This one is on God

Introduction

Background

The Background of our text finds that the Children of Israel has done evil in the sight of the Lord. Because of this evil, the Lord had delivered or allowed them to fall under the rule of the People of Midian.

The Midianites were the descendants of Midian, Abraham’s son by his second wife, Keturah. Whom according to Genesis 25:6, was sent away by Abraham, away from Isaac to the east country. The Biblical area designated as Midian lay to the south of Canaan and encompassed the desert areas east of the Sinai Peninsula. This is the same region that Moses found himself in when he fled from Egypt.

The Midianites were stronger than Israel, they were ruthless bullies that did all they could to undermine the God is Israel. When Israel planted crops the Midianites would come, along with the Amalekites and desert tribes, and attack them and destroy their crops. They would take from them, they would take all the sheep, cattle, and donkeys and leave nothing for the Israelites to live on. This sounds terrible and it is but I can’t let you forget that this happened because the people did EVIL in the sight of God.

Can I park my bus right here and tell you something? If our lives are not lining with God and his commandments, you have to expect things to happen, especially when you know what is right. Luke lets us know that in Luke 12:47 “And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.” Galations 6:7-8 says “Be not deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sow, that shall he reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. All our choices brings up a consequence. So ask your neighbor what are you sowing?

So Israel is suffering but what I love about God is that no matter how many times I mess up, God always stand by with open arms. Psalm 30:5a “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.” Yes, I messed we mess up, we slip up, but God constantly and consistently gives us another chance.

The Midianites had made life so bad for Israel that Israel realized that they needed help from the Lord. Judges 6:6 say “And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.”

But when I am low, when I am down to what I feel is my lowest point, I am so Glad, I have a God, I can call on. The old church would sing the song, “If you call on Jesus, He’ll answer Prayer.” James says that the “effectual fervent prayer of the righteous, avail much.” They cried out and God assures them that HE would bring them out. So now we find Gideon, I don’t have the time to really go through the text like I would like, but God finds Gideon and sends an angel to Gideon and says to him, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” This angel comes to Gideon and Gideon is ready. It’s like Gideon had been waiting on God to come to him. Gideon was locked and loaded with questions for God. Gideon says “If the Lord is with us, why then is all this happened to us? where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers told us about? Did God not bring us out of Egypt? But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian?”

I don’t know about you but I find myself asking God that question now? I hear stories of what you have done in the past, what you have done for my grandparents, great-grandparents, and great great-grandparents how you moved on their behalf, how people would get out of wheelchairs, cancer dry up, diabetes regulated, what the doctors thought they saw, wasn’t there, I heard about folk talking about unexpected checks, jobs, promotions, but where are you now?

God responds and says to Gideon, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian.” Gideon says to God, how can I save Israel, my clan is the weakest in Manassah, and I am the least of my father’s house, I’m the runt of my family. I used to being talked down at, walked over, and disregarded. But look what God does for Gideon, he says, “I am with you.”

Who am I preaching to this morning, that can give God praise because how others see you is not how God sees you? You may see me as worthless, but God sees me as valuable, you may see down, but God see me lifted, you may see me struggling, but God sees me delivered. We must learn to not be so concerned with how others see us, and be concerned with how God sees us. What does God see when he see you? Does he see someone he can be proud of? Does you life decisions pleases God? Look at you neighbor and say, “How does God see you?” I don’t have time to deal with the call of Gideon like I want to, but let me fast forward to our chapter. Gideon has taken his place to destroy the Midianites, He has Gathered 32,000 men to fight in the battle.

Body

You cannot depend on man (v. 7-8)

You must be obedient to God (v. 17-18)

You must give the Glory to God (v. 18)