We continue down the Judges road! I am trying to add in a few thoughts about the overall book, not just the particular story. Thus, the comment about the implication of having a prophet's appearance added to the pattern.
Gideon's story is very complicated. Sign after sign; conflicting clues - ie Gideon's father stands up and lays claim to tearing down the altar to Baal, but it is also the altar that is attributed to Gideon's father. Perhaps the point is how the people were so conflicted in how they connected their lives of faith with their daily living.
I thought is was a pretty good sermon on discipleship, but no comments about it as people left!
“Here Come the Judges: Gideon 1” June 27, 2021; Judges 6; Summer Judges series; SAPC, Denton
28 When the townspeople rose early in the morning, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the sacred pole[c] beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. 29 So they said to one another, “Who has done this?” After searching and inquiring, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” 30 Then the townspeople said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so that he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the sacred pole[d] beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who were arrayed against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you defend his cause? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been pulled down.” 32 Therefore on that day Gideon[e] was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he pulled down his altar.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came together, and crossing the Jordan they encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 But the spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon; and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “In order to see whether you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37 I am going to lay a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let your anger burn against me, let me speak one more time; let me, please, make trial with the fleece just once more; let it be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.” 40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.
Introduction: Our Judges series spends two weeks reflecting on Gideon’s story (although we take a break from Judges next week on 4th of July).
In Gideon’s story, we see a similar pattern to what we have seen in the previous Judges’ stories, except there is an important difference in this story - when the people cry out, God does not immediately hear them and raise up a judge to rescue them.
If you go back to vs. 7, we read how this time God first sent a prophet to point out to the Israelites their sinfulness. this represents the next shift in the decline of Israel and the judges.
Remember, by the time we reach the end of Judges, the case will have been made that Israel needs a king because the judges just don’t cut it.
After the prophet, God does raise up another judge - the time Gideon. let’s reflect on how Gideon responds to God’s call.
move 1: Gideon is not sure he wants to embrace God’s calling, particularly if it involves taking on the Midianites.
a. Gideon already has been hiding out from the Midianites.
1. The Midianites have the power. Gideon does not.
2. they are the oppressor; Gideon is the oppressed.
3. Gideon has not challenged them, but intent found a way to go about his business and avoid them by hiding in the winepress.
b. When the angel of the Lord appears and tells Gideon the Lord is with him, Gideon is not so sure.
1. Gideon looks around and wonders how God can be with him if his life is such a mess.
2. Why are the Midianites in control if God is with the Israelites?
3. Gideon asks, “our ancestors talked about all the wonderful deeds God did for them, where are they now?
5. Perhaps you know that feeling Gideon has.
6. some days you look around and wonder, “if God is with us, why does the world look like this? Why am I dealing with these issues in my life?
c. Then, Gideon discovers that the angel of the Lord is calling him to be a part of what God is going to do.
1. Gideon is not impressed by the angel or excited about the opportunity.
2. All he can see are the negatives.
3. much like Moses who tries to get out of his call by saying he is not a good speaker, Gideon points out that his tribe is the weakest tribe.
4. Surely, God can find someone else more equipped for the task at hand.
5. maybe you know that sentiment as well.
6. God, you can find someone else better trained? Someone who has more talent, more money, more commitment. Anyone would be better than I.
7. Instead of singing “Here I am,” we sing, “Find someone else.”
c. But, the angel insists. so Gideon demands a sign.
1. The angel gives the first sign - fire consuming the meat and the broth.
2. Gideon’s response at having the angel prove God with him?
3. “help me. I have seen the Lord.”
3. It appears that if Gideon does not have God with him then he cannot do what God wants, and if Gideon does have God with him, then that scares him too.
4. Gideon is not rushing out to accept God’s call.
c. Being a disciple means embracing our calling.
1. We often speak of listening for God’s call, seeking God’s guidance.
2. Gideon reminds us that we do not just have to listen, we have to embrace.
3. Harvey Cox: “When it comes to a moral dilemma, any moral dilemma, we always face three steps. The first is the most important: we must recognize it as a moral issue, not just an investment decision, or a clinical issue or a political choice. The second is to find an answer to the question: what should I do? Then comes the third, and undoubtedly the hardest step: to summon the courage to do it.” Harvey Cox, When Jesus Went to Harvard (25).
d. We discover the challenge of discipleship on a personal level and corporate level.
1. In our own lives, it is easier to just go along, hide in the winepress, if you will, than to hear God’s call to be part of the change and commit to doing it.
2. I would never say it is easy to discern God’s call for our lives, but it is even more difficult to step up and answer the call.
3. As a church, we face that challenge as well, particularly at this moment in the life of the church.
4. We are coming out of a pandemic, forced to do things differently over the last 15 months, learning lots of things along the way, and noticing that people’s expectations of the church have been changing as well.
5. We also look to the not-so-distant future when Our Daily Bread leaves our facility and consider what God might be calling St. Andrew to next.
6. as we listen to hear God’s call for who we are to be, we face the added challenge of living into that calling.
Discipleship means listening for God’s call and then moving forward to answer God’s call.
Move 2: We also notice that to move forward, Gideon has to deal with the past sins.
a. No surprise - The first task to which the angel calls Gideo is to tear the altar built to sacrifice to Baal.
1. not only is it used to worship other gods, but it stands in the community as a symbol of their unfaithfulness.
3. They cannot commit to doing what God wants for them with the altar to Baal hanging over them.
4. admittedly, Gideon is not sure about it. he tears down the altar under the cover of night so no one knows he is the one.
5. In fact, his father is the only one who seems to stand up and lay claim to his calling.
b. this part of Gideon’s story asks the question: what is holding you back in your life?
1. What do you need to deal with first before moving forward?
2. A broken relationship that needs repair?
3. Self-doubt about your ability to do a particular thing?
4. the memory of a past failure?
c. It is easy to let the demons of the past keep us from moving toward the opportunities God puts before us now and into the future.
maybe the first step in answering God’s call is to deal with that which holds us back.
Move 3: Even after Gideon tears down the altar, he continues to ask for signs from God.
a. how about this God? I'll put some fleece out (now you know where the phrase putting out your fleece comes from) and when I awaken, if the fleece is wet with dew and the ground is dry, that will be the sign.
- Ta-da – the morning arrives, the fleeces is wet enough to fill a bowl with wrung out dew, the ground is dry, now Gideon will go do what God wants him to do.
- Well, not exactly – yes, the fleece is wet, yes the ground is dry, but Gideon wants God to pass another test.
- This time the fleece will be put out and in the morning the fleece will be dry, but the ground will be wet.
b. We are starting to realize that Gideon’s desire for signs may reflect other issues Gideon has.
1. Maybe he has to satisfy his insatiable need to believe God is with him.
2. Maybe he is buying time, hoping something else will come along.
3. maybe he is looking for any way he can to avoid his calling.
4. Gideon - the reluctant follower, torn between his calling and his desire to avoid his calling.
d. The hope for Gideon, the hope for any of us who face the challenge of discipleship unsure if we have what it takes, dragged down by our past, torn between our desire to follow and our fear of doing so, our hope is in the God who is not done.
1. the God who will use Gideon.
2. The God who will use us.
3. The God who chooses to join with us, call us, equip us, and then stay with us, despite our failings or shortcomings.
Conclusion: Gideon is not done because God is not done.
We are not done because God is not done.
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