The article "Gideon" by Don Fortner explores the theme of divine deliverance as articulated through the life of Gideon, the judge of Israel. The central argument emphasizes that Israel's oppression under the Midianites was a part of God's sovereign plan to bring His people to repentance and reliance on Him. Fortner cites Hebrews 11:32, Judges 2:16-19, and Deuteronomy 32:36, highlighting how God uses oppression to separate the genuine faithful from the hypocrites, showcasing that true strength originates from acknowledging one's weakness and dependency on Christ. The significance of this doctrine lies in its affirmation of Reformed principles concerning God's providence and grace, illustrating that God prepares His chosen instruments through trials to demonstrate His power in deliverance.
Key Quotes
“It is in the darkest days of apostasy that Gideons shine bright. Trials and persecutions only strengthen faith; they never destroy it.”
“Only a man purged of all self-sufficiency will look to Christ for all sufficiency.”
“Thou shalt save Israel... Surely I will be with thee.”
“When I am weak, then am I strong.”
What does the Bible say about Gideon?
The Bible presents Gideon as a judge of Israel who delivered God’s people from oppression, illustrating divine grace and strength in weakness.
Judges 6:1-16; Hebrews 11:32-34
How do we know God's preparation of Gideon is true?
God's preparation of Gideon is affirmed through scripture's consistent narrative of God choosing the weak to display His strength.
Judges 6:12-16; Ephesians 1:4-5
Why is Gideon's story important for Christians?
Gideon's story encourages Christians to trust in God's strength, especially in their own perceived weakness.
Judges 7:7; Philippians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 1:27
And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: - Hebrews 11:32Gideon
“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets." Hebrews 11:32
Israel could not have been in much worse condition than they were when God raised up Gideon to deliver his people. Three judges preceded him (Othniel, Ehud, and Barak), who delivered them from the hand of their enemies. Yet, a fourth time they departed from their God and were made to groan under the yoke of an oppressor.
Oppression
Though the oppressors did not know it, and Israel seemed to be ignorant of it, God used the oppressors (Ps. 76:10) to make his people cry out to him! By the oppression of the wicked, the Lord God separated the precious from the vile and proved his people (Jud. 2:16-19). It is in the darkest days of apostasy that Gideons shine bright. Trials and persecutions only strengthen faith. They never destroy it. They only destroy that which is false. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. But those who are God’s are made manifest by the very things that destroy the hypocrite (1 Cor. 11:19). The Midianites held Israel in bondage (Jud. 6). So great was the number of those who had invaded their land, that they "left no sustenance for Israel" and "Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites" (Jud. 6:4, 6). But that was by no means the worst of it. Israel was so far and so completely turned away from God to the worship of Baal, that to oppose it was considered a criminal act, deserving of death (Jud. 6:28-30). Nevertheless God had promised "the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone" (Deut. 32:36), and now, once again, he would prove his word good.
A Man Prepared
God found a man named Gideon, whom he had made to be a "mighty man of valor" (Jud. 6:12). God has no trouble finding the right man for the right job at the right time. He always has the right man ready, readied by his grace. As a mighty man of valor, Gideon was clearly a picture of Christ, of whom it is written, “I have laid help upon One that is mighty. I have exalted One chosen out of the people.” Still, Gideon had to be prepared (Jud. 6:12-14). No man will ever be fit to serve God until he finds all his strength in Christ. And no man will ever look to Christ for strength until he knows his utter weakness. Thus it was with Gideon; thus it is still. Only a man purged of all self-sufficiency will look to Christ for all sufficiency. Only a man purged of all strength is made strong in the Lord and “a vessel fit for the Master’s use.” "For when I am weak, then am I strong." God never uses an unprepared instrument; and the first part of the preparation process is to empty the chosen instrument of all self-sufficiency that he may thoroughly trust Christ, looking to Christ alone for grace and strength. Gideon’s "might" was to be his conscious weakness. As soon as that was realized, he would be forced to believe the Lord’s declaration, "Thou shalt save Israel." Now, look at Judges 6:15. Gideon now asks, "Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house." Now the servant is ready! The Lord God responded to Gideon’s acknowledged helplessness: "Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man" (verse 16). How blessed! When the believing heart realizes this, it exclaims confidently, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13).
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