IN HIS DEALINGS WITH GIDEON, GOD SHOWS HIS KINDNESS, PATIENCE AND LOVE
“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust,” Psalm 103:13-14. “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth,” Isaiah 42:3.
1. Backsliding leaves us forgetful of God’s past mercies. This the prophet addressed, vvs 8-9.
2. Backsliding leaves us weak and filled with doubt. This good man had a problem with doubts and unbelief! Gideon was slow to recognise the Lord, verses 11-12. So it was in Laodicea, Rev 3:20. Plain Bible preaching seems ‘strange’Notice, it was the Lord Who came, appeared and spoke.
3. Backsliding leaves us full of questioning. Why? Where? Wherewith? These questions denote his ignorance. He does not seem to know the link between sin and judgment. Wherewith? He is limited in His view of God’s power. This is the consequence of sin and backsliding. We have a very diminished view of God.
4. The Lord patiently strengthens his faith. Vs 17, 36-40, 7:9.
THE VICTORY OVER THE MIDIANITES WAS TOTAL
“And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb,” 7:25.
The Midianites are never mentioned again in the OT except in reference to this victory. “Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison,” Psalm 83:9, see verse 6. This Psalm is prophetic and speaks of the events foretold in Psalm 2.
TWO OTHER REFERENCE TO THIS VICTORY LINKS IT TO CHRIST’S VICTORY OVER ANTICHRIST
Isaiah 9:4, 10:24-27. ‘The Assyrian’ is one the titles of the Antichrist of Rev 13. The victory of the Lord over the Assyrian in Hezekiah’s day pictures for us the future victory over the Antichrist.
1. When the Lord visits His people and blesses them it is always a foretaste of that great and final victory. All past and future victories spring from the cross where the powers of the devil were broken. We presently enjoy the benefits of it but we will yet see the full and final fruit of that glorious event.
2. How confident we may be of God blessing us today when we view the great victory that is on the horizon. It is because of the ultimate overcoming of the devil and his agents at Calvary that we can look to the Lord for a measure of that victory today. As Gideon was given a foretaste of that future victory even so may we experience it.
Click to stream or download, Some further thoughts on Gideon, Pt 2