Gideon – The Reluctant Hero
Judges 6:11-18 – Victory Fellowship
May 3, 2026 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
Spiral of Sin. God sends Prophet. Angel of the Lord visits Gideon.
I cannot imagine Gideon’s surprise by not only the angel of the LORD but the statement that was made about him. He actually called him a "mighty warrior". As far as we know Gideon had not even been in battle. Gideon was at the bottom of the pit threshing wheat - which leads us to believe he was a farmer at least for the time being. Gideon knew who he was and what he was doing. I am sure he considered himself many things but not, "mighty warrior."
Gideon didn’t have a clue.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they crawled into their tent and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, Holmes awoke and nudged his friend. “Watson, look up and tell me what you see.” Watson replied, “I see millions and millions of stars.” “What does that tell you, Watson?” Asked Holmes. Watson pondered a moment and then replied, “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is within the Leo constellation. Chronologically I observe it’s nighttime 3 a.m. on June 14th. Meteorologically, the air appears dry, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day. Why did you ask? What does it tell you?” Holmes says, “Watson, you idiot! Someone has stolen our tent!”
Gideon is a reluctant hero. Judges 6:13 (NASB) 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.”
Gideon does not yet realize that the problem isn’t with God but with the people.
How many times have these questions popped into our heads but we were afraid to voice them? Why did this happen to me? Where are the miracles I read about in the Bible? God helped in the past but is now absent or indifferent.
Ignorance breeds bitterness. Truth inspires faith.
Gideon was woefully ignorant of God and how He operates in His world. Yet, God used Him anyway.
God did not rebuke him for his honest questions. God simply looked at him and affirmed His confidence and commission.
The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?"
Gideon needed a great deal of convincing.
He didn’t reject the proposal flat out but was looking for more affirmation.
So Gideon said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. "Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You." And He said, "I will remain until you return." Judges 6:17-18
We are not sure just what Gideon was looking for in a sign but he was certainly trying to determine if this was God speaking or not.
It is not always easy to determine the voice of God. I think it is mostly due to our ignorance and insensitivity to His presence and activity in our life.
God graciously affirmed his anointing by a powerful display of fire.
The answer to all of Gideon’s questions is in verse 12, "The LORD is with you".
How many times have we faced problems, obstacles in life not with courage but with fear? We look at our own circumstances, our own resources and say we’re finished, done for, I need to walk away or go hide for awhile.
If you are thinking this morning that you can’t do anything to overcome your circumstances - poor health, financial trouble, no job, etc., you are absolutely right! All of life is out of our control. It is simply a fact of life. Yes, we can plan, we can eat right, and we can do many things to hopefully live a better quality life - but life is out of our control.
Whatever the task, the mission, the ministry - the Lord is all anyone needs. Everything else comes from Him. He will supply all of our needs and beyond. We may see challenges of many kinds but our Lord is with us and He will provide.
PRAYER
SONG: Glory Glory (God Is Able)
Judges 6:11-18 NLT
11 Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” 13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” 15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” 16 The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” 17 Gideon replied, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me. 18 Don’t go away until I come back and bring my offering to you.” He answered, “I will stay here until you return.”
