“The Call of Gideon”
SERMON Title: The CAll of Gideon
SCRIPTURE: Judges 6:1-16 ESV
Introduction
As we’ve just read, Gideon was called to be a judge during a time of great turmoil in Israel. The nation was suffering under the oppressive grip of the Midianites. But who were the Midianites? Well, they were actually descendants of Abraham, just like the Israelites.
In Genesis 25:1-6, we learn that after Sarah died, Abraham married a woman named Keturah, and together they had many children. One of their sons was Midian, and thus, the Midianites were born. But while the Israelites lived in covenant with God, the Midianites lived apart from Him, serving idols like Baal and Asherah. So, when the Israelites turned away from God, He allowed the Midianites to oppress them severely.
In fact, the oppression was so bad that the Israelites were forced to flee to the mountains, building caves in the cliffs to survive. (Imagine what that must have been like. You can see images of the caves at Nahal Zin.) The Bible explains in verses 3-6 how the Midianites harassed the Israelites:
“Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, leaving no sustenance in Israel—neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and tents, coming in like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted. And they laid waste the land as they came in. And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.”
The Midianites destroyed everything the Israelites worked for: their crops and livestock. By verse 6, the Bible says, “Israel was brought very low.” In the NIV, it says “Midian so impoverished the Israelites,” and this word “impoverished” is key. The root of the word describes a bucket hanging at the end of a rope. The Israelites were literally “hanging by a thread,” barely surviving under Midianite oppression.
So, in response to this, what did the Israelites do? As we’ve seen time and again, they cried out to God for help. But unlike the other stories we’ve looked at, God didn’t immediately raise up a judge to deliver them. Instead, He sent a prophet. This prophet reminded the Israelites who God is, what He had done for them, and called them to repentance. In verses 8-10, we read:
“The Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.’”
The reason God sent this prophet was to show the Israelites that He doesn’t just deliver them automatically when they cry out. God can’t be manipulated like a cosmic vending machine. He wants our repentance—true, sincere turning back to Him. I know that in my own life, I’ve found times where I tried to manipulate God without realizing it. I’d sin, telling myself I’d just repent later and be forgiven. But that’s exactly what the Israelites were doing—they were sinning knowingly, but expecting God to deliver them whenever they cried out. This time, before raising up a judge, God first sent a prophet to remind them of their need for real repentance. We’re not told exactly how the Israelites responded to the prophet, but we can assume they repented. After this, God called Gideon to be their deliverer.
Now, let’s look at Gideon and the circumstances he was in when God called him.
Introduction of Gideon
In verse 11, we read:
"Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites."
This verse shows us two key things about Gideon’s situation:
It was a time of persecution for Gideon. Just like the rest of Israel, Gideon was suffering under Midianite oppression. The fact that he was hiding while threshing wheat shows that the enemy had repeatedly plundered their harvest, leaving him fearful and in hiding.
It was a time of poverty for Gideon. Threshing wheat was normally done in an open, elevated space to allow the wind to separate the grain from the chaff. But because Gideon had so little grain, he had to thresh it in a winepress, which was a small, enclosed space. So, Gideon’s life was both impoverished and persecuted. Yet, it was precisely in this place of weakness that God chose to meet him.
Relevance to Our Circumstances
Now, let's take a moment to reflect on our own lives. Like Gideon and the Israelites, we too live in challenging times:
Just as Gideon and Israel feared the Midianites, many Christians today feel the pressure of cultural opposition. While some face direct persecution in other parts of the world, in North America, faith is increasingly marginalized. Christian values are pushed out of public life and workplaces.
Just like Gideon faced economic hardship, many of us today struggle with job instability, inflation, and rising costs of living. Many feel anxious about their financial future, just as Gideon had to hide his grain to survive.
And just like the Israelites, who felt like they were simply resigned to their oppression, many believers today struggle with discouragement. We may feel like God is distant, or like He is inactive in the face of the challenges we face.
So, like Gideon, we might look at our circumstances and wonder, “Where is God in all of this?” But, as we’ll see, God calls and equips even the weakest to accomplish His purposes.
The Call of Gideon
In his time of hiding and fear, the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor” (v.12). Here was a man so afraid of the enemy that he was hiding to thresh wheat, yet God called him a "mighty warrior." Why? Because God saw what Gideon would become when He worked in and through him.
God’s intention was to raise up Gideon for a mighty purpose, and that was the person He saw in him. This is something we need to remember too: God knows us better than we know ourselves. In Jeremiah 1:5, He says:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
When we look at ourselves, especially in our spiritual lives, we often see mistakes, failures, and problems. We see a person who constantly fails to live up to God’s calling. We see someone who loses more than they win in the spiritual battles. But that’s not the person God sees when He looks at us.
When Jesse looked at David, he saw his youngest son, a boy who wasn’t even worthy to be called to the family meeting with Samuel. But when God looked at David, He saw a king. When Gideon looked at himself, he saw the weakest son from the weakest clan of Manasseh. But God saw a mighty warrior.
The truth is, our God looks at the heart and sees what we will become when He’s done with us. Just like He did with Peter, Paul, and Gideon, God can take us as we are and transform us into something powerful and amazing by His power. So, when we look at ourselves, we need to remember that it’s not about how well we perform in this world, or how much success we achieve, but about how genuine our hearts are for the Lord and His Kingdom.
Gideon’s Doubt and Confusion
When Gideon heard God’s words, he was stunned. He couldn’t understand why God would speak to him, and he responded with questions.
He questioned God’s presence and performance. In verse 13, Gideon says:
“Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
Gideon was essentially asking, “Where were You all this time? We’ve heard about Your miracles, but we don’t see them anymore. Are You even real?”
But God didn’t rebuke him. Instead, He turned to Gideon and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” (v.14). God’s answer was full of reassurance. He wasn’t angry with Gideon’s doubt but gently encouraged him, reminding him that He was sending him.
He questioned God’s perception. In verse 15, Gideon said:
“Pardon me, my lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
He thought, “Are You sure, God? My family is the weakest in our tribe, and I’m the weakest in my family. You’ve got the wrong person.”
But God reassured him again: “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” (v.16)
Now, we’ll see how Gideon responds to this call in the coming weeks. But for today, let’s pause and reflect on what we can learn from Gideon’s story.
Lessons for Us Today
Many of us are just like Gideon. We know God wants us to serve Him, and we understand that He wants to use us for His glory. But we’re often so filled with fear and doubt that we refuse to trust Him.
Gideon’s response was very much like Moses’ when God called him from the burning bush. Both men came up with excuses about why they weren’t qualified. Both felt like the task was beyond their ability.
But isn’t that true of us as well? We make excuses about why we’re not good enough or why it’s too overwhelming. We look at our weaknesses and limitations, but we forget to focus on who God is and what He can do! It’s not about our capabilities—it’s about God’s power working in us.
Brothers and sisters, we need to stop being self-conscious and start being God-conscious! In our own strength, we might be weak. But if God, the Almighty, is with us, who can stand against us? What is impossible for us is totally possible for God!
So, no matter where you are in life, whether you’re a student, a working professional, a parent, or in retirement, God is calling you to serve Him right where He’s placed you.
Let’s have the courage to respond to His call with faith and obedience, trusting that He will equip us for whatever He has for us. Amen?
Gospel as the Source of our Confidence
And when God calls you to do something, may we not hesitate in our doubt and fear, but step forward in faith and obedience! Why? Because, in the end, it is not us who are doing it, but God!
My brothers and sisters, The gospel reminds us that we are not left to rely on our own strength—Jesus Christ has already completed the ultimate work of salvation! He has triumphed over sin and death, achieving what we never could. And now, through His Spirit, He empowers us to live for Him. So It is not our ability, but His grace, that enables us to move forward in obedience. God calls us to trust not in our own sufficiency, but in Christ, who is our strength. Ultimately, this is His mission and so He will make sure His mission is fulfilled. And It's simply that He invites us to be instruments and channels of His love and redemption in this world, participating in His mission through our daily lives, relationships, and service. What a glorious honor that is!
That is why, when God calls, we must not make excuses. If He is the One sending us, He will also equip us. The call to follow Christ is a call to step out in faith, even when we are afraid, even when we feel unqualified.
Through the life-changing power of the gospel, we can step forward in obedience with confidence, knowing that His strength is at work within us.
Conclusion
So my brothers and sisters, let’s stop looking at ourselves—our limitations, our fears, our doubts—and start looking to Jesus. If He is with us, what do we have to fear? If the Lord Almighty is calling us, what excuse do we have to hesitate and hold back?
Let’s trust Him, obey Him, and step forward in faith, knowing that it is not our strength, but His, that will accomplish His will.
Next week we will see how Gideon comes to respond to God’s calling in obedience. But, to let you know ahead, Gideon still struggles with trusting God fully! But we will also see that our God, being the loving and merciful God that he is, puts up with Gideon’s doubts and raises him up to save the Israelites.
In the same way, as we face our callings, and even when we know that it is God who is calling us to that task, we may still have doubts and fear. We may have doubts and fears because we are weak. But I urge you to remove your eyes from yourself and place your eyes on the Lord! Trust in His power and His greatness. As we do, we will find the ultimate motivation to respond to God’s calling in confident obedience.
Reflection and Response
As we reflect on this truth today, I want to invite you to take a moment and honestly examine where you stand in relation to God's calling on your life.
- Where are you currently resisting God's call on your life because of fear or doubt?
- Are you still making excuses? Are you paralyzed by fear, feeling inadequate or unqualified?
- What step of obedience is God calling you to take, not tomorrow, not next month or next year, but today?
As we reflect on God’s call on our lives, let us be reminded that it is not by our own strength that we can obey, but through the power of the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ. Through His death, resurrection and life, Jesus has already made a way for us, empowering us to live faithfully and step forward in obedience, no matter our fears or limitations.