Under the Midianite oppression, the Israelites were trembling in fear and Gideon was no exception. So how did such feeble arms and weak heart come to overthrow the yoke of the Midianites? How did Gideon in his cowardice come to deliver Israel and rival against Baal? Before confronting the enemy, we see Israel consumed by anxieties on their enemies and the threat of invasion. Despite the national calamity brought by the Midianites, despite their ‘innumerable camps and camels’ (Judges 6:5), they never dominated the land. The Midianites never had monopoly over the territory despite being earlier inhabitants than the Israelites. The Midianites were enemies whom God allowed to remain in the land. Similar to today’s geopolitical situation, the Midianite threat was limited to theft of livestock and harvest. Regardless, we need to recognize the spirit and principality at work as it was in biblical times and today; the spirit of Midian. From hiding in wine cellars for shelter, to building walls and anti-missile systems, Israel is engrossed by the threat of invasion even today.
If Israel had the Word of God, they would become strong, to not be fearful, to not be on the defensive, but rather to be on the offensive according to the Word of God. Instead of spending thousands and millions on the defense budget, we have to show the world that we are not afraid and trust in God to make the war for us. We trust in God that He will defeat our enemies if we posture ourselves in Him, He will fight our fights. As a nation we need to stand on the Word, the banner of God. God spoke to the people of Israel upon the shores of the Red Sea and they speak to us even today just as He said:
And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
Exodus 14:13
You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”
2 Chr 20: 17
We see how fear plagues the heart of Gideon as he threshes wheat in the cellar instead of the threshing field (Judges 6). No one needs to be afraid in the presence of God (1 John 4:18). Gideon exemplifies how an attitude of fear leads us to do things in the wrong places. Still, God has called Gideon to deliver Israel. God was with Gideon. God was escorting Gideon in his work and calling, seeing it to fulfillment. Gideon was supposed to bring confidence to people who used to fear as he did. In each of the confrontation Gideon initiates, we see that it is God Himself who makes the war. In each stage of preparation, from cutting down the idols, the selection of the troops, to the fight against the Midianites, the Bible shows us how God refines Gideon, raising Gideon to show His power.
Despite Gideon’s lacking confidence in God, it was all the more evident that the signs and wonders came by the grace of God. At the beginning of Gideon’s story, we see how Gideon holds himself in little esteem, calling his own family the least in Manasseh, and himself and youngest in his father’s house (Judges 6:15). In other words, Gideon amounts himself to be nothing. But God does not need the strong. Even David spoke through the Holy Spirit about the Messiah –
But I am a worm and not a man,
A reproach of men and despised by the people.
Psalm 22:6
From Gideon’s low esteem of himself to his repeated pleas for signs, we see Gideon’s lack of confidence in the LORD. But when the LORD calls, He equips! Just as the LORD Himself said to Gideon, ‘Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?’ Judges 6:14. Often in our lives, we tarry in living out the Great Commission, expecting supernatural power to share the gospel. But the truth is that He has already given us what we need, we need to go in the power He has already given, and He will increase!
Gideon’s first task was to destroy the altar of Baal that belonged to his father. As believers, we join the fray against the enemy as we offer sacrifices of righteousness and cutting off idol worship from ourselves. In the process, people will turn against us, even those closest to us. The Scripture describes how the anxieties of Gideon led him to do everything in the night, not in the day. Gideon remained fearful despite the signs of wonder and affirmations that God has shown to him (Judges 6:21). With the calling comes the opposition too, though it was not smooth sailing, we can take comfort in how God provides and encourages us, refining us by His grace. The enemy is always looking to crush us, just as the Apostle Peter exhorts us:
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
1 Peter 5: 6-9
Gideon’s story stands as an example of God’s hand in the life of the believer. Even after the showdown with Baal and bestowed the nickname ‘Rival of Baal (Jerubaal)’ by his people, Gideon still needed signs from God again and again. Gideon’s fleece is a common example believers today cite while asking God for signs. We are always asking God to show us miracles; asking God to provide us with this and that, to know the way that He wants us to go. With the Bible, His Living Word, His Spirit, He shows us even today, that He will provide for us everything we need to fulfill His calling for us. More importantly, we are the work of His hands that He refines as He uses us.
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Psalm 138:8
God will accomplish it for you. As God calls you to do His work, He will provide you with everything from start to finish. Just as we will continue to see in the story of Gideon, everything He begins in us, He will finish.