Self-Doubter

The people of Israel found themselves oppressed by the Midianites. They lived in fear for seven years. The Midianites were ruthless and meticulous. Israel would plant crops, only for the Midianites to swarm in great masses within striking distance of Israel during harvest times. They devastated Israel’s crops and livestock, making life miserable by taking away the nation’s necessities. Israel responded by preparing places of refuge in the caves and clefts of the mountains. Like boarding up the windows of a house in anticipation of a hurricane, Israel prepared for the unpredictable but inevitable disaster of the Midianites. They could not fight back. They just ran to the hills and hoped for the best.

Boundary issues with neighboring countries opened the door to compromise. That compromise led to rebellion against God. Gideon grew up in this environment. He was familiar with the Midianites and the terror they brought to his people. Israel was helpless with no option but to call on God for deliverance (Judg. 6:6). God chose Gideon as Israel’s deliverer, even though he was insecure and full of self-doubt. God can use anyone, even a person who may have flaws.

This passage shows that People are God's Treasure. Gideon encountered God during a time when Israel had turned from following God. God raised up Gideon despite Gideon’s claims that he was weak and the least in his family (Judg. 6:15). He told Gideon, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together” (v. 16). God displayed His power through Gideon by using him to defeat the oppressive Midianites and restoring Israel’s faith in God. Knowing God is all-powerful is crucial for having faith in difficult circumstances. God showed Himself strong when Gideon felt weak and incapable.

This passage also touches on other key truths: God Is and The Future is in God's Hands.

Judges 6:11 An “angel of the Lord” called Gideon. This supernatural intervention found Gideon working to secure food for his family from the pending [Midianite] attack. Gideon was an average Israelite busy keeping food on the table. Normally wheat was threshed under the hoofs of an ox. The use of a wine press may demonstrate the scarcity of wheat or beasts of burden. Clearly, Gideon’s family was a victim of Midian tyranny.

Judges 6:12 The brief statement the angel made contains two amazing points. First, He told Gideon the Lord was with him. Second, He called Gideon “mighty warrior.” Neither point seemed true to Gideon; he did not see the Lord was with him, nor did he think of himself as a mighty warrior. But both points resonate the rich history of Israel’s exodus. The Lord had blessed the people of Israel with His presence as they moved to the promised land. In the promised land, Joshua and his men were mighty warriors bringing realization to God’s promises.

Judges 6:13 Gideon questioned the presence of the Lord upon anyone in Israel. He was bold, honest, factual, and conclusive. If the angel’s statement implied God was with Gideon as He was with the Israelites in the days of the exodus and the days of Joshua, Gideon’s did not beat around the bush in his response: Where was God now? Gideon voiced his concerns to God. The points he made most likely reflected the attitude of the masses that turned their devotion from God. More than 100 years had passed since the days of Moses. This would be the same as someone claiming God was blessing America if George Washington had been the last one to see God’s supernatural movement. To Gideon it must have seemed like a very long time since God had intervened on Israel’s behalf. 

Judges 6:14–16 Gideon honestly expressed his inadequacies. His clan was weak, and he was the youngest. He was the low man on the low totem pole. He made a convincing case that he was not the right man for the job. He believed his ability to rally an army was highly improbable. But the Lord knew Gideon was the right man. Consider the Lord’s response. This exchange is similar to the one that took place between God and Moses in Exodus 3 - 4. The Lord is the One who brings success. When God calls someone, He is less concerned with that person’s ability than his or her availability. The Lord promised to be with Gideon. In Judges 6:36–40, Gideon asked the Lord for a sign to affirm that promise. As with Moses, Gideon was assured of success because God would bring it.

Judges 7:1 Upon God’s command, Gideon tore down his father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. He built an altar to God in its place. As a result, Gideon’s father changed Gideon’s name (Judg. 6:25–32). Jerub-Baal means “let Baal contend with him.” Gideon’s situation seemed grave to human eyes. The shadow of Baal’s wrath loomed over Gideon as he and his men defiantly camped in preparation for war against the Midianites.

Judges 7:2–3 Gideon stood as the leader of 32,000 men. The men assembled to face a nomadic enemy that had terrorized their families for seven years (Judg. 6:1). Fear rose in their hearts from memories of Midian treachery. The Lord spoke to Gideon, instructing him to send home all the men who were afraid. Twenty-two thousand left. Imagine the effect this had on the morale of the remaining soldiers. Certainly they questioned Gideon’s leadership. But notice in verse 4 how intentional God was about reducing the size of Gideon’s army. And notice the reason He gave in verse 2: “In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her.” God was concerned with Israel’s heart. The people had fallen away from Him, turning to other gods. He reduced the size of the army to show His people His power. He called them to impossible odds to show that with Him all things are possible (Luke 1:37).

Judges 7:4–8 Gideon received another word from God: Only the men who drank water from the river in a certain way should remain. The other men, even though they said they were not afraid to battle the Midianites, were sent home, leaving only 300 men in the Israelite army. So Gideon called only 300 to prepare for war, side-lining the other 9,700 men. These decisions seem insane in light of the enemy’s encampments just below Gideon’s position.

God did not mobilize a vast army to move against the Midianites. Instead, He sent most of them home. God deliberately employed a battle plan that left no room for Israel to believe they were responsible for the victory. God wanted the Israelites to see His hand as the only hand that delivered them. To reach this victory, Gideon had to be held by the hand through the entire campaign. With each step God called Gideon to move in faith.

The radical battle plans were the product of the Lord’s specific instructions to Gideon. The Lord promised to bring Gideon victory. God wanted Gideon and the people of Israel to see that victory came solely as the outcome of His intervention. Who would claim responsibility for the victory gained by 300 against thousands? Who would even enter such a contest without God? Israel would know two things after the battle: Only 300 men moved with faith through insurmountable odds, and God’s hand was the clear, undisputed source of that victory. Nevertheless, God moved, and Israel was freed. God’s faithfulness proved true. The writer of Hebrews recognized Gideon’s willingness to be a vessel, declaring how he “through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised” (Heb. 11:33). Despite a doubtful beginning, Gideon was a successful judge.

Israel was caught in a cycle of sin and cried out to God when the Midianite oppression became unbearable. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel repeated this cycle of falling away from God. Each time God demonstrated His amazing love and forgiveness. Consider how this cycle has proven true in your own life—how you have experienced God’s unending forgiveness and love. Think about ways you can help the adults in your class relate to Israel’s sin cycle and encourage them to make choices that honor God.

Because God treasures people, we can accept His forgiveness and strive to honor Him with our lives. He transforms our insecurities and doubt to unwavering faith and trust. However, believers who do not understand this truth see themselves as they are—weak and hopeless—and find it more difficult to believe that God is wiling and able to use them.

Gideon was a normal person living in a world of uncertainty and fear, working to make the most of what he had. He, like us, had an opportunity to serve God. His gave the typical response: he questioned God. Gideon felt insecure. Gideon had to deal with incredible doubt. But he claimed God’s power and saw the unthinkable happen before his eyes.