Last week we talked about Gideon from Judges 6 and 7. I have to admit that I knew the story peripherally. More than anything I knew about the fleece that was laid out by Gideon and how God was tested to see if what He told Gideon was really true. Maybe some background on the story would help...
Israel is being raided by the Midianites. Israel had turned its back on the Lord and worshiped Baal. God allowed the Midianites to oppress and harass Israel, but one day they cried out to God, He would deliver them through Gideon.
Gideon is found in a winepress beating out wheat. In order to separate the wheat from the chaff, Gideon would be beating it with something like a blanket in order to get the chaff in the air to be blown away in the wind. The problem is that Gideon is beating wheat in a winepress with is either dug into the ground or often found inside a cave. There would be very little wind available for Gideon, making his best efforts futile.
Gideon is afraid. He doesn't want the Midianites coming and taking the wheat so he hides out. It is here that God calls him to deliver Israel.
Because the Lord is with Gideon, he will be a mighty man of valor. There is no evidence of Gideon being this mighty man of valor prior to the Lord coming to him. It is God who is going to work through Gideon to deliver Israel from oppression.
Gideon grabs an army of 32,000 but God says that is too many people. The Lord does not want Israel to have a reason to think they were the ones who fought and won this battle so He strips the army down to 10,000. Still a pretty good number - but He isn't done.
9,700 more are taken away and the army is left with 300 people to go and take out the Midianites. By the way - no swords, spears, shields, or anything like that. Just a torch, a jar, and a trumpet.
God gives Israel the victory over the Midianites. What seemed impossible for man is always possible with God, but here is what really sticks out to me. God stripped Israel, Gideon, and the army down so that they HAD to rely on HIM in order for victory.
He does the same with us. He will strip of of our self-reliance to get things done, to be successful, to have a great victory so that He can be our sole-reliance. Trying to trust ourselves or our own strength will never get done what God wants to accomplish in us and through us.
He gives the victory in our lives, and sometimes we have to get out of the way. He will take everything He needs to away so that He can shine bright through us.
He isn't afraid to strip us down so that all we have is Jesus. From there He begins to build us up.
I talked about this Wednesday night and experienced it days later. He is still working. Let Him work.
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