The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” (Judges 6:12-16)
If you read the book of Judges, you will discover a cycle that occurred over and over throughout the book that covers several hundred years of Jewish history. After God had established Israel in the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, the nation prospered. As they prospered, their perceived need for God diminished along with their obedience. Eventually, Israel would forget God, compromise with the culture around them, and begin to worship idols. In an effort to call them back to faithfulness, God would allow neighboring tribes to conquer and oppress them. When their misery became too great, Israel would turn their hearts back toward God and God would raise up a deliverer who would lead them to victory against their enemies. As they found peace and prosperity again they would forget God and the entire cycle would start over.
Gideon was one of those individuals (judges) whom God called to deliver Israel. In the text above we witness the call of God on Gideon. When we first see Gideon he is threshing wheat in a wine press…probably a cave. He is hiding what he is doing from the Midianites who would simply take the wheat if they discovered it being processed. The angel’s words seem ironic Gideon. “The Lord is with you mighty warrior.”
Neither of these truths was apparent to Gideon. In his mind he was so far from being a mighty warrior that he didn’t even respond to that part of the greeting. But he did ask honestly, “If the Lord is with us, then why are things such a mess?” Most of us have had that same question in our own lives. “If God loves me and is with me then why have my prayers not been answered? Why have I not been healed? Why is my adult child being destroyed by addictions? Why am I still unemployed? Why did my marriage end in divorce? Why am I still single when all I ever wanted was a family?” Then, in so many words, Gideon goes on to ask, “If God is really a God of miracles and deliverance then why haven’t I seen any?”
I believe that Gideon had already been giving some thought to those questions. Perhaps, he had been praying for God to so something – not just for him but for the nation. After all, weren’t the Jews still God’s chosen people and weren’t the Midianites still pagans who had gave no honor to the God of Israel at all? God’s answer was interesting. “Go in the strength you have and save Israel.” In other words, “Gideon, you have been asking for me to raise up someone to lead Israel out of bondage again. Great thought! I choose you!”
Of course, Gideon immediately declined the opportunity and pointed out all of his shortcomings. He responded as Moses had responded at the burning bush. “Here am I Lord, send anyone else!” Gideon saw the problem clearly he just didn’t see himself as part of the solution. He didn’t perceive himself as mighty or as a warrior and he had not perceived the hand of God in Israel’s condition. And yet, as always, God is willing to move in powerful ways in response to our prayers if we are willing to partner with him.
How may times have we moaned about the condition of our congregation, a ministry within it, the church, the nation, or our community and asked God to do something powerful to correct the issues that are so clear to us? How often do we pray and wait for God to raise up someone to carry the banner for the cause that we have lifted to heaven but never volunteer ourselves? Part of that is because we usually believe others are more spiritual, more experienced and more qualified than we are. But God says, “I will go with you.”
First of all, taking on a mission that is over our heads will actually make us more dependent on God which is the very thing that makes us more spiritual. Secondly, if we were experienced we would insist on doing it our way instead of God’s way. If Joshua had been experienced in warfare against walled cities he would have never marched around Jericho seven times to blow rams horns and shout. Instead, he would have built catapults and siege ramps. Thirdly, the main thing that qualifies people for impossible missions in the kingdom of God is a simple willingness to be used.
God declared that Gideon was a mighty warrior because God was going to make him into a mighty warrior. God also declared that he was with Gideon because he had always been with Gideon. He was even with the nation because he had not forsaken Israel but had been hovering and waiting for their hearts to turn towards him again.
It’s true that God is looking for great men and women of faith that he can use for his purposes but none of them started out great. They were just willing to give God a hearing and to take the next step. God took care of the rest. That is all he wants from you and from me. God used Gideon in very unconventional ways but he used him and won great victories as a result.
God rarely asks us to lead a nation into war (although he might) but he does ask us to share out faith with a hard case, pray boldly for healing in the face of stage four cancer, lead a small group, lead a ministry, mentor someone, raise money for the poor or lead a movement in our communities. If he has put a problem on your heart, then he may well want you to be the one through whom he solves the problem. Volunteer yourself to God. Risk a little. Trust that God will go with you. You’ll be amazed at what God calls forth from your life! Be blessed and watch out for angels asking odd questions.
