Life's Lessons Through the Garden 2

Tear Down What’s No Longer Needed

Judges 6:25–27 “On that very night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old. Then tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to the Lord your God on the top of this mound. Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.” So Gideon took ten of his male servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s family and the men of the city to do it in the daytime, he did it at night.”

Welcome to Life’s Lessons through the Garden. I’m Minister Adrianne Watson. This is part two of 10 livestream lessons.

During the weeks in between our live session, each week I’ll drop a new 15 minute online segment that you can use to study for the week. Each segment will have follow up questions and other scripture references for more in-depth study. Make sure you sign up for emails to receive the weekly sessions, access the blog, and gardening tips.

As a bonus, you’ll be able to access each spiritual point with a new practical gardening tip to help you start your own garden! You can access all of these segments on my YouTube Channel or on my website. Make sure that you sign up for updates, links and gardening tips on my website.

Just so you know, I’ll be teaching these lessons from the Christian Standard Bible, but feel free to use your translation of choice to follow along.

Get ready to be challenged. Get ready to be changed. Get ready to grow in new soil and reap a new harvest as we enter into “The Garden.”

Play Garden music and intro slide

Prayer:

Father we thank you for this day and for today’s study. Please open our minds and our hearts to hear you clearly so that we might be able to grow into a newness of life this year. In Jesus name, Amen.

(Slide- include the passage for today’s lesson and music)

Today we begin with lesson #2 Tear Down What’s No Longer Needed

Our focus passage: is Judges 6:25–27 “On that very night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old. Then tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to the Lord your God on the top of this mound. Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.” So Gideon took ten of his male servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s family and the men of the city to do it in the daytime, he did it at night.”

Introduction:

Last summer I decided that it was time to upgrade my raised bed garden because the beds were starting to fall apart. I knew that this was going to be a big demolition project. But boy, I had no clue how back breaking this process would be.

Picture this, 7 raised beds. 6 beds were 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. One bed was 10 feet long and 4 feet wide. Each bed was cut from from 1 inch thick cedar 4x4’s placed in the middle of each bed to keep them from bowing in the center. And each bed had at least 24 inches of soil.

Last month I talked about how the beds were rotting and falling apart. Soil was starting to come out the sides of the beds. They were becoming unstable and outdated. But without demolition, placing new beds in the garden would be impossible.

It took almost three weeks for me to tear down those beds. Although the wood was falling apart, it was not easy to tear it apart. Some of the screws were rotted, stripped, or they broke when I tried to remove them. I used a sledge hammer in places where I could not remove the screws. Once I was able to get enough wood torn off, I began shoveling the soil onto tarp. Then I flipped the beds upside down so that I could contain the soil in case it rained.

My body took a beating over those three weeks. I was sore in muscles that I had not used in that way. My back, knees, wrists, joints were so sore that I had to get a massage and take pain medication.

I was under a self-imposed deadline too. I knew that before I could plant my new crops in 2026, I had to clear out old growth, pull up dead plants and weeds, and I had to rotate soil. Demolition is not destruction; it’s preparation.

And we see this truth in the story of Israel under Midian’s oppression. Before God could raise Gideon as a deliverer, He first called him to tear down what was false, which was the altar to Baal, so that renewal could begin. To understand why this mattered, we first need to look at Israel’s history.

Israel was under oppression by the Midianites. The Midianites were a group of tribes who lived in the desert. They were known for their large camel herds, their mobility, and they were difficult to resist.

In Judges 6:1–6 it says, “The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to Midian seven years, and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east came and attacked them. They encamped against them and destroyed the produce of the land, even as far as Gaza. They left nothing for Israel to eat, as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. For the Midianites came with their cattle and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were without number, and they entered the land to lay waste to it. So Israel became poverty-stricken because of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord.”

In Deuteronomy, God warned the Israelites that idolatry would come at a price of agricultural failure and foreign countries domination over them. But they didn’t listen, and now they were being oppressed by Midian.

This is a cycle that is constantly repeated throughout Judges:

Israel sinned by turning to idols.

God allowed foreign nations to oppress them.

Israel cried out for deliverance.

God raised up a judge (like Gideon) to rescue them

1. Demolition Is Divine Preparation

God called Gideon to deliver the children of Israel, but before he could lead them in battle, he first had to tear down the altar his father had constructed to the god named Baal and the Asherah pole that was beside it.

This was no small feat. In fact, tearing down Baal’s alter and the Asherah pole was dangerous. Gideon’s community worshiped those idols. Although Gideon knew it was danger, he understood that it was necessary. God would not bring renewal to the children of Israel until the false foundation was demolished.

Gideon’s first assignment wasn’t to fight Midian but to demolish the altar.

Judges 6:25 “On that very night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old. Then tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

God was preparing the spiritual foundation before the children of Israel would see a physical victory.

Illustration: A gardener must clear weeds and diseased plants before planting new seeds. If you plant without clearing, the old growth will choke the new.

Application: What idols, habits, or patterns in your life need to be demolished so God can prepare you for renewal?

The sermon teaches that true worship requires the removal of obstacles and distractions that lead us away from God, emphasizing the need for personal and communal purity in our relationship with Him.

2. Destroying Strongholds

Historical Background: Israel’s stronghold wasn’t just Midian—it was their mindset of fear and idolatry. Paul echoes this in 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.”

Illustration: Think of tree roots under a sidewalk. If you don’t deal with them, they crack the foundation. Spiritually, false thoughts and lies act like roots that must be pulled up.

Application: Replace lies with truth. Identify one false belief (e.g., “I’ll never change,” “God can’t use me”) and replace it with Scripture.

3. Development Through Dangerous Obedience

Historical Background: Gideon obeyed even though tearing down the altar could cost him his life. His obedience unlocked renewal for Israel.

Illustration: Pruning plants looks harsh, but it’s necessary for blooms. Obedience may feel painful, but it’s the cut that leads to growth.

Application: Where is God asking you to obey—even if it feels risky? Maybe it’s forgiving someone, letting go of a toxic habit, or stepping into a new calling.

How this passage could point to Christ: This passage points to Christ by illustrating the need for a true deliverer who purifies our worship, fulfilling the role that Gideon foreshadows. Jesus is the one who ultimately tears down the barrier of sin that separates us from God.

Big Idea: To reclaim true worship, we must be willing to confront and dismantle the idols in our lives that distract us from serving God wholeheartedly.

Tie all points together:

Demolition prepares the soil.

Destroying strongholds clears the roots.

Dangerous obedience allows blooms to flourish.

Takeaway: When God tears something down, He’s not leaving you empty—He’s preparing space for something stronger, healthier, and more fruitful.