Gideon Judges 6 8 WELCOME West Eastland Church

Gideon: Judges 6 -8 WELCOME West Eastland Church of Christ “A Warm Greeting to all our Visitors”

Characteristics of Gideon • Helped to create sustenance for his family at the time of oppression; hard worker: 6: 11 • Judges 6: 12 • Became a MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR that’s what God called him; because God saw him not for what he was; but for what He was going to make him to be.

Was Gideon Neurotic? Deprivation? • A neurotic person experiences emotional distress and unconscious conflict, which are manifested in various physical or mental illnesses. The definitive symptom is anxiety. • Neurotic tendencies are common and may manifest themselves as acute or chronic anxiety, depression, an obsessive– compulsive disorder, a phobia, or a personality disorder.

Characteristics of Gideon • Youthful, brave, felt the responsibility to help his people (responded, although slowly) to the calling, despite his youth and despite he was from a poor family. (Judges 6: 15) • a man of prayer Judges 6: 13 • Judges 6: 14 -16; the Lord’s conversation with Gideon, I have sent you; and you should defeat them as one man. It is through God that our victories are won; Prov. 3: 5, 6

Gideon’s Relationship with God • Gideon did not want to be deceived; but wanted prove that it was indeed God that was talking with him; 6: 17 -24 and (2 Corinthians 11: 14) • Judges 6: 12, the Angel of the Lord is the Holy Spirit-God HIMSELF not just an angel, present from the beginning with the father, told Gideon • The Lord is Peace: Yahweh Shalom: Shalom means “wholeness”, “security” and “well-being”, “prosperity”, “peace” and “friendship” Gideon discovered a new relationship with God. Gideon had a personal understanding of who God is and this is how he was able to trust Him and His will for Gideon.

First things are first: Judges 6: 25 -26 • Gideon destroys the Altar of Baal and “his mother” Asherah; a Canaanite goddess: • The altar his father built/worshipped

Gideon’s Relationship with God: “Putting out a fleece” • Gideon needed confirmation of his calling by the Lord; he had a relationship with God that provided assurance/confidence for the calling; Judges 6: 36 -40

The True 300: Judges 7: 7 • God wanted Gideon and the Israelites to know for sure that it’s because God was with them (and it’s not their own might) that they were victorious. Judges 7: 2 and 2 Corinthians 12: 9 • First Gideon started out with 32, 000 and after he told all those who were scared can leave, it was 10, 000 but still that was too many men God wanted less.

• Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people • • that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

• 4 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. • 5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. • 6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

• 7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. • 8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

God provides Gideon more assurance of victory • Judges 7: 9 -15, With God’s assurance Gideon encouraged his army. • Military Strategy: They tricked the enemy (120, 000 men): Judges 7: 20 -25

A Call to Service: • What are we called to do? What do we feel a responsibility to do? Do we have a relationship with God, so that we have an understanding for His will in our lives? • Is God sending messages to our hearts and are we sensitive to what our hearts are aching for? • Are we feeling the responsibility like Gideon did?