Year 1, Day 267: Judges 6

Calling Out to the Lord

As I began to read Judges 6, I noticed that there is a pattern here.  Okay, I confess.  I always knew about this pattern, but today something got me thinking about this pattern: The Hebrew people call out to the Lord.

See, I think this is important enough to not overlook any more.  Here’s the cycle of relationship between God and His people:

·         Times are good when they have a strong spiritual leader (Moses, Joshua, judge, etc)

·         People get comfortable and begin to backslide when the leader fades off the scene

·         People backslide enough that their backsliding erodes their culture

·         People become oppressed because their backsliding makes them vulnerable

·         People are oppressed enough to cry out to God

·         God sends a leader, prophet, judge, etc among them to bring them back.

·         Go back to the top of the list and repeat

Now, the reason I think this is important is because it shows a cycle that is followed time and time again.  So often we focus on the judge and the leadership they provided.  Within the blog I have often focused on the sinfulness of the Hebrew people and how it came out of their backsliding humanity.  But I have not yet focused on their desire to call upon the Lord.  In every instance so far the people have not received help until after their oppression becomes so great that they call upon the Lord for help.

This is important.  Have you ever tried to help somebody before they were desperate enough to need it?  You end up getting taken advantage of.  Have you ever tried to help someone before they asked for it?  Typically you end up just getting in the way and you end up muddying the water and straining the relationship.  The step of falling to the point of needing to ask for help is crucial to the repentance process!  God waits for the Hebrew people to make such a horrible bed for themselves that they have no recourse except to cry out for help.  Then God helps them.

God Can Rescue

This is neat on to levels.  First, it shows the patience and wisdom of God.  God knows that early intervention will only allow the Hebrew people to take greater advantage of Him.  Second, it shows the power of God.  Not situation is “too deep” that God can’t rescue those who call upon His name.  God got His people out of Egypt and He got them out of Babylon.  God got His people out of all the trials of the period of the judges.  God brought His people through the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans.  In recent modern history God has brought his people through the European oppression (primarily at the hand of the Germans of the mid-twentieth century).  It may get bleak, but God’s power is stronger than the bleakest point that humanity can generate.

But we must not forget that we are responsible for genuinely calling out to God.  God doesn’t send us aid until we are ready to rely upon it and not manipulate it to our own advantage.

Gideon

Enter Gideon.  I love Gideon.  To me Gideon is the Peter of the Hebrew Scriptures.  He is visited by a messenger from the Lord and Gideon asks a simple question that we all have asked from time to time: “If God is with us, why are we in such a horrible place?”  Aren’t we all guilty of asking that question at some point?

Notice that Gideon receives no direct answer.  God’s reply is, “Go and destroy Midian.  Do I not send you?”  And then God makes Gideon do something powerful.  It’s easy to miss it, but it is powerful.  God asks Gideon to go into his family and make a statement for God.  Gideon destroys his family’s altars to Ba’al and Asherah.  Imagine the heat Gideon received for that act – even if he did it under the cover of darkness!

Gideon’s Effect on the Family

Yet, Gideon’s act is proven in Joash, his father.  Although Judges 6:25 clearly identifies the altar and poles as belonging to Joash, when the villagers seek out Gideon it is Joash who stand up to the villagers!  Gideon’s faithfulness and willingness to follow God – even if under the cover of night because he was afraid – has brought Joash to a place of understanding.  He makes a stand and tells the people that if Ba’al is so concerned about this altar, then let Ba’al deal with Gideon. 

Do you know the profound wisdom in that?  Even our own God does not need us to defend Him.  What does Deuteronomy 32:35 say?  “Vengeance is mine, and recompense.”  The Lord can take care of Himself.  God can defend Himself, He doesn’t need us to defend His truth and His ways.

Gideon: Foreshadowing the Apostle Peter

As if being visited by a messenger of God as well as experiencing his own father’s coming around to wisdom wasn’t enough, we also have the wonderful story of the fleece in Judges 6.  Again, Gideon has this Peter-esque moment of faith.  Gideon needs to test God a little.  Thanks be to God that He tolerates Gideon (and us!). 

Notice that God is willing to give Gideon what he needs to accomplish God’s will.  God doesn’t judge Gideon or curse Gideon.  This demonstrates to us that Gideon isn’t asking God for proof because he is doubting or lacking faith.  What Gideon lacks is self-confidence.  He just wants to be sure that he is making the correct decision.

When we are sincere and humble ourselves, God is willing to take us where we are and work with us.  God does not expect those who are “learning in faith” to display a “faith like the prophets.”  That’s what growth is all about.  But rest assured, by the end of the next chapter we’ll see Gideon grow into that faith!

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