The Call of Gideon

Judges 6:11-16 ESV

¹¹ Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press to hide it from the Midianites. ¹² And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”¹³ And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” ¹⁴ And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” ¹⁵ And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” ¹⁶ And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

The story of Gideon is a story that I’ve thought about quite a bit as I look back at my past struggles, losses, and triumphs. (No doubt, I’ll have more.) It seems obvious in retrospect that God always intends for us to live victoriously, but the process and road to victory is what we struggle with. We want to watch God do mighty things from the comfort of our air conditioned offices and homes. We want victory without risk and pain. We want an escorted, unburdened, expedited path to fulfillment of the promises. We know this is unrealistic, but somehow our flesh and natural minds believe that God may make an exception in our case. Gideon is like us. He just wanted God to establish victory, without utilizing him in the process. God said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian, do not I send you?”

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Gideon protests the words. He reminds God that he is the least in his clan and family. He doubts God can really believe this about him, because he knows his own heart and actions well. But God sees deeper than his experiences. He sees how He designed Gideon. Despite his objections, God summoned him, and sent him, so that he could succeed as a deliverer, champion, and judge of Israel. The election is final. Gideon must now confront and wrestle with his internal enemies: thoughts, beliefs, fears, and doubts. He must please the Visitor who called him. Little by little he grew into a warrior by confronting his self-defeating thoughts. Once that was done, he was ready to face his external enemies — the Midianites. The shot of faith and confidence administered to him by the Almighty, now equipped him with one salient thought, “I am who God says I am.” The story of Gideon concludes in success. We witness in the pages of scripture how one can go from a cowering position before his foes, to a towering position in the midst of them. Summoned and sent to succeed.

Friend, what has God summoned you to do. Have you acknowledged that you are being sent? Are you waiting to go until the path is easier? God created you to walk the path that He created you for. No one else can walk that path. No one else can do the work you were designed to do. The place you once cowered in, you may one day tower in. You were summoned and sent to succeed. Don’t diminish yourself, and calling by indulging your fear.