Asking for Signs: Gideon

Judges 6 - Episode 133

Oppressed by Midianites - Judges 6:1-10

After forty years of peace, Israel turned away from the Lord again, and God gave them over to the Midianites for seven years. This is the first time their oppression is described in detail, and apparently, the Amalekites joined Midian in harassing the Israelites. Both nations bordered Israel in the South and Southeast and were distant relatives. The Midianites lived in the Arabian Peninsula and were descendants of Abraham through his wife Keturah. The Amalekites lived south of Judah in the Negev desert and were descendants of Esau. They both had been provocative towards the Israelites since they left Egypt. The Midianites were the ones who hired Balaam to curse them, and the Amalekites attacked them as they were leaving Egypt, vulnerable and tired. The Israelites intermarried with the Midianites when they lived on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and God sent a plague on Israel because of it, Still, He never permitted them to attack Midian.

On the other hand, they should have eliminated the Amalekites years ago. Now, both countries have risen against them, causing Israel to build dens and caves to hide from them. During harvest, their oppressors would descend on them like locusts, devouring their food, leaving the land bare, and robbing them of their animals.

When the Israelites called out for help this time, God did not raise a deliverer right away. Instead, he sent an unnamed prophet to rebuke the people. The prophet reminded them of everything God had done for them and the one thing He had asked them to do in return. God had brought them into the land, and He only asked that they not worship the gods of the other nations. But Israel had repeatedly disobeyed the Lord’s command.

God Calls the Fifth Judge, Gideon – Judges 6:11-16

The angel of the Lord quietly sat in the shade of the tree, waiting to speak to Gideon, who was beating out the wheat in the winepress. Usually, the cattle would stomp the grain, and then the people would lay it out to dry on an open wooden floor so the wind could blow away the chaff. But Gideon was beating it himself in the winepress because it was more secluded inside a cave, hopefully, hidden from the view of the Midianites and Amalekites. Gideon was trying to make sure it did not get stolen this time. This was much more work for him, but it would be worth it if it worked.

When the angel appeared to Gideon, he said God was with him and called him a mighty man of valor. When it says, “the angel of the Lord,” many believe this is God in the flesh, which would be the pre-incarnate Jesus. But if that’s so, he must just look like a man because Gideon did not address him as The Lord but as a lord, which would be more of a polite term, like “Sir.”

Gideon told the angel it did not feel like God was with them at all. If He was, then why had the Lord allowed the Midianite oppression? Where were all His miracles? Why had He not shown His power and delivered them? We would probably all like the answer to from time to time. Sometimes, it can feel like He does not see, hear, or know what is happening to us. Or it may look like He does not care or have the power to do anything about it. When I heard Gideon’s question, I was anxious to hear the angel’s answer. But instead of explaining why He allowed all this to happen to them and why He had restrained His power, He just told Gideon that He indeed was with them. God basically said, “Well, it may not feel like I’ve been with you, but I have. Anyway, the proof is that I’m coming to you now and sending you to judge your oppressors and deliver Israel.”

This should have been encouraging to Gideon because God was finally bringing relief. The problem is that the relief was going to come through Gideon. It seems like he would have preferred for God to judge the people Himself without any involvement from them at all. But even if they all had to fight, Gideon certainly did not want to be the leader. But when he expressed his inferiority to the Lord, just as with Moses, God assured Gideon his weaknesses were not a problem. When he asked how he could save Israel, God said, “That’s easy. You will do it because of Me. Through My power, you will kill the whole nation of people as if they were one man.”

Asking for Reassurance of the Call – Judges 6:17-24

But Gideon needed some reassurance that this was actually God calling him. So, he asked the angel to stay there and let him get a gift in exchange for a sign. Then, Gideon left and prepared a young goat, some unleavened cakes, and some broth. When he brought the basket of meat and bread, along with the pot of broth, the angel told him to put the meat and bread on the rock and pour the broth over them. Then the angel touched the food with his staff, and fire came from the rock, burning it up. At that moment, Gideon realized he had been talking with the angel of the Lord. He was afraid and thought that he might die, but the angel told him not to be afraid. He would not die. Then the angel disappeared, and Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, calling it “The Lord is Peace.”

Because Gideon was so afraid he would die just for seeing the face of this angel, validity is added to the argument that the angel of the Lord was Jesus, after all. If that is the case, Jesus was seen by many with no threat to their lives. When God told Moses no one could see His face and live, He seemed to be talking about His glorious presence, which would have been God the Father. Jesus did not come in a glorious, shining body. He walked the earth as a normal man. No man can see God the Father in all His glory and live, but Gideon could talk to Jesus face to face at no risk. So, the angel of the Lord could have been Jesus because he did look like a normal man. We just cannot be sure. (Exodus 33:18-23, 34:5-7)