Judges 6:1-4, 7-16

“Called”

Let’s read Judges 6:1-4

6 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves, and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.

I read this….. The “evil” of the people during this time can be summed up in three words: infidelity, idolatry, and intermarriage.

Because of the Israelites’ persistent disobedience & unrepentant sin God stopped protecting them and allowed the Midianites to defeat and punish them.

The Israelites and the Midianites have a history being enemies. One encounter can be found in………..

Numbers 31:7-12 They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks, and goods as plunder. They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, and brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.

It was Midianite women who persuaded the Israelite men to worship the false god Baal.

With God’s removing His protection for the Israelites, the power of the Midianites would dominate them. At harvest time the Midianites came to steal the produce, livestock, and animals of the Israelites, leaving them with nothing. Except for anything that they may have taken into the caves with them.

The Israelite hid in mountain caves where they could defend themselves in an effort to stay as safe as possible.

Let’s read Judges 6:7-10

7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, 8 he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

God mentions three main points here; I brought you up out of Egypt, I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians, I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land.

This is what God is telling them…. If the Egyptians couldn’t hold you and the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites could stop you why would you want to follow their gods?

God is reminding them that their gods weren’t big enough or strong enough to defend their people from Him.

After seven years of oppression by the Midianites the Israelites finally cried out to God for help.

To understand why it took them seven years, I think of what God called the people nearly one hundred years earlier.

Read Exodus 33:5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’”

This occurred right after the time they created an idol cast in the shape golden calf.

I share this, God sends an unnamed prophet rather than an immediate military savior to address the spiritual root of their trouble. God reminds Israel that He brought them out of slavery in Egypt and gave them their land. God makes it clear that their present suffering is due to their own disobedience and once again worshiping false gods.

Hosea 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

In laymen’s terms, God says…..Because you will not listen to Me, I’m going back to heaven to sit on My throne until you people are serious about worshiping Me.

If you remember we said last week that the purpose of God removing His hand was so they would turn their hearts back to God. Therefore, God’s goal wasn’t punishment, but repentance. Same thing applies here.

The Lord doesn’t just want a cry to relieve their suffering; He wants a true cry of repentance.

Let’s read Judges 6:11-14

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.”13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

We read that the angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak. That describes two distinct acts.

Who is the angel of the Lord? The precise identity of the angel of the Lord is not given but I believe there are other Biblical clues that tell us.

The clearest one is found in Exodus 3:2-5 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”  “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

You can also read Genesis 21:17-18 and Genesis 22:11-12 for more evidence.

The angel of the Lord is an appearance of God in physical form. That would be Jesus Christ our Lord who “Came.”  

Then it says He sat down. What does that mean?

I read this Biblical meaning of sitting down……………

In the Bible, old-time temple priests never sat down because their work of making sacrifices was never done. When Jesus finished his sacrifice on the cross and sat down at the right hand of God, it meant his work to save people was fully completed forever. A seat or throne is a symbol of a king. When God or Jesus is described as seated, it shows absolute power, control, and rule over the whole universe.

We read Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress. To help us understand this I share something else I read…………

Threshing in a winepress: Gideon is working secretly in a pit meant for crushing grapes, not wheat, because he is terrified of the Midianite raiders who steal their harvest. This shows Gideon as an ordinary, scared man, not a brave soldier at this moment.

But when the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, He said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

From Gideon’s point of view, he has heard of the mighty things God once did for the past, but after seven years of oppression, it seems like the LORD was not with the people.

I read that Gideon’s response shows his lack understanding and spiritual learning.

In Deuteronomy 28 God promises two things to the people…..

Blessings for Obedience-  If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

Curses for Disobedience - However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you.

The people’s present situation is a direct response to their disobedience of worshiping false gods.

Just like people today, we want to blame God for our situation instead of our own sinful ways.

Gideon wants someone to rescue the people from the Midianites; he just doesn’t see it being him or how it will be the people.

Look carefully at what the Lord said and how Gideon responds…….

“The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” And “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?

God never said the Lord is with “US,” the Lord said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

I share this…..Psalm 139 provides three main truths: God knows everything about you, He is always with you, and He purposefully created you.

That’s what God is telling Gideon.

Let’s read Judges 6:15-16

15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Once Gideon understands God has specifically “CALLED” him, he pulls what I call the “Moses Card.”

When God “CALLED” Moses at the burning bush, Moses offered five excuses to avoid going to Pharaoh: feeling inadequate, asking God's name, claiming poor speech, asking God to send  someone else, and doubting the people would believe him.

Gideon had had one advantage over Moses; he had the knowledge of the wonderful things God did in the past.

Gideon now had to accept what Moses did, not to focus on his abilities or lack thereof, but he was to focus and rely on the mighty power of God.

When you are “CALLED”  by God, rely on His Word found in……

 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

“Go in the strength you have, am I not sending you?”