Judges 6:14-16
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?” 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.” And the LORD said to him,
“Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
This scene
certainly does not depict what we in this modern day and age would describe as
a mighty man, a man of proven courage and boldness, ready to take on an enemy
the number of which the Bible describes as “like locusts for multitude”!
Just the
opposite. We see Gideon living in a cave, threshing his family’s crop of wheat
in a winepress to hide themselves and their crops from the Midianites. His
response to the words of the Lord mirrors his self-esteem at that time – ‘my
clan is the weakest’ and ‘I am the least in my father’s house’.
What then was
it that the Lord saw in Gideon, so that He consistently in that first meeting
with him, referred to Gideon as a mighty man of fearless courage? What were the
signs pointing to his becoming the great leader of Israel that he eventually
did become, that we would have overlooked or ignored as not applicable?
Gideon
admitted his weakness, allowing God’s strength to work unhindered
through him.
He was humble,
not hiding his lack of courage and lowly status.
If we continue
reading the rest of the chapter, we see that he loved his nation, asking
God why all this has befallen them.
He knew the
Scriptures and recounted for the Lord the remarkable things God had done in
bringing them up from Egypt.
He was also teachable,
listening carefully to and obeying the Lord’s instructions.
We all know the rest of
this story, how Gideon did indeed show himself as a fearless warrior of God!
Greatness in the Kingdom
of God lies in meekness. We read in the Bible how Jesus often taught about this:
how the meek will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5); how everyone who wants to be first must be
last, indeed the servant of all (Mark 9:35); Peter who was to become a
great leader of the church, was instructed to feed the sheep and nurture and
tend the flock (John 21:17).
Points to
ponder: When God looks at my
life, can he find Gideon’s humbleness, weakness, caring attitude, knowledge of
Scripture and eagerness to be taught, there? Am I willing to serve and love,
instead of selfishly seeking prominence and promotion in His Kingdom?
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