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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (1-6-1975 Strandtown Baptist Church)
As we move from the book of Joshua to Judges, we read of
more great men who were raised up by God to deliver His people. There is a
constant pattern in Judges. The people had arrived in the land of Palestine, but
there was persistent waywardness. God raised up enemies to chastise them. They
repented and cried to God, and were rescued by a judge.
In the story of Gideon, the
scourge of the Midianites was the scourge of Israel. They were vicious and
unspeakably cruel. They invaded, destroyed, plundered and murdered. Their secret
weapon was the camel, the first recorded large-scale use of this animal in a
military campaign. It provided them with immense advantage of having a speedy,
long range fighting force. They struck terror into the hearts of their enemies.
Israel was cowed into submission. They were under the heel of the Midianites of
seven years. Like the destruction of grasshoppers, there was absolute
devastation by the rapacious hordes moving from one area to another. The effect
was Israel’s herds, crops and fruits were plundered. There were many long,
lean and hungry winters for the terrorized population. They faced great dangers
in dwelling in their villages or towns; therefore they fled to mountains and
caves and had a primitive existence there.
Gideon was the man of God for the hour. He was a man of immense courage, ability and faith – though we would scarcely imagine it when we first meet him. In the call and service of Gideon we see the principles on which God works in and through men.
This is always how it begins
when God chooses His man, c.f. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, and all the way
through the Bible. There was personal revelation of the Lord. He made Himself
known, revealed His purposes, gave His call. God is with thee, thou mighty
man of valour (Judges 6:12). This is an extraordinary description. And yet
when this call is made, Gideon is secretly threshing wheat in a winepress for
fear of the Midianites – more a man of straw than of valour.
Gideon was full of gloom,
despair and misery. Where was God? Why was all this happening to God’s people?
Why was He not doing some miracles like their forefathers knew? Why had God
forsaken them and sold them to their enemies? These are hardly the words of a
man of valour, hardly the confidence and assurance which we would expect from a
hero. But “man of valour” was not what he was when God called him, but what
he would become when divine power made him a new man.
It is not what we are, but what
we are going to be with God’s enabling. God can fit men to His task and for
His purposes. Service for God begins with personal revelation. Has God revealed
Himself to you? Are you called and commissioned? What are you going to do about
it? Young people – do you know God’s will? Are you asking Him to reveal it
to you? Are you saying “Speak Lord for your servant heareth”?
When He speaks to us, we must not reply that it is out of the question. Remember, it is not what we are now, but what we shall be by grace and power. Look at Gideon – this cowardly, faithless and utterly dejected farmer’s son – God saw him as a mighty man of valour.
The Lord responds at once to
Gideon’s fear and uncertainty. The Lord is with thee (Judges 6:12). Have
not I sent thee (Judges 6:14). Later on when lack of confidence and
self-distrust continued God graciously gave him two signs – fire from a rock,
consuming flesh and unleavened cakes (Judges 6:21). Then the dew on the fleece,
then the dew not on the fleece but on the ground (Judges 6:36-40). Then finally,
the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he blew a trumpet (Judges 6:34).
We are not going to dwell on the
signs. Many Christians feel that the need for supernatural signs is not so great
now with the full outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. We are going to
concentrate on the divine equipment the Christian is given, through the presence
of the Lord and the clothing of the Holy Spirit.
When God calls, He knows what He
is doing. It does not matter what we are, for the crucial thing is God Himself
– His voice of authority, promise of His never failing presence to sustain,
and the coming upon us of the Holy Spirit to equip. All these things are for us.
Even if not “full-time” workers in the sense of being in the fulltime
employment of the church or mission-work, yet we are all full-time workers. God
has given us all work to do wherever we are and in all circumstances. He has
commissioned, and He will be with us and the Spirit will clothe us. “Men whom
God has used have been little men who did great things for God because they
counted on God being with them” (Hudson Taylor).
A Church of England minister recounted how he wrestled with God who was calling him to go to West Africa. Repeatedly he said, No! This went on for months. One night he said to his landlady, “God has got a controversy with me. Do not worry if I do not come down for breakfast. I will be all right. I am not going to come down to breakfast till this is settled.” All night he felt God’s call to West Africa, and he replied, “No! Anywhere but there!” When the sun began to rise, Jesus Christ came to him, pointed to His marred forehead and lifted up His pierced hands, and said, “Will you go WITH me to West Africa?” “Yes, Lord!”. Henceforth his life was fragrant with God’s presence and strong with His power.
Before the great task of
delivering Israel, Gideon was given a smaller task of serving God in his own
home by throwing down the altar of Baal built by his own father. In its place he
was to erect an altar to the Lord. Terrified by the task because of fear of his
father and the men of the city, Gideon did the task by night rather than by day.
The setting of this task is in
line with all revelation to God’s prophets and reformers, to begin their work
where they are at home. When Jesus cast out devils from Legion his command was, Go
home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee (Mark
5:19). When Andrew found Christ, the first thing he did was tell his brother
Simon. If any widow has children or nephews, let them learn first to show
piety at home (1 Timothy 5:4). Serving God begins, not with great and showy
things, but in small things where we are, at home. This is the place where we
are known best, our lives are under the microscope, where we have known joys as
well as trouble, things have gone well and have gone wrong.
Husbands and wives – piety
first at home. Is your relationship what it should be? Fathers and mothers –
children should be brought up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Do your
children recognise that you live close to God? Sons and daughters – respect,
consideration and obedience to parents are required by God. What of your use of
your tongue, “me first”, my rights, wanting my way?
Only when we get it right in small things and in primary things can we expect further light to be shed on a greater task.
In Judges 7 we read the remarkable account of how Gideon
reduced his army from 32,000 to 300, by first of all letting all those who were
fearful return home, and then releasing those who failed the test by lapping
water like a dog. The final 300 revealed their alertness and eagerness for
battle. Numbers are no guarantee. The presence of the Lord is important. God has
done marvels through a handful of dedicated men.
The reduction in number was lest
Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me (Judges
7:2). The people were so prone to boast and glory in themselves, that in order
to make it plain that only a miracle of God could gain victory over the
Midianites, God used such a small number. So often victory was given to the weak
– Moses’ rod, the jawbone of an ass, five smooth stones, a handful of meal
and a little oil, five barley loaves and two small fishes. How this principle
has been repeated through history – the miner’s son, the publican’s son,
the shoe shop assistant, the cotton mill worker – God chooses the foolish,
weak, base and despised things which are not, so that no flesh should glory in
His presence (1 Corinthians 1:27,28).
George Whitefield, who preached over 18,000 sermons in 34 years, said, “Let the name of George Whitefield be forgotten and blotted out as long as the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is known.” William Carey said, “When I am gone speak not of Dr Carey but of Dr Carey’s Saviour.”
After his call to service,
Gideon went on course steadily in obedience to God. He achieved victory over the
Midianites who had been such a scourge in the land. He freed the people of God
and restored peace and a measure of prosperity. He refused to be made king. The
Lord shall rule over you (Judges 8:23).
Then almost at the end of his
course, there was spiritual tragedy with the golden earrings, ornaments, chains
and clothing. He made an ephod – a device, possibly in this period a garment
or image used to ascertain God’s will. He acted with the best of motives –
but it became a snare. The ephod became the object of worship, and Israel went
astray. After Gideon’s death, they quickly relapsed into heathenism of Baal
worship.
Gideon’s latter days were thus spoilt. The man who had rescued Israel from decline was himself responsible for their returning to their old ways. Instead of a glorious climax to a life of service and achievement, the end is marred by folly. Gideon was not alone here – c.f. Moses, Eli, and others in church history. They came through the test of adversity but were less successful in the test of prosperity. What a warning to all of us, especially those in positions of teaching others. But I keep under my body, and bring it into submission, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be castaway (1 Corinthians 9:27).
