Gideon, insecure, but victorious.

So about 1200 BC, we have someone called Gideon that enters the scene. This all began with the Midianites, as they were oppressing Israel. The way it began, was that Israel was doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Don’t need to go in detail, the Israelites were surrounded by pagan cultures, and it often happened that the pagan practices infiltrated the nation of God.  

So, what God did, was deliver the Israelites in the hands of the Midianites for 7 yrs. The Midianites were so intimidating, and came down like locusts. So the Israelites made themselves hiding places within the mountains, caves and strongholds (possibly abandoned forts from previous battles with previous nations). 

God had blessed the crops Israel planted. When the crops were ready for harvest, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east (likely the Arabs) would come and invade the crops and take everything like locusts. They encamped in Israel and destroyed everything and took all the food. They left nothing. No sheep, ox, or donkey. They were so populous, they were considered without number. Because of this after a while, Israel was greatly impoverished. This went on for 7 yrs.

Imagine you’re working hard for your family and nation and every year, it’s all destroyed. By the same people. After a while, it’s going to be discouraging and depression will no doubt hit.

So they cried to the Lord. Then the Lord sent an angel and told them “I the Lord delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage. I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and all that oppressed you. Then drave them out from before you and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But ye have not obeyed my voice.

Then there came an angel of the Lord. He came to Gideon. At this time, Gideon was threshing wheat by the winepress, and hiding it from the Midianites. The angel appeared to him and said “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour”. Gideon then questions the angel. “If the Lord is with us, why has this all befallen on us. Where are all these miracles our fathers have told us about”.

Gideon had some true concerns on why the perception was that God had abandoned them. Even, he doubted the angel of the Lord, saying “You say I’m a mighty man of valour, but I’m the smallest man in my father’s family. I’m the runt”. 

Then the angel, changes the direction, “don’t forget, I’m with thee”.

This is an important lesson to be learned. Often we think the battles we are about to face in life are fought alone. But time and time again in the bible, those battles were always fought with the help of the Lord. Most characters in the old testament were not superior to others. Most were very much the runt of the class. 

So now, Gideon decides to both test the angel, as well as show his own insecurities. Don’t forget some of the context here. The Midianites had been overpowering Israel for years. No one in Israel had confidence at this point. They felt abandoned by God.

Gideon was so insecure and so doubtful that the Lord would actually talk to him, he tells the angel to wait till he gets back with a present for him. So when Gideon came back with a kid (young goat) and unleavened cakes, he put the flesh in a basket and the broth in a pot. Then the angel gave him instructions on how to prepare it. Then then angel put forth the end of the staff that was in Gideon’s hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes and there rose up fire out of the rock and it consumed the flesh and unleavened cakes. 

The angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. Gideon was then convinced that he was an angel of the Lord, and was no doubt terrified. In the old testament, no one would see the face of the Lord and live. That’s how holy God is, and how sinful man is. So this was a hard reality check for Gideon. 

The Lord then said unto him “Peace be unto thee, fear not, thou shalt not die”.

Gideon then built an altar unto the Lord. He called it Jehovahshalom. Then that night, the Lord gave him instructions to take a young bullock, 7 yrs old and throw down the altar of Baal that his father had. As well as cut down the grove that was by it and build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock. Then he did a sacrifice. 

At this point, Gideon took 10 men of the city as instructed by the Lord, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city. He couldn’t do it by day, so he did it by night. 

When the men of the city arose early in the morning, the altar of Baal was thrown down and the grove was also cut down. Then they questioned about this, trying to find the culprit, it was discovered that Gideon had done it. So the men of the city were trying to get Joash to bring out his son (Joash was Gideon’s father) so they may kill him. 

Joash at this point became brave. “Will you all plead for Baal? Will you save him? If Baal be a real god, let him please for himself, since it was his altar that was cast down”.

This is where Gideon’s insecurities become real again. Forget that he just saw an altar go up in flames. He took down the altar of Baal and his father defended him. Now is when the rubber hits the pave. Gideon is still doubting God.

So, Gideon says I’ll put a sponge on the floor and if it’s wet alone, and the ground around it is dry, I’ll believe that you will save Israel by my hand. Next morning, the sure enough, the sponge alone is wet. Gideon is still not sold on it. This time he wants to see it wet all around and just the sponge dry. Next morning, that’s exactly what happens. 

Gideon then had an army to take on the Midianites. 22 000 soldiers. But God, not wanting to share his glory, and with the possibility of men flaunting that they had victory over the Midianites without the help of the Lord, the Lord said to Gidian, “There are too many, let anyone who is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. 12 000 people showed they were fearful and returned, leaving 10 000. The Lord said to Gideon “there are still too many, bring them down unto the water and I will try them for thee there.”

So Gideon leads them to water. The test was everyone that bent down, put their hand in water and brought it up to their mouth to drink, choose them. The ones that bend down and put their mouth to the water, don’t choose them.

I’m suspecting the ones that brought their hands to their mouth, were probably experienced warriors already, and were more ready to fight right then and there. The ones that nearly dove in the water to drink, didn’t have much experience and were desperate for water.

The total that used their hands to drink, were 300. The others were 9700. This was the way the Lord wanted it. Especially since the Lord was going to have the glory for the win.

In the end, for the war, the 300 were divided in 3, and each 100 had trumpets. They were to make noise on 3 sides of the Midianites camp. The noise was so great, the stress was so great in the camp, the Midianites turned on each other, and the ones that survived, ran away. 

God is the hero of this story. The Midianites were terrorising the Israelites for 7 yrs. He was the one that chose a non-impressive person in the camp. Chose 300, whom were going against an innumerable army. And led them to victory.

Statistically speaking, we all know that of human effort, they would not have stood a chance. But they weren’t just working on human terms, they were guided by God. He took care of it all.

And in conclusion, here are 1 points to remember about Gideon.

1. Gideon, a prominent figure in the Bible's Book of Judges, demonstrated several insecurities throughout his story. Here are some of the notable insecurities of Gideon:

2. Lack of Confidence: When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and called him to lead the Israelites against the Midianites, Gideon expressed doubt and questioned his own ability to fulfil such a significant task. He saw himself as weak and from the weakest clan in Manasseh, which made him hesitant to believe that he could be the chosen leader.

3. Seeking Confirmation: Gideon sought multiple signs and confirmations from God before fully embracing his role as a leader. He requested and received miraculous signs involving a fleece and dew, asking for specific signs to validate God's calling. This desire for repeated affirmation indicates his wavering faith and lack of confidence in his own discernment.

4. Fear of Confrontation: Gideon was afraid of the Midianites and their vast army. He questioned God's promise of victory and needed further reassurance. At one point, he even requested to observe the enemy's camp secretly before he would proceed with the battle. This fear and hesitation reflected his insecurities and doubts about God's power and his own ability to lead.

5. Need for Reassurance: Even after receiving divine signs and assurances, Gideon still struggled with doubt and needed constant reassurance from God. He sought reassurance through the dream of an enemy soldier and took it as a sign that God was with him. This reliance on external signs and validation demonstrated his ongoing insecurity and lack of self-assurance.

6. Desire for Recognition: Gideon expressed a desire for recognition and acceptance from others. He asked for the affirmation of his own townspeople before fully embracing his role as a leader. He wanted the support and acknowledgment of those around him, indicating his need for external validation and acceptance.

7. Despite these insecurities, Gideon ultimately rose to the challenge and led the Israelites to victory against the Midianites. His story serves as an example of God using flawed and uncertain individuals to accomplish great things, highlighting the importance of trusting in God's strength rather than relying on one's own abilities.