Strength Beyond Yourselves to Become the "Gibor Hayil"

When Someone Comes Into Your House & You Feel Defeated!

Judges 6:1–6 (ESV)

1 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.

2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.

3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.

4 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey.

5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in.

6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.

God is Still On the Throne & Hears His People!

Judges 6:11–13 (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 winepress 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.”

God Uses Men to Rise Up!

Judges 6:28 ESV

28 When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built.

Sometimes defeat becomes the mental and acceptable culture.

Judges 6:29–31 ESV

29 And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” 30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.”

Gideon Took On a Different Persona!

Judges 6:32 ESV

32 Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar.

Gideon is Led of The Lord to Victory!

Vs. 2 — The Glory will be the Lord’s as He thins the herd of those who are fearful. 32,000 people down to 10,0000.

God uses the way the men drink to separate them again and draw out those He will use.

10,000 men drink at the Spring of Herod

Gideon watched as 300 knelt down to drink from their hands and 9700 got on their knees like a dog and lapped the water.

vs. 7 --You see God chose the 300 men who were aware of their surroundings .

Vs. 9-10 — The Lord sent Gideon/Jerubbaal/Gibor Hayil down with his servant, Purah.

Gideon came to the camp and hear the following:

Judges 7:13–14 ESV

13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” 14 And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”

So they went with their jars ,torch in hand, trumpets prepared to blow, and a heart to do as the Lord leads.

vs. 19-22

The Lord fulfills His Word. When they shouted “For the Lord and for Gideon”, smashed the jars, and blew the trumpets… the men were set to fear and attacked one another. Not a man of Israel fell.