Hello, My Name is Gideon

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Gideon: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Celebrate the Good

Judges 6:11–12 NIV

11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

God sees things in you that you do not.

judg 6

Judges 6:16 NIV

16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

IL: 47 times in the NIV.

It means the presence, power, and blessing of God.

Gideon tore down the family altar.

Gideon faced the Midian army with only 300 soldiers.

Understand the Bad

Judges 6:25–27 NIV

25 That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

Gideon’s faith needed extraordinary confirmation

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he asked for a sign when he first met the angel

Judges 6:17–18 NIV

17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

He cut down the altar but only at night.

Judges 6:27 NIV

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

He twice asked God for confirmation

Judges 6:36–40 NIV

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

How do we deal with a sin that we cannot seem to overcome?

pay attention to growth

watch for triggers

tired

emotional

sick

watch for patterns

Proverbs 7:6–10 NIV

6 At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice. 7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. 8 He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house 9 at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. 10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

Watch for Patterns

prov 7 6-

all alone

on a known street

at twilight

at twilight

he listened to enticing words

Repent of the Ugly

Judges 6:

Judges 6:33–34 NIV

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

Gideon wants a double confirmation

Judges 6:

Judges 6:36–40 NIV

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

God tests Gideon by eliminating most of the soldiers.

Gideon made a golden ephod from the plunder

God seems to know that Gideon wants confirmation so sends him into the Midianite camp to hear them talk with fear about Gideon.

God causes the enemy armies to turn on one another and kill each other.

Followed by personal retribution.

Gideon took his share of the plunder and made an idol out of it.

Ephod

Judges 8:27 NIV

27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

27-28

Conclusion

God’s will is always accomplished,

Judges 8:28 NIV

28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.

but we can miss the blessing - or worse

jugges 8 33-35

Judges 8:33–35 NIV

33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god 34 and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35 They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.