Stop Starting, Start Finishing

Judges 6 A little Faith and the Lord of Peace - Stop Starting, Start Finishing ప్రారంభించడం ఆపు, పూర్తి చేయడం ప్రారంభించండి.

People of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord

Judges 6:1 “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.”

This means two things: the behavior of the Israelites was evil in the eyes of the LORD, and God saw their evil, saw exactly what they were doing.

The result of continued backsliding is the chastisement of God. Because of the evil committed by the Israelites, God used the Midianites to oppress them for seven years.

2. People of Israel cried out for help

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

3. Lord sent a Prophet and reminded them about How God delivered them before

4. God calls Gideon - Gideon was called by the angel of the LORD himself

When Christ looks at you what does he see?Doe he look at your Past? - Hope notDoes he look at your Present ? What does he see when he sees us ?He sees himself in us , HE sees what he is making us to be

Judges 6:11 “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.” ,

Judges 6:12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.

Gideon was a man who questioned the task set before him by God. He felt weak, incompetent, and totally inadequate

Gideon was actually threshing the wheat in a winepress that was hidden or sheltered out of sight. No doubt, Gideon was preoccupied with his work when

the encounter took place. Suddenly, Gideon looked up and saw the angel of the LORD seated under the oak tree.

Gideon’s Response -

Gideon’s immediate response, his first words, were a complaint, a questioning of God’s concern for the oppression of His people (v.13). All his life he had heard about the miraculous works of God in delivering the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and through the wilderness wanderings. But now, it seemed as though God had forsaken or abandoned His people.

If Gideon would accept the challenge, the LORD would strengthen and empower him.

b. Gideon’s second response was an excuse, an argument against serving God (vv.15-16) -Judges 6:15 “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.”” ,Judges 6:16 “And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.””

He was too weak personally

too incompetent and inadequate for such an enormous task.

Even his clan was the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and his family was the least of the families in the clan.

Apparently Gideon himself was considered the least within his own family, the family of Joash.

But the LORD would accept no excuse. He gave a very direct and straightforward answer to Gideon that ended all excuses and arguments. In essence, the LORD said, “I will be with you, and you will go and defeat the Midianites.”

c. Gideon’s third response was the request for a sign, a sign to prove that the call was really coming from God

In your moment of crisis do you want all the question to answer but no presence or would you prefer to have the presence of God and leave the responses to the question with himWhich one do you prefer?