- After the deliverance from Jabin and Sisera, "the land had rest forty years" (Judges 5:31). But after a while, the people no longer guided their lives by the Lord and His triumphs, and they fell back into idolatry. The result was depression, not merely emotional but economic, as well. Whereas the Israelites had survived 20 years of oppression under Jabin and Sisera, they were driven to desperation after only seven years of plundering by the Midianites (Judges 6:1).
- What was so devastating about what the Midianites did? (Judge s 6:2-6).
- "Inasmuch as the Midianites were nomadic tribes, they did not conquer the land and settle down permanently. . . . They preferred that the settled peoples would do the work of sowing. Then in a series of raids they would sweep over the land, confiscating the crops and driving off all the farm animals they could find. According to custom, they left the houses undestroyed in order that the farmers would be tempted to return and sow the fields once more."--SDA Bible Commentary," vol. 2, pp. 339, 341.
- The Midianites, along with the Amalekites and other "people of the East," were like locusts in terms of their numbers, and also in terms of their effect on the land (Judge s 6:3-5; compare Joel 2:4-10). After losing their crops for seven years in a row, the Israelites were starving. When they were "greatly impoverished" (Judges 6:6), they were ready for the Lord again. But the Lord did not respond to their cry for help by immediately promising to deliver them. While He had their attention, He sent them an unnamed prophet to explain the cause of their distress (Judg. 6:7-10) so that they would be wiser in the future.
- Compare the words of the prophet (Judg. 6:8-10) to the earlier message of the Angel of the Lord at Bochim (Judg. 2:1-3).
- The prophet reiterated the overall theme of the book of Judges: In spite of God's faithfulness, the Israelites persisted in faithless disobedience. By breaking God's covenant, they forfeited complete fulfillment of the covenant promises.
- Do you tend to rely on God most when you are "brought very low"? Why, or why not? Why do we tend to blame God for trials that we have brought upon ourselves?
- The "judges" were called by God in various ways. Ehud was simply raised up by the Lord (Judg. 3:15), Othniel was designated as Israel's deliverer by the Spirit of the Lord coming upon him (verse 10), and Barak was called through the prophetess Deborah (Judg. 4:6, 7). Gideon's call was special. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in person.
- Read Judge s 6:11-16 carefully, looking for the significance of (1) the circumstances in which the conversation between Gideon and the Angel took place and (2) the ideas that were expressed in the course of the conversation.
- Wheat was normally threshed on a threshing floor, but Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press, where the Midianites would not look for it. At this low point in his life, as he was hiding his food for fear of the Midianites, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him.
- The first words of the Angel were: "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour" (Judg. 6:12). Gideon questioned this statement. He had heard of the past triumphs of the Lord for the Israelites, but he did not see how He could be with them at the present time. "Then the Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you'" (verse 14). So the Angel was the Lord Himself, and Gideon was to be the deliverer!
- The Angel had twice referred to Gideon's might. It was true that Gideon's brothers, and probably Gideon himself, had been involved in military action against Midian (Judg. 8:18, 19), but he did not regard himself as qualified to lead Israel. He claimed to have less power than anyone else in the tribe of Manasseh. "The Lord said to him, 'But I will be with you'" (Judg. 6:16). The Lord Himself would be with Gideon! That was all the power he needed!
- Compare the call of Gideon with that of Moses (Exod . 3:1-4:17) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:4-10).
- God could use people like Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah because they recognized their own inadequacy and relied upon His strength rather than their own.
- Is it a lack of faith to request evidence from God? How would you support your point of view?
- How is the identity of the "angel of the Lord" revealed in Judge s 6:11-16?
- Whereas the Being who spoke with Gideon is first called the "angel of the Lord" (Judg. 6:11, 12), He is subsequently identified as "the Lord" (verse s 14, 16). Thus, the initial words, "The Lord is with thee" (verse 12 ), mean the same thing as the later statement, "I will be with thee" (verse 16). Note that "the Lord" in these verses translates the Hebrew word Yahweh, which means "Jehovah."
- Compare the Gideon story with the story of the "angel of the Lord" appearing to Samson's parents (Judges 13). The Angel appeared in human form (verse 6), but He was the Lord (vers es 21-23).
- In the Gideon and Samson stories ( Judges 6, 13 ), why is the Lord called "the angel of the Lord"?
- In the Old and New Testaments, the Hebrew and Greek words translated "angel" mean "messanger." We associate this term with created beings sent forth by God. (See He b. 1:6, 7, 13, 14; Dan. 9:21; Luke 1:26.) But sometimes the Lord has appeared to deliver messages in person ( Genesis 18 ).
- In E xodus 23:20, 21, God spoke of "an angel" whom He sent to bring the Israelites to the Promised Land. "Be attentive to him . . . for my name is in him" (verse 21). Ellen White comments: "Christ was not only the leader of the Hebrews in the wilderness--the Angel in whom was the name of Jehovah, and who veiled in the cloudy pillar, went before the host--but it was He who gave the law to Israel. Amid the awful glory of Sinai, Christ declared in the hearing of all the people the ten precepts of His Father's law."--Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 366.
- It appears that occasions such as those mentioned above must be included among the "goings forth from of old" of the divine Messiah born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). This birth has brought to humankind the ultimate manifestation of the Lord in human form: Jesus Christ, "God with us" (Matt. 1:23). In Jo hn 1:1-5, 9-14, Jesus is not only identified as the divine Creator, who has become human in order to communicate with us; He is called "the Word," the content of the message itself.
- In view of the personal care that the Lord has invested in His messages to us, how should we demonstrate our respect for them?
- Gideon asked for a sign confirming the divine identity of the One who was speaking with him ( Judges 6:17 ). Since the encounter was so unusual and so much depended upon it, this request was reasonable enough. Keep in mind that Gideon did not have in front of him the words of the Bible, which identify his Visitor as "the Lord" (verses 11, 12, 14, 16). What he saw and heard was a Being, presumably in human form, sitting under an oak tree (verse 11).
- Why did Gideon's sign take the form of a food offering? Judge s 6:18, 19.
- Gideon might have thought that if his Visitor were the divine Angel of the Lord, He would not consume food as a human being would. Israelite sanctuary sacrifices were called "food" for the Lord (Numb. 28:2), but He did not consume them in a human manner because He does not need human food at all (Ps alm 50:12, 13).
- The "angel of the Lord" identified Himself by not eating the food but miraculously burning it. Then He vanished (Judge s 6:20, 21; compare Judg es 13:15-20). Feeling insecure, Gideon later sought miraculous confirmation from the Lord that He would deliver Israel as He had promised (Judge s 6:36, 37).
- Why did Gideon request a second test with the fleece? Judge s 6:38-40.
- What dangers do you see in placing undue reliance on signs that we have stipulated? (See Heb. 11:1.)
- Before the Lord could use Gideon, He required him to purge idolatry from his family (Judge s 6:25, 26). "Gideon must declare war upon idolatry before going out to battle with the enemies of his people."--Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 547
- Can you think of other cases in which reform preceded deliverance by God? Gen. 35:1-5; Exodu s 4:21-261; Judges 10:16; 2 Chron. 17:3-6; 2 Kings 18:1-7.
- God cannot accept the prayers of those who cherish iniquity in their hearts (Ps. 66:18). When sin is cherished, confidence is false and turns to defeat (Joshua 7:1).
- On the other hand, the Lord is eager "to give repentance" (Acts 5:31). As soon as His people put away those things that come between Him and them, He is ready to help them (Judges 10:16). After Gideon's reform, the next time the Midianites and their allies crossed the Jordan, the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon, and he summoned the Israelites to a war of liberation (Judge s 6:33-35).
- How can we rid ourselves of the idols that separate us from God?
- "The Lord does not always choose for his work men of the greatest talents, but he selects those whom he can best use. Individuals who might do good service for God, may for a time be left in obscurity, apparently unnoticed and unemployed by their Master. But if they faithfully perform the duties of their humble position, cherishing a willingness to labor and to sacrifice for him, he will in his own time intrust them with greater responsibilities."- -Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, June 23, 1881.
- Discussion Questions:
- God gave signs to Gideon, and Jesus performed many miracles, which were signs of His divinity. Why did Jesus refuse to grant the request of scribes and Pharisees for a sign, except for "the sign of the prophet Jonah" ( Matt . 12:38-41; 16:1-4 )? Compare Jesus' refusal to give Satan a sign of His divinity (Matt. 4:3, 4). Do you sometimes look for miraculous signs for wrong reasons?
- God required Gideon to do something that offended some Israelites by attacking their form of worship. Did these people have a just basis for being offended? Does God ever ask us to do or say things that result in offending people? If so, how do we know that it is God who is behind this, and not our own emotions or prejudices? Does our own tactlessness cause problems in these situations? Does fear that we may offend someone keep us from saying things that should be said?
Summary:
Gideon's confidence in God needed to grow, but God could use him because he was not self-confident. He needed repeated assurances that God was with him, but then he went ahead and faithfully did what God asked him to do, beginning with reform in his own family. As by faith we accept God's assurances, He imparts to us the strength and wisdom to carry out His will.
Last updated on April 24, 1996.