The Vicious Cycle continues- Israel did evil (v1)/God gave (v1,4-5,destroyed crops & plundered livestock)/brought low…cried (v6)/prophet (v8f)

1. Commissioned & reassured (6:11-24)

a) Angel/Lord appeared to Gideon as he was secretly beating out wheat in a wine press (usually open area). “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior”- mighty heroes like Joshua or David described this way. It is what Gideon would become. Gideon’s question of the Lord being with His people ignored the people apostasy as the underlying reason for His inactivity (vs. 13). Gideon’s strength would be there because the Lord sent him to deliver from Midian oppression. Gideon objected using his insignificant credentials (vs. 15), to which the Lord repeated He would be with Gideon.

b) Gideon asked for a sign & prepared are meal for his visitor. The angel/Lord had him place it on a rock. Then He touched it with His staff. It consumed the food & the Lord vanished. Gideon was overwhelmed realizing he just saw the angel/Lord face to face. The Lord reassured him with peace.Gideon built an altar on that spot, “The Lord is peace.”

2. Prepared & reassured (6:25-35)

a) Spiritual preparation (vs. 25-32)- The Lord called Gideon to destroy the altar of Baal & Asherah pole belonging to his father (community worship) & built an altar to the Lord on top of it to offer a bull using the Asherah wood. Since Gideon was afraid, he obeyed at night. When the angry community confronted Joash about Gideon deserving to die (contrast Deut. 13:12-17), Joash called Baal to contend for himself & gave his son the nickname Jerubbaal. Spiritual preparation takes priority over other preparation.

b) Military preparation (vs. 33-35)- Midianite & Amalekite forces gathered in valley of Jezreel to bring more devastation & plunder. “The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon” so strengthen him to blow the trumpet & gathering forces from his tribe as well as nearby tribes.

c) More reassurance: Gideon knew the Lord’s will “as You have spoken” (vs. 36,37), “Do not let Your anger burn” (vs. 39) & already was given a sign (6:21) & was preparing for battle, but he asked wanted another sign of reassurance that God would deliver through him. He requested a fleece of wool left overnight on a threshing floor would be wet while the ground would be dry. The Lord did this. Gideon probably reasoned the ground would dry before the fleece so he asked for a second sign that the fleece would be dry and the ground wet. The Lord graciously & patiently caused that. It is one thing to find guidance through circumstances; it is another to test God when we know His will.

3. Refined & reassured (7:1-15a)

a) Gideon’s gathered his army of 32,000 south of the enemy by the spring of Harod. The Midianites numbered 135,000 (8:10). The Lord informed Gideon Israel had too many and would boastfully take credit for a victory. First, he sent away those who were afraid (Deut. 20:8, Judges 6:27) so 22,000 departed. Then he sent away those kneeled to drink water rather than lapping by bringing their hand totheir mouth (seemingly on guard), which left 300 men. The Lord promised to deliver through these 300 men.

b) That night the Lord sent Gideon against the enemy camp with, “for I have given it into your hands.” Gideon was still afraid (6:27,7:3), so God sent him & his servant to the outskirts of the Midianite camp. There he heard a man relating a dream to a friend. A loaf of barley bread (poor man’s food) tumbled into the Midianite camp, struck the tent (leaders ?) and flattened it. The other man interpreted the dream as God giving the Midianite camp into the hand of Gideon to strike with the sword.

c) The dream & the timing of this conversation were from God. Gideon had the reassurance he needed. He bowed in worship to the Lord and was ready for the battle.