Gideon-The Weak Mighty Warrior pt.3

Judges

Week 13 — Gideon—The Weak Mighty Warrior

  1. _____________in weakness. (Chapter 7)

  2. The ________________________ of sin.

  3. The _________ of the weak.

  4. The ____________________ of God’s presence.

… the Angel of the Lord (Jdg 6:11)
… in the mountains, in caves, and other hideouts (Jdg 6:2)
Again the people of Israel committed evil in the eyes of the Lord. (Jdg 6:1)
the people of Israel cried out to the Lord (Jdg 6:2)
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior (Jdg 6:12)
… the Lord has forsaken us, and he has given us into the hand of Midian. (Jdg 6:13)
Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. You will not die. (Jdg 6:23)

  1. Obedience and Assurance for the Weak:

  2. A ________________ battle at home.

25 On that same night the Lord said to him, “Take a bull from your father’s herd of cattle, the second bull, the one that is seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal. Then cut down the Asherah pole that is next to it. (Jdg 6:25)
Michael Wilcock (The Message of Judges): The gods have not changed, for human nature has not changed, and these are the gods that humanity regularly re-creates for itself. What does it want? If it is modest—security and comfort and reasonable enjoyment; if ambitious—power and wealth and unbridled self-indulgence. In every age there are forces at work which promise to meet our desires—whether political programs, economic theories, career options, philosophies, lifestyle options, entertainment programs—all having one feature in common. They promise that they can make our lives better than we can make them ourselves, yet at the same time they appear amenable to our manipulating them so we can get what we want without losing our independence... here is the enemy among us. We say we worship the Lord... but the world has crept in and controls our heart.

First Commandment

You shall have no other gods.

What does this mean?

We are fear, love, and trust God above all things.

26 In its place, build an altar to the Lord your God in the proper way, on top of this stronghold. Then take the second bull and send up a burnt offering using the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down. (Jdg 6:26)
Tim Keller: Gideon is essentially being told here to make God the Lord of every area of life. We are not to add anything to Jesus Christ as a requirement for being happy. We are not to use God to get what we really want, but we are to see and make God the One we really want.
27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and carried out the word of the Lord. Yet because he was too afraid of the household of his father and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. (Jdg 6:27)
Robert Alter: … the second half of the verse represents a rare literary moment when the narrator offers us access to the internal motivation of a character by explicit reference to an emotion.

  1. The Spirit of the Lord _________________.

28 When the men of the city got up early in the morning, they were surprised to see that the altar of Baal had been thrown down, the Asherah pole next to it had been cut down, and the second bull was being offered up as a sacrifice upon the altar that had been built there. 29 The people were asking each other, “Who did this?” They searched and investigated until they concluded, “Gideon son of Joash did this.” (Jdg 6:28–29)
30 So the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he broke down the altar of Baal and because he cut down the Asherah pole next to it.” 31 Joash said to all those who opposed him, “Will you contend for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever contends for him will be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself if someone broke down his altar.” (Jdg 6:30–31)
32 From that day on they called Gideon “Jerubbaal,” saying, “Let Baal contend with him, if he broke down his altar.” (Jdg 6:32)
1 All the tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Lk 15:1–2)
8 “Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, would not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Lk 15:8–10)
3b … God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Ti 2:3b–4)
Or do you have so little regard for his rich kindness, his restraint, and his patience, that you ignore the fact that the purpose of God’s kindness is to lead you to repentance? (Ro 2:4)
In fact, it is God who is working in you, both to will and to work, for the sake of his good pleasure. (Php 2:13)
I will thank the LORD because of his righteousness, and I will make music to the name of the LORD Most High. (Ps 7:17)
Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Mt 25:34b) 

Points to Ponder

  1. What is one thing that stood out for you from this week’s message?
  2. Read Judges 6:25–32. What strikes you about God’s command to Gideon? Why do you think God began Gideon’s mission with cleansing his own household of idols?
  3. Gideon obeyed — but at night, because he was afraid (v. 27). What does this tell us about the nature of faith and obedience? Have you ever obeyed God even while afraid? What happened?
  4. The town’s people were furious when their idol was destroyed. Why do you think idols — whether ancient or modern — stir such strong reactions when challenged? What are some “idols” in our culture (or hearts) that we may need to confront today?
  5. In verse 31, Joash defends Gideon, saying, “If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself.” What truth does this reveal about the powerlessness of false gods? How does this verse encourage us when we face opposition for following God?
  6. When you hear Jesus say, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Mt 25:34b), what emotions or thoughts come to mind? How does this promise shape your understanding of God's love and eternal plan?
  7. David said, "I will make music to the name of the Lord Most High" (Ps 7:17). What does a life of praise look like beyond Sunday worship? What is one way you can intentionally praise God this week in your daily routine?

Read: Judges 7