Gideon's Faith and Fear

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SUNDAY 27 APRIL 2025 – MR PHILIP GRAHAM

JUDGES 6 VERSES 25 TO 40

We have come this morning to the challenge of Gideon. He was called by God to do great and mighty things for the nation Israel under the rule of the judges. God appointed judges to guide and lead the people. Some judges were good, some bad, some got it so wrong. Gideon was to be the next deliverer of Israel. He had his issues as well. When he was being trained God taught him a lesson. Part of that training was to destroy an altar of Baal. They worshipped this god who was supposedly in charge of the weather and crops. They had built this altar and God told Gideon to destroy it. Gideon passed that test with flying colours and he did destroy the altar by night. The second test was not instigated by God but by Gideon himself. He demonstrated real bravery in his confidence in God when he destroyed the idol. Who we are in private is who we really are. It is very easy to put on a public face that everything is OK but at home deep down things are not OK. He destroyed the altar but his problem in his private devotion was just not all there. There are many times in my life when I have been there and I am sure you can relate to that too. When Gideon destroyed the altar it was a step of great faith. Now he is in a personal place where he is unsure, wavering in his faith. People had witnessed his courage but God will witness his personal fear. The private persona of the same man. We will see the challenge to go forward in the battle through this story. We will also see a challenge by God in Gideon’s faith with God. The faith and fear of Gideon in verses 33 and 34.

Gideon’s faith. He was a young man energised, excited and had torn down the altar of Baal. He was now calling on Israel to war. This is the Gideon God sought when he commissioned him first in verse 12. He is described there as “a mighty man of valour”. He was ready to go and do great things for God. This man has great courage. Look at his enemy. I wonder how he had this courage. It was harvest time in Israel – verse 11. Gideon was lying behind the winepress threshing wheat. The Midianites had come into the land as they had done for the past 7 years. They destroyed all the crops. They used it as a private banquet for their own families. The Israelites were broken and demoralised. They seen the invaders coming down and taking all their crops. Judges 7 verse 12 shows that they were like grasshoppers, coming in and destroying everything in sight. This was in the valley of Jezreel, the significance of which is in the fact that this is where the battle of Armageddon will happen at the end of the time. It was the most fertile area and where crops grew readily. Gideon’s engagement is seen in verse 34 when the enemy came in. He did something that hasn’t been done in 7 years. The Midianites came in and let them take all the crops. The Spirit of the Lord comes on Gideon for the very first time. The trumpet is sounded. People are called to war. That trumpet had been silenced for this length of time. No-one had the courage to take up the trumpets to call people to war. Where did he get that energy from? He is bound to be demoralised and discouraged, afraid to get caught. He was gathering up a few crops to feed his family. Verse 34 – God took control of Gideon’s life which caused Gideon to sound the war cry. The man blowing the trumpet was not the man behind the winepress. Once disillusioned and discouraged now decisive, daring and determined. Something had happened to Gideon. The Spirit of God came on him. He had a personal encounter with God. He was committed to obeying God and following after the Lord. Now he is under the control of the Spirit of God. Sometimes we can shy away from the Spirit of God. We say yes to the Holy Spirit but leave him there. We hear of the Spirit of God and know he comes in when we accept Christ but we need to ask for his power and strength daily. The Holy Spirit encourages and lifts us up. There will be systematic changes. Gideon met God and his family would be changed from there on beyond recognition for ever. If you want to have power in the Holy Spirit the Lord has to have full control. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” It is important to yield control of our lives to his will. The way the Holy Spirit works is different in the Old and New Testaments. The Spirit of the Lord anointed people for special tasks in the Old Testament but the Spirit did not dwell on people permanently in those days. We know that because we read that the Spirit left Saul in 1 Samuel 16 verse 14. We also read later in Judges that “Samson wist not that the Lord was departed from him.” (Judges 16)  When the Spirit did move he gave great strength to individuals and they were able to accomplish great things in their lives. In our day every believer is indwelled by the Spirit of God. If you have asked the Lord to come into your life the Spirit comes to live in you. He gives us strength and power to honour and work through us. He takes up permanent residence in our lives. John 14 verses 16 and 17 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” If you are redeemed today his presence guarantees our eternal destiny in Christ. We are changed inwardly. It is manifested outwardly in godly living and good works. As Gideon’s life was changed he made a great impact on his family. We live in a day when the world is full of counterfeits. People say they are filled with the Spirit of God and can do all sorts of wonderful things. The bible tells us to watch out for those who falsely claim such things. You must pray daily for an infilling of the Holy Spirit to give you power and strength. Things like inviting people to church. People will know by the change in your life. Only as they get close to you do they see a change that has happened.

Gideon’s following. He sounds the trumpet and people come to follow him but 2 verses before that the people wanted to kill him – why this sudden change? Now he has been filled with the Spirit of God. That is what will happen in our lives. There will be something different about us. Gideon had an impact on his family and the surrounding people. When you demonstrate bold commitment to Christ others will see the change and want to experience what you have. Never underestimate how God can use our lives for his glory and good. Even the enemies had to agree that God was in control. Even when people see the difference in your life they will have to acknowledge God is with you. We ought to thank God for people who demonstrated bold faith to us. God is using people like this to change the world. God will make us that person for his glory, filled with his Spirit. To boldly go out and tell others what God has done in us. Gideon calls the other tribes to come in with them. In chapter 7 verse 3 we read that 32,000 gathered with Gideon. It seemed like a small amount to the Midianites large army but God doesn’t need that amount. Just 300 are needed to eliminate the vast army of Midianites. We live in an age when the unsaved are outnumbering the Christians. We see a vast number of people that need the Saviour. We see people denying God’s existence. The world is turned on its head. They don’t want to acknowledge there is a God. The enemies seem so vast to the people of God. We need to remember that when God is in control of his people he enables them to obtain victory. Rest in God’s power. With such a power leading us, guiding us, living in us we are able to do all he calls us to do.

Gideon and his fleece. In public Gideon did great and mighty things for God but now we find him full of doubt and fear. He is not sure what the Lord has called him to do. Verse 36 Gideon doubts God. God told him already what he wanted him to do. Gideon’s response challenged me in my life. Has God’s word had a massive impact on your life? Doubt is a little seed that starts to grow which if watered will grow and get out of control. God hasn’t changed but we doubt what he has said. Gideon was already told by God that he was in control – verses 12, 14 and 16. 3 times in the space of these 6 verses God has commanded Gideon “I am with you”, “I am in control”, “I am going to do great and mighty things with you.” Now we hear Gideon say “if you are really in control.” That word “if” shows up. His doubt was on display. He wasn’t prepared to trust God and take him at his word. He was not willing to walk by faith rather than by sight. He now demands something of God. A test to determine God’s will on his life. He asks for a piece of sheepskin to be made wet and the ground around it dry. God does exactly what Gideon wants but Gideon is still filled with doubt. Verse 39. He knows a piece of sheepskin is like a sponge and it will soak up the water around it. The next night he asks God to reverse the situation, make the fleece dry and the ground wet around it. He does not question God’s will again. He is now satisfied. We talk a lot about putting out the fleece. We want to prove the Lord. To dictate the terms to God. We expect him to do what we want him to do. It is not something that pleases God. When Gideon used the fleece he was doubting God. All the time he faced the same problem. We too fail to take God at his word. Gideon wasn’t willing to trust the Lord by faith. God expects us to walk with him in his word and promises. We fall into sin when we don’t. We can trust God’s word today. We shouldn’t take our eyes off God. He can and will answer our prayers. We can trust God. He has spoken his word to us. We have his written word to obey. It is not up to us to tell God what to do. Gideon realised that God was someone he could depend upon. He was actually no better off. He still had the promises of God. God hadn’t actually changed. When we set out our fleeces we set ourselves up for doubt and failure. It can spiral out of control. We can continue to fuel it. We are still prone to doubt if we cannot take God at his word. We will not be able to trust the fleece. Gideon learned that truth. There is no peace in the fleece. The problem is the fleece is always placed out of doubt not out of faith. It is not a biblical method for determining God’s will in our lives. He lacked faith to trust God’s word. How does God direct us today to do his will? John 16 verse 13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” God directs us through the Spirit who lives in us. Psalm 119 verse 105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” God leads us through his word. Colossians 3 verse 15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. God directs us through his peace. Psalm 51 verse 10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” God gives us new desires. Proverbs 11 verse 14 “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” We need to line up everything with the word of God. We will receive assurance from God. We don’t need a fleece to determine God’s will in our lives. We simply need to trust him. He will give you a desire to follow him, to serve him, to be his child. We need to have the desire every day, to be closer to him, to follow after him. Start walking by faith. Some would argue that God honoured Gideon’s fleece. Why? Because God was developing his faith. God understands human weakness. It is not God’s will that we should determine his direction in our lives.” Verse 39. Gideon knew he was doing the wrong thing by putting out a fleece. We have the written word of God, something Gideon did not have. All we have to do is open God’s word and read it. Saturate your life with God’s word. He will guide us. Matthew 12 verse 9 “ But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it.”  Jesus commanded the Pharisees who were looking for signs to stop. What could be accomplished in this world if we would just take him at his word? Are we faithful in what the Lord has called us to do or do we continually look for signs? Why not instead open his word and let God have his will in our lives. He guarantees we will not be sorry, we will never regret a day following after his direction in our lives.