Gideon - The Mighty Man of Valor
“Looking for a Sign”
Part 3 of a Series
Play this video at the end of the sermon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOBaV_93yQ
We have been doing this series on the Life and Times of Gideon and it’s a fantastic study. We have already covered a lot of his events:
His initial meeting with the Angel of the Lord who called him a Mighty Man of Valor,
His attempts to talk the Lord out of using him,
His first supernatural sign, which was the Lord providing the fire for his sacrificial meal,
His tearing down of his father’s Altar to Baal
And so now, we pick up the story with…….
TEXT: Judges 6:33 Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
It appears that the enemies of Israel, the Midianites and Amalekites and others East of Israel have gathered together an army to invade the land. And they have set up their camp in the Valley of Jezreel.
Now this is not just any valley, it is Jezreel. The meaning of the name alone conjures up some interesting thoughts because Jezreel means Seed of God.
When studying this out, I thought to myself, what is the significance here concerning the Seed of God and I have got to thinking about all the times the enemy has tried to defeat me or steal my blessing when things were still in seed form, or at the formation, the beginning of something.
Things can be very vulnerable and delicate, very sensitive when still in seed form. And we must take great care to guard or protect things at this early stage.
It’s into this scenario that the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon who blew the warning trumpet and he sent out runners to carry the message to these ancient Minute Men. Interestingly, he didn’t make the call to all of Israel, just to certain ones:
Abiezrites = Father of Help
Manasseh = He that has been forgotten
Asher = Happiness
Zebulun = Dwelling or Habitation
Naphtali = He that struggles
I find it extremely fascinating who God chooses.
1 Cor 1:26-29 NLT, “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
God never chooses the people we would expect, but he always makes champions of them.
And so, all the warriors from these tribes and clans have gathered together knowing that a vast enemy army has already set up camp in Jezreel, and they were out of time. It’s in light of all this that Gideon the Man of Valor, the Axe Man finds himself wondering about all this. He seems to be having second thoughts and perhaps a little doubt.
Gideon gets alone to pray and seek the Lord about all this, he is a little overwhelmed with the enormity of things and a little underwhelmed with his own confidence. It’s after he makes the Call to Arms….. and the word is getting out… and the Army is beginning to gather that Gideon has the fleece thing going on.
So we pick up at verse 36… Judges 6:36-40 So Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said — 37 look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said." 38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew." 40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.”
I don’t want us to get bogged down with this, but let me just say a couple of things:
1. It is normal to struggle with the assignment of the Lord.
2. Many times God will confirm what he says by showing you a sign. For me, it is often an eagle or a rainbow.
My story of seeing the eagle at Beaver Falls when praying about moving to Portland…. And, the move to Safford was confirmed by a double rainbow.
3. But…. Don’t start trying to play head games with you and God, that can really get you sidetracked.
God may show you a sign to confirm things but don’t start operating in superstition; that’s a form of counter spirituality and sometimes borders on witchcraft.
However, God sometimes gives us a confirmation when needed. It’s just that, sometimes before you are comfortable shifting things into gear, you need a confirmation that this is what the Lord wants.
Matthew 14:26-33 NLT, When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, "It's a ghost!" 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here!"
28 Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water." 29 "Yes, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted.31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed.
Look at the progression here:
1. Jesus tells them to get in the ship and go to the other side
2. It was stormy
3. Jesus shows up in an unusual and unexpected way, it freaks them out and they think they are seeing a ghost.
4. Peter and Jesus have this dialogue and then Peter steps out of the boat and begins to walk on the water. Yes, Peter actually walked on the water… for a little bit.
5. He gets his eyes off of Jesus and onto the storm around him and begins to sink.
6. Jesus immediately reached out and saved him.
7. Jesus then asks him why he had so little faith and doubted God.
I said recently in a Facebook post, “I would rather have a little faith than a lot of doubt.”
Courage is not a lack of fear, courage is going forward in spite of your fear.
Over the years, I have heard a lot of people crack on Peter because he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. But I like to see the glass half full – Peter is the only one ever recorded besides Christ to ever walk on the water at all. And, he was the only one who actually got out of the boat.
Don’t crack on the guy that crossed the chicken line!
Don’t crack on the guy that got out of the boat when no one else did.
God is looking for people who are willing to get out of the boat….
Even when it is stormy
Even when you cannot see in the dark
Even when it means you are being asked to do something you have never done before.
Even when everyone else is staying in the boat.
This was what Gideon was dealing with, doubting in himself, needing assurance that God was with him, knowing something needed to be done and he was the one to do it.
Here if a Famous Poem some of you may have heard before:
It Couldn't Be Done
By Edgar A. Guest
Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.
Obviously, anything God calls you to do is bigger than you are and it requires a strength and power that is beyond your own skills, resources and talents. And that is the beauty of it.
I was talking to a guy this recently who struggles with a lot of things. As we were talking I reminded him of a scripture in Proverbs 24:16 NKJV, “For a righteous man may fall seven times… And rise again”
In the Message is goes like this “No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don't stay down long; soon they're up on their feet”
I
t’s not about whether you fall down or not, it’s what you do about it.
Play youtube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOBaV_93yQ
In order to do what we need to do, we need to be like Gideon who had the Spirit of the Lord come upon him.
In Luke 24:49 we have the last words of Jesus before he was taken up into heaven. He was going away but he said he would send another Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:49 "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven."
Gideon had never been in a position to be completely reliant on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit until now. He is learning how to do it and we can too.
There is an empowerment of the Holy Spirit that will enable, empower and energize us. This power helps us when we fall. It’s not our own power, it’s the Holy Spirit within. You can do all things when Christ is your strength.
There are those who may say it cannot be done, but I am not one of them. What and who God calls, he anoints, empowers and makes over-comers.
