Mighty Faith Building

O valiant warrior

The Midianites come like a swarm of locust

The Lord sent judgment ; then He sent a preacher Judges 6: 1 Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.

Deuteronomy 11: 26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

Jesus, called the Angel of the Lord told Gideon he would deliver Israel. Judges 6: 16 But the Lord said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man."

Judges 6: 21 Then the Angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in His hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.

With this lesson we will observe how God nurtured Gideon’s fledgling faith.

I. Gideon’s first test of faith

Building an altar to God was an act of faith. Tearing down the altar to Baal was a commitment.

Judges 3: 5ff The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; 6 and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 7 The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.

II King 21: 7 Then he set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the Lord said to David and to his son Solomon, " In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.

II Kings 23: 6 He brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and ground it to dust, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people. ( Common people refers to those who were made priests of Baal. )

authoritative source for information about Jehovah. The bible is the single authoritative source for information about Jehovah. There is not such singular source about pagan gods.

Gideon obeyed, but he tore down the altar at night.

Judges 6: 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar."

II. Moved by the Spirit of God, Gideon blew a horn to assemble an army.

Gideon’s faith was still not sufficiently reinforced. Judges 6: 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece …”

The seeking of signs is not favored by God.… Pharisees Matthew 16: 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah." And He left them and went away.

III. Gideon’s “laying down a fleece” was not held up as an example for us.

Gideon’s testing God was a confession he lacked faith. Judges 6: 36 Then Gideon said to God, “ If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, 37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. …”

IV. Some lessons for us :

It is not proper for a Christian to “throw down a fleece.” ~ $100K means build ~ A repair bill means buy

Christians are guided by the book written by the Spirit of God. Psalms 119: 7 – I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. Psalms 119: 105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.

We must spend enough time in God’s word to enable God to use it to guide us.

The Holy Spirit within every Christian speaks to us by via His written word. Psalms 48:14 – For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death. We can’t go through life carrying a concordance. We store up the word. Psalms 119: 11 – Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

Put your full faith in Jesus !

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. I Corinthians 11: 26