Gideon

Introduction

In the book of Judges we read the story of Gideon (chapters 6 - 8). This is a well known story, one many of us will be familiar with. In this study guide we will take a closer look at this particular episode in the history of God’s people.

The book of Judges covers a period of history between Joshua (1200 BC) and Saul (1050 BC). John Goldingay points out that if you add up all the events it seems to take longer. But each story is somewhat localised, specific to one tribe of Israel, yet referring to all of Israel. Meaning that when one suffers, all suffer. It is speaking of the whole people through the stories of each part. (see Goldingay, J. and Wright, T. Bible For Everyone, 2018, p233)

At the start of Judges we see that the Israelites, within one generation, forget the Lord.

“After that whole generation had been adhered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.”

Judges 2: 10 - 11

There is much in here to challenge us. As a parent it is a keen reminder to teach my children the ways of God. As a member of a local church it reminds me again of the importance of children's work. One generation is not very long and in that time all the miracles of Egypt and the wilderness have been forgotten.

Before we get to the story of Gideon in chapter six we see a pattern emerge. God raises up Judges to lead and save the Israelites. Each one does just that, then the people forget God and do evil in His eyes, the people are then oppressed in some way, before they call out to God, who raises up a judge to save them (Judges 2: 10 - 23). By the time we get to Gideon this pattern has repeated itself three times, and it continues after Gideon too.

As a final point of introduction it is worth commenting that in this pattern we see the complete, perfect faithfulness of God. We see this at each stage of the pattern.

In Exodus 20 we have the ten commandments, these were part of a covenant promise between God and the people of Israel. Part of this covenant is that the people will not worship idols or other gods. If they stick to that, God promises to show love to a thousand generations. However, failure to follow this leads to punishment (Exodus 20: 4 - 6). So when, in Judges, the people forget God and worship the Baals they are invoking God’s covenant, He has to punish them. He is being faithful to His covenant.

For us this shows us that we can rely upon God, we can trust that He is true to His word. It should give us confidence to build our lives upon Him.

We also see that God forgives. Each time the people turn to Him and cry out for help there is forgiveness. Again, this is God being true to His covenanted promise. This should also give us great confidence. We come to God who is ready to forgive, ready to rescue and save.

The book of Judges is the continued story of God’s rescue, of God stepping in and saving His people. We too can know this, Jesus is the perfect Judge. Raised up to lead, save, and restore us to God.

Personal Question

• Thank God for His forgiveness.

• Ask God to be with you, reminding you of who He is and what He has done.

• Commit again to following Him.

A call to remember

There is a lot we can learn from the story of Gideon. It starts, as we have already said, with the Israelites forgetting God.

“Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.”

Judges 6: 1

This part of Israel’s history comes after Deborah has led the people, and after forty years of peace, Judges 5: 31. The people didn’t instantly forget God and all He had done for them. Rather, over time, little by little they turned away from God. It is so easy to do this, to let this happen, to forget what God has done. It is why we see in Paul’s letters reminders of what God has done, Paul wanted to keep his readers focus on Jesus and all He had done. These reminders draw us back to God, they draw us into worship.

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death, to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

Colossians 2: 21 - 22

Ephesians 2: 11 - 16 is another such call to remember what God has done. In all his letters Paul starts with “grace and peace to you” as a reminder of what God has done and who we are in Jesus.

Jesus knows how easy it is for us to forget and drift away. This is why, in John 15 He calls the disciples, and us, to remain in His word.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

John 15: 4

In the first five verses of Judges 6 we see the result of the Israelites turning away from God.

“Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.”

Judges 6: 6

The people have realised their God can help them. In their hour of need, when things have got so bad they are impoverished, their land invaded and ravaged, they cry out to God for help.

In my previous readings of this story, and certainly when I think about it, I tend to jump from this prayer to Gideon being raised up. But there is an interesting initial response from God; He sends them a prophet. Let’s take a look at what the prophet says.

Verses 8-10 show us this short speech of the prophet. It serves to do two things:

1. Remind the people of what God has done for them.

2. Remind the people of the covenant promise they have with God.

While the people are complaining and crying out for rescue God sends them this reminder.

We don’t know anything about this prophet, or where and how this message was delivered. The fact this is recorded here shows it was a key moment, a key message in the relationship between Israel and God.

“...his errand was to convince them, of sin, that in their crying to the Lord they might confess with sorrow and shame, and not spend their breath only in complaining of their troubles.”

(Henry, M Henry’s Bible Vol 2, p 606)

How does this apply to us today? In Jesus we have been brought into the family of God, a reading of Ephesians 1 and 2 makes that clear. Our call to put God first is no less.

““The most important one”, answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.””

Mark 12: 29 - 31

In this answer Jesus is telling us that putting God first is still key, it is still what we, as believers, are called to do. We are still to put God first. We may not face the same issues as the Israelites, but we can still raise up other gods in our lives. This may be love of money, career, relationships, family, all manner of things. Some of these things are not wrong in and of themselves. There’s nothing wrong with working hard for your career, or loving your spouse, being loyal to your friends, or supporting your family for example. The problem is when these things become the god we serve, taking the place of Jesus.

So as we read in Judges 6 that the Israelites once again forgot God and did evil in the eyes of the Lord we would be wise to pause and recall all that God has done for us. We can make time today, and everyday to make sure God is our number one.

Personal Question

• Remember all that God has done for you; maybe write it down.

• Give thanks and praise to God for His work in your life.

• What things can take the place of God in your life? Confess this to God.

• Commit again to following God and putting Him first.

God calls Gideon

In verse 11 we see the angel of the Lord appear right where Gideon was working. In his opening remark we see how God sees Gideon.

“When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon he said “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.””

Judges 6: 12

This speaks into Gideon’s reality with God’s reality. God sees where Gideon is and declares who he is despite the circumstance. Gideon on the other hand sees only the circumstance, and starts to question each part of the statement.

“If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?”

Judges 6:13

Gideon is, at this moment, threshing wheat in hiding. His people are living in fear, often working in hiding to protect their harvest, his question seems reasonable. One positive of Gideon questioning is he is recalling what God has done before. As we read on there is a sense that this remembering is helping raise his faith again. Right now though he is still primarily focussed on the problems.

“But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”

Judges 6: 13

It is interesting that God’s response is not a direct counter to the accusation. God does not need to defend Himself. After all, He is being completely true to His convenanted promise. Rather, the reply focusses back on the “mighty warrior” comment of verse 12.

“The Lord turned to him and said “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?””

Judges 6: 14

I think there is some real good in Gideon’s reply; he brings his weakness to God. Gideon does not get big headed or develop an inflated sense of who he is as a result of God’s call. He is still aware of who he is, who the Midianites are, and the enormity of the problem. Gideon admits his weakness and fear to God (verse 14).

This response should be one that encourages us. God may call us to do things we feel unprepared for, or that seem far too daunting. It is okay to admit that to God, He will be with us as we obey Him.

“The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.””

Judges 6: 16

As followers of Jesus we can apply this lesson to our own lives. Each of us has the same call on our lives.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28: 19 - 20

The exact outworking of this may vary, but the basic call is the same. We need to be like Gideon as we respond to this. We need to bring our weakness, and fears to God. He is promising to be with us, always.

Personal Question

• Bring your fears to God, tell Him how you feel about the call to make disciples.

• Listen to his truth being spoken over you, cutting across your situation is His promise to be with you.

Gideon’s response

There are two parts to Gideon’s response. First there is action in the form of the offering (verses 17-28), then there is questioning (verses 36-40). All this happens in the context of a growing relationship.

During the initial conversation Gideon, realising he is talking to the Lord, makes his offering.

“Gideon replied, “If now I have found favour in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said “I will wait until you return.””

Judges 6: 17 - 18

One thing I love about this exchange is the patience of the Lord, “I will wait”. He is in no hurry, there is no sense of pressure being applied to Gideon.

It is also important to see the offering Gideon makes in verse 18. There is a young goat, bread, and broth. Remember this tribe of Israel is impoverished because of the oppression of the Midianites. Gideon is offering to the Lord out of his lack of food, not out of his abundance.

These two points speak to us today. In our relationship with God, God is patient with us, waiting until we are ready. We are to bring our best to God.

Gideon is asking for a sign, and he gets two in this conversation. First when he returns and the Lord is still there, this is a sign that he has found favour. Then, as Gideon obeys the instructions for what to do with the food (verse 20) we see the offering made into a sacrifice.

“With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.”

Judges 6: 21

“For he turned the meat into an offering made by fire, or a sweet savour unto himself; showing hereby that he was not a man who needed meat, but the Son of God who was to be served and honoured by sacrifice, and who in the fullness of time was to make himself a sacrifice.”

(Henry, M. Henry’s Bible vol 2, p609)

So the initial signs have been given and next is the first call to action.

Having built an altar to the Lord (verse 24) God calls Gideon to tear down Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole, to build a new altar to God. Then to sacrifice a bull to the Lord. Gideon’s response is one of obedience tempered with fear, he is still afraid of the men of his town.

“So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the day-time.”

Judges 6: 27

This is the first call to action that Gideon receives. His obedience brings about the start of change within his family. We see the men of the town ready to kill Gideon but his father speaks up.

“But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.””

Judges 6: 31

The turning point here is “If Baal…”. That is the moment we see Joash understand that Baal is not God, but the Lord is God. The new altar, the deliberate action of his son has woken him up to the truth.

This scene reminds me of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Baal has never saved himself or provided for his followers. God, however, has and does. Jesus, on the cross, and in the resurrection saved Himself as he defeated death and rescued us providing a way for our salvation, and a welcome into His family.

Often we can be like Gideon, we hear God’s call on our lives and ask for a sign. For us the sign is often Jesus. When we encounter Jesus we can see, like Joash, that all other options are fake and will fail us. The call of Gideon is to proclaim Israel’s God to the people, and, as we shall see, to the nations around them. Our call is the same. For us we are to tell of Jesus and all He has done, there’s no need for us to go to war, and the altars to breakdown are those we build in our own hearts.

“The most convincing argument any man can give for the existence of God is to tell what God has done for his soul. Jesus said to his disciples “You shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1: 8). They were simply to tell what Christ had done. That would be more effective than any argument, however eloquent.”

(The Interpreter’s Bible Volume 2, 1978, p735)

Sometimes we need to be Jesus’ witness to ourselves, reminding ourselves of what He has done. This is the most effective way of pulling down any altars we may have made to other things in our hearts. It is from this place, of Jesus being number one in our hearts, that we can begin to proclaim Him to those around us.

Personal Question

• Spend some time recounting all that Jesus has done for you.

• Have you let anything else take the place of Jesus?

• Ask Jesus to be number one again.

Depend on God

“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. He sent messages throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulum and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.”

Judges 6: 34 - 35

Gideon, the least in the weakest clan (Judges 6: 15), summons the people to arms. Only in God’s strength is this possible; the Spirit of the Lord is at work enabling and empowering Gideon.

Not only GIdeon it seems. The people respond. They would have held a similar opinion of Gideon and his family, yet they responded and joined Gideon. God is moving among His people. God has heard the cry and seen them start to turn to Him. In His mercy He is responding to them and sending His Spirit.

What Gideon does next is often portrayed as doubting God and seeking assurance. In fact the fleece test (verse 36 - 40) is not a sign of doubt. Rather it is committing to God again. The sign Gideon asks for is to make sure that what he is about to do is the will of God. He has come to a place of wanting to do only what God is asking. God is patient with those requests and does as Gideon asks.

The practical application of this, for us today, is to seek God before any significant action or decision. He wants to lead and guide us, He has good plans for us, and He wants to share them with us. We are seeing, throughout this story, an ordinary man having an ongoing, and very honest conversation with God. This conversation, this relationship is available for each of us. Prayer is nothing mysterious, it is simply talking to God. In that conversation we can be real with God, He knows us better than we know ourselves so we can tell Him exactly how we are doing. We can share our fears, our triumphs, our cares and concerns, as well as our hopes and dreams. Prayer is a conversation; we need to allow God time to speak. Gideon was asking God for a sign and gave time for the response. Gideon was also open to God speaking to him at any time, as we shall see in the coming verses.

While Gideon gathered the men and set up camp God wanted to make sure the people know the coming victory belongs to Him, and that He saved the people of Israel (Judges 7: 2). God speaks to Gideon three times about the size of the assembled army.

“The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian in their hands.””

Judges 7: 2

At this point the number of gathered men goes from thirty two thousand to ten thousand. God speaks again in verse 4 and the number is reduced to three hundred.

“The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let the other men go, each to his own place.””

Judges 7: 7

God knows the people like to boast about their own strength, so in doing this, in reducing the army such that the task is impossible He is saving them from themselves. God, in doing this, is protecting the people from their sin of forgetting Him. These instructions are from a place of love and desire for relationship with His people. God is not simply showing off, He is drawing people to Him so He can continue to be faithful to His promises, so He can continue to show His love to them (Exodus 20: 3 - 4).

For us this means we can depend on God. He wants what is best for us; a relationship with Him where we know His love, where we learn to trust Him more and more. God has shown us how much He desires this relationship, he paid the ultimate price to make it a possibility. In Jesus, through His death and resurrection, we have been adopted into God’s family, into a loving relationship with Him. Through this relationship, through ongoing conversation with God we learn to trust, and depend on Him more and more. Gideon, depending on God and seeing God’s rescue plan at work, fits into Israel’s story; the story of God rescuing Israel, and the world through the people of Israel. Jesus is the fulfilment of that plan. The ultimate sign of God’s complete faithfulness (for more on this see Wright T, the Day the Revolution Began, 2016, p320).

“God’s covenant Justice comes into operation through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah, for the benefit of all who have faith.”

Romans 3: 22

(Goldingay, J. Wright, T Bible for Everyone 2018)

“For the benefit of all who have faith”, it is no longer just the people of Israel, through Jesus, all who have faith in Him experience the goodness of God’s covenant justice, God’s love, and rescue from a broken world.

Personal Question

• Spend time sharing yourself with God, and wait for His response.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to draw you closer to God, and help you to trust Him more.

• Thank Jesus for drawing you into His family.

Listen, worship, obey

With the army chosen Gideon, it seems, could have launched an attack. God is aware that Gideon still has doubts.

“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. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.””

Judges 7: 9 - 11

The conversation between God and Gideon continues. We see again that Gideon has doubts, and that God cares about that.

For us, today, we see the importance of talking with God and listening for His instruction and encouragement. This is not just at our set times of day, good though that is, but keeping an open conversation with God. Allowing Him to speak at any time.

In this story we know that Gideon still had doubts or fears. God presented two options:

• go down against the camp

• go and listen to what the Midianites are saying

The end of verse 11 tells us that Gideon and Purah went down to the outpost of the camp. What they hear there brings encouragement to them and all the men in their camp. God has given one of the Midianites a dream (verse 13), and another has the interpretation (verse 14).

“When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshipped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite army into your hands.””

Judges 7: 15

Gideon’s response to hearing the Midianites dream is to worship and obey. Having worshipped God he goes back to camp and calls the men, now is the time to “go down against the camp”.

God has used the Midianites to encourage the Israelites, to help them obey and follow Him. God can, and does, use anyone or anything to encourage us in our dependence on Him. In my life I have seen this. I once had a job that sounded great when I accepted it, but turned out to be a really bad fit for me and my family. During my time there I learnt to depend on God more and more for my work. While it was good to leave that job, this was a valuable lesson that I still carry with me today.

What we learn from Gideon in this moment of encouragement is that God comes first. His first response is worship. As they go into battle the first cry is for the Lord.

“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’.”

Judges 7: 18

The Lord first and foremost. I think Gideon is mentioned in this shout because of the dream of the Midianite (verses 13 - 14). As this unlikely military strategy is followed we see God at work.

“While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.”

Judges 7: 21

Having broken the jars, blown the trumpets, and raised their shout to God the Israelites stood still. The Midianites flee, and in verse 22 they start to attack each other.

God’s plans may not look like our plans, they may even seem odd at first. But, when we, like Gideon, listen and obey we will see that God’s plans are the best, and will never fail.

Personal Question

• Spend time in worship, think over your life and how God has led you so far. Give praise for it.

• Ask God to share His plans and purpose for the next part of your life.

• Wait, and listen for His reply.

The victory belongs to God

Through chapter 8 we see Gideon and his small army receive the complete victory. In verses 10 - 12 three hundred tired men finish off the fifteen thousand men of Zebah and Zalmunna. God was with Gideon throughout this campaign.

Gideon is keen to give the glory to God both during and after the battle. We have already seen his response of worship in Judges 7: 15. At the start of Chapter 8, when questioned by the Ephramites Gideon shows great wisdom in dealing with their jealousy, and he gives the glory to God in doing so.

““God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.”

Judges 8: 3

The wisest part of this response to jealousy is the acknowledgement that God gave the Midianite leaders into their hands. This shifts the focus away from Gideon, away from jealousy, and onto God; where their focus should be.

In the aftermath of the battle the people want Gideon to be their King, Judges 8: 22. The response from Gideon shows wisdom, and Godliness, and an understanding of who he is and who God is.

“But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.””

Judges 8: 23

Gideon knows it is God who should rule. It is interesting to contrast Gideon’s response here with the one he gave in chapter 6. On both occasions he is turning down a request. The difference is in chapter 6 he does it out of fear and a focus on his own shortcomings. Here he does it out of knowing who God is and that God is the one to rule. At the start we have fear, at the end we have Godly humility. Gideon’s focus has moved from inwardly judging himself to outwardly praising God.

The people see that Gideon has led them to victory. Gideon knows it is God who has delivered them. Therefore, while the people want the honour to go to Gideon, he knows the honour belongs to God.

The lesson here for us is to always give God the glory. We will see many trials in life and we can depend on God. We will also see many victories in life, and the honour and glory for those belongs to God. We need to be as quick, or quicker, to worship and give thanks as we are to ask for help.

Personal Question

• Think back over your life and give thanks and worship for the times God has helped you and provided for you.

• Ask God for His help now, wherever you may need it.

• Commit again to putting God first at all times.

The ephod

This next act of Gideon confuses me. Having turned down the offer of kingship, and having pointed the people back to God, Gideon makes an idol out of the plunder.

“Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.”

Judges 8: 27

If we look back at the start of the story we see Gideon first destroy an altar to Baal, and build an altar to God. Here we are, at the end of the story, and the altar to God still exists, but now so does this ephod, in the same town, likely alongside the altar to God.

I’ve never understood this part, why did Gideon make this? How come he goes from good (verse 23) to bad (verse 27) so fast? I don’t have answers as to Gideon’s thoughts and motives, but I do think this is here to help us.

This reminds us of how easy it is to slip from following God and seeing Him at work, to putting other things alongside Him, or even in place of Him. It warns us that this can become a snare. There are two words here worth looking at more closely.

The first word is the one translated ‘prostituted’, the original Hebrew word is ‘za.nah’. There are multiple meanings for this word, and the context it is used in gives us the clue. In this context the meanings of begin unfaithful, to God, or committing adultery really help understand the actions of the Israelites. They had seen the living God work, they were living in the good of his faithfulness to them, yet they had turned away and craved after another.

A second word of particular interest here is ‘mo.qesh’, translated as ‘snare’. It speaks of a lure, or bait, something that can draw an animal into a trap. This ephod was a lure to Gideon and his family, drawing them away from God. If you read on in chapter 9 you see that once Gideon dies the people revert to worshipping Baal, and his family is torn apart. The ehpod plays its part in both of these outcomes. It draws the people back to idolatry, and it gives Gideon’s family a sense of pride and arrogance, and a desire to lead.

This moment in chapter 8 reminds those who lead that their legacy must be people worshipping the one true God. As we lead others we must teach, demonstrate, and live out the fact that God is number one, and that He alone is worthy of worship.

This final part of chapter 8, and the final part of our study also shows us the grace of God. Having set up this ephod, potentially alongside God’s altar, God still grants peace.

“Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years.”

Judges 8: 28

Despite the ephod there was peace from God. That peace is the result of obeying God. The word peace, often translated ‘quiet’, is ‘sha.qat’. It means quietness or rest. The Israelites enjoyed forty years of rest, or quiet, without trouble. When we read on in chapter 9 we see that once Gideon dies worship of Baal starts again and the troubles grow. While they worshipped God they enjoyed quietness and rest. This is the challenge, as we lead others; to lead them to their own relationship with God. To a place where they will continue to worship, even after our involvement is done.

Personal Question

• Thank God for those who have led you and helped you in following Him.

• Who do you lead in church, work, or family?

• Pray for those you lead, that there would be a legacy of worship.