My heart hurts for God and how quickly His people shift from following Him to abandoning Him. God’s pattern seems to be that whenever His people wholeheartedly cry out to Him for help, He steps in to save them. He raises up a leader – often a very unlikely candidate – and not only brings the people through the crisis, but also back into a relationship with Him. The relationship, sadly, is short-lived.
This pattern of behavior is seen throughout history and throughout the Bible. Perhaps one of the most obvious books to document it is the book of Judges.
Time and again, Israel turns from God. When you turn from God, you are turning toward something else. This was no different for the people of Israel. They turned toward the cultural norms, accepting false gods, shedding the rules given to them by God for right living. Perhaps they didn’t like what God said. Perhaps they didn’t want to stick out from the others who inhabited the land. Perhaps it was a slow fade from truth. No matter the reason it happened, it did happen.
Again and again.
Over and over again, a God who deserved better from His people, was rejected by them. Over and over again, God in His mercy, would send help and save them.
The book refers to these people whom God empowered to save the nation of Israel as judges. They were ordinary people, who God saw potential in to empower to do extraordinary things.
One such man was Gideon. Gideon was no one special. He too, was afraid of the mighty Midianites. The book says that these Midianites were so cruel that “the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.” (Judges 6:2) The Midianites would swoop in and destroy the crops, and steal the livestock that belonged to the Israelites. This army was huge and devastating.
It is with that information in mind that we read about Gideon who is threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress “to hide the grain from the Midianites.” (v.11) Gideon is afraid. He is hiding. He is available.
And so it is that God sends an angel to meet with Gideon. “The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!” (v. 12) I promise you that Gideon was no hero. Let alone a mighty one! And yet God is revealing not who Gideon is, but who he will become. “The LORD said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” (v.16) The impossible – promised through the improbable.
Imagine Gideon’s emotional state. He is hearing from God in a way that he has never heard God before. God is promising to use him in a mighty way, and promising at the same time to be with him. Yet Gideon hesitates. He asks for confirmation in the form of a sign. And God provides a sign for Gideon. In fact, God provides a few signs for Gideon!
Gideon is tasked with his first act of obedience from the LORD, and Gideon musters up the courage to destroy the false gods that his father and community are worshiping. His obedience drew him nearer to God but put him at odds with man. It is through this action, however, that we read these words which send a shiver up my spine: “Then the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon with power.” (Judges 6:34)
Gideon, a fearful man, transforms into Gideon the Mighty Hero. God’s hero. It is with this man, God leads an attack against the armies of Midian. Gideon is able to round up 22,000 warriors of Israel, but “The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.” (Judges 7:2) So the LORD instructs Gideon to lead the men through a test of sorts, eliminating all but 300. “The LORD told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” (v. 7)
Lest we miss the intensity of the situation, we learn in the very next chapter of Judges that 120,000 people from the armies of the east (the Midianites) had been killed in battle. 300:120,000 are not good odds, friends. Impossible odds, really… Unless you are going to battle with the LORD God Himself!
Friend, I see so many lessons from this story.
First, whatever the situation, whatever the odds are that seem insurmountable, they stand no chance against the power of God. No chance whatsoever. Period.
Second, we may not have what it takes to shift out of our fear and become something great – but when we make ourselves available to God, He clothes us with all the power we need. We are transformed.
Third, when will we ever learn? God’s ways are always best. Culture and false religions are not ever the answer. No matter how good they sound, no matter what they promise, they are false. Their promises cannot stand, because they are not founded on truth. God is truth. Truth is not subject to change or evolve because we want it to, or because we believe it should. Truth is black and white, not gray.
Friends, from what I can tell, our nation is a mess. Our state is a mess. Our culture is a mess. We are staring at huge issues – many of which seem to lack obvious fixes – and we feel like we are up against an insurmountable fight. It seems to me that the pattern is again repeating itself. It is time to turn our hearts back to God. Cry out to Him. Ask Him to send His help, and trust that He will.
And while we wait? LORD God, would you clothe us with the power we need for today and every day ahead of us. Thank you for seeing us. Thank you for knowing our needs better than we are even aware of them ourselves! Father, we pray that you heal our land. We ask that your people would not be led astray by false teachings and false religions, but rather LORD God that they would be led back into a right relationship with you. LORD we know that there is none like you. There is no God besides you. Direct our path. Fill us with your wisdom and discernment that we might be led toward you and your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Blessings!