Gideon – Part 1 – They Cried Out
Reading Time: 8 Minutes
As a child, I only heard about the victories of Gideon. As an adult, I realized there was so much more to the story– found in the book of Judges, chapters 6-9. Israel had the habit of rebelling against the Lord and falling into the enemy’s control. They cried out to the Lord. He delivered them. They enjoyed peace for a while and rebelled against the Lord again. It became a repeated cycle of spiritual instability. The story of Gideon begins at a low point where Israel cried out to the Lord.
As you read, put yourself in Gideon’s place and learn from his obedience and bravery. Then, because we have the advantage of learning from his mistakes, ask the Lord how you can avoid the pitfalls the devil placed in Gideon’s path.
I hope to shed some light on how Satan works to weaken an individual, a family, God’s children and a nation. By listening to the Holy Spirit we can live victoriously all the days of our lives so we can bless our families and nation for the sake of the next generation.
To get the most from this post read Judges 6:1-16.
The Cry
During Gideon’s lifetime, the Israelites disobeyed God as a nation and did evil in His sight. They turned away from God’s love, purity and blessings to go after their own desires. Sinning against God became so normal in their culture that they didn’t realize the terrible vulnerability they and their nation were in. At that place of weakness, Israel’s enemies, the Midianites, attacked and terrorized the nation.
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. John 10:10 AMP
When the Israelites cried out to the Lord, God sent a prophet to remind them who God was and how He had delivered them in the past. He spoke through the prophet saying that the people of Israel had disobeyed God by worshiping other gods. The Lord had warned them but they would not listen.
Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. Joshua 6:6 NIV
The Blessing of Repentance
Israel began to repent of their sinful ways and God moved in to answer their cry. He chose to use someone who had absolutely no confidence in his own ability– Gideon. This was important because Israel had grown accustomed to trusting in themselves instead of in God. We can never save ourselves or anyone else by our own intellect, philosophies, talents, good deeds or even a prideful knowledge of scripture. The power of God’s loving grace alone is what saves us. Our part is to believe in the Lord and stay close to Him by following His lead.
The Winepress Encounter
Gideon hid in a winepress to thresh his wheat for fear that the Midianites would steal his freshly harvested crops. An angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and told Gideon that the Lord was with him. He referred to Gideon as a mighty warrior. Gideon respectfully argued with the angel, reasoning that if the Lord was with him, why had the Lord had not delivered Israel as He had done in the past?
Right then, the Lord Himself turned to Gideon declaring that He was sending Gideon to defeat the Midianites. Though Gideon felt unqualified and weak, the Lord told him to go in the strength that he had. When we cry out to the Lord and He answers, we must be ready and willing to become part of God’s solution to the problem.
How many times has the Lord spoken truth directly to us through His Word, but we try to figure out whether it is possible in the natural? When God comes into our “winepress,” He is offering to do the supernatural! The whole story of Gideon helps us see that God wants us to achieve victory in this life by the power of the Holy Spirit. But it won’t happen if we don’t follow God’s orders. He is our Commander and He has great plans to give us victory!
The Bread & the Wine
I see the winepress where Gideon hid to thresh wheat as the place where we first cried out to Jesus, our Savior. This pit of darkness, oppression and fear is like the day Jesus came to us and offered to give us victory over our bondage of sin! The wheat represents “the bread,” or body of Jesus that brought us life through the cross. The wine represents both His Blood that flowed from the cross, and the Holy Spirit that fills us giving us supernatural life. If you have not met Jesus Christ, the Lord, you can know Him too. Click here to read more: Meet Jesus
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17 NASB
God Empowers The Humble
The winepress can also represent the refinement process with God. Our pride must be crushed and pressed like grapes in a winepress. Like Gideon, sometimes pride comes in the form of feeling inferior, incapable, fearful or intimidated. When the Lord declares you are a mighty warrior in His eyes, that is Truth. Any other belief is pride and must be resisted. Cry out, yes, but then accept God’s answer by faith! Sweet juice pours out of this process of humility. Our pride is discarded and the fruit of the Holy Spirit becomes a blessing to others.
God can certainly use people of position and education if they are humble before Him. But He does not care about diplomas, experience or long resumes. You don’t have to work at a church to be powerful in God’s Kingdom. In fact, the Kingdom of God is not like the culture of the world! Man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart. God sees something in us that we are not capable of seeing without revelation from His Spirit. It is the humble person understands that they cannot do anything without the grace of God, but also that God can and will use anyone who is willing!
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 KJV
Just like the disciples of Jesus, Gideon experienced doubt. But the Lord was patient and helped him grow in faith. God reassured Gideon that He would be with Him and that His power would work through him all the way to victory. Many would be saved through Gideon’s faith, submission and obedience!
The Lord answered, “You can do it because I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man.” Judges 6:16 GNT
Mighty Warrior
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12 NIV
Maybe you don’t feel worthy of the gifts and good plans God has for you. None of us are qualified except through the grace of God through Jesus Christ. We have been made worthy by the Blood of Jesus. Those who believe in Him are cleansed from sin and set apart to be seated in unity with God. All of God’s children are “mighty warriors,” with God leading the way! But it starts with a humble cry, “God help!”
A Nation That Repents
The same is true for a nation that once followed the Lord but finds itself in a dark place. God hears the repentant cry of a nation!
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NIV
If we truly love the future generation, we will humble ourselves before God and do whatever He says! When Jesus is declared King over our lives and our nation, a shift will happen. It may take time, but we will see a turn-around!
Disciples of the Lord
Gideon had to be taught by the Lord before he was able to lead others to victory. He became a disciple (student) of Jesus (the Lord). The relationship between Gideon and the Lord grew. As followers of Jesus, we too are disciples. Our faith can only grow through relationship with God!
All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13. NKJV
Our salvation as an individual or a nation begins with a cry. Israel recognized their need for God and they cried out to Him! That is the first step toward reconciliation with God and victory in our lives and our nation. Only the Lord can give us freedom and He will receive all the glory!
Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.” Acts 10:34-35 NLT
But there’s so much more to the story! Here’s the link to: Gideon – Part 2 – The Rock
