HEROES
May: Gideon
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HEROES...Searching the Scriptures of our Parish Theme
This month's hero is Gideon, the fifth Judge over Israel. What follows is a study on his life (Judges 6-8).
The children of Israel once again left the Lord and He delivered them into the hand of the Midianites. Great distress and impoverishment followed, and the people, from the depths of their misery, cried unto the God of Jacob (Judges 6: 1-5).
The Lord sent a prophet unto them who reminded them of the great deliverances of the Lord and of their ingratitude to Him (Judges 6:6-10).
Subsequently an angel appeared to Gideon, the son of Joash, in Ophrah, who was secretly thresing wheat for fear of the Midianites. The angel assured him of the presence of the Lord with him, commissioned him to lead the children of Israel against their foes, accepted his sacrifice, and departed out of his sight (Judges 6: 11-20).
On the following night, Gideon started his reforming work by throwing down the altar of Baal and cutting down the grove that was by it. Soon after this, the Midianites and Amalekites gathered themselves together agains Israel. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he sounded a trumpet and sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they ralled to his standard (Judges 6: 33-35)
The Lord then gave him indisputable proofs that He was with him (Judges 6: 36-40).
Gideon then gathered his army to the well of Harod, and it consisted of 32,000 men. The Lord assured him that the number was too great, and by His instructions, Gideon selected 300 (Judges 7: 1-15).
He divided his army into three companies and gave every man a trumpet, an empty pitcher, and a lamp. At a given signal, they blew their trumpets, broke their pitchers and held their lamps aloft, and cried aloud in recognition of the sword of the Lord and Gideon. The Lord sent terror through the camp of the enemy. Israel triumphantly pursued the fleeing army, and killed two of the princes of Midian (Judges 7: 16-25).
Gideon and his army continued the pursuit, and notwithstanding the indifference of some of his countrymen, killed the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and gained a great victory. He also punished the men of Penuel and Succoth for their indifference. (Judges 8:1-21).
After the war, the people desired to make Gideon king and establish the succession in Gideon's family but he declined, declaring that he would recognize no ruler but God (Judges 8: 22-23).
Gideon, however, requested his army to give him the earrings of their adversaries, and they willingly did so, and he made an ephod of gold, placed it in his city of Ophrah, and disastrous results followed (Judges 8:24-27).
The land had rest for 40 years, for the Midianites were completely subdued (Judges 8:28-32).
Some questions to ponder:
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In what ways did Gideon show trust in God?
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How did he still fall short of God's plan?
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What did he do to show he was an example of a God-like leader?
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In what ways can you take Gideon's example of a trusting heart and put it into practice today?
Let us pray:
Oh God, make us strong like Gideon to follow your ways and not our own. Whe we fail, bring us back to the course that you have set before us. Help us, as Gideon did, to recognize no other ruler other than you, and to put our trust in no other God but you. In Jesus' name. Amen.