Gideon Series

September 17, 2022

40 years have now passed and I bet you cannot guess what happened next….

• The Israelites did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh.

• Yahweh gave them into the hands of the Midianites for 7 years

o The hand of the Midianites prevailed over Israel ---- the Israelites made for themselves hiding places that were in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. 3 And whenever Israel sowed seed, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east would come up against them and destroy the produce of the land as far as Gaza; they left no produce in Israel, or sheep, ox, or donkey….. 6 Israel was very poor because of the presence of the Midianites,

• The Israelites cried to Yahweh – He sent them a no-named prophet:

o Judges 6:8-10 - …. “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt; I brought you from the house of slavery. 9 I delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors, and drove them out from before you; and I gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am Yahweh your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.’ But you have not listened to my voice.”

Yahweh had already sent Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar and Deborah/Barak to deliver Israel from their self-chosen consequences. But each time, after the Deliverer died, the people just went right back to what they were doing before – fist raised rebellion – “doing what was right in their own eyes.”

What would you have done?

Well, God didn’t do what we would have done…. He sent them another deliverer ---- GIDEON.

Here is the Story of Gideon – Judges 6:1-8:35

Because of the tactics of the Midianites, Gideon was in a winepress threshing wheat, hoping to hide his activity from the enemy.

Yahweh, Himself, came and sat under the oak tree….

Yahweh: Yahweh is with you, you Mighty Warrior!

Gideon: Excuse me, my lord. If Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has forsaken us; he has given us into the palm of Midian.

Can you sense his bitterness and frustration with God? Can you relate?

Yahweh: Go in strength. You will deliver Israel from the palm of Midian. Did I not send you?

Gideon: Excuse me, my lord. How will I deliver Israel? Look, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.

Yahweh: But I will be with you, and you will defeat Midian as if they are one man.

Gideon: Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, show me a sign that you are speaking with me. Please, wait here until I come back.

Yahweh: I’ll wait.

After preparing a young goat, some unleavened cakes and a pot of broth, Gideon went back to where Yahweh sat. As instructed, he put the meal down on a rock and pore the broth over it.

Yahweh touched the meat with his staff and fire consumed the offering.

Realizing in Who’s presence he had been, Gideon built and altar and called it “Yahweh is peace.”

That same night, Yahweh came again to Gideon and instructed him to pull down the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole that belonged to his father and built a proper altar to God. He was to take the wood from the Asherah pole and a bull from his father’s herd and offer a burnt offering to God.

Before engaging the enemy Gideon must first declare war on Idolatry – because that’s what the people really needed to be delivered from.

Gideon took 10 servants and did just as Yahweh had instructed – in the middle of the night. He was too afraid of his father’s family and the other men of the city, to obey during the day.

When the men of the city saw what had been done, they went to Gideon’s father, and demanded he give up his son – to be killed.

Jehoash {Gideon’s father}: Are you going to fight Baal’s battle? Does he need to be rescued? If he is a god, let him fight for himself.

Yahweh was not done with Gideon yet….

All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east gathered together in the valley of Jezreel.

The Spirit of Yahweh took possession of Gideon, and he called the Abiezrites to follow him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet the Midianite army – with just 32,000 men.

Still unsure if this was really Yahweh calling him to do this crazy thing, Gideon asked for a sign: