Judges 2
Judges 2:10:
After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” |
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-Richard Blackaby: president of Blackaby Ministries International -March 20, 2018 |
Gideon was conditioned by his own fear.
He was afraid of the enemy, but the angel still referred to him as “mighty warrior.”
These verses could seem comic and ironic if the reader does not know the plot twist. Following God’s will, Gideon ended up defeating the Midianites leading a 300-men army. These verses could seem comic and ironic if the reader does not know the plot twist. Following God’s will, Gideon ended up defeating the Midianites leading a 300-men army
“Of course, he was not a valiant warrior at that point, but he became one. I realized that whenever God looks at people, He sees what they could be. God was telling Gideon that he was meant to be a mighty warrior,” Blackaby explained.
“When God looks at you, he doesn’t see your past,” he continued. “He doesn’t see the mistakes you have made. When God looks at you, He sees the person he wants you to be.”
He was afraid of the enemy, but the angel still referred to him as “mighty warrior.”
These verses could seem comic and ironic if the reader does not know the plot twist. Following God’s will, Gideon ended up defeating the Midianites leading a 300-men army. These verses could seem comic and ironic if the reader does not know the plot twist. Following God’s will, Gideon ended up defeating the Midianites leading a 300-men army
“Of course, he was not a valiant warrior at that point, but he became one. I realized that whenever God looks at people, He sees what they could be. God was telling Gideon that he was meant to be a mighty warrior,” Blackaby explained.
“When God looks at you, he doesn’t see your past,” he continued. “He doesn’t see the mistakes you have made. When God looks at you, He sees the person he wants you to be.”
Judges 6:25-26:
Now on the same night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; 26 and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down |
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God finds Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress, because he was afraid of the Midianites, and greets this fearful man with one of the most ironic greetings in the Bible: "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor." Gideon essentially says, "Well, if you're with us, why is all this bad stuff happening?" God responds, "I have chosen you to say Israel from the Midianites." Gideon says, "You have to have the wrong address. I am from the weakest clan in Israel, and I am the weakest person in my father's house. You can't really mean me." And God said, "I will be with you."
God's response to Gideon's fear of Gideon is very helpful. He didn't work to pump up his self-confidence. He didn't work to help Gideon see that he brought more to the table than he thought. Gideon's problem was not first that he feared his inadequacies. His problem was awe. Gideon failed to fear God in the sense of "God is with me, and he is able." So Gideon was terrified at the thought of leading Israel anywhere. --Paul Tripp
God's response to Gideon's fear of Gideon is very helpful. He didn't work to pump up his self-confidence. He didn't work to help Gideon see that he brought more to the table than he thought. Gideon's problem was not first that he feared his inadequacies. His problem was awe. Gideon failed to fear God in the sense of "God is with me, and he is able." So Gideon was terrified at the thought of leading Israel anywhere. --Paul Tripp