Gideon

Gideon Judges 6-8

Midianite Oppression 7

years of bondage under the Midianites had brought Israel to its lowest state.  6 years the Midianites invaders strip Israel of their livestock and grain  Israel was not allowed to harvest their grain  Israel hid in caves

Israel cries for deliverance  God’s

prophet reminded Israel of their unbelief and sin  Israel cried for relief and God proved a deliverer, Gideon

Gideon  His

name means “Destroyer”, “Mighty warrior” or Feller (of trees)”  Son of Joash  Also known as Jerub-Baal  He was a poor farmer  He lived in Ophrah, a village of Manasseh

People of Ophrah  The

people of Ophrah had accepted Baal worship so completely that they built their own Baal altar and Asherah symbol  Gideon’s first order from God was to destroy these objects, which he did at great personal risk (Judges 6:2532)

Gideon the Coward Judges 6:1-24  God’s

angel visits Gideon and prepares him for his victory  God calls Gideon a “mighty man of valour”. It seemed a mockery, since Gideon was not a warrior but a farmer.  Gideon’s unbelief, which was the cause of his cowardice:

Continue  If,

why, where, wherewith, if, shew me a sign. This language is not the language of faith.  Gideon couldn’t understand why God would use a farmer like himself to deliver the nation  Have you ever wondered how God can you use to do great things? If so, you’re not alone!!

The Oppressors  Midianites  Amalekites  Other

Eastern peoples

The enemy came from the east to plunder the grain-growing areas of Israel, primarily the Esdraelon Valley.

The Armies Gideon gathered an army of 32,000 men  Midianites’ army consistent of 120,000  22,000 men of Gideon feared and turned back leaving Gideon with 10,000 men  10,000 men is too much for God so he gives Gideon an army of 300 men to conquer the Midianites. 

FLEECE  Seeing

the difference in the number of men between the two armies, Gideon puts out a fleece to God 



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." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew--a bowlful of water. 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." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

The vessel, torch, and trumpet  The

Vessel - We must be clean, broken vessels for God to use (2 Tim. 2:21);  The Torch - we must let our lights shine (Matt. 5:16);  The Trumpet - we must "trumpet out a clear witness for Christ (1 Thess. 1:8).

Gideon’s Victory  The

steps in Gideon's victory are easy to trace: – he had a promise to believe (6:12,14; 7:7-9), – an altar to build (6:25-26), – a vessel to break, – a lamp to bum – a trumpet to blow. And God gave the victory!

He conquered his feelings (8:1-3).  Ephraim

had not been included in the original army (6:35), but Manasseh, the sister tribe, had a share in the battle.  However, Gideon called Ephraim to capture the two famous princes, which they did. But they were provoked! How easy it is for the flesh to act even when God has given a great victory!

Beware 



After winning a great victory, we must always beware of temptation; for Satan attacks us subtly when we least expect it. The nation asked Gideon to become their king and to establish a royal family; but this he refused. "The Lord shall rule over you!" However, Gideon used this opportunity to ask for "a lesser thing" - all their earrings and ornaments. This seemed like a fitting gift for a great deliverer; but keep in mind that these golden trinkets were associated with idol worship. Read Gen. 35:1-4 for the association between earrings and idolatry.

Beware cont.  Gideon

made an idolatrous "ephod" with the 70 pounds of gold he collected! What the Midianites could not do by means of swords, Satan accomplished with earrings! It is sad to see the man who overthrew Baal's altar now setting up an idol of his own! Unfortunately, the whole nation forsook God and worshipped the new god (27).

History of Gideon’s Family  He

had many sons and daughters by his "many wives" (vs. 30), but these were all slain (with the exception of Jotham) by the son of Gideon's concubine, a man named Abimelech (vs. 31; Judges 8:1-6). Furthermore, before Gideon's family was slain, they were not treated kindly by the nation (vs. 35). How soon the sinful heart of man forgets both the Lord (vs. 34) and the men who have served them faithfully.