1. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth …

2. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth When The Judges Ruled Israel

3. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  So far, God has used “weak” things to deliver Israel 3:16, 31 4:9, 21  He will now use a man who showed some “weaknesses” 6:13-18, 36-40  This has always been God’s “method” to deliver man 1 Cor 1:18-29

4. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Again, Israel is unfaithful to the Lord v. 1a  He sells them to another oppressor…this time, it is the Midianites v. 1b  Descendants of Abraham’s 4th son by Keturah Gen 25:1-2

5. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Midian’s oppression vv. 2-6  They forced Israel to flee to dens & caves in the mountains just to survive  They devastated the land…whatever Israel sowed, they destroyed  They also left no livestock in the land  As a result, Israel cried out to the Lord

6. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  God’s response to Israel’s cry vv. 7-10  He didn’t respond as He had previously done by sending a “deliverer” (judge)  Instead, He sent a prophet to “explain”  He reminded Israel of His deliverance from Egypt and from Canaanite oppression  He also reminded them re: Canaan’s idols

7. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  God’s response to Israel’s cry vv. 7-10  Finally, He rebuked them for their repeated disobedience  It seems God wanted Israel to understand her present predicament was more important than her immediate deliverance Sometimes, understanding the problem is more important than eliminating it.

8. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  First glimpse of Gideon v. 11  The son of Joash the Abiezrite who lived in Ophrah (in Issachar)  However, he was from the tribe of Manasseh v. 15 Josh 17:2  He was beating wheat in a winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites

9. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Trying to reassure Gideon vv. 12-24  He was addressed as a “valiant warrior” and promised with God’s presence v. 12  However, Gideon was not reassured…he reasoned if God was with Israel, why did God abandon them to Midianite control? v. 13

10. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Trying to reassure Gideon vv. 12-24  God responded for him to go in strength and deliver Israel from Midian v. 14  Gideon still had doubts v. 15  His family was least in Manasseh  He was least in his family Both physical criteria

11. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Trying to reassure Gideon vv. 12-24  Gideon wanted more reassurance vv. 17-21  He requested the angel to not depart until he prepared a sacrificial offering…God agreed  Gideon prepared a kid (goat) with unleavened bread…he was instructed to place the meat and bread on a rock along with the broth

12. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Trying to reassure Gideon vv. 12-24  Gideon wanted more reassurance vv. 17-21  God (the angel) touched the offering with a staff  Fire came from the rock & consumed the offering  Afterwards, the angel vanished

13. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Trying to reassure Gideon vv. 12-24  Gideon reassured again vv. 22-24  He was afraid he had inappropriately seen a forbidden manifestation of God’s angel  God reassured him he would not die  He named the place “Yahweh-shalom”

14. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Gideon’s instructions vv. 25-32  He was to take his father’s bull and tear down his father’s idol to Baal & Asherah  He was also to use the Asherah wood to offer up the bull in sacrifice to God  Gideon did so at night…he was too afraid to do it during the daytime

15. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Gideon’s instructions vv. 25-32  These instructions to Gideon re: his father’s idol to Baal underscore a bedrock principle also taught by Jesus  Loyalty to parents (family) must give way to loyalty to God Mt 10:34-37

16. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Gideon’s instructions vv. 25-32  The men of Ophrah discovered the next day what had happened to Baal  They discovered Gideon was responsible  They demanded Joash send him out to them for execution…Joash refused on the grounds Baal should be able to contend for himself

17. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Gideon’s instructions vv. 25-32  As a result, Joash called Gideon by the name “Jerubbaal” (Let Baal contend against him)

18. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Gideon gathers his forces vv. 33-35  The Midianites & the coalition they built gathered in the valley of Jezreel v. 33 (N in Manasseh…SW in Issachar)  Gideon gathered men from Manasseh, as well as from Asher, Zebulun, & Naphtali vv. 34-35

19. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Gideon seeks more assurance vv. 36-40  With the battle imminently before him, he once again wants confirmation that God is with him  He requested a sign Ù dew on the fleece while the rest of the threshing floor was dry  God did as he requested

20. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Gideon seeks more assurance vv. 36-40  To “confirm the confirmation”…  He requested the reverse sign Ù dew on the ground all around the fleece while the fleece remained dry  Again, God did as he requested

21. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Gideon seeks more assurance vv. 36-40  This was not necessarily an absence of faith  God is always fully aware of man’s weak moments…thus, man must be strengthened  Afterwards, man is able to use that strength to accomplish God’s expressed will

22. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth Gideon Is Called Judg 6:1-40  Gideon seeks more assurance vv. 36-40  A “thought question” for us to consider…  How can we know that God is with us?  Answer Ù when we abide in His word Jn 14:23 15:10 2 Jn 9

23. In The Days When The Judges Ruled Biblical Studies From Judges & Ruth …