Imagine you work hard and plant your field and just at harvest time your enemies sweep down and steal your harvest. Now imagine this happens not only one time but every year for seven years. That is exactly what was happening to the Israelites in Judges Chapter 6. The Midianites were the culprits. They were stealing everything Israel’s crops and animals. Each year Israel would hide in the caves for safety until the Midianites left their land. After seven years, the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord sent a message to them through a prophet. The Lord reminded Israel how they had been unfaithful in worshipping other gods. They had stopped listening to the Lord.
Then the angel of the LORD appears to a man named Gideon; any time you see the phrase “the angel of the LORD” and “LORD” is in all capital letters, this is referring to Jesus. Gideon is threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress so he can hide the grain form the Midianites. Jesus appears, addressing him as “Mighty hero, the LORD is with you.”
Gideon said: “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? (Judges 6:13) Gideon did not feel like the Lord was with Israel. He is actually questioning if the Lord even cares about them. If the Lord loves them then why are the Midianites having victory over them, and why are they starving? The truth is the Lord does love them and because of His love for them he has punished them for their sin. Charles Spurgeon said, “The Lord does not permit His children to sin successfully.” If we are bound to sin we are bound to suffer. You can not sin and get away with it, God always punishes sin.
Jesus tells Gideon: Judges 6:14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” The Lord said the most unexpected thing to Gideon. He called Gideon to be the hero to rescue Israel from the Midianites. The Lord takes him from a coward to a conqueror. Gideon wanted the Lord to help them but he did not expect to be used in the process. The Lord out of love, is helping Israel even though Israel had not repented. The Lord’s compassion is moved by their pain.
Then the angel of the LORD appears to a man named Gideon; any time you see the phrase “the angel of the LORD” and “LORD” is in all capital letters, this is referring to Jesus. Gideon is threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress so he can hide the grain form the Midianites. Jesus appears, addressing him as “Mighty hero, the LORD is with you.”
Gideon said: “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? (Judges 6:13) Gideon did not feel like the Lord was with Israel. He is actually questioning if the Lord even cares about them. If the Lord loves them then why are the Midianites having victory over them, and why are they starving? The truth is the Lord does love them and because of His love for them he has punished them for their sin. Charles Spurgeon said, “The Lord does not permit His children to sin successfully.” If we are bound to sin we are bound to suffer. You can not sin and get away with it, God always punishes sin.
Jesus tells Gideon: Judges 6:14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” The Lord said the most unexpected thing to Gideon. He called Gideon to be the hero to rescue Israel from the Midianites. The Lord takes him from a coward to a conqueror. Gideon wanted the Lord to help them but he did not expect to be used in the process. The Lord out of love, is helping Israel even though Israel had not repented. The Lord’s compassion is moved by their pain.
Gideon makes excuses why he can not answer the Lord’s call. He says he is from the weakest family in all Israel, and he is the weakest in all his family. Gideon is saying to all the people in Israel, I am the last person you want to ask to rescue Israel.
I love the answer the Lord gave to Gideon, “I will be with you.” What a beautiful promise. Gideon you have nothing to fear, the Lord will be with you. When the Lord is with you, it does not matter who is against you. You will never face anything alone. The Lord has made this same promise to believers today. He promises to always be with us. Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Pastor Larry
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