God doesnt need us he uses us. God can get along just fine without
us but in his grace and mercy toward us he uses us.
Judges 6:36-40 If we are chosen of God, he understands all our doubts
and fears. God answers our fear.
Verse 6 When we cry God hears and answers through a prophet.
An angel spoke only to Gideon. Verse 11.
Verse 13 Same God.
Verse 21 Help from unexpected places.
David had only 600 men with him
God doesnt deliver, as we would expect See David before Goliath
Elijah fed with a raven, then God used a widow woman.
7:10 God knows and comforts in our fears.
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6:1 When we sin, and under the chastening hand of God, God still
hears and will deliver us.
Describe the terrible time the Israelites had under the rule of the
Midianites their crops, homes, and livelihood were destroyed. Many of
the Israelites had to live in caves and such.
6:6 Israel prayed to God and God heard and sent a prophet to them.
The prophet preached about their sins and how they should repent. Israel, as
a nation, needed to hear they needed to repent. It is one thing to know
something is wrong, but it is something else again to know it is our fault.
The prophet did not preach how God would deliver Israel, but he preached to
them about their sins. Many people today like to hear about believing in
Christ, but few people want to hear they need to repent of their sins. After
9/11, many people asked God to bless America but nobody I mean
nobody ever asked God to forgive America. Before we can receive the
blessings of God, we must be forgiven.
6:11 An angel came to Gideon. Gideon heard about ½ of the message.
According to verse 13, Gideon heard how God could bless, but he failed to
hear that he was a mighty man of valour. We often hear only about ½ of Gods
message to us. No wonder we cannot receive blessings from God. Gideon had
some knowledge of the blessings of God in the past, but he had no present
knowledge. Gideon knew a little about the promises of God, but he had never
known for himself those promises, or the fulfillment of those promises.
Gideon had to "grow up" so he could really follow God. Gideon
was hiding when he was threshing wheat. Gideon did not believe the promises
of God see verse 13. Gideon believed he would die when he understood an
angel had spoken to him. He failed to see the promises of God would come
true to him, even if he had seen the angel. Gideon had to destroy the image
of Baal his father had established during the night because he was afraid of
the household of his father. The bullock Gideon offered on the altar was
seven years old the same length of time Israel was under dominion of the
Midianites. This teaches me that the way of deliverance is already in place
when the time of captivity took place. So it is with us. But after this,
verse 34, Gideon waxed brave, when the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and
he publicly blew a trumpet, calling Israel to battle. After Israel gathered
together to battle, Gideon still had a lack of faith, because he put the
fleece before the Lord two times. Even after God assured Gideon he was with
him, in Judges 7:9-14, God instructed Gideon to take one man with him, and
go into the camp of the Midianites. Then Gideon truly believed.
7:1-8 God teaches that he will fight for Israel. All the material
things Israel might gather together will never save them, but God will.
32,000 men were too many, so everybody that was afraid went home. 10,000
were left. This is still too many, therefore God took Gideon and his men to
the water, were God eliminated those that lapped. 300 men were left. Gideon
divided these 300 men into three companies 100 in each company. They did
not fight with swords, but with trumpets, lanterns, and pitchers. All the
men obeyed Gideon because they knew God was leading him. These are all men
of great faith, willing to do, and not willing to go home. They were more
willing to die than live under the dominion of the Midianites. We must be
more willing to die (give up our lives to God) rather than live under the
dominion of sin, Satan, or this world. When the trumpets sounded, the
pictures were broken, and the Midianites killed each other.