What Can We Learn From the Life of Gideon
Gideon is a true-blue man mentioned in Hebrews 11. His life reveals many lessons that show us how to submit to God's volition and purpose. The story of Gideon is narrated in Judges 6-8. In his time, Israel once over again did evil in the sight of the LORD. They were previously enjoying xl years of peace and prosperity considering of the victory God has provided through Deborah and Barak.
However, the Israelites take the trend to forget God. This time, they are being hounded by the Midianites, Amalekites, and Mesopotamians. These groups of people attack Israel during the harvest season and steal the produce of the country.
Gideon is the man God will mightily use to save Israel from the hands of the Midianites.
God calls Gideon to deliver Israel from the easily of their enemies. His name means overcomer. Through the power of God, He mightily used Gideon to remind the Israelites that information technology is God alone who can save them from troubles and pain.
In this weblog post, it is important for u.s.a. to look dorsum at the life of Gideon. Let us at present explore his life and see what lessons we can learn from his story.
Lesson no. 1: God sees the best in every man
The book of Judges introduces Gideon in a somewhat funny way. Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress. Unremarkably, a person threshes wheat out in the open up on a threshing flooring. Gideon was afraid that the Midianites volition find his crops and then he hides himself.
Notice what the Angel of the LORD said to him in Judges 6:12.
"The LORD is with y'all, you mighty human being of valor!"
In the optics of human being, we tin certainly run across that Gideon is not a mighty homo nor a man of valor. The strong and fearless warriors practise non hide equally what Gideon is doing. The men of valor are courageous enough to embark on the battlefield and mightily give up his life for the cause he is called to fight for.
Undeniably, this is non Gideon.
To make the statement of the Affections seems to exist more absurd is His declaration that the LORD is with Gideon. For well-nigh a decade, no one seems to experience the presence of God especially this man.
Gideon is quick to question this statement equally well. He said:
"O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Arab republic of egypt?' Only at present the Lord has forsaken us and delivered u.s. into the hands of the Midianites" (Judges 6:13).
From the response of Gideon, we can run across how weak his organized religion has become during the course of time. Instead of accepting the words of the Angel, he doubted and questioned it immediately.
The LORD replied to Gideon and said that He will save Israel from the hands of the Midianites. But Gideon fearfully reasoned:
"O my Lord, how can I relieve Israel? Indeed my association is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the to the lowest degree in my male parent'south house" (Judges 6:xv).
The conversation between God and Gideon reveals the grapheme of Gideon. He lacks the faith and godly confidence to lead the Israelite army confronting the Midianites. Using human being reasoning, there is no doubt that Gideon is non upward for the challenge and God should have just chosen the another person.
Nevertheless, God looks at every man and sees the all-time in them. When God called Gideon a mighty man of valor, He is SERIOUS and He is not mistaken. He means every word that He says. God put His confidence on Gideon and that should be more than plenty for him.
Indeed, Gideon initially lacks faith and backbone to overcome the enemy. But as nosotros will see later, he will eventually rising as i of the nigh notable heroes of State of israel. He will go, every bit what God said, a MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR.
No matter what our current state of affairs may be, God always sees the best in usa.
As Christians, the same can be applied in our lives. Most of the Christians that God calls today are non the popular and successful people by this earth's standards.
The Apostle Paul tells the states in I Corinthians i:26-29 that God calls the weak and foolish of this world.
For yous see your calling, brethren, that NOT many wise according to the flesh, Non many mighty, Non many noble, are called.
But God has chosen the foolish things of the earth to put to shame the wise, and God has called the weak things of the globe to put to shame the things which are mighty;
and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Though we are counted foolish, weak, and despised of this world, God certainly refers to us equally what we will become. Our present circumstances may not reflect who we volition exist, merely God makes it very CLEAR that we volition be His future sons and daughters in His kingdom! Nosotros can read:
"I will exist a Begetter to you, and you lot shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (II Corinthians 6:xviii).
Just like Gideon who was called by God of what he will go, God also calls us sons and daughters considering that is EXACTLY what we are and what nosotros will become in the future!
Lesson no. 2: Idols are zilch
The starting time chore God gives to Gideon is to destroy the chantry of Baal. This is another evidence of how State of israel has fallen deep into the ditch of idolatry. It is hard to imagine that a nation founded on godly principles would soon have the pride to plough away from God and developed their own organisation of idolatrous worship.
Because Gideon has not yet fully developed the boldness and courage to stand up up confronting idolatry, he followed God's command during the night. So when the morning comes, the Baal worshippers are enraged. They want to put to death the one who desecrated their altar.
Using images and statues to worship God is like reducing God to a mere pile of lifeless stone.
When they found out that Gideon has washed it, the men of the metropolis talked to Joash, the male parent of Gideon. They want Joash to bring out his son so that they would put him to death. You can really see how wicked and rebellious the nation of State of israel has become. They are even willing to impale a human who has done something good and right.
Just Joash wisely responded to their request and said:
"But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Would yous plead for Baal? Would you lot save him? Let the ane who would plead for him exist put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!"
Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, "Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his chantry" (Judges 31-32).
Joash challenged the follower of Baal to prove the divinity and ability of their god. If he is really a god similar what they love to believe, let Baal avenge himself since information technology was his chantry that was destroyed. The people are speechless and allow Gideon live.
Gideon was then called Jerubbaal, meaning permit Baal plead. On that day, Gideon has become a living mockery and taunt to the worshippers of Baal.
Nosotros must acquire a lesson from this instance in the life of Gideon. As Christians, we must worship only God the Father and Jesus Christ. They are the Ones who truly lives and have the power over life and death. Idols are goose egg only a sign of man'southward rebellion against his Creator.
The Bible is very clear when information technology comes to idols. Nosotros tin can read in Psalms 115:5-viii.
"Their idols are silverish and gold,
The piece of work of men's easily.
They take mouths, merely they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they practice non run across;
They accept ears, merely they do non hear;
Noses they have, but they practise not smell;
They have hands, just they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they practise not walk;
Nor practice they mutter through their throat.
Those who make them are like them;
And so is everyone who trusts in them."
Idols are powerless. If we use statues and images to worship God, our worship is in vain. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Main, said that anyone who wants to worship God must do so in SPIRIT (John 4:24) and not with the use of physical stones and statutes.
We must also recollect that idols are the things we put betwixt us and God. This means that information technology does not have to be like statues and images. Idolatry can take any grade. It can be our career, possession, friends, families, habits, and sins. As long equally y'all covet and consider something or someone more important than post-obit God, so that is idolatry (Colossians 3:5).
Lesson no. 3: God is willing to help increase our faith
We know that Gideon is a faithful man who deserves to be mentioned in the hall of fame faith chapter. Withal, Gideon is not always like that. He is a man who has footling faith, confidence, and trust in God. The many years of being afflicted by the Midianites and the absence of God's deliverance has made him spineless and coward.
Even so, God sees Gideon as an unfinished production. He knows that Gideon is better than his current situation. God will and so fix dissimilar events to further improve the organized religion of Gideon.
You might have already heard the expression "putting out the fleece". This expression is derived from the story of Gideon.
Afterwards sending messengers throughout the land of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, Gideon started to doubtfulness once more and wanted the reassurance of God. Here we find the story of the sign of the fleece.
Gideon wants to discover out if God would really deliver the Israelites form the hand of their enemy. He asked God to make the fleece wet while all the ground around information technology very dry. He asked this to be a sign of God's deliverance. The following morning, he has institute the fleece in exact situation equally what he has asked God. Withal, this did non convince Gideon enough. He once again asked God to make the basis wet while the fleece very dry out. God answered His request.
An unshakable and strong religion is not something we develop overnight. It should be tested and developed through time.
In this story, we can acquire a vital lesson. God is more than willing to assistance Christians who struggle in strengthening their faith. Gideon previously asked for a sign earlier this and it was answered by God. The mere fact that an Angel of the Lord appeared to him should have been enough to convince him only Gideon is nonetheless non certain.
Gideon's situation is reminiscent of the male parent who exclaimed to Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" We tin can, therefore, ask for God's assistance when it comes to strengthening our faith. As long equally nosotros are willing to get more faithful, God is able and will help us bargain with our unbelief.
Gideon's fleece test might take also done for the sake of the people around him. He wants other people to run across that God is with Him. In the same manner, nosotros also want to let people see our faithful works then that they will glorify our Father in sky.
Today, request for a sign from God may or may non work. Beginning of all, we have the Bible to guide us and nosotros are given by God free will. Nonetheless, God still has the prerogative to provide signs to His people. Notwithstanding the best fashion to go is to ask God's will to exist done in our lives.
Lesson no. 4: The few that we have can turn into many by God
Now we come up to the famous 300 men of Gideon.
Later receiving the sign of the fleece from God that He will truly exist with Gideon, information technology is now fourth dimension to gather the mighty army that will defeat the Midianites. At kickoff, Gideon was able to gather about 32,000 men to battle against their enemies. However, God deems this every bit too many for His purpose. In case that the battle was engaged with this number, the Israelites would soon attribute their victory to themselves, rather than God.
To trim downwardly the army of Gideon, the men who are agape to fight are asked to go home. This paring down has left Gideon with 10,000 men. This should be enough. But when Gideon is about to sigh a relief, God said to further decrease their number.
God can always help us plough our weakness to strength.
At this point in fourth dimension, Gideon and those who are with him might exist starting to doubt if always they volition still win this boxing. Gideon finally obtained his ground forces of 300 men. So from 32,000 men, his army is now equanimous of 300. But Gideon knows that God is with them and that is more than enough.
Through a brilliant and remarkable strategy, Gideon's 300 men were able to subdue a vast army of their enemies. They were able to overcome and obtained a slap-up victory for the nation of Israel. So that day, a strong Midianite army was conquered by an insignificant army led by a man considered to exist the least in the house of Manasseh.
Today, the true followers of God are simply a few. They are not the majority and their number are just even compared to a little flock (Luke 12:32). Every bit this might be the case, God has promised that the gates of Hades shall non prevail against the true church (Matthew half-dozen:18).
We must realize that God is not afterwards the quantity, only the quality. God tin can magnify the little that we have. All we have to do is to surrender and give it to Him. If we only continue the little that we have thought that it is cipher, then God will not exist able to perform a miracle through u.s..
We must accept the faith and surrender everything that we take no matter how modest and insignificant they are. From there, we can let God do His role and magnify our work.
Lesson no. 5: Let God rule your life and not men
The legendary and ballsy victory of Gideon against the Midianites soon spread throughout the land of Israel. Gideon of a sudden attained a "superstar" status and many people started to look upwards to him. They have seen how Gideon transformed, from a human being hiding in the winepress to a man leading 300 men to victory.
The Israelites saw Gideon as someone who is fit to rule over them. Judges eight:22 tells united states of america:
"Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over united states of america, both y'all and your son, and your grandson also; for you accept delivered united states of america from the manus of Midian."
Imagine Gideon enjoying the success that he had accomplished and now the people want him to be a king over them. Gideon would accept surely felt the pride starting to run through his vein. However, his momentous respond was of humility:
But Gideon said to them, "I volition not dominion over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over y'all."
Gideon saw something that the Israelites did now saw. It is the same reason why they have the savage cycle of being punished by their enemies and delivered past God over and over again. The Israelites has lost their sight to their 1 and true God. They have lived their life past sight and not by faith.
The problem comes when we showtime putting our trust and confidence in man rather than in God.
Similarly, we need to learn that God should exist the Ruler of our lives. God should be the centre of our lives. Nosotros demand to remember that we are to alive this life co-ordinate to His volition and non our volition.
The problem comes when we start to putting our trust and conviction in man rather than in God. Human is bound to commit mistakes and failures but nosotros can certainly exist bodacious that God will never fail the states considering His words are truthful and indelible.
Letting God rule our lives means that we surrender everything to Him. It ways putting 100% of our lives into His easily and letting Him direct our paths. Though we may endure, we will only endure for a while. But we can be assured that in God's presence at that place is the fullness of joy and at His right manus are pleasures forevermore!
Determination
Gideon shows how insignificant men can ascension up and become bang-up in the optics of God. His life story gives us the encouragement that no affair what the state of affairs we may be in correct at present, God will eventually piece of work things out for adept. So just be patient and put your faith in God!
Source: https://becomingchristians.com/2016/01/28/heroes-of-faith-5-vital-lessons-we-can-learn-from-the-life-of-gideon/
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