2022: A Year of Peace and Restoration (Part Four)

—Judges 6:24 NASB

Rising to the Challenge

There are situations in life that seem too big to handle. There are obstacles that appear insurmountable. What is against us seems overwhelming, and we run and hide, rather than take courage and tackle the problems. Troubles and pain can be discouraging, even paralysing, making us helpless and hopeless.

Such experiences were not uncommon to people in the Bible. As a matter of fact, there are numerous examples of how individuals rose to the challenge against the odds! The Bible records how they did it and we can learn from these powerful examples to find peace and restoration in our own struggles and battles. We already wrote about David and Job, as well as Ezra and Nehemiah. These individuals were faced with great problems to solve, yet found a way with God’s guidance and help to overcome them and find a better future. The same applies to us. In fact, these things were written for our instruction (learning), so we can find hope and comfort (Rom 15:4; cf., 1 Cor 10:6).

Let us take a closer look at others who rose to the challenge in their day and age to make a real difference for not only themselves, but also those around them. The following example shows us how a deep work of God in that person brought about a great work of God through that person—even blessing the whole nation! God chooses certain people to make a difference for others around them. You can be such a person. In the words of Robert Kennedy, such individuals cause a ‘tiny ripple of hope’ for others and together they can achieve much!

—Robert Kennedy*

Facing Oppression

There were times in the history of biblical Israel, when God’s people faced oppression as a nation. But certain individuals rose to the challenge in confronting the oppression of their day, sending out, as Kennedy put it, ‘a tiny ripple of hope,’ that built up ‘a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression.’ And thus, it happened. Be it Moses challenging the power of Pharaoh; be it David standing up to the ‘neighbourhood bully’ called Goliath; or be it young Gideon facing the oppression of a powerful enemy. What these three had in common was a strong God who gave them strength and strategy over the enemy and their oppression. They were instrumental in defeating the oppressor and setting the nation free.

At the time of Gideon, Israel was oppressed by Midian and other peoples in the vicinity, yet it was the consequence of their own sin (Judg 6:1). It’s a truism that we reap what we sow. It’s a truism that we have to live with the consequences of our choices. Or, as someone put it so pointedly: ‘You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choices.’ This is very important to note, as many of us rather blame others for our mess, instead of taking responsibility, show some humility and find a way to fix it. The Midianite enemy would also gang up with other enemies of Israel and raiding bands of ancient peoples, to plunder and destroy. What Israel had sown and established would be destroyed and plundered (v 3), forcing Israel to live in mountain caves (v 2) and trying to survive without sustenance (v 4). The devastation was massive (v 5) and ‘Israel was brought very low’ (v 6). Oppression can hit us very hard. Life can be very unfair and certain problems can almost destroy us completely. But then they did something that ushered in a change: ‘the sons of Israel cried to the Lord’ (v 6, emphasis added). They turned to the God of their salvation.

Taking Responsibility

The moment we turn to God in our pain and problems, things can change. We pour out our hearts before Him in trust (Ps 62:8). But that change might not always come the way we wish it to come. God’s ways are higher than our ways, and He requires a very important issue in life, many seek to avoid: repentance! It’s not a popular word, I know, but a crucial one. Often the right thing to do is also the hard thing to do, and the easy thing is the wrong thing. Repentance simply means a ‘turn around’; it means we acknowledge that we did wrong or messed up or chose badly, and are willing to accept correction that will help us get on the right path again. In biblical terms, sin means ‘missing the mark,’ and repentance means I ‘turn’ from the wrong path to the right path. In this way, I take responsibility for my life and seek a way ‘to hit the mark’ next time I take aim! A lack of repentance will only lead to repeating our mistakes, making the mess we’re in even bigger. God wants us to break out of the cycle of defeat and enter a better future. There is hope.

On this note, I might share a life-changing, although embarrassing, experience I had as a school kid. I repeated a mistake, and the teacher ‘took me aside,’ as it were, to talk to me. You know what I mean, don’t you? Kind as he was, he took me into the corridor to avoid the embarrassment in front of others. He asked me this: Gordon, do you know what the difference between a dumb and intelligent person is? I remained silent, in shame, and was a little nervous. He said this: both make mistakes; the intelligent person also makes mistakes, but he learns from them. That’s the difference! How did I react to this? Well, I felt a sense of relief, because the teacher was not seeking to shame me, but to tell me that I should make intelligent decisions, to learn from, and not repeat, my mistakes! Or, as a pastor friend of mine said brilliantly, If you make a mistake, make sure it’s a new one!

Israel cried out to God and God sent a prophet, a messenger (vv 7–8). He reminded them that He was the God of deliverance from oppression in their history, hence giving them hope in a difficult time. Yet He also reminded them of their disobedience, which was the reason for the situation they were in (vv 8–10). Unless we know where we are wrong, we will continue to repeat that which causes us trouble. We need correction; correction is good! Don’t fear it; embrace it. Truth sets free; lies deceive us. Take responsibility for your action, accept necessary change, and trust a good God to turn things around for you. He hears your cry and sees your sincerity.

God doesn’t correct us ‘from a distance,’ as it were, and leaves us in our problems and pain; He sent yet another person to take action to deliver Israel. Note, He helped Israel despite their own sin causing their trouble! God helps us not only when others fail or hurt us, but also when we fail and hurt ourselves. God protects the innocent, but also helps the guilty if they repent! This reflects His mercy and goodness towards us. He lets the sun shone on the good, the bad and the ugly (Mt 5:45).

But before God sent the judge to deliver and save them, He had sent a prophet to rebuke and correct them. This sets the right foundation to bring about change and so we won’t return to the things that caused the problems in the first place. It breaks the cycle of defeat. Remember that Israel during the times of Judges, went through a cyclical period of sin, oppression, suffering, crying, and deliverance, only to repeat the cycle once the deliverer/judge had died. God does not want us to repeat the sins, but break out of the cycle of defeat. ‘Go and sin no more’ (Jn 8:11), was the instruction to a forgiven person!

The Unlikely Choice

Sometimes we might feel God chose the wrong person, or we are the wrong person God chose for the job. We feel inadequate, not sufficiently qualified, or make some other excuse. But God doesn’t make mistakes. He knows what He’s doing. Trust Him.

God sent an angel to His chosen vessel for the great task to deliver Israel from the oppressor. Given the tough, even unbearable, circumstances of enemy oppression, plunder and destruction of food and forcing Israel into a kind of slavery, Gideon did what was possible under the circumstances. The angel found him ‘beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites’ (6:11). Technically, a wine press is for grapes, not wheat, but under the circumstances, this was the next best thing possible for Gideon. At least he was doing something! Sometimes the ideal is simply not possible, so God is looking for people who will make the best out of what is possible at the time, rather than just give up, or get drunk in a bar to forget the problems! As Charleston Parker said, ‘Three choices in life: give up, give in, or give it all you’ve got!’ Which one would you choose?

We know what we should choose, but where can we find the strength to do so? Strength was found in what the angel said to Gideon: ‘The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior’ (v 12). Sometimes others see strength in us when we don’t see it ourselves. The troubles of life have made us discouraged or we’ve lost focus. We try to survive on the little we can save from the enemy under the oppressive circumstances, but have no expectations or aspirations beyond that. We’re in survival mode. God sees things differently. He wants us to switch from survival to victory mode. The past should not define us; God’s Word should.

God saw strength in Gideon. He saw him not as a confused guy in a desperate condition doing the right thing in the wrong place, but as a ‘valiant warrior’—not a ‘hopeless worrier.’ He had what it takes to save the day! How you see yourself is very important, but often we are too intimidated by what others think of us that it becomes a snare to us. You need to see yourself the way God sees you. The ugly duckling, mocked for being different and ugly, was in fact a sawn, but he didn’t know it until later. Comparing himself to the pretty ducklings was a mistake at the time, but once he turned into a beautiful swan, he had the last laugh. Time will show what you’re really made of. Be patient, but never allow temporary circumstances to define who you are. Allow God to tell you what He sees in you and follow His choice, although you might think you’re the unlikely choice.

Gideon’s response to the angel’s encouragement is classic (6:13). Can’t you just see yourself saying such things? Something like, ‘Why are we in this mess? Where are God’s miracles?’ In other words, if it’s true what the angel is saying, how come the present circumstances are bad? Gideon might have missed the prophet’s correction, because he had laid it out to them. Gideon’s conclusion that God had abandoned them is revealing. True, God did give them over into the hand of the enemy, but God had not abandoned them. This is a crucial issue to consider! Suffering the consequences of our own mistakes and being abandoned by God are two very different things. The difference couldn’t be greater. Don’t confuse the issue, although we sometimes do. We might confuse the issues and see only the negative. We fall into a depressed state and lose hope. But the angel was there to inspire hope and give strength and strategy to God’s chosen vessel. Gideon was not the unlikely choice, although he thought so. God had not abandoned His people, even though it looked like it. That’s why God was preparing the deliverer through whom He would bring victory and peace to Israel.

‘Go in this your strength and deliver Israel’ (v 14), the angel said. Again, Gideon’s response could be us: ‘How shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house’ (v 15). Gideon was basically responding with all the reasons why he of all people is the wrong choice for this mission. We make excuses that it’s impossible, or at least we can’t see how it’s possible; we make excuses for our age, our background, our family, or other issues like these. We almost want to disqualify ourselves, rather than taking what God has for us. Afterall, there’s a problem to solve and someone must rise to the challenge—why not you? As an ancient sage said, If not you, who? If not now, when? Gideon’s questions on ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ are understandable, and they must be answered. God did so, by speaking to him. God has answers, no worries. Just listen.

The angel speaks a third time and assures Gideon that God would be with him and he’d succeed despite the seemingly impossible situation (6:16). God would come through for them. What more would he needed to know? He wanted a ‘sign’ (v 17) for reassurance. He prepared a sacrifice and God confirmed His word by fire (vv 18–21). Gideon now fully realised that he was ‘face to face’ with the living God (v 22) and God gave him peace (v 23). It is peace we need at the outset of a mission towards restoration. We need peace and restoration! Gideon even called the altar he built for God, ‘Yahweh Shalom’ (v 24). God equipped him with power and peace to bring about a change in Israel. We must approach the problems we face from a place of strength and peace. ‘Complex problems require sophisticated solutions,’ as the scholars say. As God prepares us, we will get what we need for the task ahead. Walk through the preparation process as ‘God prepares you for the things He has prepared for you,’ as Tunde Bakare rightly says. Once God gives us His peace, fear should vanish (v 23).

First Things First

Gideon’s first mission was not to fight and chase away the enemy oppressor, but to fix the spiritual problem within Israel, starting in his own family. His father had built an altar to false gods and that needed to be replaced by an altar to the true and living God (6:25–26). Remember, Israel brought the oppression upon themselves by their sinfulness, which included idolatry. They were supposed to have ‘no other gods’ except Yahweh (Ex 20:3), but they did. That’s the root cause of all problems. God didn’t just want to get rid of their problem (enemy oppression), He wanted to make sure He cleansed His people of the root that caused their problem (idolatry). God does a thorough work in us so that we won’t repeat the things that get us into trouble. It’s the only reasonable approach to life. We can’t face the external enemy until we have dealt with the internal fault.

Gideon did as God commanded him. But he did so by night, not by day, due to fear (6:27). We would’ve thought that after the angel had spoken to him and given him strength and peace (6:23), that all fear had vanished. Well, it seems that despite of that there was still an issue of timidity or perhaps insecurity in Gideon. After all these years of oppression, rather understandable. Managing your fears is important. Great men in history were recorded saying things like, courage is not the absence of fear, but overcoming it; doing what is right despite your fears. This is very true! A little later Gideon was told to go to the enemy camp (7:9), yet if he happened to be afraid, he could take a guy with him (7:10). Guess what he did? He took a guy with him (7:11), which shows that he was afraid, yet despite that fear did what he was told to do. God understands our fears and provides solutions, yet we must manage these emotions and thoughts well, else they’ll cause trouble and mistakes to jeopardise the mission. Just before the battle, Gideon again sought reassurance and God gave it to him (6:36–40). God knows how to handle us when we are nervous, afraid or insecure. But brings these issues honestly before God. He will help you.

Gideon replaced the idol altar with one for the true and living God. Yet some people rose up to find the perpetrator in order to kill him (6:27–30). It’s somehow shocking to read just how low these men must have fallen by seeking to kill the one who was doing the only right thing! Don’t expect praise from everyone for doing what is right. Some people will hate you for it. But keep on doing it anyway. Obey God. He will protect you. Gideon’s dad stepped in and challenged the people that if that false god they worshiped was a god, he could contend for himself, right? Well, he didn’t, which kind of proved the point to expose the fake power of idolatry (6:31–32). People had to know who the true God was, especially now as the enemy armies were approaching (v 33). It’s rather stupid to fight with each other, the internal fighting, when the enemy is drawing near to destroy us. As was observed, a ship doesn’t sink because of the water around it, but because of the water in it. Don’t allow that in your life, family, church, organisation, team ect.

Get Ready for the Real Battle

But despite these internal struggles and a threat on his life, Gideon did what was necessary. The Spirit of God came on him, God providing the strength and courage needed in such tough times; ‘he blew a trumpet’ and gathered the army (6:34–35). Leave the infighting and get ready for the real battle. Blowing the trumpet was sounding the alarm of approaching enemy armies and marshalling the army to confront and defeat the enemy threatening again to destroy Israel’s sustenance. When a brave leader arises, people will follow.

Fight with the Right Type of People

Being faced with a large number of the enemy armies, one would expect that numbers do matter. And somehow, they do, especially in the ancient world. Modern-day armies also need manpower, but with modern technology even smaller armies can have the edge over larger armies. In Gideon’s case, we note that when God is on your side, something else matters more than numbers. God didn’t want people to trust in numbers or themselves. He wanted to make sure that they knew it was His power, not theirs, that caused the miracle and victory (7:2).

Gideon had at first 32.000 soldiers available, yet God said that these are ‘too many’ (7:2). Those afraid to fight, could return home, and 10.000 were left. You need the right type of people, not just vast numbers of people. Quality over quantity. Yet these 10.000 were ‘still too many’ (7:4), so they ended up with only 300! God would deliver Israel with the 300 men (7:7). Seems a bit weird, to be honest, yet God knew what He was doing. Gideon trusted Him and got the 300 men ready for battle.

Fight with the Right Type of Weapons

With the numbers reduced, you would at least expect that they were given some ‘advanced weapons technology,’ right? After all, a small but well-equipped army with powerful weapons might still be successful against a large number of enemy troops. David, for example, did not fight Goliath with his type of weapons. He did not use a sword or spear against the giant, but a slingshot. He would’ve stood no chance fighting on the same level as an overwhelmingly strong Goliath. With a slingshot, David literally had ‘advanced weapons technology’: he could ‘shoot down’ the enemy from a distance—and he was certain too big to miss! Just think of the use of drones in today’s warfare. It’s a huge technological advantage. God can give us the edge over a strong enemy.

Yet what ‘weapons’ did God give to Gideon and his men? Rocket launchers? Drones? Artillery and paratroopers? Nope! Trumpets, empty pitchers, and torches (7:16)! What could possibly go wrong?! Who needs rockets, drones or machine guns when you have trumpets, pitchers and torches? But note, with the type of weapons God supplies, He also gives the right type of strategy. This will ultimately lead to victory, as in Gideon’s case. Trust God, He doesn’t get it wrong. Ever.

The Supernatural Dimension

The true ‘advanced weapons technology’ Gideon could rely on was the spiritual dimension. God was getting involved—and that would make all the difference. When Gideon was told to approach the enemy’s camp (7:9–11), he heard a man from the enemy camp relate a dream and an interpretation of it that gave Gideon reassurance that God was on his side and that God would do what only God can do (vv 12–14). God put fear in the enemy’s camp and eventually the enemy defeated himself (v 22). This supernatural dimension made the difference, as God’s army simply obeyed Him and His strategy. Gideon led by example (7:17), as all competent leaders must, and the army followed suit (vv 19–20), as all effective armies should. They eventually defeated the oppressive enemy and it ushered in a forty-year period of peace (8:28). God had caused restoration in Israel through the victorious battle Gideon fought under the guidance and protection of God. His ways won’t fail us. Trust Him and do what He calls you to do.

*Gilbert, Martin. A History of the Twentieth Century. Volume Three: 1952–1999. London: Harper Collins, 1999. 340.