Gideon-The Weak Mighty Warrior pt. 4

Judges

Week 14 — 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.

  5. ___________________and ___________________ for the Weak:

  6. A ________________ battle at home.

  7. The Spirit of the Lord _________________.

… the Angel of the Lord. (Jdg 6:11)
… committed evil in the eyes of the Lord. (Jdg 6:1)
… in the mountains, in caves, and other hideouts. (Jdg 6:2)
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)
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. (Jdg 6:30)
From that day on they called Gideon “Jerubbaal,” saying, “Let Baal contend with him, if he broke down his altar.” (Jdg 6:32)

  1. The weak warrior seeks ___________________.

33 Then all the Midianites and Amalekites and the people of the East gathered together. They crossed over to Israelite territory and set up camp in the Valley of Jezre’el. (Jdg 6:33)
34 The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon. He blew the ram’s horn, and the clan of Abiezer was called out to follow him. 35 Gideon also sent messengers into all Manasseh, so Manasseh assembled behind Gideon. He also sent messengers into Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet the others. (Jdg 6:34–35)
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have said, 37 look here, I am placing a woolen fleece on the threshing floor. If dew is found only on the fleece, but all the ground around it is dry, then I will know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said.” (Jdg 6:36–37)
5 Then the Devil took him into the holy city. He placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you. And they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written: You shall not test the Lord your God.” (Mt 4:5–7)
Timothy Keller: Gideon was very specifically asking God to show him that he was not one of the forces of nature (like the other gods), but was sovereign over the forces of nature. Gideon, then, was not looking for "little signs" to help him make a decision. He was really seeking to understand the nature of God. We have to remember that he did not have the Bible, nor many of the "means of grace" that we have now (the word, baptism and the Lord's Supper, …). He was very specifically addressing the places where his faith was weak and uninformed. … Gideon was … asking for supernatural revelation from God to show him who he really is. … Gideon’s request was for help to build up his faith.
38 And that is exactly what happened! Gideon got up early in the morning and squeezed the fleece and wrung out dew from it—a bowlful of water! (Jdg 6:38)
39 But again Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more. Please let me conduct just one more test with the fleece: This time let the fleece be dry, but let there be dew on the ground all around.” 40 That night God did that very thing! Only the fleece was dry, and there was dew on the ground all around. (Jdg 6:39–40)
7 “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. (Mt 7:7–8)
2 You want something but do not get it, so you murder. You desire something but cannot obtain it, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask, and yet do not receive, because you ask wrongly, so that you may spend it on what gives you pleasure. (Jas 4:2–3)
Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. (Php 4:6)
 “Schwärmerei” (sometimes spelled “Schwaermerei” in English texts). This German word literally means “swarming” (like bees swarming) and comes from “Schwarm” (swarm). Luther used this term pejoratively to describe what he saw as religious enthusiasm, fanaticism, or excessive mysticism - particularly among radical reformers and certain spiritual movements of his time. He applied it to groups like the Anabaptists and to individuals like Thomas Müntzer and Andreas Karlstadt, whom he believed were relying too heavily on inner spiritual experiences, direct revelations, or emotions rather than Scripture and proper doctrine. The imagery of bees buzzing around one’s head captured Luther’s view that these people had wild, uncontrolled, and irrational religious ideas “buzzing” in their minds. He considered “Schwärmerei” dangerous because it elevated subjective spiritual experience over the objective Word of God in the Bible. It’s a term that reveals Luther’s emphasis on grounding faith in Scripture rather than in mystical experiences or inner voices. 

Points to Ponder

  1. What is one thing that stood out for you from this week’s message?
  2. The writer says, “the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon.” Why do you think Gideon still seeks assurance after the Spirit empowers him?
  3. What does God’s response to Gideon’s fleece request—twice—teach us about God’s character?
  4. Where do you see God showing patience with weak or struggling faith elsewhere in Scripture?
  5. How does this passage comfort believers who wrestle with doubt?
  6. Why is it dangerous to use Gideon’s fleece as a model for Christian decision-making today?
  7. What is the difference between: Asking God to keep his promises, and asking God for new revelation?
  8. How can relying on signs, feelings, or circumstances actually weaken faith rather than strengthen it?
  9. Why is it important to seek counsel from mature Christians instead of waiting for a “sign”?
  10. What does it look like to make a decision in faith and then rest in God’s peace?
  11. In what areas of your life do you most often seek assurance instead of trust?

Read: Judges 7