A. THE FOURTH CYCLE OF OPPRESSION
1. Who persecuted Israel? Midianites. “The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord . . . and He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years” (Judges 6:1).
2. Step-cousins. The Midianites were Ishmaelites. Both came from Abraham. Sometimes we get trouble from family pressure.
3. Desert raiders. They came – stole – and returned to the desert.
4. Israel hid in the mountains. “Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites” (Judges 6:11).
1. Israel sinned
5. Israel had peace
2. Defeated by enemies
4. Delivered by Judge
3. Israel cried to the Lord
5. Bottom of the Totem Pole. “My family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house” (6:15, CSB). An introvert or an inferior complex makes a person fearful.
B. GIDEON’S CALL: JUDGES 6:12-24
1. God complimented him. “The Lord is with you mighty warrior” (v. 12, CSB).
2. God built him up. “Go in the strength you have, and you will deliver Israel” (v. 14, CSB).
3. Gideon’s first confirmation. “Show me a sign” (6:17).
4. Gideon prepares a sacrifice, i.e., a goat, unleavened bread, broth.
5. The Angel of the Lord, i.e., a Christophany disappeared in the smoke of the sacrifice. “You shall not die” (v. 23).
C. THE FIRST CONFIRMATION FOR AN INFERIOR COMPLEX: 6:25-34
1. Challenge to get rid of an altar to a foreign god. “Tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image” (v. 25).
2. Challenge your father’s unfaithfulness. “That belongs to your father” (v. 25).
3. Gideon did it at night. “But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night” (v. 27).
4. A life-threatening leap of faith. “Bring out your son, he must die” (v. 27).
a. A leap in the dark, i.e., unknown.
b. A leap into the light, i.e., the Word of God.
c. Father’s logic. “If Baal is a god, let him fight for himself” (v. 31, ELT). Gideon gets a nick name, i.e., Baal fighter.
D. THE SECOND CONFIRMATION: 6:36-40
1. Notice Gideon’s cowardly doubt. “If You will save Israel by my hand” (v. 36).
2. Natural, wool attracts moisture.
3. Unnatural. Dew on sand and not on wool.
4. Principle of searching for God’s will by a “fleece.”
a. God will not reveal His will by a “fleece.”
b. Do not make a choice based on a “fleece.”
c. A fleece will confirm what you already know.
d. Do not put God on the spot, go by scripture.
e. God leads by common sense, not by luck.
E. THE THIRD CONFIRMATION: 7:1-6
1. Challenge the cowards to go home. “Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back” (7:3). 22,000 left.
2. Challenge the 10,000 to drink water.
a. 9,700 “bowed down . . . to drink.” Is this idolatrous worship?
b. 300 “scooped water with the hand.” They were alert to the enemy.
3. Why did God use only 300? “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness . . . that the power of Christ might rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:9). Little is much when God is in it.
F. THE FOURTH CONFIRMATION: 7:7-15
1. Gideon still doubted. “Get up . . . if thou fear to go” (7:9-10).
2. Gideon will be encouraged. “Listen to what they say, then you will be strengthened” (7:11, CSB).
3. Gideon hears a dream of a loaf of barley bread tumbling on them. The name Gideon means “cut down barley.”
4. “When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretations, that he worshipped” (v. 15). Gideon finally understands. A dream is a recessive memory.
G. GIDEON DEFEATS THE ENEMY, i.e., 120,000,000: 7:10-25
1. Strategy, 3 groups of 100 men each. Faith-obedience to divide his strength.
2. Swords stayed in sheaths, trust was not in human ability, trumpet in one hand and pitches with torch in the other.
a. Trumpet was God’s call to march.
b. Light is always God’s method.
3. There’s power in words, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon” (v. 18, 20).
4. There’s power in strategy.
a. Middle watch, most fearful.
b. Enemy killed one another in darkness.
c. Get help to mop up.
d. Cut off retreat (v. 24).
H. PRINCIPLES OF VICTORY
1. God blesses when we trust and obey.
2. An organized and obedient few can defeat a multitude.
3. Our doubts and fears holds us back.
4. A weak person plus God makes a confident warrior.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
Dr. Towns’ email is eltowns@liberty.edu.
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