Gettysburg Vacation, 2019
July 21, 2019
Judges six
It is good to be back home. I had one of the best vacations ever. I won’t say best because that one the whole family spent on the beach that one year still has first place – but this was great! Spending a week with my cousin, Dave and my brother, Fred – studying the civil war was pretty awesome. Dave took his RV and did all the planning so I got to just kick back and enjoy the ride. As a side benefit I got to see both my sisters, too.
I learned so much about Gettysburg and the Civil War. I walked through the Valley of Death and the Devil’s Den and Little Round Top. I learned about the generals on both sides – Lee and Longstreet on the south and Meade, Chamberlain, Grant and Sherman on the North. I stood where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address and visited the graves of the fallen. I even got to visit the grave of my great grandfather, Ulysses Grant Adams, the son of my Civil War Veteran great, great grandfather Danial Adams, who fought with the Light Artillery in some famous battles. Talk to me sometime and I would be glad to share all about it.
In our Scripture there was some tremendous battles going on, too. The American Civil War lasted five years. Gideon and his fellow countryman had already been fighting for seven years. I imagine that everyone was pretty tired of it.
The war between the North and the South was fought for various reasons. Probably few southerners would say they were fighting for slavery. They had a much nobler cause. They were fighting for freedom in the states. They viewed the North as trying to take their freedom for self-determination from them. That is why the men fought so hard. They viewed the North as the aggressors.
The North fought for the noble cause of freedom for ALL men. What a noble cause that was. Both sides had deeply religious men of faith who felt they were doing the right thing. And 620,000 men died because of it.
The Israelites did not have such a noble cause. They just wanted to do their own thing apart from God. Verse one says, “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord”.
What do you think happens when you reject God? That’s called sin. That is evil. The Bible says, “for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.” Here’s a lesson for you. When you reject God – you separate yourself from His goodness. God’s Word says, “The wages of sin is death”. In other words, “The result of sinning is separation from God.”
We make so many excuses for our sins – but it won’t work. God Word says,
“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts”
Romans 1:21,24
Today there are many people in society who not only indulge in sin – but want you to approve of it, too. Murdering babies through abortion is sin – whether the law says it is or not. Homosexuality is sin – whether society says it or not. Those that indulge in sin willingly are evil – and they will suffer the consequence of it. They can try to spin it any way they want – but God is clear in His Word what is right and what is wrong. As for me, and my house – we will serve the Lord. I will bet my eternal destiny on Jesus and the pages of the Bible.
So these people did evil, suffered the consequence of it, and then turned to the Lord. Verse 6 says, “Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.”
Why is that we have to try ever other way before we turn to the Lord? We try our own strength; our own wisdom; our own resources and then when that doesn’t work we try to enlist someone bigger and stronger than us to help. But that won’t work either. Finally, after all human resources are expended – we cry out to God. Some never do. Romans one says they harden their hearts – but hopefully we will cry out to God.
And what does God do? He hears from heaven. Listen.
“When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, he sent them a prophet” Judges 6:7-8
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…” Revelation 3:20
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
God is so good; so merciful and kind; so forgiving. Like a loving Father, when we reach out to Him He will reach out to us. When we call on Him He will hear. Now do not make the mistake of thinking that all your problems will go away or that He will do everything for you. You need to repent, obey and do whatever you can do. Listen to this conversation again.
“12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:12-15
Do you see the statement from the Lord? Many think this is Jesus, Himself. He says, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” MIGHTY WARRIOR? I don’t think so! He is hiding in a wine press threshing wheat because he is afraid. He doesn’t look very mighty to me. But he IS mighty because the Lord is with Him. The first Scripture I memorized is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” You plus God equals God. When you have God with you – you are mighty.
That’s hard to believe – isn’t it? Gideon was having a hard time with it. He said, “Pardon me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Verse 13)
Good question. We ask stuff like that don’t we? I’ve prayed stuff like that about this church. God basically says the same. Go in your strength; do your best – and I will do the rest. God loves to make the weak strong. God loves to make the failure succeed. God loves to bring the dead to life again.
Zerubbabel was given an impossible job. There is no way he could do it. God said to him, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zachariah 4:6)
Has God ever given you an impossible job? He has me. And it is not by my might or by my power – but only through the Holy Spirit that it will get done.
All we have to do is find out what God’s will is; be willing to do our part; and watch God do the impossible through us.
Gideon had a question. “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (v. 13) Then he had another.
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” (v. 15)
God always seems to give us impossible jobs; impossible missions; impossible callings. It takes fantastic faith! It takes radical obedience! It takes a submissive spirit. And God says,
“Go in the strength you have ... Am I not sending you?” v. 14
“I will be with you…” V.16
You would think that would be enough – but it wasn’t! Gideon still questioned God; still asked for a fleece twice more. And God was so patient with Him. God put up with his weakness and lack of faith. He slowly built it up until He was able to use Gideon to accomplish His purpose and save the nation.
All we have to do is believe and act in faith. If we won’t act - nothin gets done. The battle of Gettysburg lasted for three days. There was horrific fighting. The battle seesawed back and forth. In some places; the town of Gettysburg; the devil’s den, and seminary ridge - the sites were taken by one and then another. They exchanged hands a number of times. But on the third day of ferocious fighting, Picket’s charge had been thwarted; five southern Generals were killed and 37 percent of the Rebels were casualties. The war was ripe for winning. All northern general Meade had to do was attack – but he didn’t. He waited for two days before he advanced. That gave Lee time to retreat back to Virginia. And the war continued for two more years and thousands more men were killed because of Meade’s timidity.
Lincoln was furious. Here’s a portion of his letter to Meade.
“Again, my dear general, I do not believe you appreciate the magnitude of the misfortune involved in Lee's escape-- He was within your easy grasp, and to have closed upon him would, in connection with the our other late successes, have ended the war-- As it is, the war will be prolonged indefinitely. If you could not safely attack Lee last Monday, how can you possibly do so South of the river, when you can take with you very few more than two thirds of the force you then had in hand? It would be unreasonable to expect, and I do not expect you can now effect much. Your golden opportunity is gone, and I am distressed immeasurably because of it—“
Lincoln thought better of sending the letter. He realized it wouldn’t do any good. What was done was done. He put the letter in his desk and it wasn’t discovered until after his death and after the war was over.
Gideon was little better. And often our victories are delayed because of our timidity; our holding back. When God is on our side and when we are doing His will – let’s bravely face the impossible missions and the undefeatable enemy. With God on our side – nothing will be impossible to us.
I don’t know what you are struggling with but I want you to know - God is able to win the victory.
