Gideon Pt 2 Series

Series: Here comes the Judge!

Sermon: Gideon “Mighty Warrior” pt 2

Thesis: Gideon was a judge who learned to trust in the Lord and he became willing to depend on God’s power to deliver him and his nation against overwhelming odds. He put his faith into action and the Spirit of the Lord came on him and empowered Him into victory. He followed God’s leading even when it seemed ridiculous to do so!

Introduction:

The book of Judges aims to demonstrate that defection from Jehovah incurs severe punishment and servitude. Only by turning back to God can restoration be enjoyed. Thus the judges were charismatic leaders, raised up by God to deliver His theocratic people. Only by heeding their Spirit-directed message and following them in deliverance against their enemies could restoration be accomplished. The OT judges performed two functions. By divine power and Spirit-anointed leadership they delivered the people from enemy oppression. Having accomplished this, they ruled over them and administered government in the name of Israel’s God… Since the book reports seven apostasies, seven servitudes to seven heathen nations, and seven deliverances, it is evidently put in a symmetrical form (From: The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary).

The activity of the Spirit of the Lord in the book of Judges is clearly portrayed in the charismatic leadership of the period. The deeds of Othniel, Gideon, Jepthah and Samson are attributed to the Spirit of the Lord. This same Holy Spirit is available to us today to do extraordinary spirit empowered exploits for the Kingdom of God.

Gideon was an ordinary young man doing the work of farming when the Lord showed up and called him to face the enemy of God’s people. He told him two things in their first divine encounter:

a. “God is with you!”

b. “Mighty Warrior”

The Lord called him to “Go” he gave many excuse of why he could not but the Lord let him know that he would be able to do these extraordinary deliverances because the Spirit of the Lord was with him. Nothing would be impossible supernatural power would be a part of his deliverance of Israel. The Lord showed him his power by first letting fire come out of his staff and burning up the offering that Gideon presented to him and then by protecting him after his 1 mission was complete. Let’s know look into Scripture to see what happens in God’s call for Gideon to go do his 2nd mission.

Scripture Text:

Judges 6:33-40:

33Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

35He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

36Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—

37look, 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.”

38And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

39Then 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.”

40That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Judges 7: 1-25:

1Early 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.

2The 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,

3announce 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.

4But 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.”

5So 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.”