BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 5

Whiner to Reluctant Hero Part One

Judges 6:1-40

One of the characteristics of growing older is that one gets somewhat bolder as the years pass.  I have never been one to put myself in an awkward position if I could help it.  There have been many a time when I would make myself as small as possible hoping that the teacher would not spot me and call on me to answer a question.  I have also not been one to volunteer.  I can remember one time in middle school when the music teacher ask me to sing a solo in an assembly before the whole school.  Before I got up on the stage with the rest of the choral group I was soaking wet from fear.  Even the tops of my hands were sweating.  Fortunately, I made it through that day unscathed.  I have never sung solos without the same feeling.  It is a strange phenomenon that I can speak before people about the Bible but am scared to death to sing.

 

Often there have been things I might have liked to have done but felt that it would appear to be self-promoting to have done so.  Being an introvert will seldom put a person at the front of any group.  We tend to stay in the background.  Having said above what I did about speaking before people, going back to when I began to teach even that was done reluctantly.  After many hours of study I am more comfortable standing before people and sharing what I have learned. I have to remember one thing. God has gifted me and has given me a specific personality.  He expects me to use those qualities within the areas of ministry for which he has gifted me.  We will see how that idea fits what we will be studying for the next two weeks.

 

There are all kinds of books out and articles written that talk about the fact that churches do not want to risk making changes.  This reticence quite often can lead to a body being ineffective in its impact on the community in which it is located.  Even if we look at the congregation as a whole and its unwillingness to venture out into places it has never gone before it all starts with the people who make up the church.  How often have members been asked to participate in a ministry for which they are definitely gifted and have the skill set to perform it use the excuses of I will think about it or let me pray about it.  This quite often is a way of saying that I do not want to pay the price for whatever time and effort it takes to actually do the ministry.  We have become so accustom to being comfortable as a consumer of what we want from the church that it is difficult giving back those things, like time and talent that belong to God. No matter how bad the situation becomes we prefer to maintain the status quo until there is nothing left.  Israel faced a difficult situation and only when things got so bad that they were intolerable did they cry out to God.  Let us watch out for the danger signals that this could happen to us.  Gideon had to step away from the safety of his situation and do what God commanded him to do.

 

Judges 6:1-6

There are a couple of major differences between the previous oppressors and the ones that Israel faced when they once again reverted to their evil ways.  Unlike Eglon and Jabin who just seemed to dominate the people, the new enemies of Midian and the Amalekites did everything to completely devastate the land leaving nothing for the people to eat or feed their animals.  One can only imagine how those actions would destroy the economy of any country. They brought in their livestock to graze on the land leaving no place for the people of Israel to feed their animals.  In many cases the Midianites actually stole the flocks and herds belonging to the Israelites.  The people feared the Midianites to the point that they hid themselves in mountain caves and strongholds.  The writer said, “So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord.  Their cry was not out of repentance but one for relief from their misery.

 

1. How did things get progressively worse for the Israelites?
2. How did their situation in this chapter differ from those previously experienced?
3. Who were the enemies of Israel at that point? (The Midianites who were distant relatives of Moses through Zipporah and the Amalekites who had attacked them as they approached the Promised Land?
4. What does this incident say to us?  (Things will get worse and worse for us the further we get away from God.)
5. What is the ongoing lesson here? (Depend on God not human leadership.)

 

Judges 6:7-10

When the Israelites cried out to God, instead of sending them a judge like Deborah, He sent a prophet.  God had a word for the people that they did not want to hear or had forgotten.  He laid out before the people what He had done previously.  His promise to them had been fulfilled.  They had been given the Promised Land.  He had also defeated their enemies.  After all He had done for them they had broken the command not to worship the false gods of the Amorites.  His last statement to them was a condemnation of all they had done.  He told them that they had disobeyed God.  It is interesting that he did not offer them any hope at that point.  They were left wondering if they were to remain in their dire circumstances from that point on.

 

1. Why did God sent a prophet and not a judge?  (The work of the judges did not last.  They needed to hear a stronger message from God than had been offered before.)
2. In what way could a prophet say the same things to us today?
3. How have your actions sometimes been no better than that of the Israelites?
4. How did the prophet leave the people? (Wondering if God was going to help them.)
5. What actions do we take that are different when we realize that we have been disobedient to God?
6. What was God looking for from the people beyond tears that He was not seeing?

 

Judges 6:11-12

Out of all the people of Israel God sent a messenger to Gideon the son of Joash.  They were of the clan called Abiezrites of the tribe of Manasseh. As has been discussed before the angel of the Lord was probably a theophany, a pre-incarnate visit by Jesus to earth. He found Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress to hide what he was doing from the Midianites.  Normally, the process used to harvest was to break the husk and then to toss it in the air to separate the good grain from the chaff.  His actions showed the desperate measures the Israelites used to provide food for themselves.  If Gideon had used the normal procedure the Midianites would have seen what he was doing and stolen the wheat from him.

 

In His first words to Gideon the messenger from God described him as a valiant warrior.  This would have been a strange greeting observing the way he was going about preparing the grain.

 

1. Why did God send His Son to Gideon? (Possibly the people would listen to a personal messenger from God.)
2. In what has just been presented why would God send His messenger to someone like Gideon? (It is God’s right to use whomever He desires to do His work.)
3. How did Gideon’s actions indicate that the Israelites were a troubled people?
4. Why does it seem strange that the messenger would greet Gideon by calling him a valiant warrior? (God sees what a man can become not what he is.)
5. How do your daily activities represent the way you believe that God might view you?

 

Judges 6:13

Gideon’s response would have been a natural one given the circumstances.  It is interesting that he did not question what the messenger meant but began to give a litany of the problems of the Israelites.  He wanted to know if God was really with them why were all the bad things they were experiencing happening to them.  He had only heard that once upon a time God had worked miracles and how He had brought them out of Egypt.  In his mind things had definitely changed and God had abandoned them and allowed the Midianites to enslave them.

 

1. How much does Gideon’s reaction resemble the way we face difficult circumstances?
2. Why did he not ask the messenger why he had called him a valiant warrior? (When you feel so defeated you cannot see yourself as the victor.)
3. In what ways do we dump on God?
4. When do you feel that God has abandoned you?
5. What is really the truth behind that statement? (God does not leave us but turn our backs on Him all too often.)

 

Judges 6:14-15

Rather than answer Gideon’s complaints the messenger told him what God planned to do. He was to go in the power of God to deliver Israel.  God was the One sending Him.  From his next series of complaints he would not have gone on his own.  In essence he was using the same argument that Moses had tried on God earlier.  He was saying send someone else who is more prepared and qualified to carry out the task for the tribe from which I come is inconsequential and my family is even less important and, finally, I am the youngest in the family.  All that was said to try to convince God to use anybody but Gideon.

 

1. Why did the messenger ignore the complaints of Gideon? (They were not important to the task ahead.)
2. How much do the excuses and complaints of Gideon sound like the way we react when we are asked to do something?
3. How should we respond?
4. What would God ask us to do for which He has not already prepared us?
5. What was the one thing that God was asking Gideon to do? (Go in the strength God was going to provide.)

 

Judges 6:16

Again the objectives of Gideon are ignored. The messenger responds by promising that he will be with him as he went into battle with the enemy.  Not only was he to be victorious because of God’s presence but, the victory was to be an easy one. It was going to be as if the victory was the accomplishment by one person.

 

1. Why did the messenger continue to ignore Gideon’s complaints?
2. How did he handle the objections? (He promised to be with Gideon.)
3. What else did he say to help Gideon work through his doubts? (The battle would not be difficult.)
4. What do you think of the statement you and God are a majority?
5. What doubts do you have that God needs to give you answers?

 

Judges 6:17-24

Here begins the tests that Gideon put before God.  It is almost as if he was saying if all you are saying is true, prove it.  He began by asking Jesus to stay put while he prepared an offering.  The messenger agreed.  The offering was prepared and brought to the angel of the Lord.  Gideon was commanded to place it on a rock and pour the broth over it.  When it was done the messenger touched it and set on fire.  At that point the angel disappeared.

 

Gideon realized that the messenger had truly been sent from God and actually was God.  To comfort and reassure him the Lord spoke and offered him peace. At that point Gideon built an altar and called it the “Lord is Peace.

 

1. Why did the messenger allow Gideon to test him?
2. What did it say about Gideon that he made a demand of the messenger? (He really did not understand who the man was)
3. What does it say about us when we put God to the test?
4. In what ways do you feel that you have put God to the test?
5. What has happened in your life that has shown you that God truly loves you and is walking alongside you?

 

Judges 6:25-27

Now God turned the tables on Gideon.  He did not delay in determining Gideon’s newfound knowledge of Him.  Gideon was commanded to destroy the idols that were located on his father’s land. With His command he was telling him that He would not allow any competition in the life of the Israelites.  Those idols had to go because they were coming between God and His people.  Although fearful Gideon took ten of his father’s servants and accomplished the task.  Of course he did it under the cover of darkness because he knew there would be repercussions fro his actions.

 

He was then commanded to build an altar over the place where the other idols had stood.  Again by doing so the people would see that God is superior to any man made god.

 

1. Why did God act so quickly with Gideon?
2. Why was it important for the Baal and Aserah to be destroyed?
3. Why did Gideon think it necessary to take the ten men with him?
4. What are some things that God requires of you that causes you to be fearful?
5. How do you overcome your fears?

 

Judges 6:28-32

As expected the men of the city were quite upset that their gods were destroyed.  They wanted to kill Gideon.  His father however stood up for him.  It is meaningful that Joash appeared to begin to understand that God was greater than any Baal and Aserah.  He told the men if the gods were so great then they could defend themselves. If they could not they definitely would not be worth worshipping.  At that point Gideon received a new name, Jerubbaal.  He was the one who contended with the gods but in reality Joash was calling on the gods to contend with his son if they had the power to do so.  His words protected his son from sure death at the hands of the worshippers.

 

1. Why did the men react as they did? (Their object of worship had been removed.)
2. How did his father stand up for Gideon?
3. What can we see begin happening in the life of someone like Joash? (God is stronger than the gods made by human hands.)
4. How could he have seen God working in the life of Gideon? (Gideon would have done this before his encounter with God.)
5. In what ways does the name Jerubbaal fit who we are? (We are to be victorious no matter how the gods of this world confront us.)
6. In what ways are we willing to tear down the strongholds of the devil as represented by the Baals and Aserahs in your life?

 

Judges 6:33-35

The Midianites and its allies once again came into the land of Israel to ravage as before.  When that occurred the Spirit of God came upon Gideon and he called the clan of the Abiezrites to follow him into battle.  Other tribes received a call to join them in facing a common enemy.  They included the tribes of Asher, Zebulon and Naphtali and all of them heeded the call.

 

1. What change did we see in Gideon?
2. What brought about the change?
3. Why did he put out the call to the Abiezrites first? (If they did not follow him no one would)
4. Who actually brought all these things together? (God had been working in the hearts of all the people who were upset about the conditions under which they were living.)
5. What do you think would take place when so many came to him?

 

Judges 6:36-40

Even after all that had occurred Gideon still had his doubts about God’s call.  He then tested God twice more.  He used a piece of fleece to determine if God really wanted him to proceed into battle.  The first night he wanted dew to be on the fleece.  The second night he asked that fleece be dry while the ground was wet.  God complied.  The defeat of His enemies was more important than the games Gideon continued to play.

 

1. What do you think of Gideon at this point?
2. Why did he continue to test God?
3. Why did God comply?
4. Why is God so patient with us when we continue to test Him as we do?
5. What does your actions say about your faith?
6. How can you become stronger in your faith?

 

• Pray for any doubts you may have in your relationship with God.
• Understand that you are here on earth for a God given purpose.
• Seek to discover how God can use you according to the way He has wired you.
• Understand that you do have to know how to do everything but are called to do something to grow God’s kingdom.
• Do not spend your time testing God but in trusting that He knows what is best for you.
• Move beyond your own personal desires to touch the lives of those around you for Christ.

 

God does not call us to comfortable.  We will have plenty of time to rest when we get to heaven. Right now there is a world that needs us to step up and out of our comfort zones to serve Him with all of our ability.  We can make all kinds of excuses to keep from spending our lives for God’s kingdom. As we have seen in today’s lesson He is not about hearing our lame reasons for not doing what He has called us to do.  There is a place in His kingdom work for each and every one of us introvert, extrovert and on and on the list goes.  No longer do we have time for the 20% doing 80% of he ministries.  The enemies are at the door trying to steal the sheep and destroy the harvest.  Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few, therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:38)  If we want to see the church grow we must be part of that team of workers willing to expend ourselves that not a single person who is waiting to be saved will be lost.