Lessons from the Story of Gideon: Faith, Courage, and Divine Power

The Old Testament story of Gideon, found in Judges 6-8, is more than just a historical account; it's a timeless narrative that continues to inspire and guide us. Gideon's journey from a reluctant farmer to a mighty leader provides invaluable lessons about faith, courage, and the unwavering power of God.

Gideon: An Unlikely War Hero

When we first meet Gideon in Judges 6, he's far from a mighty warrior. In fact, he's hiding from the Midianites, threshing wheat in a winepress to avoid being seen and raided. It's in this unlikely setting that the Angel of the Lord appears to him, declaring, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior" (Judges 6:12).

Gideon's initial response reveals his surprise and self-doubt. "Pardon me," he replies, "but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (Judges 6:15). Despite his feelings of inadequacy, God chooses Gideon for a monumental task: to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites.

The Lord Provides

Like many of us in our lowest times, they cried to the Lord. And the Lord (as always) provides. He sends them a prophet…In chapter 6 of Judges we meet Gideon. The angel of the Lord appears to him and says, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”..Gideon’s response: “please sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord has forsake us and given us into the hand of Midian.”..Have you ever felt like a modern day Gideon? Wondering… “If the Lord is with me, why has this happened to me?” I have.. and here are here are 4 lessons I have learned from Gideon:

Blaming God for Our Suffering

Gideon says to the angel of the Lord, “if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?”..What Gideon failed to realize in this moment, is that the Lord had been there from the beginning. He and the Israelites were in this situation because they once again turned away from the Lord. Remember prior, the people of Israel had rest for forty years because the Lord saved them again when they turned away from him..But yet again, they turned away from Him, and this is why Gideon is in the situation he is in. Because of free will.. Not because of God…Have you ever asked, if God is such an amazing God, why do I go through so many hurtful situations? So often, we put the blame on God.. But when we put things in perspective, we realize that we are in this situation because we live in a broken world filled with people with free will. Sin was brought into the world because God gave us free will, and through disobedience, death was death upon us all. But our loving, gracious Father, has given us another chance to be redeemed, this time through His son…Like Gideon, it is easy to forget where we started. It is easy to blame God, with failing to remember how we got in this situation in the first place. But we must remember what He has done for us. Despite failing Him, He has given us, yet another opportunity to be saved by Him…

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Overcoming Feelings of Inadequacy

When the Lord tells him to go save Israel, Gideon replies “Please Lord, How can I save Israel, behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my fathers house.” Gideon says, look Lord.. “Im the weakest in my family, I cant do this..” Im reminded of Moses, when he says, no Lord, I cant go save your people, “ I am slow of speech and tongue.” But it didn’t matter that Gideon was apart of the weakest clan in Manasseh and least of His Fathers household. Nor did it matter that Moses was slow of speech and tongue. God was on with them…Have you ever felt inadequate like Gideon? Not in the sense where you have been delivered into the hands of the Midianites and you’re being forced to go fight for Israel haha, but in the sense where you doubt God, and feel inadequate to do as He has called? Modern day examples: Scripture tells us to “Go out into all the world and preach the gospel.” We respond:..“I cant go talk to that person about Jesus, ill lose my job.” “I cant correct that person, they will get offended.” “I cant teach a bible class, I am afraid of public speaking.” “I cant go to another country, ill get killed.”..I have to wonder if these feeling of inadequacies are a result of poor faith. I am totally guilty of being like Gideon…. But you know what? Recently I have realized that Gideon’s story is a lot like ours The Lord was with Gideon, and he is with us today. Romans 8:31 says, “What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”..Sometimes we have to choose faith over fear…

Recognizing God's Power, Not Our Own

The Lord caused Gideon to win a battle with 300 men.. Gideon started off with thousands. But the Lord said “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianities into their hand, lest Israel boast over me saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’”..The Lord wanted to make it clear that they won because of Him. Not because of their own resources…If you are anything like me, it is easy to fall into this idea of thinking that you have to be some great person to do the Lords work.. But I have found that idea is not biblical.. In fact.. its quite opposite. Scripture tells us,“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wide; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong,” 1 Corinthians 1:28 the reason he does this? Well Paul tells us in vs 29 “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”..You do not have to be some great successful person with millions of followers. All you need is a scripture filled mind, and a willing and humble heart…

Remembering Our Imperfections

Gideon, was a mighty man of valor. He obeyed the Lord and won the battle, and because of his willingness to let the Lord work through Him, Israel received rest for 40 years. He even refused to rule over the people, responding to their request “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you, the Lord will rule over you.” (Judges 8:23). But he still messed up…In chapter 8 of Judges, we are told that although Gideon refuses to rule over the people, he does request something from them. He requests their golden earrings, 1700 shekels of gold and we are told in vs 27 “Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city in Ophrah. And all of Israel whored after it there and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.” Gideon was a successful, God fearing man, but he still messed up. I am glad that God added this part here, because it gives me hope…As Christians today, we mess up. In fact, I constantly mess up. Sin is a hard battle, this Christian walk is extremely hard. But God has given us the remedy for our failures. The blood of Jesus…Once we are baptized into Christ, and come up after being fully immersed in that watery grave of baptism, and begin our Christian walks, that’s just the beginning. And it is a LONG beginning… Chances are we are going to mess up.. But what makes us different is that we have the confidence that we are able to repent. We are protected by His blood. We are told this in 1 John 1:9:“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Tests of Faith: Seeking Divine Guidance

In moments of uncertainty, Gideon sought reassurance from God. After some famous convincing involving two days of dew and a fleece, Gideon trusted God, made a battle plan, gathered 32,000 troops, and prepared to attack. Right about then, God made another unexpected statement, recorded for us in Judges 7:2: “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, ‘I saved myself.’” So God proceeded to whittle down the troops. Twice. First from 32,000 to 10,000, and then to just 300. And then the battle plans changed. This battle would not be won with soldiers, swords, and shields. Nope. Each of the 300 men would instead go to battle with a trumpet, a torch, and a terra cotta pot. Gideon placed a fleece of wool on the ground, asking for signs. God, in His patience, granted Gideon’s requests, wetting the fleece while keeping the ground dry and vice versa. This episode teaches us about the importance of seeking divine guidance and the patience of God, even when we seek confirmation.

Trusting God's Plan Amidst Weakness

God, demonstrating His power, reduced Gideon’s army drastically before a crucial battle, emphasizing that victory would come through divine intervention, not human strength. This reduction showcased God’s ability to accomplish the extraordinary through the seemingly insufficient. It’s a poignant reminder that God’s plan often unfolds in ways we can’t predict, urging us to trust His wisdom and timing.

Gideon’s 300 men surrounded the Midianite camp, and on his signal, they broke the pots, revealing their torches, blew their trumpets, and shouted, “For the Lord, and for Gideon!” The Midianites were so frightened and confused, they fought against themselves.

Lessons for Today

Gideon’s story offers several lessons that are particularly relevant in today's world:

God Sees the Best in Us

In chapter 6 of Judges, we find Gideon going about his business of threshing wheat in a winepress. He is a young man trying to help his family get the grain they need and keep the Midianites from finding it. What the reader learns is that Gideon and his family are hiding from the Midianites and other groups that want to harm them.

Gideon has no confidence in the God of the Israelites. His family has become Baal worshippers. They are running into caves to seek safety. The faith of the Israelites has weakened and so has Gideon’s. Even so, God calls to Gideon at the winepress. He calls Gideon a “mighty warrior.”

When God speaks to Gideon, he describes him according to what he would become, not what he was. At that moment, Gideon is aware that he is just a young boy who is just going along with the ways of his family. He doesn’t see that he has anything to offer God, especially not becoming a mighty warrior.

God saw the best in Gideon. He looked past his faults and his weaknesses. The same is true for us today. God sees our hearts. He knows who we truly are. God knows that we have weaknesses. God also knows that if we trust in Him, we have everything it takes to do the work He has called us to.

Paul tells us in I Corinthians 1:26-29, that God chooses foolish things to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong. You may think you are weak, but God knows with Him, you are strong.

Idol Worship Is Unacceptable

People today can often forget that we worship idols too. They don’t look the same as they did in Gideon’s time. While we don’t have golden calves in our yards, we hold wealth, status, time, and many other things as idols. Anything that separates us from God is an idol.

Gideon has been living in a family that has turned from their God. They have been worshipping Baal and most likely, so was Gideon. After Gideon has realized that it is the sovereign Lord speaking, he follows the instruction to take down his father’s altar to Baal and the Asherah pole beside it.

God still asks that we tear down the idols in our lives. He instructs us to not let anyone or anything come between Him and us. Idols were not acceptable then, and they are not acceptable today. We cannot serve two masters and we cannot carry out the work Christ has for us when we have idols in our lives.

We Are All Unfinished Products

The beginning of Gideon’s story paints the picture of a young man who is scared, complacent, and hiding from his enemies. Fear has infiltrated Gideon’s heart and the hearts of all Israelites. The tribe of Manasseh is weak, and Gideon doesn’t seem to have much hope of life getting any better. Some readers might even call Gideon a coward.

First, we must consider Gideon’s age. We don’t know the exact number, but we do know he is the youngest son in his family. Most likely, Gideon still has some growing and learning to do. His faith was weak, yet he sought out the Lord’s guidance.

Not once but three times in Gideon’s story, we read his requests for God to give him a sign. Clearly, Gideon was second-guessing what was happening. He wanted to be sure he was interpreting the instructions correctly. Gideon was still growing in his faith, and God was gracious in answering Gideon’s request for a sign.

What we can take away from this is that, like Gideon, we are an unfinished product.

Let No Man Rule in Your Life

Once Gideon had fought the Midianites, the Israelites request he rule over them. They felt that Gideon had saved them from certain demise. In their persuasion, they remind Gideon that his children and grandchildren would have the spoils of royalty.

In Judges 8:23, Gideon turns down the Israelite’s request. He reminds the Israelites that they already have a king. He tells them that the Lord will rule over them.

Gideon’s response reminds us we should let no man be the ruler of our lives. He is telling us that if we have Christ in our lives, then we have all we need. If we let God rule our lives, we can enjoy the spoils of royalty as well because we will be co-heirs with Christ.

A Little Can Be a Lot

Gideon was just a young boy when God called Him out. He didn’t feel that he had what it would take to complete the enormous task God was giving him. What he didn’t understand was that God was not looking at Gideon’s qualifications in that moment. His call had nothing to do with the quantity of deeds Gideon had done. He was looking at the quality of Gideon’s heart.

These words sum up what Gideon did. He went in Jesus’ name. He trusted and followed God. Because of his obedience, God gave Gideon a crown. One that has far more value than any earthly crown. God is not looking for the best qualities and the most accolades. He is seeking those who, like Gideon, are regular people laboring for Christ in their daily lives.

Serving God faithfully is not about quantity. It is all about quality.

It Is Easy to Fall Away from God

Gideon accomplished a big, important task. His people were grateful to him. They wanted him to be their king. Gideon did the right thing when he turned down the offer to rule over them. In that moment, Gideon was on a righteous path. He was walking with God.

At the end of Gideon’s story, we are reminded that it is incredibly easy to fall away from God. Gideon had done all the right things, yet he built a golden ephod. In Judges 8:27, we read that once Gideon made the golden ephod, all the people of Israel began worshipping it.

After all that Gideon had accomplished with God, it would seem that the Israelites would have learned their lesson. Every battle fought and won had given the Israelites freedom to live as God desired them to. In the end, all it took was a golden ephod to turn them away from God.

Prayer Engages Someone Who is Already with You.

We know what it feels like when someone is with us, and a lot of the time God’s involvement in our lives can feel…unpredictable. But prayer reminds us that God is already always with us.

Gideon hit the Bible scene after the Israelites had been freed from Egypt (with the help of God), survived a stiff-necked wandering in the desert (with the help of God), dispossessed the bad guys and finally scored the Promised Land (with the help of God), and enjoyed years of peace, glorious peace (thanks to God)!

Then they blew off God.Of course, their world came crashing in, and it was during that crushingly oppressive and lonely time that God visited Gideon. We read in Judges that an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6).

And Gideon, in one of the most under-excited-to-see-God moments in Bible history, wondered aloud: God? Where have you been?

Prayer is All about Honesty - Not Just Saying What We Think God Wants to Hear

Gideon takes some hits in church circles for this seemingly whiny response. I mean, God’s here! Buck up and be glad! Who wouldn’t respond that way? Um, God. God did not treat Gideon that way at all. Here was a man who had heard stories about God’s benevolent leadership and love, but where had God been all this time when Gideon needed him? Seemingly absent. Gideon was wrong, of course, but God didn’t hold that against him.

If you have read the backstory, you know it was not that God left the Israelites, but the Israelites who had left God. After all, God had done to build a relationship with his children, they still had turned away from God. God said, “You have not listened to me” (Judges 6:10).

God could have justifiably gotten smoking mad at Gideon with an accusing “You’re not listening to me!” However, it’s one thing to be obstinate, but another thing altogether to be unsure. This is a God who cares about that difference. Gideon was hearing God say great things, but Gideon did not know if God would actually do the greatest thing of all.

Prayer Teaches Us to Have Eyes that See God

God has a much greater mission than demonstrating his greatness. His mission is to demonstrate his love. His greatest challenge was getting his people to receive that from him. “Don’t go away…” Gideon said to God. “And the Lord said, ‘I will stay here until you return’” (Judges 6:18).

So commenced a bit of fire that lit up a little meat and unleavened bread. There was later a bit of fleece and then later a big barley loaf in the middle of someone else’s dream. Over and over, God reinforced how much he loved and cared about Gideon and the Israelites.

If the Israelites hadn’t listened before, Gideon was listening now. Intently. What transpired was a monumentally triumphant turn of events for Gideon and his people. And Gideon came to believe that the hiding place of God’s word was a place he could trust.

Expect that God is already waiting for you to spend time with Him. Be honest. He has told us from page one to page 700 plus in the Bible not to fear for one reason. He tells his children over and over, I am with you.

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