He then decides to put the fleece out…literally. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon, but he still gets cold feet. Once again God reassures Gideon he will be successful. And even though the Lord tells Gideon He will be with him, Gideon asks for a sign to confirm the fact God was with him. “Lord how can I save Israel? Lord I am the last man in all of Israel you should have chosen.” But that’s exactly why God called Gideon. But like Moses and like most of us Gideon begins to make excuses. Judges 6:14 says, “…the Lord looked upon him, and said, go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” Our Lord wanted Gideon to know that He was with him to give him real courage, real confidence. Poor Gideon is mentally and spiritually defeated. But in reality, Israel had forsaken the Lord.
Gideon wondered, “Why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracles we heard about from our fathers?”Ĭonsequently, Gideon thought God had forsaken Israel. Judges 6:12, says, “…the Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.” Gideon, a man of valor? Not yet! He was having trouble believing God was with him because he was so discouraged because of the suffering of his people. As a result Israel was greatly impoverished and living in caves in the mountains hiding out in fear.įinally, when things became difficult, they cried out to the Lord for help, which is what Almighty God wanted all along. Now the Midianites and Amalekites moved as disorganized nomadic tribes raiding the crops, cattle and supplies of others nations, literally crippling their enemies. The story opens with the sin of Israel and how God allowed the Midianites to conquer Israel. Gideon is to be the next judge in Israel, albeit reluctantly. But He is looking for obedient people…people that recognize and acknowledge their weaknesses…their dependence on Him. Ironically, God isn’t looking for the most talented people, or the most gifted people, or even the most educated people. The Bible says, “…when I am weak, then am I strong.” “…my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
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