Friday, February 1
Read Judges 6
Think About It:
You have a garden and you work hard all spring and summer to make that garden produce abundantly. But every year, just about the time you’re ready to gather in the harvest, your neighbors swoop down and take your produce away from you by force. This goes on year after year and there’s nothing you can do about it. God called a farmer in Manasseh named Gideon to become the deliverer of his people. The Angel of the Lord visited Gideon and told him that He had chosen Gideon to make God’s children stop chasing after false gods and listen to God’s word. Gideon called himself “the least in my father’s house.” When you consider the kind of man Gideon was at this time, do you wonder why god selected him? God often chooses the weakest things of this world to accomplish great things for his Glory.
The assignment wasn’t an easy one. God told him to destroy the altar dedicated to Baal, build an altar to the Lord, and sacrifice one of his father’s valuable bulls, using the wood of the Asherah pole for fuel. Gideon decided to obey the Lord at night when the village was asleep. It wasn’t long and the whole town knew it was Gideon who had destroyed his father’s idols. The men of the city considered this a capital offense and wanted to kill Gideon. The Lord protected Gideon, the Lord worked on Joash’s heart that he defended Gideon before the town mob and even insulted Baal. (Remember Gideon called that place Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is peace.)
The Midianites and their Allies made their annual invasion about that time as more than 135,000 men moved into the valley of Jezzreel. Gideon blew the trumpet first in his hometown, many sent messengers throughout his own tribe of Manasseh as well as the neighboring tribes of Asher, Zebulon, and Naphtali. 32,000 men responded. They were outnumbered and would certainly be out maneuvered, except one thing: Jehovah God was on their side, and he had promised them victory. Nevertheless, Gideon doubted God’s promise. Did God really want him to lead the Jewish army? Twice the Lord answered when Gideon put out his fleece. Gideon had his answer.
- How do you know when the Lord is asking you to do something?
- What do you do to ensure that you truly are hearing from the Lord?
Family Time:
- Where did the angel of the Lord appear to Gideon?
- What did the angel say to Gideon?
- What did Gideon ask the angel?
- What was the first sign that God gave to Gideon?
- What did Gideon and his servants do?
- What did Joash, Gideon’s father, say to those who wanted to kill Gideon?
- What two signs did God give Gideon with the fleece of wool?
