Gideon - Saviour against overwhelming odds

If you're a visitor, you're a little bit disadvantaged because we're going to cover a lot of territory this morning.

Our own people have had a chance to read this through during the week.

But anyway, we'll see how you go.

I want to begin this morning in Hebrews chapter 11.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

We talk about Gideon.

I want to ask the question, is it a portrait hung in the wrong gallery?

So Hebrews 11 is known as God's portrait gallery.

Of the faithful ones.

The great ones of the faith.

Now the problem is that as I walk around that gallery in Hebrews chapter 11, I see and hear different names.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

And I think, yep, yep, clearly they deserve to be there.

Clearly they deserve to be there.

But then I get to Gideon's portrait.

And I find myself wondering, as I say, has this portrait been hung in the wrong place, in the wrong gallery?

Preachers and Sunday school teachers have made Gideon into a hero.

A great hero who, with a tiny force, they say, of 300 crack troops, completely destroyed an army.

An enemy invasion force of 135,000.

So Gideon's a hero.

My problem is that as I read the story of Gideon, in Judges 6, 7, and 8, the Gideon I have to engage with presents as a very different person.

To be honest, he doesn't immediately inspire me as a great person of faith.

He's a very flawed human being.

And at points, I think, you'd have to say, he's a very ugly human being in terms of his character.

Has somebody got it wrong and hung the portrait in their own gallery?

Well, clearly not.

The problem is not that the portrait's hung in their own gallery.

The problem is that we look at the portrait from their own perspective.

We tend to think that when somebody's in that gallery, then every single aspect of their life has been one of faith.

Well, I don't think that's true at all.

I think Gideon, like everybody else in that gallery, is there because at critical points,

they manage to show a good response to the Lord.

In what was otherwise pretty ordinary lives.

Clearly, Gideon is used by the Lord to effect great rescue.

But I think when we're looking at that portrait in the gallery of faith,

we don't actually just look at the portrait.

We look at the maestro who compiled that portrait.

The maestro behind the portrait.

The artist.

The Lord who persevered with Gideon.

The Lord who crafted Gideon into that critical moment of faith

where the rest of his life was, as I say, very ordinary, very ugly at points.

That critical moment where Gideon does, with the Lord's enabling,

step out in faith and show the leadership that the Lord commands.

But the Lord still goes before him, even at that point.

But at that point, that critical moment, Gideon knows he's going out in the strength of the Lord

and he's content to reveal God's character and grace and power in that situation.

So it's not Gideon who's the hero of this story we're looking at this morning.

Of course, it's the Lord who's the hero.

And what the Lord's doing in this story is showcasing through Gideon and the external circumstances,

the Lord is showcasing his faithfulness.

Not Gideon's.

His mercy.

His patience to people who clearly don't deserve any of his patience or his mercy or his faithfulness.

Showing himself as a savior to those who would not be able to save themselves through their own resources.

So jump into the story with me this morning.

And I want to show you something really sad at the beginning and the end of the story that frames the whole story.

So chapter 6, verses 1 to 11 is the first bookend or the first frame of the story.

And that begins with what seems to be an identical cycle of outright rejection.

Loss of distinctiveness as God's people.

So we've been through this cycle a few times.

We've got God's people responding to suffering.

God sends suffering upon his people for this outright rebellion.

But there's a couple of key indicators here that we need to take up as we move forward.

This is only one generation later.

And I think the 40 years is probably a stylistic way of talking about a generation rather than literal 40 years.

So just one generation later and we're doing it all again.

And as we start to think about that then,

I think we begin to realize or suspect that what we've called a cycle,

that is something that goes round and round endlessly,

is actually something a bit worse than a cycle.

It's a downward spiral.

That is, it's going round and round,

but each time we go around, things are getting worse.

God's people are finding new depths of rebellion.

New ways to be offensive to their Lord.

This time, the cycle includes suffering at the hands of the Midianites.

And that is a coalition again of semi-nomadic tribes from the east.

And what marks these guys out is that they pioneered camels,

yes, camels, as strategic military weapons.

So this armed force that we find out later on of 135,000 came on camels.

Now that meant that for the first time,

they had a long-range, fast-moving, mobile strike force.

And we're told in here that they struck absolute terror

into the hearts of the Israelites.

They invaded every year at harvest time, and like locusts,

they just came and they stripped the whole land bare.

And God's people were so terrified

that they were forced to hide in caves in the hills,

trying to save enough food to get themselves through the wintertime.

God's people were starving, literally, and terrified.

And in desperation, and again, as a last resort,

after enduring seven years of this invasion,

God's people appealed to the Lord for help.

And once again, the Lord responds.

But look at verse 7 of chapter 6,

because the response of the Lord this time is quite different.

This time, he sends us a prophet for some unknown time

before he actually sends Gideon, the saviour.

Now, why would the Lord send a prophet this time around?

Why is the cycle different?

Well, we're not actually told,

but I think this might be a reasonable solution.

I think it's this,

that God's people had been around this cycle enough times now

and knew of it from their history

that it had just become a formula for them.

They had just learned,

well, okay, when suffering happens,

if we cry out to the Lord,

then he will deliver us.

So it was almost like

as if their crying out to the Lord

was just a key to unlock God's blessings.

And each cycle goes around.

There's less and less heartfelt ownership of sin

behind the plea.

No, they just want the formula to work.

If we do this, then God will do that.

And that sounds so familiar to us, doesn't it?

Because that's just what we're like, too.

And so God, instead of sending them to deliver straight up,

sends them a prophet.

Now, what's the prophet to do?

Well, the prophet explains to them

and helps them understand

why they're in the predicament they're in.

And the predicament they're in

is a direct response

of their dealing with God's character.

He presents himself in these verses here

as the covenant God.

Their covenant God.

Your covenant God.

And he said,

I brought you to myself

so that you might be my people

and you might reflect my character.

I covenanted myself to you.

And what have you done?

You've thrown my generosity,

my graciousness,

my kindness

back in my face.

All I wanted you guys to do

was, verse in there,

was fear me.

But

rather than fear me,

rather than respect me,

rather than desire me,

and that's what the word means,

rather than show honor to me,

you've actually given all of that

to the gods of the Canaanites.

So if you want to know

why you're in this mess,

there it is.

I'm your covenant-keeping God

and you've rejected me

for

the local gods.

Now turn to chapter 8,

verse 33,

and I'll read these verses to you

to see the other end of the story

and the other part of the frame.

And man,

this is just sad.

This is just worse than sad.

It's awful.

So we're going to the far end

of the story now

and it says this,

chapter 8,

verse 33,

As soon as Gideon died,

the people of Israel

turned again

and whored,

that's prostituted,

prostituted

after the Baals,

that's the false gods again,

and made Baal Berith

their God.

And the people of Israel

did not remember

the Lord their God

who delivered them

from the hand

of all their enemies

on every side.

And they did not show

steadfast love

to the family of Jeroboam.

The cycle of Judges

is a vicious downward spiral.

This wonderful story

of deliverance

and rescue by the Lord

ends as it began

with the complete rejection

of the covenant God.

But it's worse than that.

It's the complete rejection

of God

by those who received

the most incredible blessings

from Him.

And it happened when?

As soon as Gideon died.

It really is

easier to trust

the Lord

in adversity

than it is

to be faithful

to the Lord

in prosperity,

isn't it?

And that's just

abominable

when you consider

that's how

the story's framed.

But there's even worse

in that story.

If you look at verse 33,

it says,

they whored after Baals

and made Baal Berith

their God.

Now that word

Baal Berith,

that's the name of a God.

And that word Berith

is the Hebrew word

for covenant.

So it's actually

even more outrageous

because God presents

at the start of the story

and says,

look,

I am your covenant God.

I'm the one

who's committed to you,

promised to be

faithful to you,

promised to make you

the people you are,

promised to bring you

blessing,

promised to give you

the good life.

And what do God's people

do after they've

experienced all of that

deliverance from God's hand?

They commit to

the covenant with

a false God,

Baal Berith.

They make a covenant

with this false God

to seek from him

the very thing

that they've actually

experienced

from the Lord.

That doesn't get

much more arrogant

than that,

does it?

That's a petulant child

coming up close

to a father's face

and saying,

stuff you.

Yahweh,

for these people,

may well have been

a God

for a time

of crisis,

but at every

other point

of life,

the other gods

were far more

desirable.

It's starting to have

a very familiar ring

to us,

isn't it?

Simon's already

helped us think

about that

in his introduction.

So,

once we come into

the detail of the story

with that framework,

we have to say

yet,

because it's

absolutely amazing

as far as I can see

that the Lord

acts to deliver

his people

using Gideon,

who himself

is part of the problem,

a very ordinary leader.

So,

given the framing

of this story,

we have to say,

yet,

in spite of all that,

the Lord

acts to deliver

his people.

From his first

appearance in the story,

Gideon is anything

but the heroic figure

or mighty man

of valor,

as his name suggests.

Now,

I've pondered this

a fair bit this week,

and I'm still not sure

whether the Lord

was actually having

a lend of Gideon.

I'm very open

to the idea

of sarcasm

in the Bible.

And I think

this might be

one of those,

oh,

you mighty man

of valor.

Something like that.

I don't know.

I don't know what it is.

But he certainly

doesn't really

immediately impress you

as a heroic figure

because when he's

first come across

by this angel,

he's actually

thrashing out

a few heads

of wheat

in a wine press.

Now,

a wine press

is actually

a depression

in the rock.

Normally,

you would thrash

out in the open

when you get

the breeze on it.

And normally,

you would thrash

with a machine.

But Gideon

is hiding

from the marauding

hordes,

stamping out

with his feet,

beating out

with a stick

or whatever,

a few heads

of wheat,

enough possibly

to protect his family

and keep them

from starving

over the wintertime.

So it's not

a heroic picture.

And the angel's

just sitting there

having a look

at Gideon.

G'day,

mighty man of fowler.

I think it's sarcasm.

But whatever.

Verse 12,

what really matters

is that

the Lord is with you.

That's what the angel

who turns out

to be the Lord himself

in the form

of a person,

as you see

the story develop,

the Lord is with you.

That's the key

to understanding

everything else

that happens

in the story

of Gideon.

And the first thing

the Lord does

with Gideon

is to make him

see

that he is part

of the problem.

And he does that

in this series

of exchanges

between verse 11

through to verse 24.

So there's

a tussle going on.

So the angel

of the Lord

which is the Lord

himself

says certain things

to Gideon.

And Gideon

responds with

anger and arrogance.

And remember

this is all

on top of

this prophet

who's come

to help

God's people

understand

the whole problem.

So Gideon

still hasn't learned

very much at all.

Verse 12 and 13

the angel said

the Lord is with you.

And Gideon

responds angrily

well that's all

very fine saying that

but I want to tell you

that we feel

totally abandoned

by the Lord.

Verse 14 and 15

even more directly

the Lord says

I am sending you

to deliver my people.

As if that's

going to work.

I'm a nobody.

Yeah right.

Good.

verses 16, 17 and 18

the Lord says

once more

I will be with you

and I will defeat

that army for you

as if there was

only just one man

in front of you.

Gideon says

don't give me words

prove it.

And it goes in

in verse 19

through 24

there's a story there

read it more carefully

if you haven't already

read it.

The Lord really

does give Gideon

a proof

that crashes

through

his anger

and faithless

unbelief

and makes him

realize two very

important things.

So Gideon brings out

this meal

and remember

this is a meal

prepared for this

stranger

and it was quite a

large amount

of food

from a family

that was already

starving potentially.

And what does he do?

He puts it in a rock

and zaps it

fries it.

And suddenly

Gideon

realizes

that he's in a bit

of a pickle here.

Alex isn't here

I shouldn't have said

that but I've wasted

it on Alex.

That's an end joke

for us here.

So Gideon

realizes

there's something

going on here

that's well beyond him.

And he's brought

to realize

two things.

He describes it here

verse 24

Gideon built an altar

there to the Lord

and called it

the Lord is peace.

Jehovah

Shalom.

Gideon has been

at war

with God.

He's angry.

He's unbelieving.

He's distant.

It's Gideon

that's been at war

with God

and he suddenly

realizes

that God

wants to come

to him

in peace.

Gideon realizes

that he's

the problem

not the Lord.

And the second thing

that flows from that

overflows

from the heart

of Gideon

suddenly

is that the

proper response

to God

is not doubt

anger

unbelief

arrogance

demandingness

or fear.

The proper

response

to the Lord

is worship.

Gideon

built an altar

there to the Lord

and called it

the Lord is peace.

Gideon's

recognized

his part

in the problem

that is facing

his whole nation

and he's

brought to a point

of genuine

humility

and worship

of the Lord.

God had to

break

Gideon

before Gideon

could break

the Midianites.

then the Lord

makes him clean

up his own

backyard

verses 25

through 33.

So before

the enemies

around them

could be destroyed

the enemy

within

had to be

destroyed

and Gideon's

first battle

was in his

own backyard

to destroy

the pagan

shrine

built there

by his father

Joash.

And the Lord

gives Gideon

very careful

instructions

and so Gideon

actually

steps out

in faith

having been

brought to

heal as it were

he steps now

out in faith

carefully

following God's

instructions

and thereby

destroys

all these

religious icons

but it's not

just destroying

them

the way in

which he

destroys them

actually makes

a mockery

of them.

The bull

was the

sign of

strength

of Baal.

The Lord

says

actually

those two

bulls

you know

the religious

thing

you rip

down the

altars

first of all

then butcher

the bulls

then burn

them.

It's making

them whole

mockery

of the

thing.

And use

by the way

use the

Asherah

pole

the very

cultic

symbol

of religion

and fertility

and preciousness

just use that

for the fire

while you're

burning those

bulls.

It's just

slapstick

comedy.

And then we

see something

of the hearts

of the people

and Gideon

saw also

something of

the hearts

of the people

because he

knew jolly

well that

they were so

committed to

Baal there

were going to

be problems

and he wasn't

disappointed.

The next

morning the

workout that

Gideon did

overnight and

so they

demand his

death.

Get that.

God's

own special

people while

they were

busy treating

God with

absolute

contempt

now want to

drag Gideon

out and

kill him

because he

dishonored

their God

their Baal.

But Gideon's

father Joash

comes to his

rescue.

And it's

interesting there's

a lot going on

here.

I just don't

have time to

stop.

There's a

sermon just

in the imagery

here by

itself.

So the

name of

Baal is

in Hebrew

El.

And that's

in contrast

with the

name of

Jehovah

Elohim.

There's a

clash going

on here.

Joash

means Yahweh

delivers or

the Lord

delivers.

That's what

his name

means.

So the

Lord delivers

comes to

Gideon's

defense and

the incident

ends awkwardly

with Gideon

being renamed

Jerabbaal.

Meaning

may Baal

deliver.

It's a

contest to

see who

is real.

And we're

not given

the answer.

It just

ends awkwardly.

Perhaps because

we're supposed

to know the

answer already.

And how

awful is it

my friends.

How awful

that God's

people would

rise as

one to

protect the

honor of

this trashy

false god

Baal.

When all

his shrines

lie in

ruins.

While at the

very same

moment rejecting

and treating

with utter

contempt

the only

true God

who'd

proved his

love for

them over

and over

and over

again and

who'd

shown his

power to

them.

So Gideon

cleans up

his own

backyard and

then the

Lord is

ready to

turbocharge

him for

his role

as saviour.

633

through to

chapter 7

verse 25.

So verse

33 of

chapter 6

this is the

stuff we

haven't read

so I'm

not going

to be able

to read

it all.

I'll just

touch down

on a

couple of

things.

Verse 33

Now all

the Midianites

and the

Amalekites

and the

people of

the east

came together

and they

crossed the

Jordan and

camped in

the valley

of Jezreel.

It's on

again for

the eighth

year in

a row.

The big

invasion's

on.

135,000

mobile

troops

coming to

just

strip the

land again.

And at

that point

the Lord

the next

verse gave

Gideon a

special

enabling.

The spirit

of the

Lord clothed

Gideon.

Actually in

the Hebrew

it's the

other way

around.

It's the

spirit clothed

himself with

Gideon.

There's a

different emphasis

there.

Because the

focus is on

the spirit.

But either

way Gideon

gets a

special

enabling.

And with

that Gideon

steps out in

faith again.

And rallies

God's people

to destroy

their enemies

so they might

enjoy God's

place, the

promised land

once again.

But remember

who Gideon has

to work with.

This is only

at best a

militia that

he's going to

rally.

These are only

farmers.

farmers.

They're not

trained troops.

But they're

facing a

massive,

heavily armed,

organized army.

And so perhaps

it's not surprising

that poor old

Gideon is still

saying if,

if you look at

verse 36

onwards,

if you will

save Israel.

And with that

then he launches

into this very

familiar passage

of the fleece,

putting out the

fleeces before

the Lord.

And it's his

sinking into

fear and

distrust once

again that

leads Gideon

to put

outrageous

demands on

the Lord.

He's already

had assurance

after assurance

after assurance

and proof

after proof

after proof.

And what do we

find Gideon

doing again?

Well, show me

Lord, prove it

to me.

Gideon's fleece

is actually

evidence of

faithlessness.

He already

had God's

word.

He already

had multiple

practical

assurances.

But Gideon

can't trust

the Lord.

He can't

take his

word at

face value.

He still

wants more

proof.

And the

amazing thing

is that God

just doesn't

zap him.

But God

actually

obliges

and patiently

nurtures and

nudges Gideon

through his

unbelief.

And to

again to

chapter 7,

the well-known

detail of how

the Lord

reduced Gideon's

forces to

300.

Now, it's

always been

said when

preachers

preach in

this, it's a

300-strong

force of

crack troops.

Well, I think

that's rubbish.

The point is

here that 300

is laughable

going up against

an organized

army.

Now, when you

do the statistics

on this

organized army,

135,000,

it would have

taken about

100 football

fields to

camp them.

If there

was 50

soldiers to

every campfire,

then there

would have

been something

like 270

campfires.

Now, this

was a

sizable force

over about

200 hectares,

not to mention

all the camels

and all the

support people

that would

have been

around about

them.

So the

point here

is that a

force of

300 is

just absolutely,

humanly speaking,

laughable,

ridiculous.

wouldn't

matter how

cracked the

troops were.

You know,

it's just a

joke in

military terms.

It's not

Gideon's

strategy or

brilliant

leadership which

won the

battle, but

the Lord.

Look at

verse 2.

The Lord

said to

Gideon,

the people

with you

are too

many for

me to

give the

Midianites

into their

hand,

lest Israel

boast over

me,

saying,

my own

hand to

save me.

There's

what the

Lord's

about.

He's not

filtering them

out just

to get the

best troops.

He's

filtering them

out so

it's a

ridiculously

small group

that has

to be a

victory from

the Lord.

And here's

the point,

you see.

As their

covenant

keeping God,

the one who's

promised to

care for

them,

then he

will be

their

deliverer.

those two

things go

hand in

hand.

And God's

people need

to learn

that.

So he's

turbocharged

for the

task.

The task

is accomplished

but the

final stage

in Gideon's

life,

Gideon

becomes part

of the

problem

again.

Chapter

8,

verses 1

through to

32.

Now this

is a

really,

really sort

of depressing

chapter.

The story

of Gideon

ends

tragically

because

Gideon

goes rogue.

Once again,

Gideon's

enemy within

rises up

to cause

the same

sort of

utter

destruction

in Gideon

as he

is just

with God's

hand

inflicted

on the

Midianites.

And again,

we get this

wonderful

contrast,

strong

contrast.

So there's

two or

three episodes

in chapter

8,

and I'll

have to

leave you

to read

the details

for yourself,

but two

or three

episodes

in chapter

8 that

show how

far Gideon

falls again

as he

gives way

to his

own

unbelief

and

faithlessness.

First

up,

he goes

well beyond

God's

mission

of

delivering

God's

people.

So

18 to

21,

Gideon

first appears

really heroic

in that not

only does

he pursue

the Midianites

to the

borders of

the promised

land,

he pursues

them for

days east

along the

caravan routes.

And he

finally falls

upon the

last sort

of sizable

detachment

of forces,

about 15,000,

another surprise

attack,

and he

completely

destroys

them,

takes their

remaining

commanders,

their remaining

kings captive

and kills

them.

And then we

discover something

that hits us

like a ton of

bricks left

field.

what we

discover is

that Gideon's

motives in

doing that

were very,

very mixed.

He had

gone well

beyond God's

brief and

it turns out

that he is

pursuing these

kings because

at some other

point in time

they had taken

captive his

sons and

killed them.

Gideon was

on a

revenge trip

and we're

not told

how,

where his

motives were,

but at

least his

motives were

mixed.

He was

using his

position and

his commission

to exact

revenge on

those who

had killed

his sons.

along the

way,

there's two

cities,

two villages

who refused

to give

Gideon help.

His troops

had sort of

taken off,

they hadn't

been properly

supplied,

they needed

some food.

And they

asked these

two villages

to help,

feed my

troops.

And they

refused.

Now the

interesting point

is that they

refused because

they were

fearful,

fearful of

reprisals from

the Midianites,

fearful that

Gideon wouldn't

be able to

catch these

kings and

finally dispatch

them and

that there

might be a

counterattack.

But the

point is here

they were

fearful.

But Gideon,

who had

received such

gracious and

gentle treatment

from the

Lord through

his fears,

wasn't able to

extend grace

to those who

were fearful.

And he had

them killed,

every one of

them,

tortured them

and killed

them.

And so we

see something

really wrong

about this

man,

the man who

had received

such grace,

been able to,

unable to

extend grace

in an

identical

situation.

And the

third episode,

verses 22

to 33,

let me try

out again,

22 to 32,

Gideon really

goes rogue.

This is worst

of all,

because Gideon

appears,

started to

believe that he

was somebody

special.

Initially the

people come and

say, look, we

want you to be

our king, you're

such a great

deliverer.

And Gideon

says, no,

no, no, no,

no, no, no,

no, no,

that's not

right.

God is your

king.

But from that

point on,

Gideon starts to

live like an

oriental king.

he's got a

massive

harem.

That's lots

of girls,

for those who

don't know

what the

word is.

And he

rejects the

Lord once

again.

And he

leads his

people into

idolatry.

what a

position to

be in.

To say,

and this

particularly

resonated with

me, to

be a leader

of God's

people and

actually lead

them into

idolatry, lead

them away from

the Lord.

And that's

what Gideon

did.

It's a

very pathetic

story.

in lots

of ways.

Gideon

showed glimpses

of great

faith, but

generally

speaking, he

finished his

life as he

started it.

Convinced that

security, that

satisfaction in

the good life

was to be

found in his

own efforts and

apart from the

Lord.

So, why are we

shown this very

ordinary leader?

Because it

highlights a

very extraordinary

God.

God's

grace.

I've just

about run

out of time,

so I'm

going to

abbreviate what

I've got left

here.

The constant in

this story is

God's grace.

That's the

constant throughout

this story.

God's

patience, his

generosity, his

faithfulness, his

mercy, and most

of all, his

deliverance to

people who

didn't deserve

it.

God's

God's

love.

Because that is

what the

covenant-keeping

God does.

He delivers his

covenant people,

even when they

don't deserve it,

and especially

when they don't

deserve it.

He delivers us

in spite of

ourselves, not

because of

ourselves.

God rescues

nobodies.

That is, his

undeserving,

needy people.

See, when we

look at this

story, as we

see every time

we look at a

story in the

Old Testament,

it appears that

what God's

people need

rescuing from is

this external

enemy.

But ultimately,

what God's

people need

rescuing from is

symbolized and

personified in

Gideon.

We need

rescuing from

their internal

enemy.

It's that

internal enemy,

that sinful,

rebellious heart.

It's that

which robs us

of the blessings

of relationship

with God.

And it's that

very thing that

the Lord actually

longs for us to

enjoy.

So, we've got

this picture of

God moving

towards us,

Jehovah

Shalom.

He's moving

towards us,

wanting us to

have peace and

rest and blessing

in the good

life, and

we're busy

running away

from him or

coming back

at war with

him.

God uses

suffering simply

as the means of

exposing the

enemy within,

their unruly

hearts.

And so,

what God's

people really

need was a

king who

would rule

over them and

subdue them so

that they

live for God's

glory and

honor rather

than for

self.

And the

story of

Gideon models

God's salvation.

God honors

those who

dishonor him

so terribly.

God's people

constantly go to

war with God,

but God

keeps moving

towards them.

He moves

towards them

through his

prophet in

this story

and through

his word to

help them

understand their

hopelessness,

and then he

establishes peace

as Jehovah

Shalom.

My friends,

the ultimate

display of that

model is the

Lord Jesus

Christ,

because he is

God's best

prophet,

we're told,

in Hebrews.

He has

spoken most

clearly to

us through

Jesus.

It's through

the words of

Jesus that we

understand our

hopelessness and

our helplessness,

and we were

helped to take

ownership of our

sins and call

out for mercy.

And Jesus is

also God's

perfect king,

who comes to

us and by his

spirit subdues

our unruly

hearts and

rules us with

such strength

and gentleness

that our

hearts overflow

with new

desires for the

Lord, new

attitudes of

worship, new

determination to

tear down the

internal idols.

And God

rescues with

those who are

nothing in the

eyes of the

world.

Gideon was

from an

obscure clan,

the smallest

tribe.

And at

first glance he

appeared hopelessly

inadequate as a

savior.

Yet the Lord

used him to

deliver his

people against

overwhelming odds.

He delivered his

people from an

enemy so powerful

that it kept

God's people in

fear at best,

and at worst

actually led to

their destruction.

And again,

you see,

we've got a

wonderful picture

of Jesus,

who,

according to

Isaiah,

had nothing to

attract people to.

And yet,

takes on an

enemy far,

far more

awful and

superior than

anything Gideon

faced.

The power of

Satan himself,

and the fear of

death that we're

held in,

and the ultimate

destruction of

death that we're

headed to.

And Jesus

defeats that

enemy against,

delivers us

against overwhelming

odds.

Why?

For the very

same reason he's

delivered his

people in.

So that we

might honor him

as our God

and King.

That we might

fear him.

That we might

desire him.

That we might

honor him.

That we might

obey him.

That we might

delight to live

under his

rule.

That we might

overflow in

thankfulness to

him.

That we might

just say,

you are my

God.

And I'm so

thankful that

you are Jehovah

Shalom.

Let me pray.

Lord, we

see ourselves so

easily in the

story of Gideon

at so many

points.

And we

thank you,

Lord, that

you've not

just left us

to ourselves.

In fact, you've

never left us to

ourselves, but you

constantly move

towards us because

you want to be to

us.

Jehovah Shalom.

Even though,

Lord, we are

constantly breaking

out in war

against you.

Lord, forgive us,

we pray.

And make the

desire of our

hearts simply to

live for you

with great

delight and

determination.

In Jesus' name I

pray.

Amen.

I do

apologise for

being long

winded again.

Thank you.