Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free - John 8:32

Gideon Pt 2

Last week we went over:

Throughout Israel’s history, they have times of following the Lord, and times when they fall away. When they fall away, God allows Israel to be taken into oppression from neighboring groups. We are going to start here in Gideons time which Israel has been oppressed by the Midianites for the last seven years. Before that they had peace in the land for 40 years. 

God sends a prophet and gives them a little history lesson. What’s the point of this? Are the Midianites the problem?

-There is no one mightier than God. They’re crying out for help blaming the Midianites, but it’s actually their un-repentent sin of taking a god before the real God.

Enter Gideon:

An angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, who is threshing wheat at the bottom of a wine press. He calls him a mighty warrior. Gideon is anything but a mighty warrior, the way we would think of one. But we show that he is mighty in being humble, caring, knowledge, spiritually, hungry, and teachable.

Then Gideon asks for a sign, and he prepares a goat and some unleavened bread as an offering. The angel touches them with the tip of his staff, and they’re instantly consumed with fire.

At this point, Gideon knows he’s talking to an angel of the Lord, and is afraid, but the angel says do not be afraid. Then Gillian Gideon, built an altar and called it. The Lord is peace. Now we start today in that same story:

Read Judges 6:17-40

Judges 6:25-27

Judges 6:25-27 – NIV

25. That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26. Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” 27. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. 

Judges 6:25 – NIV

25. That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 

So it says that same night the Lord had him make an offering on the altar, he just built. Gideon offered his services to the Lord, and the Lord use them right away.

Are you guys willing to offer your service to the Lord right now? Is anyone afraid of what he might have you do?

Tell story of Ben Bolin making a say yes

It says take the second bull from your fathers heard. “that is seven years old.”

What is significant about seven years old? How long have they been oppressed? How did they manage to keep this bull hidden from the Midianites for seven years?

Tear down your fathers altar, to baal. This was in Gideon’s old household. He is about to shake up the religious structure of his own family.

Did any of you guys become Christians and then tell people in your family about Jesus? Was it smooth?

Judges 6:26 – NIV

26. Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” 

Build a “proper kind of altar“

The first altar that Gideon built was down near the wine press, hidden. Now he’s been instructed to build one up where people can see it. Not only that, but it says to use the wood from the Asherah pole to make the fire for the burnt offering. He’s going to use the false god wood to make a fire and burn it up.

Is there any significance here? Can we use prior things that were sinful for Good?

Judges 6:27 – NIV

27. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. 

He built it at night because he was afraid of his family and the towns people. 

Is Gideon a coward for doing this at night? 

Is Gideon being wise doing this at night? 

-Remember he is sacrificing a bull that they had managed to keep hidden for seven years while they’ve been oppressed by the Midianites. Do you think that they would just let him do this when it goes against their own religion? so is he being afraid, or is he getting the job done? Should he just do it out in the open and trust that God will get the job done? I don’t have answers to this, just thoughts that popped in my head.

Judges 6:28-32 – NIV

28. In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29. They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” 30. The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” 31. But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32. So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.” 

Judges 6:28-29 – NIV

28. In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29. They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” 

So in one night they demolished one altar, cut down and chopped up the Asherah pole, built a second altar, and were sacrificing a bull.

It seems like a lot of work to get done in one night. Also, this is a lot of construction work. Construction work makes a lot of noise. I was just wondering if God kept everyone in town from finding out until this work was done?

When the people noticed they were asking, who did this? They’re asking around, and somebody gives up Gideon. The only people that knew this was going on was Gideon and 10 of his servants. Which means somebody had to betray him.

Judges 6:30 – NIV

30. The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” 

The people demanded that Joash bring out his son and put him to death for what he had done. What is this tell you about the people? This was Joash’s altar and pole. It’s not like he cut it down from the town Square. is this the thought police? The freedom of speech police? Anything like that happening in America currently?

Judges 6:31-32 – NIV

31. But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32. So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.” 

Joash comes out and defends his son. He hits them with some logic. If baal is a god he can deal with it himself. What does this say about Joash? 

What does it say about you if you’re dealing with adding Christianity to your family?

i. This is similar to what happened during a great move of God in the South Seas in the 19th Century. One tribal chief was converted to Christianity and he gathered up all the idols of his people. He told the idols he was going to destroy them, and then he gave them the chance to run away. He destroyed all the ones that sat there like dumb statues.

Judges 6:33-35 – NIV

33. Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34. Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. 

a. The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon: This follows the familiar pattern of the Spirit’s work upon men under the Old Covenant. 

Joel 2:28-29 – NIV

28. “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 

Acts 2:17-18 – NIV

17. “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 

The Holy Spirit comes upon specific people for specific reasons, usually for divinely empowered leadership. Under the New Covenant, a broad and generous outpouring of the Holy Spirit is promised upon all flesh

b. Then he blew the trumpet: Because of this divine empowering, Gideon was able to gather an impressive number of troops on short notice. Judges 7:3 tells us that 32,000 men came to follow him into battle.

Judges 6:36-40 – NIV

36. Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37. look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38. And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. 39. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40. That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. 

Gideon asks for a sign again (2nd). Then he asks for another one yet (3rd). He was already given a sign back in verse 17 – 21 when God burned up the goat and unleavened bread.

Back then we discussed in group that sometimes it’s OK to ask for a sign, and sometimes it’s not. What do you think here? 

 -he asked for a sign, God gives it. He asked for another sign God gives it again.

Does he doubt God, or do you think maybe he’s trying to get out of this job? 

Do you think each time God answers him he’s happy or not? 

i. The test was wrong because it was essentially a trick, and it had nothing to do with fighting the Midianites. Gideon probably didn’t understand that he was actually dictating his terms to God. Sometimes God shows His displeasure with such requests. In Luke 1:18, when Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, asked for a confirming sign, the LORD made him mute until the birth of his son.

ii. Gideon also did not keep his word. God fulfilled the sign once, and Gideon said that would be enough for him. But he went back on his word after God fulfilled the first sign. Yet the LORD was still merciful and gracious to Gideon.

Hebrews 11:32 – NIV

32. And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 

This is considered the “hall of faith”

Yet before being too critical of Gideon, we should consider the challenge that was ahead of him. Many of us would immediately refuse such a call, without even considering allowing God to confirm it. Gideon’s weak faith was still greater than no faith. For this reason, Gideon is rightly included in the register of great men and women of faith

Bonus: Wondering about the fleece and what it means?

i. Sometimes Christians talk about putting out a “fleece” before the LORD. This phrase refers back to what Gideon did here. He used a literal fleece in asking God to confirm His Word with a sign.

ii. Adam Clarke described how the early church commentator Origen, who was given to allegorizing, found the “deeper” meaning of this account:

· The fleece represents the Jewish people and the area around it represents the Gentiles.

· The fleece was covered with dew while all around was dry, representing the Jewish nation favored with the law and the prophets.

· The fleece was then dry and all around was wet with dew, representing that the Jewish nation was cast off for rejecting the Gospel and the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles and they converted to God.

· The dew wrung out into the bowl represents the doctrines of Christianity, which are extracted from the Jewish writings. This is also shadowed forth by Christ’s pouring water into a basin and washing the disciple’s feet.

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