Judges 7:15 – 21 Out of the Ashes: Just do it

Beginning of the year motivation? How about a viral video from Youtube? And a response.

As we come to the conclusion of our series on Gideon, the time has come. The Lord has brought Gideon to a place of action. He has established a relationship with Him. He has grown him, has accommodated his weakness. And now it is time to act. The Lord has raised him from the ashes. Now at the end of the day – along his journey of faith Gideon must JUST DO IT. He must act from faith.

Judges 7:15 – 8:35

I. Just do it: Faith journeys demand action

A. Begins with the Lord

(ESV) Judges 7 15 As soon as Gideon heardthe telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped.

1. Hear

2. Respond to God by faith

B. Requires public commitment

(ESV) Judges 7 15 … And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.”

C. Includes reasonable strategies

(ESV) Judges 7 16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpetsinto the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do.

1. Reasonable plan

2. Follow me

18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’ ”

D. But ultimately demands taking action

(ESV) Judges 7 19 So Gideon and the hundred menwho were with him cameto the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands.

20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the Lordand for Gideon!”

E. May include waiting

(ESV) Judges 7 21 Every man stood in his placearound the camp, …

F. It is the Lord that does the work

(ESV) Judges 7 21 Every man stood in his place around the and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

G. Otherswill be influenced

(ESV) Judges 7 23 And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.

II. Just do it: In spite of the difficulties

A. Perseverance when enduring weariness

(ESV) Judges 8 4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 menwho were with him, exhausted yet pursuing.

B. Leadership when facing other’s jealousy

1. Leadership is required

(ESV) Judges 7 24 Gideon sent messengersthroughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.

25 And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.

2. Others disagree / jealous of not being in charge / sharing the glory

(ESV) Judges 8 1 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have doneto us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely.

3. Responds in a non prideful way

(ESV) Judges 8 2 And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger against him subsided when he said this.

C. Faithfulness when not supported by nonfaith people

1. Some refuse to act by faith or support you

(ESV) Judges 8 5 So he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing afterZebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 And the officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?”

2. Just goes on anyway

7 So Gideon said, “Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answeredhim as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”

D. Consistent to finish the job

1. New battles arise

(ESV) Judges 8 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword.

2. Continue by faith

11 And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure. 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic.

E. Trusting the Lord to give rest

(ESV) Judges 8 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

1. Last time that ‘the land had rest’ mentioned in Judges – downward spiral from here

III. Just do it: Beware of the dangers in victory

A. Danger: Stealing God’s glory

(ESV) Judges 8 22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, youand your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

1. Replace the Lord’s leadership with human leadership

2. Replace the Lord’s action with human action

B. Danger: Drifting back to the past

(ESV) Judges 8 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels.

27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideonand to his family.

C. Danger: Eroding faith because of prosperity

(ESV) Judges 8 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. 29 Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives

.

31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

D. Danger: Not passing on a faith legacy

(ESV) Judges 8 33 As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.

34 And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35 and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.