THE MINISTRY OF GIDEON

 THE MINISTRY OF GIDEON THE JUDGE

In the midst of distress caused by the Midianites, God raised up a judge by the name of Gideon to deliver the children of Israel from their enemies.  Just as every judge was a type of the person and ministry of Christ, Gideon portrayed our Lord Jesus in many interesting ways.

1.   GIDEON WAS A MAN WITH HIDDEN RESOURCES

At a time when Israel was in want of food because they had lost their possessions and sustenance, Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in the wine press:

Judges 6:11

11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.

2. AS JEHOVAH WAS WITH JESUS, HE WAS ALSO WITH GIDEON                     

Judges 6:12

^“And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valour!”

The same can be said of Jesus for He went everywhere doing good and performing miracles because God was with Him.

Acts 10:38

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; FOR GOD WAS WITH HIM.

3. LIKE JESUS, GIDEON HAD A SPECIFIC CALLING RIGHT AT THE START OF HIS MINISTRY

Judges 6:14

14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

Jesus had a similar calling in His life. Even before His birth, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that the child which was conceived in Mary was of the Holy Spirit. The angel then said that Jesus would be the Saviour

Matthew 1:21 - “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name JESUS; FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.

4. LIKE JESUS, GIDEON WAS COMMISSIONED AND SENT OUT BY JEHOVAH GOD.

Judges 6:14

¹⁴ Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

Jesus was also commissioned and sent out by His Father.  Listen to His words as He came and stood before His disciples after His resurrection.

John 20:21

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: AS MY FATHER HATH SENT ME, even so sent I you.”

5. LIKE JESUS, GIDEON RESPONDED POSITIVELY TO GOD’S CALLING

Gideon became a willing vessel upon confirming the will of God through the signs he asked from God. 

Jesus also became a willing vessel when he knew from the scriptures the will of God for Him. – See Hebrews 10:5-7

5. Christ’s Death Fullfills God’s Will

Hebrews 10:5-7

⁵ Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come  In the volume of the book it is written of Me - To do Your will, O God.’ ”

6. LIKE JESUS, GIDEON HAD A VERY HUMBLE BEGINNING

He came from a very poor family. In fact, he was the least in the household which belonged to the weakest clan in Manasseh.  Being humble, God exalted him:

Judges 6:15

¹⁵ So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

6a. JESUS  HUMBLE  UPBRINGING

What about Jesus? What does the Bible say concerning His upbringing? Jesus, like Gideon, also come from a humble background. Mary and Joseph were not rich. Mary dedicated to God a song that she was poor.  See  Luke 1:46-48

6b. THE SONG OF MARY - Luke 1:46-48

⁴⁶ And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
⁴⁸ For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

7. BOTH GIDEON AND JESUS WERE CONSUMED BY THE ZEAL OF THE LORD

When Gideon saw the idolatry in the land, the spirit within him was grieved. Acting in obedience to the Lord, he took ten men from among his servants and by night destroyed the altar of Baal.

                        Judges 6:27-28

 27 So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.

           Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, there was the altar of Baal, torn down; and the wooden image that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was being offered on the altar which had been built.

7. ZEAL OF GOD’S HOUSE

The zeal for God’s house also consumed Jesus.

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover.  On one occasion when He found the people in the temple selling oxen, sheep and doves, and the money-changers doing business, He made a whip out of cords and drove them all away.   - John 2:13-17

8. GIDEON CHOSE THOSE WORTHY TO BE IN THE ARMY OF GOD

In the choosing of men, Gideon started off with 32,000 people but the Lord instructed him to reduce the number of men lest Israel should claim glory for herself when God grants them victory. Those fearful and afraid were sent home and Gideon was left with ten thousand.

Judges 7:2,3

2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” And twenty-two thousands of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.

8. GOD CALLED GIDEON TO REDUCE THE ARMY TO 300 MEN -  Judges 7:4-7

⁴ But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” ⁵ So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” ⁶ And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. ⁷ Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.

8. JESUS CHOSE THOSE WORTHY TO BE HIS DISCIPLES

The bible says many are called few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). Among the called and chosen, we find another group who are faithful. (Rev. 17:14). 

Jesus had 70 disciples that He sent out two by two into every city and place. 

The Seventy Sent Out – Luke 10:1

“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.”

8. JESUS CHOSE 70, 12, 3 DISCIPLES

And among the 70, Jesus chose 12 of them, called the Twelve Apostles

John 6:70 – Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

And among the 12, there were 3 – Peter, James and John that formed the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples.

So Gideon had his 32,000, 10,000 and 300 men. In Jesus case, they were 70, 12 and 3 disciples.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF GIDEON

1. Gideon served as the fifth major judge over Israel.

2. He destroyed an altar to the pagan god Baal, earning him the name Jerub-Baal, meaning contender with Baal.

3. Gideon united the Israelites against their common enemies and through God's power, defeated them.

4. Gideon is listed in the Faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11.

5. Gideon was called, chosen and faithful to the work of God and delivered Israelites from bondage.

 

GIDEON’S LIFE LESSONS

a) Gideon’s Strengths

•      Even though Gideon was slow to believe, once convinced of God's power, he was a loyal follower who obeyed the Lord's instructions.

•      Gideon was a natural leader of men.

b) Gideon’s Weaknesses

•      In the beginning, Gideon's faith was weak and needed proof from God.

•      He showed great doubt toward the Rescuer of Israel.

•      Gideon made an ephod from Midianite’s gold, which became an idol to his people.

•      He also took a foreigner for a concubine, fathering a son who turned evil.

c) Life Lessons from Gideon

•      God can accomplish great things through us if we forget our weaknesses, trust in the Lord, and follow his guidance.

•      "Putting out a fleece," or testing God, is a sign of weak faith. 

•       Sin always has bad consequences.

 

PRAYER

Lord, I thank you for choosing me to fulfil your purpose in the earth. Please help me focus on you instead of my limitations, because if you have called me then you have already made the provision and you will equip me for success. My confidence will rest in the promise that “The Lord is with me”. Thank you for seeing beyond my weaknesses and limitations, and may I never forget that you are El-Shaddai, the Almighty God.

Lord, my prayer is that I will respond to your instructions with faith instead of uncertainty and disbelief. I know sometimes doubt creeps in, but Lord help me overcome my unbelief! Even in moments of weakness and doubt, it is such a joy to know I am not rejected by you. Abba Father, I am beyond grateful for your goodness towards me.

Lord, please help me to follow your instructions even if they seem foolish. In the same way you told Gideon to reduce the army to 300 men even though he was facing an army of thousands, help me walk in obedience to you and trust you with what little you have given me.

In Jesus Name, Amen.