A LIFE TRANSFORMED

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER 2020 am

Judges 6 verses 11 - 16 - a life transformed

As we turn here to the Old Testament scriptures to the book of Judges we are going into the home of Gideon.  The spirit of the day of Judges was that every man did that which was right in their own eyes.  Men and women have turned from God, doing that which they wanted to do.  No-one would tell them what to do.  We want to think of a life transformed.  That is the experience of this young man Gideon.  That is what happened in his home.  That is what we need today.  We need a life transforming experience from God today.  Maybe you have never had that in your own life.  Maybe you have never trusted the Lord as your own Saviour.  God is giving you that opportunity today.  It is God's word that brings a transforming experience in our lives.  Maybe you have never invited the Lord to be your own and personal Saviour yet.  The Midianites had taken ovr Gideon's land.  Where is Gideon?  Threshing a little wheat, hiding it from the Midianites.  There came an angel of the Lord verse 12.  Most commentators would agree that the angel was the Lord in human form before he came to be born of the virgin Mary.  We get a gimpse of him here.  We need to be careful also in that this is a man's view.  Commentators say the best commentary on the bible is the bible itself.  In verse 13 Gideon was sure this was a divine person when he said "Oh my Lord" and then in verse 16 we read "and the Lord said unto him."  This is the Lord Jesus in human form meeting with Gideon.  One little thought comes to mind as we see this transforming experience.  The Lord is reminding Gideon that he is with him.  Verse 13 Gideon asked "why then is all this befallen us?"  Where is God in all of this, I don't see him, I cannot recollect him?  Why is he hiding from us, it would seem he has deserted us.  Many people are saying 'where is God?' today.

Firstly Gideon reflects on his situation.  I feel for this young man.  He had no role model, no influence in his home.  His father has given himself over to the worship of Baal, a false religion.  Further down the chapter we read that Gideon's father has made an altar to Baal and sacrificing to him.  Verse 12 "the Lord is with thee."  The task he was doing should have been done in the open air.  Threshing wheat was done on the hill top when they would flail the wheat and the chaff would have blown in the wind.  Threshing the wheat would have been done with great rejoicing.  Gideon is harvesting a few sheaves, then carried them into his house less any would see him.  He is working within the cellar of his home.  We read in the New Testament "the god of this world (the devil) has blinded the minds of them which believe not." (2 Corinthians 4 verse 4)  We are claiming back something from the devil today.  Verse 3 "And so it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up and the Amalekites and the children of the east, even they came up against them." "For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude, for both they and their camels were without number and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord." verses 5 and 6  It was a day of great confusion and fear.  Is that not reminiscent of the world we are presently living in?  There are no foundations in Gideon's home, no godly influence at all.  We want to serve the Lord today in our homes with our children and grandchildren, instil into them the things of God.  Remember Moses in the palace - he no longer wanted to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.  Where did his teaching come from?  His mother.  She would teach him about the creator God and the children of Israel.  We see it also in the life of Daniel.  He was only a young man when taken captive into Babylon.  A feast was set before them.  All the others never saw anything like this before.  What did Daniel do - he reflected, 'I cannot do this, eat of the king's meat and drink of his wine.'  He turned his back on all that.  Daniel got that standard from his own home, from his father and mother.  He turned his back on that which would defile him.  So many today are leaving home and have no basis for forming relationships, following God himself.  Paul said of Timothy "from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation."  He was taught by both his mother and grandmother.  It is our responsibility to teach the next generation, to tell them about the Lord.  In Psalm 42 the Psalmist spelled out his frustration.  He had a deep desire for God's presence.  The enemy knew how to inflict the wound "as with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me, where is thy God?"  Gideon looked around him and said "if God is for us then why have all these things befallen us?"  Many people are asking that question today.

Notice his reflection but also his recollection.  Verse 13 "where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of".  This young man couldn't turn to his father to tell these stories.  He had to turn elsewhere.  He found no help in his own home.  His father was worshipping a false god, idolatry worship.  A false religion.  Years had passed since the Israelites had crossed the River Jordan and settled in the land.  Gideon had to hear those stories from another person.  Gideon was raised by teachers who taught the scriptures.  The seed was sown in his heart.  As the Lord talked with Gideon that day Gideon was able to recall the stories he had heard of.  He would have heard of that night in Egypt when God delivered his children, the Israelites out.  How the lamb was killed, the blood was poured into a basin, hyssop was dipped into the blood and spread on the doorposts of the houses.  The firstborn was saved that night.  He would have heard how the blood delivered them.  He would have been told of how the manna fed the children of Israel in the wilderness.  These things were instiled in his mind.  Do you see the value of being taught the scriptures?  I am sure Gideon was told of the Red Sea and how it opened up before them so they could walk across on dry ground.  He would have been told of the presence of God day after day.  How they had the cloud by day and fire at night.  God would not desert his children, he reassured them continually day after day.  Gideon still asked "but where is God now?"  As we gather today is God searching our hearts today?  Or are we just treating it as another mundane Sunday.  This is a truth Gideon must face up to, he must prove God for himself.  We need to prove God for ourselves today.  Gideon couldn't look back on the basis of past blessing, he couldn't live in the light of them.  We cannot live in the past.  We used to have churches flooded with people but we have to prove God for ourselves today.  What is God doing in our day today?  We too could be like Gideon, we could read of the great awakening in Ulster in 1859 and might well say "well we don't have days like that any more."  We could read of the work in the Hebrides in Scotland and the Welsh revival but where is that today?  We might well ask the question "were are the men and women of God for revival today?"  Elisha followed Elijah before he was taken up into heaven, through the various cities, until they came to the Jordan River when it separated and they walked across.  Elijah was taken up in the whirlwind but his cloak was left behind.  When Elisha went back to the Jordan River he asked "Where is the God of Elijah?"  God was right there.  He had to prove God for himself.  He couldn't depend on Elijah any longer.  We cannot live in the days of Nicholson, we have to prove God for ourselves. God is still waiting for us to get down to pray for revival once again.  Gideon's people had turned from God and rebelled.  Now God had given them into the hand of the Midianites.  The challenge now comes to prove God for himself.  We too need to prove God today.  God told Gideon "I will send you to save the nation."

Gideon's reaction - verse 15.  Gideon had to accept that responsibility.  We have to go in the strength of what God has said in his word.  Elisha's young servant went out and looked up to the hills.  All he could see were the enemy forces coming down.  Maybe that is all we can see today.  Despair and gloom.  Elisha's servant wondered how they would survive.  Elisha told him that there were more with them than against them.  Elisha prayed for the servant's eyes to be opened and when he did he realised that God was on their side.

Gideon's refreshing company - "have not I sent thee?" verse 14  "Surely I will be with thee" verse 16  God said to Joshua some 200 years before "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1 verse 9)

God's rewarding promise - verse 16 "thou shalt smite the Midianites."  Reassurance was in his heart for the way ahead.