- The size of the force is estimated at 135,000 (based on 8:10)
- The last time the Spirit of the Lord came upon a man is Judges 3:10. After reading the verse, what happens? What is different here?
- Othniel immediately goes to war and overpowers the king of Aram
- Gideon immediately calls out the men of the land, and then pauses …
- In other words, it is not just the Spirit's power, but the participation of the human
- Spirit empowerment does not seem to mean one does not have doubts
- Gideon has already seen a miracle (possibly two if you consider his still being alive after destroying his father's idol), why does Gideon ask for another miracle or sign?
- Clearly, he is having second thoughts
- He is reluctant
- He is fearful
- He still isn't sure he is the right person for the job
- The scriptures tell us not to test God
- Deut 6:16 (NIV) Do not test the Lord your God as you did at Massah.
- Is Gideon testing God? It is a legitimate fear (will be confirmed in 7:10)
- How does God respond to Gideon's legitimate fear?
- God is patient
- God answers his requests
- But, God does not teach us to use fleeces
- God will provide what you need
- Gideon knows that what he is doing is not right, why?
- He expects God to be angry
- But God is not angry, but patient
- APPLICATON: Nowhere in scripture does it encourage or teach us to use fleeces to determine God's will. But I can find many passages of fearful men who laid out their worries and concerns to God in prayer. What are you worried about? Do you ever pray about it, talk it over with God?
- First of all, what are the odds like with 32K troops? About 1:4.2 -- not very good odds
- Why does God want to reduce the numbers? Apparently, Israel will think that they saved themselves
- Why is that bad?
- If Israel wins they will be proud
- Israel will not turn back to God -- they will not realize that God saved them
- APPLICATION: How many times do we view a situation from a naturalistic point of view, rather than seeing God's hand in it? The problem is threefold. 1) We are not thankful. 2) We think that we accomplished the task in our strength. 3) We forget God's involvement in our lives
- The first reduction is actually specified in the law, Deut 20:8. Why does God use this?
- Deut 20:5-9 (NIV) The officers shall say to the army: "Has anyone built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may dedicate it. 6 Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. 7 Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her." 8 Then the officers shall add, "Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his brothers will not become disheartened too." 9 When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.
- To show Israel that they can win by obeying God's word, even when it doesn't make sense
- The odds are now 1:6.1
- The second reduction is not clear in the reasoning, except in the goal. What do you think?
- Unclear
- Whatever the reason, it reduces the force to only 300 men
- The odds are now 1:450
- APPLICATION: When you are in the will of God, even the ridiculous is possible. The problem is many people do not have the clear will of God and so they do the ridiculous and expect God to bail them out. How do you tell the difference?
- Clear word of God (command, a moral issue, etc)
- Scriptural counsel
- Be careful:
- Circumstances
- Feelings
- If Gideon felt he was vulnerable when he asked for the fleece sign, I wonder how he feels now with odds against him at 450 to one?
- This time it is God who initiates the fourth miracle or sign, why?
- God knows he is scared
- God graciously gives him an opportunity to build up his courage
- Apparently, Gideon is willing to go through with it but very unsure of himself. He probably doesn't feel he has what it takes
- The dream is significant with a lot of meaning. What do the various aspects symbolize?
- The loaf of barley bread is an insignificant item of a poor person
- The tent symbolizes the entire Midianite forces
- The small loaf collapsing the huge tent is a completely improbably event
- The interpretation of the shoulders shows the fear in their hearts
- Obviously, there is more going on than just surprise and fear, what happens?
- The Lord causes the men to turn on each other
- God provides the victory in a supernatural way (although he didn't have to do it that way)
- Ultimately, Gideon is included in the hall of fame of faith (read Hebrews 11:32-33), why?
- Because faith is not stoicism
- Faith is believing God exists
- Faith is believing God is a rewarder of those who seek him
- Gideon had a lot of fears but he went to God with those fears and God was gracious to him. God took a man who didn't think much of himself and used him for his glory and purpose
- APPLICATION: Faith is built in a relationship with God. We need to seek him and spend time with him. We are not unimportant -- he can use anyone. There is no one too small, too unimportant, or too weak for God to use
- APPLICATION: Gideon is a microcosm of Judges, people who don't know God and are too fearful to walk with God
REVIEW:
Gideon was a man
threshing wheat in a winepress
Gideon was a man
who questioned the power of God
Gideon called
himself the youngest man in the weakest clan
God called Gideon a
mighty warrior
God told Gideon
that he would be with him
Judges
6:33-40 (NIV) Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples
joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet,
summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout
Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so
that they too went up to meet them.
36
Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have
promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece 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 said." 38 And that is what happened.
Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew —
a bowlful of water.
39
Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one
more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the
fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." 40 That night God did so.
Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
Judges
7:1-8a (NIV) Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his
men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the
valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, "You have too
many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may
not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to
the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount
Gilead.'" So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
4 But
the Lord said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to
the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go
with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he
shall not go."
5 So
Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, "Separate
those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel
down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their
mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7 The
Lord said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save
you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to
his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their
tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of
the others.
Judges
7:8b-22 (NIV) Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During
that night the Lord said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp,
because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack,
go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are
saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and
Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites,
the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley,
thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the
seashore.
13
Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a
dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling
into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent
overturned and collapsed."
14 His
friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son
of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into
his hands."
15
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He
returned to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The Lord has
given the Midianite camp into your hands." 16 Dividing the three hundred
men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of
all of them, with torches inside.
17
"Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the
edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow
our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the
Lord and for Gideon.'"
19
Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the
beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They
blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three
companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in
their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to
blow, they shouted, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" 21 While
each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out
as they fled.
22
When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout
the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth
Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
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