Whether it was Moses leading the people. Or Joshua. It didn't matter. God’s desire was still for the
people to trust Him, learn from their past mistakes, and allow Him to be their guide.
The people failed to do
that and kept getting into trouble.
So
He sent “judges" to lead them out of trouble.
The
Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them
into the hands of the Midianites... 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.” Judges 6:1-10
When the
angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty
warrior.” Judges 6:12
Gideon wondered the same thing.
“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.” Judges 6:13
Can I have God’s presence
and not have God’s power?
Can God be by my side but
not on my side?
Can God be with me and not
be for me?
God had not left them but
His favor was not on them. They had His presence but not His power.
When things are not going
well, the first thing we do is assume God is either not with us or no longer on
our side.
Maybe it’s because we have
asked God to bless what is un-blessable.
How do we know if what we are doing is "bless-able?"
Who gets the credit? God is not interested in giving us glory.
Who does it help? God is not interested in supporting our selfish plans. He gives us gifts so we can bless others.
How will it affect my character? God is not going to empower us to do something that leads us away from His heart.
“How does this fit into God’s big plan? God will orchestrate things according to His overall plan...which we cannot see.
This does not mean that
everything else fails. It means that nothing else will last.
BACK TO THE STORY…
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?” 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.” 17 Gideon
replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is
really you talking to me. Judges
6:14-17
2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I
cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My
own strength has saved me.’ Judges 7:2
GOD WAS ADDRESSING THE
CRITERIA FOR BLESS-ABLE THINGS: God would get the credit. This would help the oppressed tribes. This would strengthen Gideon’s faith. This would save Israel, thus working with
God’s plan of salvation.
God’s favor follows obedience (more than strength or size)
When the
three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to
turn on each other with their swords. The army fled… Judges 7:22
God’s favor follows wisdom (more than intelligence or strategy)
Thus Midian
was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During
Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.
Joshua 8:28
God’s favor leaves a legacy (more than a feeling)
Sometimes we need a
victory to heal us. Sometimes we need a
loss.
If my loss makes me more
like my Creator, then it is a win!
If my victory damages my
goodness, then it is a loss.
God will lead us directly
into trouble, loss, and disappointment if it serves the bigger purpose,
Don’t mistake
disappointment for defeat.
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