Carol Plafcan
- Aug 3, 2023
- 5 min read

Gideon - A Mighty Man of Valor

Updated: Apr 26

Gideon was a judge of Israel from the tribe of Manasseh, the youngest of his father's children from the weakest tribe, but called by God to become a mighty warrior. He would become Gideon, a mighty man of valor.

Gideon Had Doubts

Gideon was a questioner. Like many of us he had his doubts about his call. When the Angel of the Lord told Him the Lord is with you, Gideon questioned how that could be. The Midianites were controlling the land. They were stealing crops and making life miserable for the Israelites. Gideon questions the Angel of the Lord, "Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Judges 6: 13 (b)

Don't we do the same? Don't we question, "Where are you God?". When things are bad, don't we wonder, as Gideon did, if God is really with us? Because if He was with us where are the miracles that we plead for?

Who Me?

When the Lord told Gideon He was sending him to defeat the Midianites, Gideon tells Him that he was from a weak tribe and the least in his family. Gideon is a simple farmer. Excuses, excuses; poor Gideon was looking for a way out. You know he was thinking, "Me? Anyone but me. Not me Lord. Look at my pitiful weak self." He was right about one thing. He was weak, but the One who was sending him was not weak. Gideon's strength would be found in Him.

Our excuses are the same. Not me Lord. I am nobody. I can't do this thing you are asking of me. It's too hard. I am too busy. I am not the right person. Pick someone else. Pick someone stronger, more important, smarter, a leader, anyone but me. We forget where our strength comes from.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4: 13

Gideon Needed A Sign

Then Gideon challenged the Lord to give him a sign, "that it is really you talking to me." (Judges 6: 17b) Gideon left to prepare an offering. He returned and the Lord ignited the bread and meat with His staff and immediately disappears. Gideon received his sign.

Don't we want a sign as well? Don't we wish for the Lord to tell us directly that something is really His will? Don't we want to know without a doubt that it is the Lord directing us and not just our own thoughts and desires?

The Lord Saves

Fearing he would die for seeing the Lord, God granted Him mercy and told him he would not die. In response to this Gideon built an altar to the Lord in Ophrah. He called the altar, the Lord is Peace, Yahweh-Shalom. As Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 3: 16,

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all."

The Lord had heard the cries of his unfaithful and idol worshipping people and had come to save them.

In the midst of our sin today, who do we cry out to? Do we cry out to the things of the world, to the atheistic philosophies that abound? No, we know they have no power. We know only God in His great mercy will save us. He has sent His Son, our deliverer from sin, to lead us into a new path, a new life with our Father.

Let Baal Defend Himself

Next the Lord told Gideon to tear down his own father's altar to Baal and put an altar to the Lord in its place. Gideon did as he was told under cover of night because he was afraid of the repercussions of his action. In the morning the people of the town quickly discovered who did it and demanded he be put to death. But Gideon's own father defends him, and tells them that if Baal was really a god, then he could defend himself.

Was God testing Gideon? Was He making sure that Gideon would obey? That Gideon would do something that might even cost him his life if God told him to? Does God ask you to do hard things? Does he ask you to stand for Him when no one else, not even your own family, will?

One More Sign

Then the enemies of Israel encamped in the Valley of Jezreel to come against them. But, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon Gideon, who with the very strength of God Himself, raised an army to go against them. Once again Gideon questions God. How patient God is with us. He allows us to doubt Him, to question Him, to be unsure of His faithfulness even though He has shown Himself faithful over and over again.

Perhaps Gideon was still somewhat afraid of the task he had been called to do. Once more he asks for a sign. Dew must only be on a fleece in the morning and nowhere else. And it happened just as he asked, but yet he still makes one more request. This request he knows is probably one too many. He asks God to please not be angry with him. This time dew must be everywhere except on the fleece. And it happened just as he asked. There was no doubting God anymore. He knew without a doubt that God would save Israel by his hand.

What does it take to convince you and I that something is God's will? Do we ask for multiple signs? Do we seek verification in our spirit that God will be with us in the task at hand? John 10: 4 (b) says "They know his voice." God is speaking we may just not be listening. We may not be called to do miraculous wonders but we are called to be obedient. Do we hear Him in the small things He asks of us? If we do, we will be able to hear Him in the bigger tasks.