Judges Chapter 6
The very last verse of the previous chapter states that “the land had rest for forty years.” This would indicate that the faith of Deborah the judge had continued to influence the people for some time. As we begin reading this chapter, we find that the people have abandoned faith in the one true God in favor of doing what was evil in the sight of God. God then allowed the Midianites and the Amorites to oppress the people of Israel. So bad was the oppression that the people were hiding in dens in the mountains and caves. The Midianites were stealing their food. Fear of hunger is always a difficult thing for people to endure.
Whether Gideon knew it or not, God had a plan for his life. God was going to use Gideon to be a “shaphat,” (or a judge) a leader for Israel in a civil, political, and military sense. He was not a great champion of faith. In fact, Gideon thought that in all their oppression, God had abandoned them and left them to die. Does that sound familiar? When people are enduring hardship, they often think that God has abandoned them when in fact they abandoned God and went their own way long ago. Because God had a plan for Gideon’s life, Gideon would become a hero for the people, something he had no idea would happen.
Let's Reflect
1. What did the Midianites and the Amalekites and other people groups from the east do to the Israelite people?
2. The people had been suffering from this oppression for seven years when they cried out to God for help. God sent an un-named prophet to speak to them about why they were in such a bad situation. What did God say was the reason they were being oppressed?
3. Gideon was just an average man who was trying to turn a crop into useable food. He was doing this work in a place that hopefully would not be discovered by the Midianites. Where was he when the angel of the LORD came to talk to him?
4. When the angel of the LORD spoke to Gideon, what title did He give Gideon?
5. What assignment did the angel give to Gideon?
6. As the angel spoke to Gideon, he began to get a glimpse of who he was really speaking to. This is evident because he immediately wanted to give this angel some gift. He also asked for a sign from the angel to know that he was from God. Gideon offered to fix food for the angel of the LORD. What happened to the food that Gideon prepared? This was the confirmation that Gideon needed to know he was speaking to the angel of the LORD or as Bible scholars teach us an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament.
7. God also instructed Gideon to perform a certain task. It was the first test of Gideon’s faith. Gideon did as God asked but he did it at a strange time. When did Gideon fulfill the first task God gave him to do and what was the task?
8. Verse 34 tells us that when the oppressors came over the border once again, God strengthened Gideon, “the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon.” Gideon blew the trumpet to alert the men it was time to go to war. Several tribes of Israel were called to fight including men of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. There was still doubt in Gideon’s mind that God would give them the victory, so he asked God for proof, twice. What did he do as a test or a sign to see if God would indeed give them victory?
