Notes
Often, our lives and circumstances name us as one thing based on what we feel, see, and experience. But God sees something different and challenges us to rise to the occasion.
The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds... So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
Judges 6:1-2, 6
Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”
“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”
Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
Judges 6:11-14
God knew the Israelites were feeling defeated. But He had their attention and wanted to remind them of who He was and what He wanted to do through them. Gideon was feeling afraid, abandoned, and weak. His faith was small, but God still showed up. God calls us to move out of oppression and find a life of victory in Jesus.
1. Victory starts with repentance
That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.”
So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father’s household and the people of the town.
Judges 6:25-27
Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
1 Corinthians 1:27
Gideon may have been timid and afraid, but he still took a step of faith. Repentance is about turning away from the ways we used to act and the things we used to do that don’t honor God, and turning to those things that bring Him glory. Through our weakness, God’s heart shows.
2. Victory can happen when we change our thinking
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2
God is looking at our potential, not our current problems, power, or position. Gideon didn’t see himself as someone who could make a difference or change the world because He didn’t have God’s point of view. Let God order your thoughts, and let Him tell you who you are.
3. Victory can happen when we take action
The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him.
The Midianite camp was in the valley just below Gideon. That night the Lord said, “Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them!
Judges 7:7-9
Gideon saw God move him from being a victim to being victorious because he took action. When God told him to do something, he did it - even if from a human perspective, the odds were stacked against them. Victory comes from engaging our hearts and souls with God’s plan to make Himself known. Stand up, be victorious, and make Jesus known.
Group Questions
- How did Gideon feel after the angel spoke with him?
- What is repentance?
- How can we tell when our thinking needs to be ordered?
- What are a few things you can do this week to take action with your faith?
Prayer
Thank you for being there even when we feel abandoned, afraid, or weak. Order our thoughts, and show us where we can take action this week.