The Power of God
Good morning and Happy Almost New Year! I really cannot believe that we stand on the brink of a new year, of 2013. Just hearing 2013 come out of my mouth is surreal in so many ways. I remember the new millennium, 2000 very well because that was a big year for me. That was the year I graduated high school and started as a freshman at Springfield College. And when I think back to the young, wide eyed, naive 18 year old girl I was it seemed to me that I had it all figured out. If you had asked me then where I thought I would be, at the end of 2012 I would have told you something very different from where I have actually landed. Life is funny, isn’t it? It’s just as the famous John Lennon has been quoted saying, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” And it’s amazing to me how the twists and turns and losses and unexpected blessings all weave themselves together to create life as we know it.
December 30, 2012
Judges 6:11-16, The Power of God
Amy Staples, Brewster Baptist Church
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Do any of you know someone who just can’t seem to learn the lesson? They seem to you and to everybody else around them to be making the same mistakes over and over again? I like to refer to these people as Lousy Learners. You just want to shake them and tell them to wise up, quit their whining, and choose a different path! Now this never happens to you…right? You always learn the lesson the first time but in case you may have at one time or another been a Lousy Learner you will see that you have more in common with the Israelites in the OT than you may have realized.
Before we dive into our Scripture reading for today I’m going to give you a little background to set the scene. If you have read any portion of the OT whether it be a chapter, a book, or the entire thing you would have read something about God’s people, otherwise known as the Israelites. The Israelites were God’s “chosen people”, and through their lineage would come many faithful men and women of God, the pinnacle being the birth of Christ, which we just celebrated this past week at Christmas! The Israelites enjoyed God’s blessings and had the promise of His presence with them wherever they went, but they also had a responsibility and a part to play in their relationship with God. They were to love God and God alone and were warned time and time again that there would be consequences if they chose to worship false idols.
We pick up the story of the Israelites in the book of Judges where the pattern at this time is that the people experience God’s blessings and favor, things are going very well for them, and sometimes when this happens we as humans become complacent and we forget our need for God. Well this is what happens the Israelites become spiritually complacent and find themselves sinning against God. They have begun worshipping idols and false gods, they have blatantly disobeyed God. As you and I know there are consequences to our sin and bad choices and their sin separates them from God making them susceptible to being overtaken by hostile people groups. They realize the mess they’ve created and cry out to God because they can’t undo their situation. Have you ever gotten yourself in so deep that the only thing you could do was to cry out for help?
And this is exactly where we find ourselves in Judges 6. The Israelites have done it again and are under the oppressive rule of the Midianites, This nomadic people group has a lengthy history with the Israelites and it hasn’t always been pretty. This time around they have mistreated, abused, and left nothing for the Israelites. The Midianites vastly outnumbered them and they destroyed everything that belonged to the Israelites. Think of a swarm of locusts on trees or if we want to make it a little more personal think of summertime on Cape Cod and the overwhelming number of tourists. Just kidding of course! Things were far worse for the Israelites, they ran and hid in caves because they feared the Midianites so much! This went on for 7 years and the Israelites were so desperate that they cried out to God.
And this is where we pick up our story in Judges 6: 11-16, The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah (Ofra) that belonged to Joash (Jo-as) the Abiezrite (Abi-ezrite), where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh (Man-ah-sah), and I am the least in my family.”The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
One of the first things I notice here is how the angel addresses Gideon. He says, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Why would this be important for Gideon to hear? Because at that moment that the angel was sent to Gideon, Gideon was in fact hiding out. He was gathering what little wheat he could to survive on and probably praying the Midianites wouldn’t find him. He was scared, feeling hopeless and helpless and from the sounds of it he had felt as though God had abandoned them. So the angel is assuring Gideon that although things look bleak for the Israelites God has not forgotten about them. Just as God does not forget about us when we are in the midst of turmoil, loneliness, or suffering.
The angel then goes on to call him mighty warrior but it seems to me that Gideon doesn’t see himself as much of a mighty warrior! He makes excuses and uses his social class and birth order as reasons why he can’t possibly do what God is calling Him to do! As if God didn’t already know his background and history! But what about you and I? Where are we making excuses? In what areas of our lives are we limiting ourselves because we can only see the places where we lack. And is your view of yourself the same as how God sees you? The angel of the Lord called Gideon, Mighty Warrior and this makes me wonder what sort of titles God might have for you and I…maybe it’s Fearless Leader, Forgiving Healer, or Bold Teacher…whatever it is maybe we need to begin praying that God would give us eyes to see ourselves, the way that He does. One of the great privileges of working with youth and kids for me is to call out the potential I see within them to do great things and to speak that truth into their lives. We can all be like Gideon at times and it helps to have friends, mentors, and family members who can pour into us the truth of who we are in God’s eyes.
Gideon is full of BUTS and we’re no different. Our excuses may have changed over time but Christians across the centuries have always been afraid to go where God may be calling them. It’s interesting to me that God’s view of Gideon is so different from Gideon’s view of himself. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God isn’t interested in our status in society, or how fit or good looking we may be, or whether we come from a rich or poor family. He looks to our heart to see whether we are in a right relationship with Him and when we are, it is then that He can really use us to accomplish His purposes. You see Gideon allows his past to define what his future will look like BUT God has other plans for him. And God may have other plans for you and I also! Our circumstances, or education level, or the amount of money we make (or lack thereof) may cause us to doubt ourselves but God sees beyond that to the person we are, and to who we are becoming.
Gideon’s immediate response was one of question and doubt. If God were with him than why are these horrible things happening to him and the Israelites? Maybe you’ve found yourself questioning God in this way before, I know I have. Well the Lord doesn’t answer Gideon’s questions, instead He tells him, here is the solution… you have all you need to accomplish the task in front of you, so go in the strength that you do have. And sometimes we don’t get the answers we may want…if there is one thing I am certain of I will never have all the answers. But if I wait to have all the answers to trust God and move forward, then I will accomplish nothing in His name.
I believe with all my heart that our faith won’t grow if we aren’t willing to move forward with the little faith we do have. That is what faith is…Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” ; Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” We oftentimes won’t understand certain obstacles or opportunities in front of us but if we can have enough faith to know that God won’t leave us hanging our faith will grow.
God’s response to Gideon reminds me of something I heard many times as a kid from my own parents. Parents what is it you say to your kids when they ask you over and over again, “But, why????!” “Because I said so!”. Right, just as a child can’t understand why their parents make them eat their veggies or take the trash out, or say please and thank you we can’t always understand why God may ask us to do certain things! However, we do have the comfort and security of knowing that God goes with us into those uncertain situations.
So the vision is cast, God is asking Gideon to do a pretty big feat. He is sending him to rescue Israel out of the Midianites hands! Those terrible people who have mistreated, abused, and stolen from the Israelites! Yeah those people whose strength and size out match the Israelites! God is telling Gideon to stand up to them?! What?! But He does promise Gideon 2 things, 1. I will be with you and 2. You will take down the Midianites. You will have the victory. He hasn’t revealed just how the job will get done yet but God is making it clear that Gideon has a part to play in rescuing the Israelites.
Now God is the creator of the universe, He intricately made each one of us and He put the stars in the sky and separated the land from the water. He raised up mountains and He knows what lies at the bottom of the ocean. It would have been easy for God to strike the Midianites dead thus freeing the Israelites. BUT he doesn’t, He patiently waits for Gideon to be ready to be the man for the job. And this should encourage us too! Because good news guys and gals, God uses ordinary people like you and I to accomplish his purposes and tasks! He doesn’t care about our weaknesses, in fact God is able to do mighty works through us when we acknowledge our weaknesses! Paul says of God in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” It is actually a good place to be in when we sense God calling us to something that seems beyond our talents, giftings, and knowledge. Because it is in those times that we really must rely on the power of God and we know that once the task is accomplished God gets the glory.
So the plan is set in motion…Gideon is to take down the Midianites and free the Israelites from their oppressive rule! BUT before the battle is waged God asks him to do something… God asks Gideon to tear down the altar in town that is used for worshipping Baal, a false god. This is what usually gets Israel into trouble, they take on the idol worship of the neighboring people groups. An important item to note here is that Gideon’s father built this altar to Baal. So God is asking Gideon to do something that could cause division between himself and his father. So the stakes are somewhat high…how many of you spent time with family this past week? Now I won’t ask you to show a raise of hands but how many of you experienced tension, arguing, or drama? Right, well the same goes for Gideon. Families are far from perfect, and when one member of the family is doing something harmful or destructive or disobedient we may be the ones called on to set them straight. And so it is with Gideon and his father.
I find it interesting that before God calls Gideon into battle, He asks him to destroy the altar to Baal. In order for Gideon to have the victory he must be totally 100% committed to God and God alone. And he is also making a statement to the Israelites that if they desire freedom again they must make peace with God and this begins by removing the idols and false gods in their lives. Maybe just maybe you and I are worshipping false idols that are hindering us from accomplishing God’s purposes for our lives. Maybe our idol worship isn’t as literal as an altar to Baal in our backyards but it may be even more dangerous than that because its not as obvious…maybe its love of $, the all consuming desire to have the All American dream, or maybe it’s to be well known/popular. Whatever it is, I urge you to make a conscious effort to tear these idols out of your life, and to reestablish God as the One you worship.
Now the Midianiates, Amalekites, and other combined forces are moving in on the Israelites to wage war on them. And this is the beginning of the end for Israel’s enemies… Judges 6:34 says, “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet…” The Spirit of the Lord launches Gideon into action. With the sound of his trumpet he calls for help from other groups of people and adds to the Israelites #’s. This is important for us! The Spirit of the Lord is powerful, it comes with strength and action. We are moved to do things that we didn’t know we could ever do! I’m sure Gideon was intimidated by the task at hand and if we could ask him (and someday in heaven I plan on it) I’m sure he’d tell us that it wasn’t by his strength or power that he sprung into action, because he was a rather timid and fearful man, but rather it was God’s Spirit empowering him.
There are many instances of the Spirit of the Lord coming on people in the OT with power…we have David in 1 Samuel 16:13, Jephthah (Jep-thah) (Judges 11:29), Samson (Judges 14:6) to name a few. And in all these instances and many more the Spirit of the Lord empowers a person to do what it is that they couldn’t do in their own strength. Now if it were true back then, why wouldn’t it be true now? As Christians we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, guiding, leading, teaching, and empowering us. The power that we have as Christians is enough to overcome all of our fears, our doubts, and trepidations. I mean if the power of God can raise Jesus from the dead, than that same power can surely do mighty things within our own lives too.
For Gideon the Spirit of the Lord came on him after he proved to be obedient in tearing down the altar to Baal. Gideon had to act and he had to start moving towards God before he experienced the power of God’s spirit. There will be times in our lives where we will be up against something huge and seemingly more than we can handle. Maybe it’s a new job, or maybe it’s trouble within our families, or maybe we are aware of an injustice that makes us want to bring about change…whatever it is if God is calling us to it we need to begin moving in that direction. We can’t wait passively to feel ready, to feel prepared because oftentimes God is waiting for us to get off our kiesters and just start moving out in faith.
How is this relevant to us? We are more than 2,000 years beyond this event but I still find significant meaning to us as we embark on a new year!
1. God has a vision for your life and for my life that exceeds our wildest imaginations. Maybe this past year for you wasn’t what you hoped it would be. Maybe you thought as I did that this year would be a lot different than what it actually has turned out to be. Perhaps you are unhappy with your job situation, or maybe you have no job at all! Or maybe there has been a loss of a significant relationship, or maybe you’ve recently moved. Life brings with it a lot of uncertainty but one thing is certainGod will be with you through it all. God has a plan for you in this coming year. Maybe it is Gideon sized but as Christians we are able to do far more than we think because we have the power of God with us, working through us and in us.
2. God doesn’t need us to accomplish His purposes, but He does choose to work through us to meet the needs of others. Remember God was calling Gideon to rescue the Israelites and to bring them out from under the oppressive hand of Mideon. What if Gideon had allowed his fears to get the best of him? Maybe the Israelites would have been held captive even longer. Maybe God would have chosen somebody else for the task. Either way Gideon would have missed out on a part of his calling. And Gideon’s obedience to God not only affected his own life but it brought about change for other people. His willingness to act freed the Israelites and brought them safety and peace. It has me wondering how God would use me to help lessen other people’s burdens. I encourage you to think about the ways in which God may be asking you to reach out and help those who may not be able to help themselves.
I had a good friend say to me a few weeks ago, “We are so comfortable calling God into our space, but will we go where HE is calling us?” And I had to stop and think about that…I’m always praying that God will meet me where I’m at and enter into my day walking beside me. Which he does but I’m often hesitant to go where I see him calling me to. So I encourage you to be in prayer with God over what His plan for you is in this coming year. It may surprise you, it may scare you, it may excite you, or it may intimidate you. None of those things are bad and one thing is for sure…God will be with you along the way.
3. God isn’t angered by our questions or doubts. In reading further into this account we see that Gideon asked for 3 separate signs from God as reassurance. He was really wanting to make sure that He heard God right! As timid as Gideon was in the beginning his faith grew with each sign from God. And God wasn’t angry with his reluctance, God was patient with Gideon and he is also patient with us.
There is so much to this story that I could share with you but I’ve run out of time! So I encourage you to read the rest of Gideon’s account in Judges 6 and 7 because the story gets even better and is even more of a testament to God’s power overcoming the odds.
So as we finish out one year and enter a new one there will be many people all over the world making New Years Resolutions, but did you know that of those who make resolutions only about 20-25% actually keep them? Now I’m not saying this to discourage you, quite the opposite in fact. If you are the resolution making type why not do as Gideon did and re-establish God as the One you worship. I want you to enter this new year filled with the power of God! I want you to realize that as a Christian you already have all you need! So I challenge you to trust God more than you ever have. And to see the mountains and obstacles in your life as opportunities for God to show you His power. I promise you if you do your faith will grow just as Gideon’s did.
So my question that I leave with you is…Will you, like Gideon, have the faith to go where God is calling YOU to in this coming year?
Let’s pray.
Mighty God,
We thank you for Your patience with us and that you desire to use us to accomplish Your purposes in our world. We are imperfect and are reminded continuously of our weaknesses. But just as Gideon trusted You enough to move forward into a place he knew you were calling him to, I ask that you would empower us with your Spirit and give us courage and strength in the face of uncertain times. Thank you for this past year, for the memories created, for the lessons learnt, and throughout it all your continual presence.
If there are those here today who are in special need of Your touch, I pray that they would receive an abundance of your Spirit’s power. We pray all these things in Your holy name, AMEN.
Blessing: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.