“WHEN GOD SPEAKS – GIDEON” Judges 7
CWBC – 2/24/19
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Gideon –When we hear that name, we usually think about Bibles. There are about 2 Bibles distributed per second by the Gideons International organization. Many of us think about the little NT we were given in PUBLIC schools when we were in 5th grade. We also think about the Bibles that we see in hotel rooms around the world. Mama started teaching us a long time ago to take those Bibles & mark them at John 3:16 w/ a dollar or two & leave for the maid when we are checking out. I taught my youth groups to do the same thing. Would encourage you to do the same thing, too.
Lots of people’s lives have been eternally changed due to the ministry of the Gideons. People Michael DiMarco – stole $ from his company to support his gambling habit. Ended up in jail. First night in jail, found himself w/ nothing more than a pillow, a small towel, & a well-worn Gideon NT. Picked it up, closed his eyes, & pointed at a verse. Finger landed on 2 Cor. 5:17 – “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Fell on his knees & cried out to the Lord to save him. He now pastors Friendship Community Church in Old Hickory, TN, is a sought-after speaker for Precept Ministries, Awana, & FUGE camps, & the author of over 50 books. His is a story of life transformation.
The story of Gideon in Judges 6-7 is a story of transformation. And, today, YOUR story can be a story of transformation as you hear God speak to you.
EXPLANATION – Open your Bibles or your Bible app to Judges 6:11-12 (page 205 in pew Bible).
Gideon was a judge in the OT. That’s why this OT book is called Judges – it tells the mostly tragic story of how God’s people consistently walked away from Him year after year. There was a cycle that would be repeated during the time:
1. Apostasy – The children of Israel would do what was evil in the sight of God.
2. Servitude – God would allow them to be defeated by their enemies & placed in captivity & servitude.
3. Supplication – When the consequences of their sin would lead them to a place of desperation, they would cry out to God.
4. Salvation – God would send a judge to lead them back to Him.
But then the cycle would continue & they would return to their idolatrous ways. All told, there were 15 different judges who ruled over Israel over the course of about 325-350 years. Gideon served as a judge for about 40 years & was probably the greatest judge that Israel had. He was a “mighty man of valor” (6:12) whom God spoke to in a direct way to lead His people back to a place of obedience.
APPLICATION – God will speak to us to bring us to a place of transformation in our lives. Transformation of our lives is His plan for our lives.
- Rom. 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Or as the NLT puts it: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
- Verse that Michael DiMarco read in that jail cell – 2 Cor. 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
You see – God’s plan for us is that we experience His complete transformation in our lives. When He does speak to us to transform our lives, here is what we need to do:
We need respond to His correction – 6:1-10
This first section of chapter 6 is not God speaking to Gideon; it’s God speaking to His children through a prophet that He sent to them. God had some SERIOUS stuff to say to them! And He’s got some serious stuff to say to us today! Why? Because we are headed in the same direction as the children of Israel in Gideon’s day. Verse 1 – “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord…” could very well say, “The people of the Church in America did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” And the same type of suffering & pain they went through can be expected of those in the Church today who are turning away from the Lord, including us here today. This isn’t a message for all of “them” out there – it’s a message for us here today – a warning for us here today – an exhortation for us – an admonition for us – a persuasion for us. When God speaks, we need to respond to His correction!
Shane Idleman: “I’m convinced that the majority of the churches in America are seeking to please the masses rather than convict. Judgment is never mentioned; repentance is rarely sought; and sin is often excused. We want to build a church rather than break a heart; be politically correct rather than biblically correct; coddle and comfort rather than stir and convict. This leaves people confused and deceived because we teach and live a form of Christianity void of repentance...void of truth.” (https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/guest-commentary/is-being-gay-god-s-greatest-gift-to-us.html)
We’ve lost the fear of the Lord in our day & in our lives. How many of you loved your daddy? How many of you know that your daddy loved you? How many of you were afraid of you daddy at times? When were you afraid of him? Some of you had legitimate fears due to your father’s dysfunctional behavior – drunk, drugs, abuse. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the times that you were afraid of him b/c you knew that you had stepped out of line, broken his rules, & were going to experience his hand of discipline in your life.
What makes us think, then, that our Heavenly Father is going to ignore & turn a blind eye to us when we step out of line & break His rules? He doesn’t wink at sin. He doesn’t just blow it off. He doesn’t just say, as we are prone to say, “Well, that’s just the way they are.” The Psalmist said it this way:
- Ps. 94:12 – “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord…”
- Ps. 118:18 – “The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.”
- Ps. 119:75 – “I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, & that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.”
And then there’s this from the writer of Hebrews: “5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?[a] He said,
“My child,[b] don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”[c]
7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?[d]
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
When God speaks, we need to respond to His correction!
We need to obey His instructions
God gave some very clear instructions to Gideon to teach him to trust Him & obey Him.
- Burned up the meat & the bread w/ fire from the rock – 6:20-21
- Tear down the idols that the people were worshiping & rebuild an altar the to the Lord – 6:25-26
- Decrease the number of troops to take into battle from 32,000 down to 300 – 7:1-8
Gideon obeyed the Lord’s instructions, even though, at times, his faith wavered & fear overtook him. He asked God for the signs of the fleece that he put out (6:36-40), which is an indication of unbelief & a lack of faith in what God was telling him to do.
How many times do we do that? God speaks – We know it – but we are reluctant to follow through in obedience. “Give me a sign, Lord!” is what so many of us say to Him. Asking for a sign when we KNOW that God has spoken is not something we should do. We just need to obey!
Charles Stanley – “Obey God & leave all the consequences up to Him.” Dr. Stanley gives these life principles for obeying God’s instructions:
• Trust God with your life and all that concerns you.
There is no way to go wrong if you place your hope and trust in God. He created you and He loves you with an eternal love. Therefore, He will always lead you in the very best way possible.
• Wait on the Lord for an answer to your problem or situation.
When in doubt, refuse to move ahead unless you know God is leading you.
• Meditate on God’s Word.
When you saturate your mind with the Word of God, you gain His viewpoint. When a temptation comes, you will know right from wrong and can act accordingly.
• Listen to the Holy Spirit.
God continues to speak to His people today. He speaks to us through His Word, the Holy Spirit, and through the words of a pastor or trusted Christian friend. We become sensitive to the Spirit of God by spending time with Him—praying and studying the principles in Scripture.
• Be willing to wait or walk away when the way before you is unclear.
If you desire to please God above all others, obedience to Him will require you to remain firm. If you do not sense clear guidance in your situation, ask God to confirm His will to you in His Word. He will never contradict Scripture. His will for your life always lines up perfectly with what the Bible says.
• Be willing to endure conflict.
When the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land at God’s direction, she had to face strong enemy opposition. God rarely empties our lives of trouble and conflict. If He did, we would not have any reason to depend upon Him. He allows enough difficulty to keep us turned toward Him.
• Leave the consequences to God.
Obedience may not be easy—you may receive criticism from others or face fierce obstacles and opposition—but it will always put you in a favorable position before God. He will take care of all that concerns you. Stay on the path of obedience and leave the rest to Him. (https://www.intouch.org/Read/life-principle-2-a-life-of-obedience)
We need to believe His plans
Sometimes God’s plans are hard for us to understand. It had to be hard for Gideon to understand why God was reducing his fighting force down from 32,000 men to only 300. And even the way God did it seemed to be strange – choosing only the 300 men who drank the water by lapping it out of their hands like a dog, as opposed the others who knelt down & drank it.
No matter how hard it may be for us to understand why God is doing what He is doing, or why He is telling us to do something that we think is outlandish, we need to believe His plans. Listen to these verses:
- Isaiah 55:8-9 – “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, & my thoughts than your thoughts.’”
- Jeremiah 29:11-13 – ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give you hope & a future. Then you will call on me & come & pray to me, & I will listen to you. You will seek me & find me when you seek me w/ all your heart.’”
CONCLUSION – Someone once said, “Courage is the strength or choice to begin a change. Determination is the persistence to continue that change.” When God speaks to us about changing our lives like He did to Gideon, it takes courage & determination to see that change happen. But, we are not alone! He has given us the Holy Spirit to show us the need to change, empower us to make the change, & strengthen us to live a changed life.
Hear God speak today. Respond to His correction – Obey to His instructions – & believe His plans for your life.
