YOU HAVE MORE POWER THAN YOU THINK (JUDGES 6:11-35)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, known for his opposition to Hitler, was imprisoned and executed in 1945. One of Bonhoeffer’s poems in prison is a masterpiece, revealing his fear, courage and faith in the face of unspeakable evil.
“Who am I?
Who am I? They often tell me
I would step from my cell’s confinement
calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
like a squire from his country-house.
Who am I? They often tell me
I would walk to my warders
freely and friendly and clearly,
as though it were mine to command.
Who am I? They also tell me
I would bear the days of misfortune
equably, smilingly, proudly,
like one accustomed to win.
Am I then really all that which other men tell of?
Or am I only what I know of myself,
restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,
struggling for breath, as though hands were compressing my throat,
yearning for colours, for flowers, for the voices of birds,
thirsting for words of kindness, for neighbourliness,
trembling with anger at despotisms and petty humiliation,
tossing in expectation of great events,
powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,
weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,
faint, and ready to say farewell to it all?
Who am I? This or other?
Am I one person today, and tomorrow another?
Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
and before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army,
fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?
Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.
Whoever I am, thou knowest, O God, I am thine.”
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison 347-48, New York: Touchstone edition, 1997)
After Deborah had died (Judg 5:31), the Israelites were again oblivious and blind to the obvious. They reversed to the old cycle or pattern of evil and idolatry (Judg 3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 10:6, 13:1), so the consequences were accelerated. The enemies were not the Canaanites now, but the Midianites that were known for their cruel brand of oppressiveness (Judg 6:2), so ruthless that Israel had to take to and hide in the mountain clefts, caves and strongholds for the first time. The Midianites invaded, robbed and plundered whatever the Israelites had grown, so much so that no crop, livestock or spirit was left in Israel (Judg 6:3). The people were so downtrodden, defeated and discouraged that the word “impoverished” (v 6) made its debut in the Bible. Not only were they impoverished, they were so or greatly impoverished. Again they cried unto the Lord as and whenever that happens, victory was assured (Judg 3:9, 3:15, 10:10). The Israelites exited the house of bondage in Egypt (Judg 6:9) but they were never free until they learn to listen and obey the lord. God used an insignificant person to overthrow the stranglehold of the Midianites, but also break the spell of sin within the family, deliver a community from apostasy and turn the nation from false idols to true worship.
What kind of people does God use to accomplish His purpose? Why does God choose to do His work in us instead of do the work by himself? How does He demonstrate His power through them?
God Uses People Who Are Lowly
11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put 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 “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” (Judg 6:11-16)
A man tells of a lesson of the “heart” he learns from his little 10-year old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle missing in her foot and wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day to tell her father she had competed in “field day,” that's where they have lots of races and other competitive events.
Because her daughter had to have leg support, the man’s mind raced as he tried to think of encouragement for her, things he could say to her about not letting this get her down but before he could get a word out, she said “Daddy, I won two of the races!” The man couldn't believe it! And then Sarah said, “I had an advantage.” Ah, he knew it. He thought she must have been given a head start...some kind of physical advantage. But again, before he could say anything, she said, “Daddy, I didn't get a head start... My advantage was I had to try harder!”
God sent a little-known, seldom-seen and fairly-busy man to awake Israel. Gideon had reasons to groan hearing the messenger’s flattering salutation: “Who, me?” “Are you kidding?” “You must be mistaken.” Gideon was the youngest in the family and his clan was the weakest in Manasseh; so Gideon had as much say or presence in the family as his clan had in tribal matters. He was nobody. Further, he had work to do and things on his mind, specifically how to avoid being seen or noticed, making noise or causing trouble. All his life he was instructed, conditioned and determined to stay low, out of sight and away from the Midianites.
Gideon was so convinced of his inability, inferiority and insufficiency that what the angel said went right over his head. The messenger’s announcement did not mean much to him, make sense to him or concern him a bit. Other things occupied Gideon’s mind, like food, safety and work. God, however, knows the potential of man and what is hidden behind the exterior of man. Behind modest, private and unassuming Gideon was a brave man; not just a brave man, but a brave warrior; not just a brave warrior but a mighty warrior (v 12). No chapter in the Bible does the verb “save” (yasha) appear more (vv 14, 15, 31, 36, 37), and the phrase “save Israel” (vv 14, 15, 36, 37) is unique to Gideon and the chapter.
God is a contrarian. He delights in using the weak and not the strong, the few and not the many, the meek and not the mighty, the lowly and not the proud, the ignoble and not the noble things of the world to shame the wise, the rich and the proud. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. He specializes in weak flesh, inept hands and timid hearts.
The Lord uses the committed and the obedient to accomplish His purpose and demonstrate His almighty power.
God Uses People Who Are Loyal
25 That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. 28 In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” 30 The men of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” 31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32 So that day they called Gideon “Jerub-Baal,” saying, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he broke down Baal's altar. (Judg 6:25-32)
Warren Wiersbe, the former pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago and author of the multi-volume “Be…” series, whose continuing education class I had the privilege of attending at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, receives a lot of letter from listeners of his popular radio program. One letter would say, “Dear Mr. Wiersbe, I support your ministry and I do not like this and if you do not change it, I am going to drop my support.” Wiersbe would write to the displeased person and say, “We are not for sale. We are not for sale.”
Another letter would say, “I am so glad you are doing that, and I am going to continue my support.” Wiersbe would write to the delighted person and say, “We are not for sale. We are not for sale.”
To be committed is to be steadfast, but not stubborn; unwavering, though not unafraid.
It’s been said, “There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” (Getting Physical, Doubleday)
Gideon was given a thankless but necessary job – to oppose the pagan practices of his father, his father’s household and the men of the town, to break the stranglehold of Baal and Asherah on the community and to return the Israelites to the worship of the one true God. The spiritual disintegration was worse than the physical despair (Judg 6:1-6) in Israel. The “Lord thy God” (v 26) appears only once in the book from its zenith of over 150 times in Deuteronomy – even that confession (v 26) is from the mouth of an angel, not men! “Break down” (vv 28, 30, 31, 32) occurs four times in the chapter, the most of any chapter in the Bible. Things were in such decline that worshipping Yahweh was an aberration, an afterthought and an affront. The idols were sizable, elaborate and central in the community. Ten people were needed to dismantle it (v 27). Gideon was up to his neck and over his head but up for the task. He was concerned about the people’s reaction but committed to the Lord’s command. The verb “demolish” (v 28) is in the intensive (pual) stem in the passive voice, meaning being completely, certainly and convincingly demolished. No chapter in the Bible has more references to the verb “demolished/cast down” (vv 28, 30, 31, 32) than this chapter, so Gideon’s challenge was immense, inconceivable, almost impossible.
The Hebrew text said that Gideon was afraid of his family and the men of the town (v 27), not just his father. That could have included his siblings, relatives, and clansmen, besides the men of the town who were strangers, shell-shocked and superstitious. But why did Gideon fear them? Was he afraid of getting involved, caught or killed? Was he concerned about embarrassing, involving or angering his father Joash or the family? Afraid others would know of his name and involvement? No, he was not afraid that the man of the house would disown him, that the men of the family would blame him, that the men from town would banish, kill or stone him for tearing down the altar. Gideon was afraid that they would stop him from tearing down the altar, stop him from cutting down the pole and stop him from building an altar to the Lord. He was not afraid that the people would harm him, but that they would hinder him. Gideon was not afraid that his family would condemn, ostracize or betray him. He was not afraid of sticks and stones, swords or knives, death or dying; he was more worried about arrest and jail, just because it would stop him from completing his task or mission. Getting close, falling short or being disobedient was not an option. So Gideon did not perform a secret operation, but a sensible operation. Ten more people than necessary (v 27) had already known of the uprising. Interestingly, God did not specify what time or hour of the day Gideon had to do it. Neither did God say that he had to tear down the altar before everyone.
Gideon did not fear retribution from lifeless idols or assault from unruly people. His life was in God’s hands. Further, he had no choice because of God’s three imperatives: “Go” (v 14) and “Take” (v 20, 25). God had big plans for him to save Israel out of Midian’s hands (v 14) and to strike down all the Midianites together (v 16). If death was awaiting him, it would be death at the hands of the Midianites for the deliverance of the Israelites. The interlude or transition here was meant to stir, unite and deliver his family, especially his father who apparently was a leading spokesman and a worshipper of idols, the clansmen and the town from the grip of idolatry. Are you willing to stick your neck out for God? Put your life on the chopping block to accomplish His will? Be steady and unwavering in the line of fire?
God uses patient and empowered people to accomplish His purpose and demonstrate His almighty power.
God Uses People Who Are Learners
33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. (Judg 6:33-35)
An Irishman who had acquired a comfortable living by bowing his head and bending his knee to the King of England looked down upon his less prosperous countrymen with no small degree of contempt. It so happened that he found it necessary to cross the border into the Republic. There, he came upon a Nationalist digging potatoes at the side of the road.
His voice, dripping with disdain, the Orangeman jeered, “If you had only learned to flatter the king, you would not have to dig potatoes.”
“Sir,” replied the Nationalist evenly, “If you had only learned to dig potatoes, you wouldn’t have to be faltering the king!”
Gideon was a small fry, a no name, small soldier, but the Lord transformed him into a mighty warrior, a fierce fighter and an outstanding leader. He, however, was not an instant success, an overnight sensation or a self-made man. Gideon was in no rush or position to fight yet, and his enemies were not fellow Israelites, but pesky Midianites. Gideon’s former questions (v 13) – Where is God? Where are the fireworks? Where happened to the good old days, the old-time religion and the way we were? Where are the glorious past, the happy present and the promising future?” – were answered in a most unlikely way in his life.
At the opportune time, Gideon underwent an unforeseen change. The Spirit of the Lord descended upon Gideon, stirred in him and brought a transformation. The phrase “Spirit of the Lord” makes its debut in the Bible in the book of Judges and is mentioned seven times in the book (Judg 3:10, 6:34, 11:29, 13:25, 14:6, 14:19, 15:14), more than in any other book in the Bible. He had no more questions, no lingering fear and no holding back now. Gideon was not only esteemed and extolled but empowered or equipped. As Charlie Shedd said, “The problem with the church is not that the churches are filled with empty pews, but that the pews are filled with empty people.” Before, Gideon was bold and bright but not bankable. His father had to stand up for him from a crowd that demanded for his head with an imperative – Bring out (v 30). Before, he was able to break the hold of the enemies’ idols, but not the enemies’ army. Now he had power not only to break the Midianites but also the Amalekites and other eastern people that were emboldened to join the Midianites for their annual food hunt and food fest in Israel’s backyard.
Gideon blew the trumpet to summon his clansmen, the town folks, his own tribesmen, the tribe of Manasseh and three other tribes, not all, to follow him into battle. The men of the town who previously screamed for his head now acknowledged him firmly, humbly and proudly as their head. The people who were ready to kill him were now back to support and assist him. Those who were willing to fight against him were now ready to fight for him with him.
The old Gideon used to believe that he was the least, the youngest and the last in his family, but now he gave orders, commanded respect and demanded compliance. He led the family, strangers and thousands and thousands of people into battle. The young man who countered and enraged his accusers before presently instructed, organized and inspired them.
Conclusion: Do you consider yourself too young or old to make an impact? Too busy, tired or discouraged to care? John Wesley, the remarkable founder of the Methodist movement, had an astute understanding of how God uses men. He said, “Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I will shake the world.” Edward Everett Hale said, “I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
Victor Yap
Bible.ryl.hk (Grammar Bible)
www.preachchrist.com (Sermons)
