.

Why was it necessary for God to use Midianite soldiers rather than men from Gideon’s own force? God wanted to create a situation that was so improbable that Gideon would have to believe this was really from Him. Had God given that same dream to one of Gideon’s men, Gideon wouldn’t have believed it and might have even suspected that his own followers had it in for him and were merely trying to lure him to an early death.

APPLICATION: At this moment, Christians in Afghanistan are being hunted down and murdered by the Taliban. Even in America, some politicians are making radical anti – Christian statements. If anybody has ever required courage to follow Jesus, it is now. G. K. Chesterton, the British Christian writer of an earlier century once said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” Those Afghani Christians who are dying for their faith know Whom they have believed and why they have believed on Him. These faithful believers have tried the Christian ideal and have not found it wanting.

Is it permissible to ask God for confirmation of His will for our lives? Of course! God knows us and knows when we need reassurance. But notice something: once Gideon received this strong sign of God’s favor, he didn’t demand anything else. Gideon returned to his camp, organized his men, and attacked the Midianites. Some of us would have told God, “Thanks, Lord, but I still need more signs.” There comes a point when you must trust God and act! The saying with which I grew up was that “You can either cut bait or fish.” When fishing with live bait, it may be necessary to cut the bait into pieces to fit on a fish hook before casting your line. But if you insist on continuing to merely prepare for fishing, you will never catch anything.

Are you facing a major decision in your life? Go ahead and ask God for confirmation. But once God gives you the confirmation you have requested, go forward! Stop cutting bait and go fishing!

PRAYER: Father God, many of us are facing difficult decisions, some of them life – changing. Please give those who need a sign from You the confirmation that they need. But also move us so that once we are sure of Your perfect will, we will take action. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 7:1 – 8 “Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon, “Let Baal contend”) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.

Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

So Gideon brought the people down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.” And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.

Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hands. But all the others are to go home.” So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.”

THIRTY – TWO THOUSAND! Yes, 32,000 men! That’s what Gideon started out with. Looks like a great response to Gideon’s cry for help, right? But wait! Not so fast! God has other plans, and those plans don’t include a horde of Israelite soldiers. At the end of the day, God doesn’t want a bunch of would – be heroes beating their chests and boasting about how THEY defeated the Midianites. God wants Israel to trust in Him and not in themselves. So God nudges Gideon, “Gideon, tell these men that anybody who is afraid can leave.” WHOOSH!!! Two thirds of these guys take off, leaving nothing but dust behind them.

Well, Gideon is left with ten thousand men, and that sounds like a pretty good number to Gideon. But God isn’t happy; there are still enough Israelites that they will take credit if they get a chance, ignoring God. Nope! It’s time for Israel to get reminded of Who God really is and how powerful He really is. God has Gideon send all the men to a nearby stream to drink water. Only 300 of the men really behave like fighters expecting an enemy attack. Rather than kneeling and focusing solely on satisfying their thirst, these men cup water in one hand and drink, maintaining a position from which they can quickly get up and fight if necessary. The result: 9,700 men immediately demonstrate that they do not have a warrior mentality and are sent home, leaving 300 men to fight with Gideon.

APPLICATION: Have you ever been in a situation in which you felt like Gideon? You know God has called you to do a major work, but you have very few people or resources. If God does not move sovereignly, you are in big trouble!

When we first came to the village of Saboba in January 1993, there was only a small health center building and a staff of eleven workers. But a few years earlier, a talented theater nurse had returned to the Saboba area, convinced that God was going to bring a surgeon. And about the same time, we had gathered hospital equipment that had been shipped to the first project with which we had worked in Ghana. When we arrived in Saboba, there was no Theater (OR) and no laboratory.

We got a slow start; however, when we found ourselves in the middle of a tribal conflict with patients who had nowhere else to go, we went back to our first project and got some equipment. I had worked previously in a hospital lab in the U.S., as well as observing operations in a large government hospital lab in Ghana. I set up a small lab and a theater, and we began operations and blood transfusions. We had no electricity, so we sterilized things in a big US Army surplus pressure cooker over a coal pot on the veranda. We used a small petrol generator for lights at night. Ultimately, we stuffed 37 beds into that health center building, turning it into a tiny hospital. Trust me when I say that we could REALLY identify with Gideon!

I am not telling this story to impress anybody with our efforts. It was God who had already put everything and everybody in place and it was God who allowed us to save lives. I tell this story to encourage anybody reading this to take heart! You might feel that the odds are overwhelmingly against you, but God plus you still makes a majority.

One of the most common Adinkra symbols in Ghana is the “Gye Nyame” symbol. “Gye Nyame” is a Twi phrase meaning “Except God.” Psalm 127:1-2 says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.” By ourselves, none of us can accomplish anything worthwhile; it is only through God that we can be successful. Those who think they are self – made men or women deceive themselves. Only at the end of time will we fully appreciate how much God has done for us when we were totally oblivious.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that YOU are always more than enough and that You are the One who helps us and who saves us from ourselves. Help us to trust You completely and to recognize that when You move, nobody can stand in the way. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 6:33 – 40 “Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him. Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.

Then Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said, then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”

And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.” And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.”

Give Gideon credit; when this enormous horde of warriors shows up, Gideon blows the ram’s horn, the shofar, to call his clan as well as Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali to arms. But Gideon is still pretty nervous and wants some reassurance from God. In the part of Israel where Gideon is living, the night dews are quite heavy, so Gideon asks God to give him a sign, the sign of the fleece. God faithfully answers. This story has given rise to the expression “to put out a fleece.”

APPLICATION: Sometimes people will say piously that they don’t want to tempt God. Generally, these people aren’t worried about tempting God at all; they are worried about looking ridiculous because they don’t have enough faith to believe that if they ask for a sign, God will answer. But God really does work this way and He still does give signs.

After 37 years as a pagan, my husband Bob became a Christian. One of the first things God did for Bob was to take away his desire to smoke cigarettes. But Bob also was feeling that it was time for him to move from his home area in western New York State to South Carolina. Selecting a date to leave, Bob put out two fleeces. Bob asked God to give him new tires for his van at a good price, and he asked for someone to share the driving with him. Within a few days, God gave Bob the new tires and a reliable person with whom to share driving. Bob moved to South Carolina, and we met a few months later.

God is a good Father, and good fathers give good things to their children. Jesus told his disciples, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! “(Matthew 7:7-11)

We are all fond of viewing photos and videos of puppies and kittens and other baby animals. The same God who created puppies and kittens is your heavenly Father. If God can create something so delightful, why won’t He give you good things when you ask? God knows us better than we know ourselves, and God knows when we need reassurance. But there’s something else to learn from this story.

By the time Gideon put out the fleece, he had already blown the ram’s horn to summon a large number of people. Gideon had already taken a risk and acted in faith; now he was only looking for some reassurance. There are some of us who would have put out the fleece first without having done anything. God rewards those who seek him, but seeking involves action, not sitting and waiting for everything to fall into your lap. God did not give Bob the tires and the driver until after Bob set a date to leave.

Are you facing difficult decisions and you aren’t sure what God wants you to do? Make a start and then ask God for some kind of confirmation. You also need to ask God to steer you in the correct direction if you are heading out of His will. Big ocean – going ships need momentum for someone to steer them. This momentum is referred to as “way”; as long as a ship is under way, it can be steered. But if a ship loses way due to engine failure, the ship is dead in the water and can no longer be steered. As long as you are in motion, God can guide you. But if you stop trying and lose way, God can’t do much with you.

Make a start and then put out a fleece if you need to. Remember that God doesn’t play favorites; the same God who soaked Gideon’s fleece while the ground around it remained dry is the God who calls you to Himself.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You know how weak we are and how weak our faith is. Thank You that You are not offended when we ask for signs of confirmation and that You will answer us just as You reassured Gideon. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 6:25 – 32 “On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.” So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.

When the men of the city got up in the morning, they found Baal’s altar torn down, the Asherah pole beside it cut down, and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar. “Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself if someone has torn down his altar.” So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down his altar.”

Well, Gideon isn’t exactly turning into a hero overnight, but he’s making a start. After realizing that he has seen God face to face and has not died, Gideon is ready to take instructions. When God orders Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal, to destroy the Asherah pole next to it, and to build a new altar on that spot, Gideon complies. What is so significant about tearing down Baal’s altar? God has ordered the Israelites that they are not to make altars of carved stones but to use stones in their natural state to construct altars. Proper altars are approached by way of ramps, not steps, so that the priest will not be showing off his genitalia as he climbs up to the altar. Gideon is also supposed to cut down the Asherah pole that stands next to the altar of Baal and to use the wood from that pole to make a burnt offering out of his father’s second bull. What is the purpose of the first bull? Gideon needs muscle power to tear down the Baal altar, hence, the purpose of the young bull. Why is it necessary to burn the Asherah pole? Fire purifies and fire consumes. Only by burning the Asherah pole can Gideon totally destroy it.

Something to notice is that although Gideon has told the angel of the Lord that his father’s house is not important in the tribe of Manasseh, it is Gideon’s father who is maintaining the civic altar to Baal and the Asherah pole. God has chosen Gideon precisely because Gideon’s father is evidently a spiritual leader. Perhaps Gideon’s father has been serving as a priest of Baal and Asherah. Certainly, Gideon’s father commands respect in the town because when the men of the town want to kill Gideon, Gideon’s father, Joash, threatens that “whoever pleads Baal’s case will be dead by morning. If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself if someone has torn down his altar.” At that point, the men of the town decide that Joash is certainly right and that Baal should fight his own battles!

The name “Joash” means “given by the Lord.” How has someone with such a powerful name gotten mixed up in Baal and Asherah worship? The fault lies with Joash’s forebears; they have failed to teach their children about the One True Living God and this is the result. Giving your child a good name in the hopes that you are making up for your deficiencies as a parent and spiritual leader just doesn’t work. Why has Joash taken such a strong step? Gideon has probably told Joash why he has destroyed the altar and has cut down the Asherah pole. (Incidentally, the name “Gideon” means “he who cuts down.”)

APPLICATION: Gideon obeyed the Lord, even if he had to carry out instructions in the middle of the night. And God honored Gideon’s obedience. The men of the town probably hopped out of bed when they heard the noise of the Baal altar being pulled down. Sometimes we take a stand for God, secretly hoping that nobody will notice and that we will not suffer or be penalized. That hope is a delusion. Evil will always oppose righteousness. But God’s side is the winning side and the only side worth supporting.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to obey You, even when it is difficult. Help us to trust that You will keep us until we have fulfilled Your perfect plan for our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 6:16 – 24 “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.” Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me. Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”

So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak. And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.

When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!” But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.” So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”

Gideon might not know much about God, but he knows enough to realize that God is to be worshiped. Gideon quickly prepares an offering very similar to those offered by the Levitical priests. The angel of God touches the offering with his staff and poof! The offering goes up in a puff of smoke. This miracle is the first one God does to convince Gideon that He, God, is really calling Gideon to annihilate the Midianites.

The interesting thing is that after the angel disappears, Gideon is still conversing with God. The most significant statement in this whole passage is when God speaks peace to Gideon. Why would this statement be so important?

Consider the situation: Gideon is already threshing wheat in a secret location for fear of marauders. The angel of the Lord makes a sudden shocking appearance and then foretells things that are almost impossible for Gideon to believe. When Gideon brings a sacrifice, holy fire from the angel’s staff consumes it instantly and then the angel vanishes. Gideon might be excused if he’s shaking in his sandals at this point.

APPLICATION: Later on, Gideon will do exploits but right now, Gideon needs God’s peace in his heart. Gideon’s mind is in turmoil as he considers what God is calling him to do. Gideon is probably calculating how he can possibly accomplish all this, not knowing that God has a totally crazy plan.

All of us need peace. As the COVID pandemic ramps up again, the controversy over vaccines and other measures has also heated up. Statistics are confusing and it’s difficult to tell which authorities are actually giving correct information. Businesses that have cautiously reopened are now face with further dilemmas. Right now, peace is in short supply throughout the world. Calculating our next steps may throw us into a panic as we weigh options.

Throughout the Bible, God promises to give us peace if we will only turn to Him. In the 4^th chapter of Mark, Jesus and His disciples are in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee when a ferocious storm blows up. While the disciples are panicking, Jesus is asleep. The disciples wake up Jesus, shouting to Him that they are about to die. Mark tells us: 39 Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.”

We are all facing trying times and we all need a peace that won’t disappear. Just as Gideon needed God’s peace to go forward with God’s plan, so we also need God’s peace for our lives. The wonderful thing about God is that He is all – knowing; He already knows more about your problems than you do. And God has perfect solutions – not easy ones, but perfect ones.

PRAYER; Father God, thank you that You are a God of peace and that one of Your names is Jehovah Shalom. Help us to trust You and to follow Your leading, even when the way seems difficult. And please give us Your peace. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 6:11 – 16 “Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders about which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?” “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”

This is a great story. Israel has messed up again and the Midianites have been systematically looting the countryside for seven years. When the story opens, Gideon is threshing grain in a wine press to hide from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord suddenly shows up and greets Gideon “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

I suspect Gideon looks around, thinking the angel must mean somebody else. As soon as Gideon realizes that only the angel and he are there, Gideon’s first response is to blame God for everything. Obviously the Israelites have failed to teach their kids anything apart from the Exodus miracles, so Gideon has no sense of shame at what his people have done or are doing.

God is really patient! Instead of recounting all the ways the Israelites have failed to follow God, the angel simply orders Gideon to go fight the Midianites. “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”

APPLICATION: In an earlier generation, the Charles Atlas Body Building Course played on male pride with a series of ads making fun of a 97 pound weakling whose ribs were showing. Most of the ads involved the poor guy looking miserable in a bathing suit. One ad showed a bully kicking sand in the weakling’s face while his girlfriend looked on. Of course, these were the “before” pictures. In the follow – up, the 97 pound weakling would enroll in the Charles Atlas body building course, turning himself into a hunk and then would thrash the bully as his admiring girl friend watched.

When Gideon starts coming out with excuses, he really sounds like a wimp. “Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” If Gideon isn’t a 97 pound weakling, he certainly talks like one. But this is the great part of the story. Gideon has a very low opinion of himself, but God has different ideas.

Aunt Polly and Aunt Addy were two lady missionaries who partnered in missions for fifty years. We were privileged to know these two great ladies and to absorb some of their wisdom. These two ladies taught us that God wanted us to be human beings and not human doings, that God wanted to control our actions. The second major lesson these ladies taught us was that God was not interested in our ability but only in our availability.

When the Gideon story begins, Gideon doesn’t even really want to be available, but he’s afraid to say no. To Gideon, the idea that he is going to destroy the Midianites is ludicrous. But Gideon does make himself available, and grows into the work the Lord has for him.

Today God might be calling you into something that looks far too big for you to tackle. But God works through people, and if we will only yield ourselves to His perfect Will, He will do miracles through us. One teacher has remarked that the Holy Spirit put on Gideon like a glove. St. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

Eventually, Gideon does allow God to work through him and miracles happen. God does not change; what He did through Gideon, He can also do through you. Trust him!

PRAYER: Father God, we are fearful! We want to do Your will, but the problems and the risks seem overwhelming. Help us to trust You and to remember that You are the Source of our strength. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.