And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon...33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Hebrews 11.32-33 The famous Gideon was a man from the tribe of Manasseh whose name means "warrior". It was this man's name, "warrior", as well as his tribe, that set Israel free from their oppressors.
In our world today we find organizations, schools, clubs, churches and ministries that name themselves after Gideon. And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak... and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. (Judges 6.11)
Gideon was a farmer, an agricultural worker who labored in the fields who was transformed into the general of a mighty army. It was not unheard of nor uncommon that other men from similar backgrounds were also utilized in like manner. Men such as Shamgar, a ploughman, slew a great number of Philistines with his ox-goad, becoming one of the deliverers of Israel. Cincinnatus was taken from the plough, and made dictator and commander-in-chief of the Roman armies.
Gideon was threshing wheat in private for fear that the Midianites would rob him once the wheat was threshed (Judges 6.12-14) when the Lord chose him to defend the people from such wicked opposition. The Midianites were sent against Israel because they turned their back on God to worship Baal, a false god of fertility, thus inviting the judgment of the Lord. Now He was finished and it was time for His people to be set free.
Today, as in times past, nations are involved in a constant state of war. We live in a period of time where conflicts and wars are being fought all over the world. Despite your personal opinion, we are neck deep in a war on terror. There is war in Iraq and war in Afghanistan. Israel is battling Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, where missiles are aimed at Tel Aviv. Egypt, Iran, Russia, Venezuela and North Korea are aiding and abetting the war against Israel, as well as the war against the US.
Friend, the Lord will protect His people and His land. Recall that at the close of the Six Day War, the Egyptians retreated so rapidly from Israel that their boots remained in the sand.
Today, thanks to the brave men and women of our military, we are fortunate not to have the war here in America, yet that does not mean we don't have a battle... There is a raging war occurring on our shores worse than any of the aforementioned. We in America are engaged in a spiritual war; a battle between good and evil, between darkness and light. We have a battle right here on our soil that being fought between Heaven and hell everyday and every hour. The enemy is Satan who is leading the charge like a crazed animal. There are no choices for the believer. We cannot claim to be "conscientious objectors" . The truth of the matter is that you and I are drawn into the battle as a child of God!
Gideon’s instructions from God present a New Testament application to the Christian. (Judges 6.15-16) His instructions were to gather an army, 32,000 men who came together in support of this farmer turned general. Nevertheless, the gathering would be Gideon's first test for the battlefront, for this would be the test of Courage. In Judges 7:1-3, we find that 22,000 of these men went AWOL out of fear. The Lord revealed unto Gideon that in the midst of conquest, one must have courage. God will not use a coward. A coward is fit for failure, not fighting. Paul wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7). It is terrible to have the spirit of fear as fear is an infection that will spread like a wild fire, consuming those who are around it.
The next test for battle is the test of Commitment. In Judges 7:4-7, we are told that 10,000 men went down to a stream to drink. 9,700 of those men knelt down and stuck their faces in the water and drank like thirsty animals... and prey at that! Only 300 of these men where careful and stood watch, on guard for the enemy as they cautiously replenished their bodies with needed water. Whereas the 9700 were Careless, these 300 were Careful… Whereas the 9700 were Relaxed… these 300 were Resolute… Whereas the 9700 were Casual… these 300 were Committed… Beloved, 9,700 men were interested only in pleasure rather than battle. They were only concerned about quenching their thirst. These are men who will let you down and allow the enemy to breach the walls, penetrate the frontline and the king to be killed.
Of the 10,000 men, there were only 300 committed men trustworthy enough to serve and fight on the battlefield.
Finally, with only 300 men ready to fight the enemy, God blessed Gideon with a defending faith of Confidence. In Judges 7:915, Gideon went on a little survey trip finding a Midianite who had a dream about barley bread. Barley bread was the poorest, coarsest and cheapest of all breads, yet in his dream, it is a loaf of barley bread that ‘rolls’ into this mighty army with the victory. Gideon is that barley bread (Judges 6:12, 15-16).
Friend, it is not the man, but rather the God in the man. Paul said in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." God called the poorest of the poor, the coarsest of the coarse, to be a “mighty man of valour"! (Judges 6.12)
There is an old saying that it is not your ‘ability’, but rather your ‘availability’…Beloved, it is not your ‘form’ that matters, but your ‘faith’ that allows the victory! Gideon was not the greatest, but his faith made him the man God could use to do great things. If God can use Gideon, He can use you and I, but we must be as Gideon, willing to be used. If we say, "God cannot use me" then we insult God. The fact of the matter is that Satan is afraid of believers with a defending faith, he is fearful of Christians that are awakened to the power of Christ in their lives. We must not place our confidence in earthly things, but rather exercise Commitment in Christ through the Courageous Confidence in the midst of a Defending Faith!
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