Let God Rule

July 24, 2011

Background Scripture: Judges 6 – 8; 21:25
Lesson Passage: Judges 7:2 – 4, 13 – 15; 8:22 – 26a

As we continue to review Israel’s historic cycle of disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance, today we turn our attention to Gideon. Prior to preparing Gideon for the task of delivering Israel, God sent a prophet to rebuke the people and to remind them that their situation was brought on by their repeated disobedience in spite of His pass kindness to them. The Midianite occupation had left the nation of Israel impoverished. Gideon believed that his family was notably poor even among the tribe of Manasseh and he was the least of his father’s children. Whether this represented low self-esteem or great humility, Gideon was the type of person God could use. But even an angel of the Lord telling him that the Lord was with him was not enough to convince Gideon that God had chosen the right man to deliver Israel out of this situation. After Gideon was convinced that this was indeed an angel of the Lord, he received his first assignment. This assignment involved correcting the internal problem of disobedience within his father’s house. Gideon had to remove his father’s altar and groves that were erected to serve idol gods. Still operating in fear, Gideon chose ten of his servants to help him and afterwards they did it by night to keep from being discovered. After this success, God strengthened the hand of Israel’s enemies and they formed a confederacy against Israel. Gideon needed additional encouragement to go against this confederacy. He took a fleece of wool and asked God for the assurance of victory by showing him two signs; God did as Gideon requested. Then God made Gideon’s assignment more challenging by telling him to reduce the size of his already outnumbered group. Gideon’s group was reduced from thirty two thousand men down to three hundred men. With this greatly outnumbered group of men (there were over one hundred twenty thousand Midianite soldiers), Gideon led Israel to one of its greatest victories during the time of the judges. This victory moved Israel to submit themselves to Gideon and request that he become their ruler and be succeeded by his descendents after him. Israel wanted a king who would start a royal line of rulers like their neighbors. They were convinced that Gideon and his sons (he had seventy sons) and his grandsons would be ideal for the job. God had demonstrated that He was indeed working through Gideon so Israel wanted to make it official. This was an offer that many individuals would not walk away from. All Gideon had to do was accept the offer and there would not even be an election. Gideon’s answer to them was no. In his humility, Gideon knew that the victories that were ascribed to him had been achieved by God working through him. It was not Gideon’s smarts or his strength that had brought deliverance to Israel. Israel was delivered by God and God alone. Gideon had merely submitted himself to God and he recommended that Israel do the same thing. Israel did indeed need a ruler. Gideon recommended that Israel allow the Lord to be their ruler. Israel desired a monarchy but Gideon reminded them that there governance was that of a theocracy. Forget about the earthly kings, let God rule.

Robert C. Hudson
July 5, 2011