And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites, That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed My voice(Judg. 6:7-10).
Yesterday, we read of the mercy of the Lord and reflected on His faithfulness to His chosen people even in the face of their faithlessness. If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny himself (II Tim. 2:13). Today, we are reminded that our actions bring with them earthly consequences, even in the presence of God’s mercy. Three times, the children of Israel had cried unto the Lord, and three times, the Lord had rescued them from their tribulations. This time, instead of immediately moving to alleviate their suffering, the Lord took the opportunity to remind His people that it was their willful disobedience that had gotten them into trouble in the first place. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed My voice.
Nevertheless, the Lord was not blind to their distress, so He sent His messenger to recruit the unlikeliest of heroes, Gideon, son of Joash the Abi-ezrite. Gideon was from the half-tribe of Manasseh that dwelt within the boundaries of the land of Canaan. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, the timid young man was threshing his father’s wheat on a disguised threshing floor in an attempt to hide from his enemies. Nothing in his personal history or his nature would have led anyone to believe that Gideon had any leadership qualities whatsoever, but that didn’t concern God. He instructed His angel to greet the faithful servant that He knew existed deep inside. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour (6:12). God did not require a superman, only a man willing to serve. And 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 (6:14)?
Ultimately, God used Gideon and a grouping of only 300 soldiers to conquer the Midianite army that stood 135,000 strong. Although 32,000 men had answered Gideon’s call to arms, the Lord had pared their number to a mere handful. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me (7:2). God wanted there to be no question as to Whom the victory belonged. The Midianites were defeated, not because of who was sent, but because of Who did the sending.
No matter what skills we might or might not possess, our use to the Lord is measured only by our willingness to submit to His will. The power is His, and His alone. In all things, to Him be the glory.
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen(Jude 1:25).
Thought for Today: If God has called upon you, then there is no one more suitable for the task.
Christ Revealed: As the Sword of the Lord (Judg. 7:20). In the Apostle John’s revelation of Jesus, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword (Rev. 1:16). We know that the sword is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17) and that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14).
Word Studies: 6:1 into the hand = under the control; 6:3 came up against them = invaded the country; 6:4 increase = produce; sustenance = living thing; 6:11 angel = messenger; 6:13 befallen = happened to.
Pray For Staff:Kevin Jennings • Government Officials: Sen. Mike Braun (IN) • Country: United Arab Emirates (5,628,805) Middle East • Major Language: Arabic • Prohibits efforts to convert Muslims and denies Muslims the freedom to change religion • 76% Muslim (Islam - Official); 9% Christian; 15% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Ask in the Name of Jesus and for His glory, and your request will be granted (John 14:13-14).
Optional Reading:John 15