Again, the Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.
The Lord handed them over to the Midianites for 7 years.
They were so curel, the Israelites went into hiding.
At harvest time these marauding hordes, as thick as locusts, arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. They stripped the land bare.
The Israelites were reduced to starvation and they cried out to the Lord for help.
God heard them and sent them a prophet.
Judg 6:8-10
I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to you, `I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me."
The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon at the wine press and said, “Mighty warior, The Lord is with you!”
God sees who we are even when we don’t. God knows our potential even though we don’t. God will call us to our mission in life even though we don’t have the confidence to do it ourselves.
This is important, listen to Gideon’s reply:
Judg 6:13
13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, `The LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."
Each new generation must encounter God for themselves.
3rd and 4th generation pentecostals are asking “Where are the miracles our ancestors told us about?”
It’s a good question – one that should be asked by every generation.
Gideon felt that God had abandoned his generation – but in reality, God had not abandoned them, he was disciplining them – there is a big difference.
Gideon is a good role model for “Generation X” and the “Millennials” (Slide)
He was living in a “dog eat dog” world. The prospects for a future life of happiness and fulfillment looked bleak. His whole life had been turned upside down. From the looks of things, his generation was not going to be as well off as the previous generation. He was doing everything he could just to get by. He was working hard to provide for his family and just survive. He felt like God had abandoned his family and frankly, he was to busy eking out a living to take time out to look for God. Yet, Gideon was spiritually hungry. He truly wanted to know why the miracles his ancestors enjoyed weren’t happening now, in his generation.
Listen, Generation X and the Millennials are hungry for God today, and they are asking the same question Gideon asked.
That’s why we need to be and remain Pentecostal church. Because, it is out of this group of Pentecostal people where these generations have an opportunity to encounter the miracle working God. Aman
Judg 6:14
14 The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. I am sending you?"
God will use us in spite of our limitations and failures.
Judg 6:15
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."
One of the things I like about Gideon is his honesty. He knows that he can’t possibly do the job God has now called him to do and he says so.
When I ask you to do a job in this church and you say, “I’m not equipped to do it” I would remind you to think about Gideon and what God said to him:
Judg 6:16
16 The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."
When God is with you, you can do the job no matter how difficult it appears!
When God is with you, you can do the job no matter how difficult it appears!
Gideon asks for a sign (He must have been from MO) – prepares unleavened bread and a young goat for an offering – the offering is consumed by fire and the angel disappears.
Judg 6:22-23
22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!"
23 But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."
This was Gideon’s conversion experience. Everyone needs a conversion experience. Everyone needs to come to a point in their lives where they encounter God and believe on Him. If you haven’t had a conversion experience today, then you need to come down to these altars at the end of service and have one.
Notice, it wasn’t until after Gideon’s conversion experience that he began to hear the voice of God. It was at this point that God began speaking to him.
God speaks to all believers in various ways. He may speak to you differently than he speaks to me, but speak He does. He speaks through the Bible, He speaks through the prophetic ministry, He speaks to us in our private prayer time, He speaks through circumstances, He speaks through the councel of other Christians. Our God is a God who speaks to us today! Aman?
That night God asked Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and to cut down the Asherah pole beside it and to build an altar to the Lord and to make a sacrifice on it.
Judg 6:27
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.
Isn’t this great? I love the Bible, it doesn’t cut anybody any slack. Gideon’s weakness is recorded for all time. Now, if I were Gideon, I would have pleaded that this part of the story be left out, after all, I’m a hero – I don’t want my blemishes to become an official record.
I don’t know about you, but I’m glad it’s here. Gideon was scared, and he had a right to be, because what God asked him to do carried the death penalty.
Gideon was afraid, yet he obeyed God in spite of his fear!
HE OBEYED GOD IN SPITE OF HIS FEAR!
Sure enough, the people from the village found out and wanted to kill him.
Judg 6:28-32
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.
Let’s examine why this passage is significant. You understand that God just doesn’t put stuff in the Bible as filler – everything written in the Bible is important and significant.
Alright, who owned the altar that Gideon tore down? Joash – Gideon’s Dad
Who defended Gideon in front of the mob that wanted to kill him? Joash
Who came to the conclusion that if Baal was a legitimate god he could take care of himself? Joash - Gideon’s Dad.
You see, when someone has a conversion experience it has a domino effect. People all around that person are affected. In fact, when you have a conversion experience and start living your faith in front of your family, friends, co-workers or fellow students, it has an impact! Your new found faith will draw others to faith.
So it was with Gideon’s Dad, once Gideon took a stand for the Lord, it forced his dad to re-think his preconceived notions about God and religion. It was at that point that Joash turned away from Baal worship and back to God.
That’s why It’s critically important to have new conversions in our church all the time. The more new conversions we have the more unsaved people will be reached out in our community.
We are going to begin soul winning training on Sunday nights beginning May 7th, so If you want to become a powerful soul winner, you need to be here.
Judg 6:33-40
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.
36 Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised- 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew-a bowlful of water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
The Word tells us that the Spirit of God came all over Gideon and as a result he acted. He acted by sounding the alarm – the call to arms. It was a beautiful spiritual experience.
There are certain dynamics that accompany supernatural encounters with God.
When the Holy Spirit of God shows up and begins to “come upon” people, wonderful things begin to happen. We see miracles happen, people being healed, people falling out under the power of God and all manner of manifestations of God’s glory. During these encounters with God other things happen as well, people are spiritually strengthened, encouraged, empowered, and often commissioned for service. Frequently people are called into specific ministries.
At the actual time people are experiencing an encounter with God, they feel euphoric and are inspired to take on the whole world for Christ. It’s a great feeling!
Then after a few days have passed, doubt sets in and you begin to wonder, “Did I really hear from God?” “Did He really tell me to get involved in ministry?” “Maybe I was just caught up in the experience of the moment.”
It was no different with Gideon. After he sounded the call to arms and the armies began showing up, he started to have second thoughts.
So what did he do? He asked for confirmation of what God had called him to do, and there is nothing wrong with that! In fact, I recommend it.
Listen, when God calls you to take a major step of faith, he will confirm it to you.
Gideon laid a fleece out before the Lord. You can do that if you want, but the most common way God will confirm things to you will be through other people, through prayer, through the study of His Word, through prophetic ministry, through circumstances. The important thing is that you pay attention to the confirmation and then be obedient by acting on God’s instructions.
Gideon’s army was ready 22,000 strong. They were outnumbered about 5 ½ to 1 – yet God said to Gideon:
"You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, `Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’" So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
Judg 7:2-3
You need to know that if God had called someone else to deliver Israel and Gideon was in the army under him, he would have been one of those who went home at this invitation. He would have gladly gone home because, before God got hold of his life, he was a fearful person.
Now the army was outnumbered 12 to 1 – surley God would be satisfied with that number.
Judg 7:4-8
4 But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, `This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, `This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go."
5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Now they were outnumbered 400 to 1. God called it good!
During the night God told Gideon to attack the Midianite camp, but he said, if Gideon were afraid to do it, then he was to sneak dowen and listen to what they were saying and he would be encouraged and motivated to attack.
Cautious Gideon decided to sneak down and listen. He overheard a couple guys talking about a dream one of them had. The interpretation of the dream they decided was that God had granted Gideon’s army victory over them. Gideon was indeed encouraged and excited about what he had heard and he worshiped God.
Gideon went back to the camp and woke everyone up and perpared them for the attack. It wasn’t going to be standard military operation – no it was going to be a supernatural military operation. Here’s what happened:
Judg 7:16-22
16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
17 "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, `For the LORD and for Gideon.’"
19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
What are the spiritual applications we learn from Gideon’s experiences?
First, we need to have our own personal conversion experience.
Learn to walk with God one step at a time. He will confirm His will for your life as you act in obedience to Him. As you are faithful in the small things, he will give you more responsibility.
God expands and uses the abilities he has already built into us. He can use us in spite of our weaknesses, limitations and past failures.
Altar call.
