Judges 6: 13
Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.
An angel appeared to Gideon and proclaimed, “The Lord is with you,” (v. 12). You can see, above, Gideon’s response. I chose this passage of scripture because I thought Gideon’s reply sounds very much like what most of us have at least thought at one time or another, perhaps more than once. If God is with us, why are things in such a mess? In those times of life, a preacher comes along saying to you, “Be of good courage, the Lord is with you.” It almost makes you mad, doesn’t it? The angel called Gideon a warrior of valor but Gideon was emotionally where most of us are. He was looking for evidence of the Lord’s presence amongst the rubble of his life.
This passage, perhaps, presents an opportunity for us to feel compassion towards Gideon and ourselves, and I wish for us to hold onto this compassion as we continue to discuss this passage. Let’s not fall into recrimination against ourselves or others but rather, have hope that our story can turn out as Gideon’s eventually did.
As one continues to read this sixth chapter of Judges, one discovers a potential reason why not all was well. The angel gave Gideon instructions. Among these was to tear down the altar to Baal that Gideon’s father erected (v. 25). Reading this, one might think, “Well, we certainly do not erect alters to heathen gods.” True, but as I read it, I wondered if there isn’t a kernel of revelation in this statement.
As you look at our culture in general, you may propose some idols we have erected in place of our God, but the more important query is one we must each ask ourselves. Is there anything we have allowed to slip in front of our passion for God? In the US we sometimes allow God to be sacrificed upon our altar of busyness. I know I find myself guilty in that regard. What is so important that I should prioritize it over my God? And yet, I find myself slipping sometimes and I am sure there are some among you who can empathize.
Why did God choose Gideon? Had Gideon kept his eyes on the God of Israel even as his own family slipped away? We will discuss Gideon more later, but I want you to hold on to this image of Gideon, his doubt and his father’s household as we move forward. For today I simply want to ask the question, is God’s power less evident in our lives because we have shifted our eyes from Him? Remember, no guilt or recrimination, just introspection. Have we unwittingly raised an altar to something else? Maybe Yahweh sent this Word of the Day to get us to tear down some asherah poles in our lives because they are obscuring our view of the Lord.
Maybe for some of us this Word will be difficult if we are honest with ourselves, but our beloved Father sends it as Good News, not ill tidings because He doesn’t want anything withstanding the blessing He has for each of us. He knows we love Him, but He also knows we get ourselves out of kelter at times. Do some soul searching with me and allow yourself a whole new cornucopia of blessing.