Two nomadic tribes ravaged the farm lands of the Israelites, so much that Gideon had to separate wheat from chaff in hiding. While he was doing this, the angel of the Lord came to him.
Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites (Judges 6:11).
Before we continue with the story, let’s consider two things.
The “angel of the LORD” is none other than a pre-incarnate form of Jesus. Just as in other instances in the Old Testament when God appears in human form, it is Jesus before the incarnation.
The “oak at Ophrah” is more than the location of a familiar tree in Gideon’s hometown. Trees were frequent sites of pagan worship. This tree was mentioned because Gideon was not a loyal follower of Yahweh. Instead, he had blended the worship of Yahweh with the Canaanite gods.
God’s grace is revealed by the way he rescues his wayward children and is willing to use a very imperfect leader.
God’s grace hasn’t changed. One man was right when he said, “If God didn’t show me grace, I’d already be toast.”
Gideon’s Call to Service
Gideon initially didn’t recognize the full import of the angel of the LORD. Who the angel was and what he was calling Gideon to do became clear over an extended conversation.
And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor.”
And Gideon said to him, “Pray, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this befallen us? And where are all his wonderful deeds which our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.”
And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”
And he said to him, “Pray, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
*And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall smite the Midianites as one man” (Judges 6:12-16).
Henry Blackaby often writes about the crisis of faith that must be overcome when we are given a God-sized task. Like many Biblical characters and people throughout history, Gideon stumbled over the magnitude of the task he was called to accomplish.
After complaining that God seemed to abandon his people, Gideon backed away from the task before him. He said he was the least member of the smallest tribe in Israel.
The gospel song that says, “Little is much when God is in it,” is right about situations when humans are called to join God in his redemptive work.
Gideon was not a mighty man of war. He had few military resources at his disposal. What he had was God’s presence.
When we are confronted with what we lack, let’s remember “with God all things are possible.”
Gideon Needs a Sign
I haven’t made an exhaustive search, but I think Gideon asked for more signs from God than any other Biblical person. As the angel of the LORD called him to service, Gideon asked for a sign to assure him that God would do what he promised to do.
It is strange that humans want God to prove that his word is true when we are so unfaithful to our word before God and other people.
The sign involved a kid from the flock, the equivalent of 11 two-liter bottles of flour, unleavened cakes, and broth. It is worth remembering that food was scarce among the Israelites. Gideon’s test was quite extravagant.
The angel of the LORD had Gideon put the various items on a rock and pour the broth over them.
Then the angel of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and there sprang up fire from the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight (Judges 6:21).
Gideon was at a crisis of faith as he was called to a God-sized task. To counter his fear and unbelief, the Lord graciously produced a convincing sign of his presence and power.
Faith possibly arose in Gideon, but it was rightly accompanied by fear.
Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD; and Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.”
But the LORD said to him, “Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it, The LORD is peace (Judges 6:22-24).
You may be like our family and have a picture with the names of God prominently displayed. Did you ever realize that the name of God, “The LORD is peace,” came from such a story of human weakness?
God met Gideon at an oak that was used in pagan worship. Time after time, Gideon failed the “crisis of faith” test.
However, God’s grace prevailed and Gideon discovered that “the LORD is peace.”
We can praise God for his grace that reaches us and gives us peace when we are fully unworthy of it.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Gideon’s call to service today on YouTube.
Real Voices 