Without Excuse
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Ephesians 6:10
If the Book of Joshua is a story of conquest, then the Book of Judges is a story of forfeiture. By Gideon’s time, in Judges chapter 6, the phrase - ‘the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord,’ appears five times, and each time, the people’s disobedience and unbelief relinquished dominion to their enemies.
The Midianites had plagued Israel for seven years: they had become so oppressed that they made dens and caves in the mountains to hide in. When they prayed for deliverance, the Lord’s prophet reminded them – ‘You were told not to bow to the gods of this land, but you have not obeyed’. The Lord had instructed Joshua to be strong and courageous and conquer the land, but Gideon’s generation was weak, fearful, and surrendered.
Then a small spark of faith appeared, concealed in a winepress. A man hidden from sight, threshing some of the wheat he’d gleaned. It wasn’t bold, just an act of desperation, but it got heavenly attention. The Angel greeted Gideon with a surprising statement: “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Because Gideon assumed he was speaking with a man (adoni = lord, a man), he voiced his faithless complaints. “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? Where are the miracles our fathers told us about?” The angel’s next statement - “Go in this might of yours [his faith], you shall save Israel … Have I not sent you?” - changed everything. When Gideon replied, “O my Lord,” (Adonai = Lord, God), he knew he couldn’t keep using God as his excuse.
When Gideon is mentioned in Hebrews 11:32-33, we can associate him with ‘put whole armies to flight’. Judges 6 and 7 tell us of Gideon’s faith, and how it grew from subjugation into supremacy. But first, he had to remember, “All the people of earth are nothing compared to Him. He does as He pleases. No one can say to Him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’” (Daniel 4:35)God, who reigns over the earth, sees every struggle that burdens you, as well as the seeds of faith within you. It’s time to renew your faith by believing in His promises. Receive His strength; He will also enable you to ‘put whole armies to flight’!
Read: Hebrews 11:32-34; Judges 6:1-24, Daniel 4:34-36; Ephesians 6:10-18
Listen: Gideon – When I am Weak;
Bonus: Rise Up In Faith