Judges 6:11-8:35 tells the story of a Judge of Israel named Gideon. Now Judges of the day were not judicial judges fulfilling judicial functions but rather their main task was to deliver God’s people from oppression under their enemies, and then to rule the people during the era of peace.
We would think that God would choose someone who had it all together for such an important task as this. If I were God (always a dangerous statement ☺ ) I would look over the Earth and find someone who had it right; a good heart, sound judgement and understood who we really serve. Someone who could take a command and follow it. Not so Gideon. In fact, you probably know about Gideon because of his lack of faith; Gideon and his fleece. Their conversation went something like this:
God: The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.
Gideon: But sir, if the LORD is with us, why…where are…But…
God: Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?
Gideon: But Lord, how…
God: I will be with you.
Gideon: give me a sign
And so, it continues. God gives a sign. Gideon asks for another. God gives another. Gideon lays out a fleece—the fleece is wet but the ground dry. Gideon now asks for the opposite. The fleece is dry but the ground is wet. He heads into battle and to make a point, God keeps making the army smaller and smaller and smaller until finally it is impossible for Gideon to have success unless it comes from the Lord. The result? After victory the Israelites say, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian. But Gideon told them, ‘I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.’” (Judges 8:23) Ah! Finally! Gideon gets it right!
I’d like to say that Gideon learned his lesson and walked with God the rest of his days, but that isn’t the case. After this very battle, he took gold, formed it into an ephod, and “all Israel prostituted themselves by worshipping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.”
The encouragement here is that God knows we won’t always get it right. He knows that we are flawed, our focus is often in the wrong place, and we probably will fail. And yet, He takes the time to interact and build us into the characters He desires us to be. Warts, wounds and flaws, He takes it all and still gives us a battle and victory to be won for His Name.
Don’t be discouraged if you fail. Don’t give up if things don’t turn out as holy or sanctified as you expected. Just keep listening to God and keep on keeping on. Step out in faith to what God asks of you, not doubting but trusting in Him instead. Seek to honour God in obedience and when He brings the victory, let us be careful to not quickly throw it away to the side. God is patient and longsuffering and uses the least of this world to bring the most important message ever to mankind. May we find, by God’s grace, the strength and faith to step out in obedience, trusting that if He has said it, we will follow it.