After Israel found that she could no longer stand the situation that she had gotten herself into, she cried out to God. There had been forty years of prosperity. She became self centered and worshipped idols --the things that she could see and seemingly control.
This isn't just Israel, it's each and every person on this earth. Not one of us --in our fleshly beings-- wants to serve God. No! Life is about serving us. Each of us considers himself to be the most important being in the universe. We have appointed ourselves god.
God's Faithfulness - Judges Ch. 6
For God to show Israel what she had become, He lets the Midianites oppress Israel for seven years. The crops and herds were destroyed and the people hid in fear when the pilligers came into the land. To demonstrate His compassion and ability to save, God selected the least recognized man in the country to lead the people. God gives him the charge to destroy the armies that had kept Israel in poverty for those long years.
Gideon's story shows how God grows faith from the size of a mustard seed into a grand trust-relationship that overcomes all of the oppressive circumstanes that we encounter in this life on earth. It begins with Gideon questioning God about His supposed compassion. He basically said: "Where have You been, the only things I know about You are through handed legends --miracles that occurred years ago. What have You done lately? You haven't showed us that You really care!"
Gideon's Battle - Judges Ch. 7
Through his daily life, God showed Gideon that He could be trusted. There was one sign after another. He spoke to an angel, put a sheep skin on the floor and God made it wet (and the dry), was given visions, heard about the enemy's defeat through one of their own, and watched as his force -which started at thirty-two thousand was winnowed down to just three hundred men. He was going to lead a small group of men to route out an army that was four hundred times their size.
Gideon is so much like our faith in Christ --we each being an Israel of sorts. We begin with so small of a faith --just diligently seeking God. And little by little, God let's us see how dependable He is. As we see His power and desire to care for us, we need les and less of our own strength to live this life.
Gideon's Daily Life - Judges Ch. 8
With the war behind them, Israel once again became complacent. She wanted Gideon and his offspring for their leaders. But all his life Gideon struggled to keep God at the center of their worship.
Gideon had even made a memorial out of the earrings of the destroyed enemy. It weighed over forty pounds; that represents a huge army that was struck down. He had only three hundred unknown men (not proven warriors with superior strength) so that war was obviously won by God. Yet the people focused on what Gideon had done. The stories they told their children were of Gideon's leadership rather than on God's faithfulness.
That's us! We want to proclaim how great a pastor or evangelist is. What a wonderful sermon that the preacher gave. The magnificant works the missionaries do. The number of people that attend a church. Yet those faithful servants should not telling us about themselves, but about the God that redeems, and gives life through His Son.
Conclusions for Us
God gives us --that's you and me-- Midianites to show us the parts of our lives where we are trying to live independently. We endulge in the things that make us feel good for a while --actually entrust ourselves to destructive influences. But God does not leave us there. He loves us so much that He does everything it takes to get us to look to Him for life and godliness.
