The Goodness of God

Steven W. Schenewerk

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Personal Pride: Kingdom Purposes

Judges 7:2 “The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to hand the Midianites over to you, or else Israel might brag: ‘I did it myself.’”

30,000 men! What an army!

At issue: who receives the bragging rights?

God or Gideon?

God engineers two tests of His own to create an army that He can and will use:

Judges 7:3 HCSB

Now announce in the presence of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So 22,000 of the people turned back, but 10,000 remained.

First, 22,000 men returned home from fear (Judges 7:3).

Asking Gideon to take them to the water source, God ‘tested’ the remaining 10,000.

The Hebrew word translated ‘test’ in this verse is not the same word used by Gideon in Judges 6:39.

Here, according to one scholar

The verb refers to smelting and refining of precious metal by heating it and skimming off the slurry of waste material that comes to the surface. It is also used of sifting the character of persons, often by traumatic experiences of judgment such as the Babylonian exile.

Lawson G. Stone, “Judges,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, ed. Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2012), 283.

From 30,000 men to 300. Can you imagine any military power, facing an innumerable horde of enemy allowing nearly every solider to go home?

This is exactly God’s strategy!

God has one other a strategy to support Gideon, and to underline His role in the upcoming battle:

Judges 7:13–14 (HCSB)

His friend answered: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him.”

Gideon humbly bows in worship, acknowledging that the battle is not his, but the battle does belong to the LORD.

Gideon, Part Two

Gideon is a flawed human being with a wavering faith and a tendency to pride that threatens to undermine God’s purposes.

However, by looking at Gideon’s life we discover that God works through people with flaws, people whose faith wavers, and people for whom pride often consumes their lives.

We could read the account of Gideon and focus on his flaws. We could create a template of how NOT to live by examining his choices and his responses.

I’d rather read the account of Gideon as an account of a gracious and good God - One whose ultimate purpose cannot be derailed by our flaws, wavering faith, and temptation to pride.

Judges 6:33 HCSB

All the Midianites, Amalekites, and Qedemites gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the peoples of the East are camped in the central part of Israel. From there they can quickly spread north, south, and west and take Israel’s harvest as they have done for seven previous years.

These foreign armies expected another successful year of harvesting Israel’s crop, demonstrating their dominance over the those intruders - those people who claim God had given this land to their forefather, Abraham.

This year would be different.

Judges 6:34 HCSB

The Spirit of the Lord took control of Gideon, and he blew the ram’s horn and the Abiezrites rallied behind him.

God had spoken - see Judges 6:11-24, Gideon obeyed.

Now it was time for Gideon to fulfill the promise God spoke over Him in Judges 6:12

Judges 6:12 HCSB

Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

The tribes of Manesseh - here represented by Gideon’s own tribe of the Abiezrites; Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali rallied around Gideon.

A Wavering Faith: A Steadfast God

God could not have been clearer:

“the LORD is with you…” Judges 6:11;

“Go…I [the LORD] am sending you…” Judges 6:14;

“I will be with you…” Judges 6:16.

“The Spirit of the LORD enveloped Gideon… Judges 6:34

Even with these assurance Gideon continues to doubt, he continues to question of God is really capable to deliver Israel from these marauding bandits.

In vs 36-40 Gideon challenges God with two tests.

These two ‘tests’ are not really Gideon’s way of discovering God’s will. He knew what God had called him to do.

Rather these two tests are Gideon’s effort to delay obedience. He has already gathered an army (see Judges 6:34-35).

That God honors Gideon’s request reminds us that God is committed to delivering His people and that Gideon is more interested in delaying his own obedience.

Gideon’s unusual battle plan

Judges 7:16 HCSB

Then he divided the 300 men into three companies and gave each of the men a trumpet in one hand and an empty pitcher with a torch inside it in the other.

No swords. No weapons but a torch and an empty jar.

Judges 7:22 HCSB

When Gideon’s men blew their 300 trumpets, the Lord set the swords of each man in the army against each other. They fled to Beth-shittah in the direction of Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

The Midianites, Amalekites, and people of the East turn on one another!

Flaws: God’s Finishing Tools

The enemy has been decisively beaten. Gideon calls on the tribe of Ephraim to join the battle. Ephraim is given a specific assignment: Judges 7:24-25

Judges 7:24–25 HCSB

Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim with this message: “Come down to intercept the Midianites and take control of the watercourses ahead of them as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they took control of the watercourses as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb, while they were pursuing the Midianites. They brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.

The people of Ephraim rally to the call. They capture two of the princes of Midian and bring evidence of their death to Gideon with a penetrating question:

Judges 8:1 HCSB

The men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you done this to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?” And they argued with him violently.

Fresh off a remarkable victory comes a hint of defeat. Division among the tribes is not new. Deborah called out several tribes during her rule that ignored the call to battle (see Judges 5:15-17.)

Gideon smoothly talks his way out of this crisis, for the moment.

Gideon and his men, exhausted, continue to seek out the remaining army of Midianites, Amalekites, and people of the East.

With no supplies for an extended battle, Gideon and his troops approach two villages. They ask for supplies and both villages turn them down!

Promising to return. Gideon and his men continue their pursuit.

He captures the remaining kings of the invaders.

Instead of killing them himself he instructs his son to do the deed.

The kings mockingly suggest that a real man wouldn’t ask someone else to do the task, a real man would do it himself.

Judges 8:21 HCSB

Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for a man is judged by his strength.” So Gideon got up, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

Prior to the death of these two remaining kings, Gideon returned to the towns that had refused aid. He publicly humiliated the leaders of Succoth (Judges 8:16) and killed the men of Penuel and tore down their tower - a notable and important part of their town (Judges 8:17)

Gideon is no flawless leader. He falls victim to his own pride, his own frustration. The taunt of the two kings (Judges 8:21) provokes him to live up to his name: Gideon, which means ‘hacker.’

Reflect and Respond

It is easy for us to pick out all the failures and flaws in others. Jesus Himself warned against this very tendency:

Matthew 7:3–5 HCSB

Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Let’s examine how Gideon experienced God’s presence in these events - in spite of his flaws, in spite of a wavering faith, in spite of the pride that threatens every one of us.

God’s Faithfulness

God is always making Himself known. If Gideon fails to recognize and respond to God’s presence is that God’s problem or his?

God came to Gideon: Judges 6:11

Judges 6:11 HCSB

The Angel of the Lord came, and He sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine vat in order to hide it from the Midianites.

God gave Gideon an assigment: Judges 6:25-26

Judges 6:25–26 HCSB

On that very night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old. Then tear down the altar of •Baal that belongs to your father and cut down the •Asherah pole beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to the Lord your God on the top of this rock. Take the second bull and offer it as a •burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.”

God clothed Gideon with His own Holy Spirit: Judges 6:34

Judges 6:34 HCSB

The Spirit of the Lord took control of Gideon, and he blew the ram’s horn and the Abiezrites rallied behind him.

God alllowed Gideon to hear the fear of his enemy: Judges 7:13-14

Judges 7:13–14 HCSB

When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling his friend about a dream. He said, “Listen, I had a dream: a loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp, struck a tent, and it fell. The loaf turned the tent upside down so that it collapsed.” His friend answered: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him.”

God makes Himself known - Our assignment is to stay attuned to Him.

God’s Ultimate Purposes

This account is a reminder that there is more at stake than our own reputation. Gideon’s ‘war-cry’ is dangerously close to blasphemy. Whose battle is this? God was the very one who allowed these three people groups to oppress Israel. Only God can undo what God has started.

Yet Gideon’s battle cry: “For the LORD and for Gideon”

reveals what God had warned of in Judges 7:2

Judges 7:2 HCSB

The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to hand the Midianites over to you, or else Israel might brag: ‘I did it myself.’

God’s Tools: Circumstances

God has spoken audibly to Gideon on several occasions. Did Gideon pause long enough to consider what God was saying through the circumstances around him?

Like Gideon we express a sincere desire to ‘hear’ from the Lord.

God does speak through His word.

God also speaks through the circumstances of our lives. The world in which we are living is revealing the purposes and plans of an almighty God. Like Gideon we can become obsessed with our own glory - even in his exhaustion one can hear Gideon say - I will finish the task.

Perhaps it’s time to open God’s Word. Perhaps it’s time to carefully evaluate the circumstances in which we live. Perhaps its time to be quiet and listen!

We are in a precarious situation as a people of God.

We are surrounded by an enemy - many times enemies of our own making.

-the army God is raising is one that will fully trust Him - not focusing on the size of the enemy, but focusing of the power and presence of God;

-the army God is raising calls for a daily commitment to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus.

If you have never followed Jesus - let me invite you to begin today! Talk with me after the service, or better yet - right where you are believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess that Jesus is LORD and you will be saved.

-the army God is raising is fully focused on His kingdom, participating in His victories, celebrating His work and always calling attention to Him!

I invite you today:

Experience the ways of God by -

choosing today (maybe for the first time) to follow Jesus;

Obey Him fully - if you have confessed Jesus as Lord then follow in baptism,

become part of our church by your statement of faith, or your participation in a baptist church;