Gideon – Part 5 – Humility
Reading Time: 6 Minutes
Gideon had come to know the Lord in a more personal way than he had ever expected. And because the Lord had gained his trust, Gideon was in a place of humility that would enable him to lead Israel into victory over their oppressors.
To get the most from this post read: Judges 7:16-25 & Judges 8:1-3
The following are links to the first four posts on the story of Gideon.
The Humility of a Nation
The people of Israel were nearly starving to death because of the invasion and they were unable to overcome the brutality of their enemies. They realized that they had abandoned the Lord and run away from His favor. This was not the first time Israel’s pride had caused them to be subdued by their enemies. And yet, they had not learned from their mistakes.
It is extremely sad when a nation has known the mercy, grace and prosperity of the Lord by loving and obeying Him, only to throw their freedom away because of pride. But our God is amazingly merciful to the nation that repents.
Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. Jeremiah 18:5-10 NIV
Gideon’s Humility
When he first met the Lord, Gideon was hiding in a winepress threshing wheat in fear of being robbed and beaten by the Midianites. He was at a desperate place of humility but fear was standing in his way. The Lord’s faithful love and demonstration of power melted Gideon’s fears.
Gideon saw the Lord’s power when fire from the great rock consumed the sacrifice. He experienced God’s protection after demolishing the community idols erected by his father. The Lord had given him several signs that built up his faith. All of this was maturing Gideon’s faith in the Lord. He was being taught of the Lord and was now ready to lead Israel’s army. His confidence in the Lord was so important because God’s plan of battle would prove to be extremely unconventional!
The Battle
He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it. Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’” Judges 7:16-18 NLT
It took great humility for a small army of men to obey their commander and go into battle with horns and jars of clay. Gideon had learned to listen to the voice of the Lord. He knew the orders, carried them out and the Lord came through for Israel!
Just after midnight they sneaked closer to the enemy’s camp, blew their horns and broke the clay jars exposing the lanterns. The enemy soldiers who slept in their tents were startled by the shout, the noise of the jars breaking and the light. Perhaps the Lord added some sight and sound effects of His own because the Midianite army of 135,000 men began killing one another, and the rest fled on foot. Gideon’s 300 men chased the Midianites in battle throughout the night.
Gideon’s Humility Tested
Gideon summoned several tribes to come to their aid as they continued to hunt down the enemy. The men of Ephraim captured and executed the two Midianite commanders, Oreb and Zeeb.
The Ephraimites became offended at Gideon for not including them in the initial battle. They confronted Gideon face to face in anger and argued with him. But Gideon did not defend himself. He didn’t argue back.
He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?” When he said this, they calmed down. Judges 8:2-3 NET
Even after a very difficult night, Gideon remained humble as the Ephraimites accused him of wrongdoing. He had grown to be more like the Lord– offering grace, patience, love and self-control. Gideon was a great disciple and had become a mighty warrior!
Personal Humility
Father God is waiting at the door for His prodigal sons and daughters to come back home. He longs to pour out love and blessings to those who humble themselves, renounce their pride and admit they are dying outside of His embrace. In that place of humility we can follow our Father’s example and become more like Him. When we are ready to be seated at God’s Table, with the Lord in the seat of honor, His wonderful plan for His Family can unfold.
Like Gideon, the Lord wants us to come to Him and ask Him about anything! And when the Lord speaks, a humble disciple will listen and carry out His desires. With God as our authority we can remain humble toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, even when our love for them is tested. We need one another, but the devil would like to see us disunited. Pride has no place in our ranks. If we want to win spiritual battles, we must stay united by the Spirit of the Lord! And that requires humility.
How do we remain humble? Let us remember who we were before we met the Lord– hiding in a winepress for fear of our lives. We could do nothing to save ourselves but Jesus came and gave His life so we could live! And then, God sent His Spirit to dwell in us and empower us for victory. We have no reason to become prideful. The Lord has done it all and deserves all the glory! A believer can only remain humble by growing in relationship with the Lord. And it is that same humility that develops a mighty warrior in His Kingdom!
