THE SIXTH JUDGE OF ISRAEL.

Judges 6:12   "And  the angel of the Lord appeared unto him,  and said unto him,  THE LORD  IS WITH THEE,  THOU MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR."  

IT  IS STRANGE  THAT  THE LORD  CALLED  GIDEON  A    "mighty man of valor"   BECAUSE,  IN FACT  GIDEON  WAS  A COWARD,  HE  SUFFERED FROM  A  INFERIORITY COMPLEX.

YET,   GOD   CALLED  THIS MAN GIDEON,  TO  DELIVER  HIS PEOPLE.  

Judges 6:13  "And Gideon  said unto Him,  O  my Lord,   If  the Lord be with us,  why  then  has all this  befallen us?  And  where are all His miracles  which  our  fathers  told us of,   saying,  Did not the Lord  bring us up from Egypt?  But now  the Lord hath forsaken us,  and  delivered us  into the hands  of  the  Midianites." 

BUT,  THE ANGEL OF THE LORD,  HAD NOT SAID,  THAT  THE LORD WAS WITH ISRAEL,  HE HAD SAID THAT THE LORD WAS WITH GIDEON.

THE LORD WAS NOT  WITH ISRAEL  BECAUSE OF THEIR SIN.

SIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD.

GIDEON  COULD NOT BELIEVE  THAT  GOD  WOULD BE WITH HIM.

HE BELIEVED,  THAT GOD,  HAD FORSAKEN THEM  AS  A  PEOPLE.

GIDEON,  WAS OF COURSE,  SO WRONG.

GOD HAD NOT FORSAKEN THEM AT ALL.

THEY HAD FORSAKEN GOD. 

GIDEON WAS IN A POOR STATE  SPIRITUALLY,    HE  WAS  SKEPTICAL,   CYNICAL  AND  WEAK.

YET  THIS WAS THE MAN  THAT  GOD CALLED.  

Judges 6:14  "And  the Lord looked upon him,  and said,  GO  IN THIS THY MIGHT,  AND  THOU SHALT SAVE ISRAEL  FROM  THE HAND OF THE MIDIANITES,  HAVE NOT  I  SENT THEE?"   

THIS IS CLEARLY THE CALL AND THE COMMISSION OF  GIDEON.

BUT GIDEON STILL DID NOT BELIEVE GOD.

He told the Lord  that  he came from the smallest tribe  and  that  he himself  was the least of all the people  in that tribe.   Many believers today are  'too capable'  for the Lord to use.  Here we see,   that God,  uses  weak  men.  

1 Corinthians 1:26-27   "For  ye see your calling,  brethren,  how  that not many wise men  after the flesh,  not many mighty,  not many noble,  are called;  But God  hath chosen the foolish things  of the world  to confound the wise;  and God  hath chosen the weak things of the world  to confound the things that are  mighty;"

GOD USED GIDEON AND HE MADE GIDEON INTO A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR.

GOD  NEVER CHOSE GIDEON   BECAUSE  HE WAS  CAPABLE   OR  OUTSTANDING,   GOD  CHOSE HIM BECAUSE HE WAS  WEAK.  

GOD CHOOSES WHOM HE WILL,  AND HE HIMSELF COMMISSIONS THAT PERSON FOR A SET TASK.

HE GRANTS THAT PERSON THE POWER,  STRENGTH,  AND  WISDOM  TO  FULFILL  THAT TASK.

THE TASK,  IS IN ACCORDANCE  WITH  HIS DIVINE PLAN AND PURPOSE IN THIS WORLD.

WE CAN NEVER QUESTION GOD ABOUT WHOM HE CHOOSES.

GOD  DOES WHAT IS RIGHT AND  WHATEVER   HE DOES  WILL BE  FOR  THE  FURTHERANCE  OF  HIS  KINGDOM.

WE CAN SAFELY SAY   HALLELUJAH!  AND AMEN!  

WE MUST PLACE OUR  TRUST IN GOD ALONE,  THROUGH   THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

GOD  IS  THE ALL- SUFFICIENT  CAUSE  AND  SOURCE  OF  EVERYTHING,  HE,   IS THE MIGHTY SUSTAINER AND WORKER OF  ALL  THINGS,  AND  HE,  MUST CALL EVERY CREATURE  TO  ACCOUNT  TO  HIM.

TODAY,  WE  CAN REJOICE  AND  BE CONFIDENT,   THAT  GOD  IS WORKING HIS PURPOSE IN THIS WORLD  JUST AS HE WAS  IN   GIDEON'S  DAY.

GOD CALLED AND COMMISSIONED GIDEON AND GIDEON   OBEYED GOD AND  HE WON A GREAT VICTORY.

One of the things  that I love most  about  Elijah,  is  that when God  called him,   he  was not  a very weak person,  yet,  God chose him  and put him through  a series of tests.  God  schooled  Elijah  in the desert  and  He finally  forced him  to listen  to  His  "still small voice."  Elijah  did not much care  for small voices.  He  liked the noise  and the fanfare  but God  had to  train  Elijah,  to let him know,  that  He chooses and  uses  the  weak  things of this world  to  fulfill  His purpose.  After Elijah  had told  Ahab  and  Jezebel  that  there would be  no rain for several years,    God  placed Elijah  at the brook  Cherith  and there  he saw  the brook dry up  and 

 HE    LEARNED  THAT  HIS OWN LIFE  WAS NO MORE THAN  A DRIED UP  BROOK. 

Later,  when he looked into an  empty flour barrel,   he could really sing  "Praise God from whom all blessings flow."  God  fed  him  and  the widow's family  from  that empty flour barrel.

GOD CHOOSES AND USES THE WEAK THINGS OF THIS WORLD TO FULFILL HIS DIVINE PLAN.

Look at  Simon Peter.  He was a very  weak  person  yet  God chose him.  God   told  Peter  that  He would make him as stable as a rock.  That '"from henceforth he would catch men."  God chose Peter to preach the first sermon on the day of Pentecost which brought three thousand people to the Lord.  

GOD DEMONSTRATES TO US IN  HIS WORD  THAT HE  USES  WEAK PEOPLE.

God  told Gideon  that  He,  Himself   was the One  who  would deliver Israel.  He  trained   Gideon  to overcome his fear  and  to gain courage.  God  filled Gideon with His Spirit and Gideon blew the trumpet to signal war.  

Judges 6:34  "But  the Spirit of the Lord  came upon Gideon ,  and  he blew a trumpet;...."  

AFTER  GIDEON  BLEW THE TRUMPET   HE   GOT COLD FEET. 

Judges 6:37  "Behold  I will put a fleece of wool  in the floor;  and  if the dew  be on the fleece only,  and  it can be dry upon all the earth beside it,   then  shall I know  that Thou  wilt save Israel  by mine hand,  as Thou hast said."  

GOD DID WHAT GIDEON REQUESTED AND ONCE  AGAIN  GIDEON ASKED GOD  

Judges 6:39  "I pray Thee,  but  this once more  with the fleece;  let it now be dry  only upon the fleece,  and  upon all the ground  let there be dew."  

God  began to work very definitely in this mans life and He  gradually  brought  Gideon  to the place,  where  Gideon  could see,  that there was nothing in himself    and  that  it would be  God alone  who  would  win the battle. There is an interesting  spiritual  lesson here  for  the believer  concerning the dew.  We  need to ask God  for  dew on our barren lives.  

Hosea 14:5   God says,  "I  will be as  dew  unto Israel;  he  shall  grow like the lily,  and  cast forth his roots  like Lebanon."  

God speaks about this subject several times in His Word. 

  Deuteronomy 33:13   "And  of Joseph  He said,  Blessed  of the Lord  be his land,   for  the precious things  of heaven,   for  the dew,  and for the deep  that  stretcheth out beneath," 

Proverbs 19:12    "The king's wrath  is like the roaring of a lion,  but  his favor  is like dew  upon the grass."  

Proverbs 3:20   "By his knowledge  the depths are broken up,  and  the clouds drop down  the dew."  

WE NEED A TOUCH FROM THE LORD.  LIKE DEW  UPON THE ROSEBUD  AND  UPON THE GRASS IN THE MORNING.

OH HOW WE NEED A TENDER TOUCH.

THE PROPHET  HOSEA TELLS US THAT THE LILY IS DELICATE.

THE LORD GOD WILL COME DOWN UPON US LIKE LIKE RAIN UPON THE MOWN GRASS.

EVEN WHEN WE ARE IN TROUBLE AND HE HAS CUT US DOWN HE WILL COME DOWN UPON US LIKE RAIN.

Our Lord  could  weep  over Jerusalem,  but  do we today weep over sinners?  The publican  could smite his chest  and  cry out about his sin,  but  what about  us  today?  Do we cry out to God  about our sin?  We  need a touch  from  God   today  that  will make us  strong  and stable.  We  need to be grounded  in  the Word of God.   If we could only  say with the Psalmist 

Psalm 57:7  "My heart  is  fixed,  O  God,  my heart  is  fixed;  I  will sing  and  give praise."  

WE NEED THE DEW OF GOD UPON OUR LIVES TO BRING PURITY INTO OUR LIVES.

2 Peter 3:14 "Wherefore,  beloved,  seeing that ye look for such things,  be diligent  that  ye may be found  of him  in peace,  without spot,  and  blameless."  

WE  ARE  TO  LIVE   HOLY LIVES BECAUSE CHRIST JESUS DWELLS  IN  US.

1 Peter 1:16  "...  Be ye holy;  for  I am holy." 

2 Corinthians 7:1  "Having,  therefore,  these promises,  dearly beloved,  let us cleanse ourselves  from all filthiness of the flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting holiness  in the fear of God."  

THIS IS A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE BELIEVER  BECAUSE  THE LORD JESUS CHRIST  IS  OUR  STRENGTH AND  IN HIM  WE CAN  DO ALL THINGS. 

CHRIST JESUS  IS   MADE UNTO US  WISDOM,  AND  RIGHTEOUSNESS,  AND  SANCTIFICATION  -  holiness  -    AND REDEMPTION.

WE  HAVE  BEEN  SET FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN

WE ARE ABLE TO LIVE HERE ON THIS EARTH FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE.

CHRIST JESUS IS WILLING TO LIVE  HIS LIFE IN AND THROUGH US.

When Gideon went out,  he saw  that  he had thirty two thousand men  but  God said  that  that thirty two thousand  men  were far too many  and that He would reduce the number. GOD ALONE MUST RECEIVE ALL THE GLORY FOR THE VICTORY.  No flesh is ever going to glory in God's presence.  God uses  weak  instruments.  God told Gideon  to bring the men down to the waters edge  and to let them drink. Then  He told Gideon  that the ones who lapped  the water like a dog  were the ones  that  HE HAD CHOSEN.  Here  we have an example  of  divine election and  free will.  God  elects,  but  He  lets  us  make the DECISION.  We  can argue all we like  about election  but  in the end  we see clearly  that God  does not interfere  with any persons  free will.  Each one of the men  in Gideon's army  exercised  their own  free will. 

GOD  DID NOT  TELL ANY MAN  HOW  HE  SHOULD  DRINK  WATER.

TODAY,  GOD OFFERS US  THE FREE GIFT  OF  SALVATION  THROUGH  THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF HIS ONLY SON,  THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

John 6:37   "All  that the Father  giveth me  shall come to me;  and  him  that cometh to me  I will in no wise cast out." 

Are you willing to come to God,  then  you can be  sure  that you  are  one of  the elect.

Have you accepted God's  free gift  of  salvation?  

He gave His only Son to pay the ransom for your salvation.  

He bore your guilt  and  mine in His own body  on the tree of Calvary.  He died  in our place,  we deserve death.  But  because of  His great mercy,  He made it possible  for us  to be  accepted in the Beloved. He rose from the dead  to give us  -  those whom He has chosen  -  those who have accepted Him as Saviour,  eternal life.  LIFE IN HIMSELF.  He died down here  to save us and He lives in heaven to keep us.   

CHORUS.   He's the Saviour of my soul.

Sung by Losinda.

He's the Saviour of my soul,

Jesus,   My Jesus,

He's the Saviour of my soul,

He's the Saviour of my soul.

Jesus,  Jesus ,  Jesus,  Jesus,

He's the Saviour of my soul,

He's the Saviour of my soul.  

AMEN.

From a great army of thirty two thousand men,  God  reduced  the number of men  to go with  Gideon,  to three hundred.  These men  were all dedicated and  they were all  willing to die  if need be  to deliver Israel.  These men  had their  hearts   and  their  souls  in this matter.  They were determined to win the battle.  Oh  how we need such  dedicated believers  today.  Gideon  divided the men  into three groups. Each group had one hundred men  and  he gave each man  a pitcher,  a  lamp,  and  a trumpet.  The lamps were put inside the pitchers so that the light could not be seen. They held the pitcher in one hand and the trumpet in the other. Then Gideon told all the men   

Judges 7:18  "When  I  blow with a trumpet,  I  and all that are with me,  then  blow ye the trumpets also  on every side  of all the camp,  and say,   THE SWORD OF THE LORD  AND  OF  GIDEON." 

THIS IS QUITE INTERESTING  BECAUSE  THE ISRAELITES  DID NOT HAVE  ANY SWORDS. 

Judges 7:19-22  "So  Gideon and the hundred men  who were with him,  came  unto the outside of the camp  in the beginning of the middle watch;  and  they had  but newly set the watch:  and  they blew the trumpets,  and  broke the pitchers  that were in their hands.  And the three companies  blew the trumpets,  and  broke the pitchers,  and  held the lamps in their left hands,  and  the trumpets in their right hands  with which to blow;  and they cried,  THE SWORD OF THE LORD  AND  OF  GIDEON.  And  they stood every man in his place  about the camp;  and  all the host  ran,  and cried,  and  fled.  And the three hundred  blew the trumpets,  and  the Lord  set every man's sword  against his fellow,  even  throughout all the host:  and  the host fled....."  

All that Gideon's men had to do,  was to blow the trumpets and to hold the pitchers  so that the light   could shine through.  The Midianites had such a fright when they were awakened by this loud noise  that  a riot broke out  and  they began to fight  against each other.  They soon fled  over the hills  and out of that area.  This  gave Gideon and the Israelites  a great victory.  

GOD HAD GIVEN THEM THE VICTORY.

There is also a spiritual lesson here for the believer.  

The pitcher,  speaks of the believer.

 2 Corinthians 4:7  "But  we have this treasure  in earthen vessels,  that  the excellency of the power  may be of God,  and not of us."  

The pitcher represents the body of the believer. The glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ  is  carried  in  earthen vessels . That means,  that we,  by our lives,   are preaching  Christ Jesus . The apostle Paul tells us in  

Romans 12:1  "I beseech you  therefore,  brethren,  by the mercies of God,  that  ye present your bodies  a living sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable unto God,  which is your reasonable service."  

Your body,  means  your  total personality.  Your personality,  must be  a living sacrifice unto God  and this is just  your reasonable service. 

WE ARE NOT EVER TO GLORY IN MAN.

WE ARE TO GLORY IN CHRIST ALONE.

1 Corinthians 3:21  "Therefore,  let no man glory in men...."  

We have this glorious gospel in our bodies  -   pitchers.  These  pitchers  need  to be broken  so  that  the light can come shining through.  Some of  these  pitchers  ARE NOT BROKEN  and  as a result  THE LIGHT DOES NOT SHINE THROUGH.  It  is not  OUR OWN LIGHT THAT MUST SHINE THROUGH BUT RATHER THE  LIGHT  OF  THE LORD JESUS CHRIST  that must shine through our lives.  Have we spent time with Him? Have we spent time in His Word  so that  His radiant light  will  come bursting through  our  broken pitchers  and  penetrate this dark world.  The light of Christ  can only shine through  a person  who is  in fellowship with the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.  One  who  has been cleansed by the washing of the Word.  The Word of God  teaches us  that  we have sinned and  that we have  fallen short  of the glory of God.  The apostle John tells us that 

1 John 1:8   "If we say that we have no sin,   we deceive ourselves,  and the truth is not in us."  

The Word of God  is  very  powerful,   it  is  sharper  than  any  two edged sword.  It causes us  to cry out to God  and  humbly confess  that we are not the people that He has created us to be. When  we tell  God  exactly what sin we have committed  and who we have hurt,  our pitcher is broken  and  those we come in contact with  see that the light of the Lord Jesus Christ is quite radiant in our lives because when we are broken,  we  are  humble.   We are humble  before  a holy,  righteous, and just God  who  knows  every single detail of our weakness.  This  is the way  that the light of the Lord Jesus who is at work in us,  penetrates the darkness all around us. 

The devil has so deceived   many folk  that  they are quite immune to sin  and most  do not even like to hear the word sin mentioned at all. We need to cleanse our spirits  just as we wash our bodies  each and every day.  Paul tells us in  

Philippians 2;14-15  "Do all things  without murmurings and disputings,  That  ye may be blameless,  children of God,  without rebuke,  in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,  among whom  ye shine as lights  in the world."  

The trumpet,  speaks of the testimony and the witness of the believer.  

1 Corinthians 14:8   "For  if the trumpet  give an uncertain sound,  who shall prepare himself  to the battle?"  

THE TESTIMONY AND THE WITNESS OF A BELIEVER MUST BE SURE AND GIVE A CLEAR SOUND.  

The  trumpet was used to  alert  the troops for battle and so our lives  should alert the  folk around us  to the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ.  When the people saw  that Gideon  had won the battle  they were so pleased with him  that they asked him  to be  their king.  But Gideon refused.  

Judges 8:23  "And Gideon said unto them,  I  will not rule over you,  neither  shall my son  rule over you,  THE LORD SHALL RULE OVER YOU."   

GIDEON  KNEW  IN  HIS  HEART  THAT  GOD  HAD GIVEN HIM  THE VICTORY.

Hebrews 11:32-34   "And  what shall I say?  For the time  would fail me  to tell of Gideon,  and of Barak,  and of Samson,  and of Jeph'thah;  of David also,  and Samuel,  and of the prophets.  Who,  through faith,  subdued kingdoms,  wrought righteousness,  obtained promises,  stopped the mouths of lions,  Quenched the violence of fire,  escaped the edge of the sword,  OUT OF WEAKNESS WERE MADE STRONG,  became valiant in fight,  turned to flight the armies of the aliens."   

God   called  Gideon,  and  God  commissioned  Gideon  to perform an  extraordinary task,  he was weak,  but  God  made him  strong   in the Lord.

It would be nice  if we could end the story  of  Gideon  here  but  unfortunately  Gideon  had another weakness. 

Judges 8:30-31   "And  Gideon had three score and ten sons  of his body begotten;  for  he had  many wives.  And  his concubine,  who was in Shechem,  also bore him a son,  whose name was  Abimelech."   

Gideon  had many wives and a concubine. God did not approve of Gideon  having so many wives.  He had forbidden them  to intermarry and He had also told them  that  they were not to have  more than one wife.  The record tells us  that  Gideon's  actions  brought tragedy to the nation.  Do you remember what happened when  Abraham took a concubine,  an Egyptian girl called Hagar.  and she bore him a son called Ishmael.  God did not approve of what Abraham did.  Gideon's actions  split the kingdom and caused real tragedy.  This  was a  real blot  in Gideon's life,  but  God never hides  anything.  HE  PAINTS MANKIND IN ALL OF HIS LURID,  SINFUL COLOR.

God  gave the land peace for forty years under Gideon.  But after Gideon died,  Abimelech,  the son of Gideon's concubine  

Judges 9:5  "Went unto his fathers house  at Ophrah,  and slew  his brethren,  the sons of Jerubbaal,  being three score and ten persons,  upon one stone,   notwithstanding,    yet Jotham,  the youngest son of Jerubbaal,  was left;   for he hid himself."  

Then  the men of Shechem  proclaimed  Abimelech king.   Abimelech  ruled for  three years  and then   God  caused an evil spirit to cause problems between  Abimelech  and  the people of Shechem.  So  the people of Shechem  turned against Abimelech.  

Judges 9:52-54   "And Abimelech  came unto the tower,  and fought against it,  and went hard unto the door of the tower  to burn it with fire.  And a certain woman  cast a piece of millstone upon Abimelech's head,   and broke his skull.  Then he called hastily to the young man,  his armor bearer,  and said unto him,  Draw thy sword and slay me,  that men say not of me,  A  woman slew him.  And his young man thrust him through,  and he died."  

This is the sad ending of the life of Gideon  who  fathered this illegitimate son,  Abimelech.  

God    lifted   Gideon  from a very humble position  to be  a deliverer and  a judge  of  His people.  How sad  that  a man who accomplished so much good  should allow in his life,  that  which  God  did not approve of  and  which resulted  in  civil war  in Israel.  

Judges 9:57  God's Word Translation.  "So  God paid back  Abimelech  for the evil  he had done  to his father  when  he killed his seventy brothers.  God  also paid back  the men of Shechem  for all their evil,  So  the curse of Jotham,  son of Jerubbaal,  (another name for Gideon)  came true."

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