The Man Gideon

Gideon was one of Israel?s renowned warriors. He was the son of Joash, the Abiezrite (Judges 6:11). Gideon was the one the Lord used to deliver the Israelites from the hands of the Midianites. He was from one of the weakest clans in Manesseh and the least in their family (v.15). God decided to use Gideon for a purpose.

When Gideon was about to go to war against the Midianites, he first of all had thirty thousand men with him. But because the Lord does not work with numbers, it was reduced to ten thousand men out of the thirty thousand men. Ten thousand men were too many for Him to use, and eventually were selected three hundred men out of the ten thousand with whom he routed the army of the Midianites.

The Lord commanded Gideon the way he was to go about the war and Gideon went about it exactly that way and was able to achieve victory.

We are told that all that was written in the scriptures is written so that we can learn from it (1Cor.10:11). From the case of Gideon, we can see that the Lord already knew, before Gideon was born, that he would be the one to deliver Israel from their bondage (Ps.139:1-12). In the same way, He already knew, before Jesus was born, that he would be the one to save the word from the bondage of sin.

Gideon came from one of the weakest clans in Manesseh, and was the least in their family. In the same way Jesus was from one of the least towns (Bethlehem) of Judah (Micah 5:2).

That God used three hundred men out of thirty thousand shows us that He delights in humility and does not work with numbers. He is able to use a single person whose heart is right to achieve whatever He wants to achieve. He said: "so that the Israelites might not boast saying; By our own strength we have saved ourselves" (Judges 7:2).

Finally, if Gideon had not fought the battle according to the way the Lord had commanded him, he would not have succeeded. But because he fought according to the guidelines laid down for him, victory became his. In the same way, in our battle against sin, we must fight according to guidelines in order for us to succeed. We must look at the way Jesus fought his own and follow his example.

Comment : So, Christadelphians may be regarded as a small group ? but with God?s help, and our personal commitment, the Gospel can be preached to all the world.

Bro. Lucky Efuribe (Umuahia, Nigeria)