1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,640 We've all been hurt. 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:04,960 We all have scars. 3 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:11,200 And through a relationship with Jesus Christ, we can all overcome and we can all be healed. 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,640 Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. 5 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:21,840 Hey everybody and welcome back and welcome to the third part of our series on Reluctant 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:22,840 Leaders. 7 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:27,880 We're going to continue to piggyback off of part one of the series where we had a brief 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:32,240 introduction to a few leaders in the Bible and we're going to look at why they were 9 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:36,920 reluctant to see how it applies to us in our lives today. 10 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:41,040 Now in our last section we spent time in Peter's beginning. 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:46,440 Now we're going to look at Gideon and we find him in one of my favorite books of the 12 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:47,440 Bible. 13 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,040 We find him in Judges. 14 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:55,000 Now specifically for those of you who like to follow along in your Bible, we're going 15 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,800 to be looking at Judges chapter 6 to start. 16 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:06,000 Now before we look at this introduction, we need to look at what's happening to the Israelites. 17 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,160 And to do this we're going to start at the very beginning, like I said, Judges chapter 18 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:11,720 6 verses 1 through 10. 19 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:16,280 And this is going to paint the picture of where they were at at this point. 20 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,780 Okay, and this is really going to help us to kind of bring into perspective why Gideon 21 00:01:20,780 --> 00:01:24,240 is the way he is when we get introduced to him. 22 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:31,680 So the Bible says, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years 23 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,400 he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 24 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:41,340 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves 25 00:01:41,340 --> 00:01:45,760 in the mountain cliffs, caves, and strongholds. 26 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:52,800 Wherever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern 27 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,280 peoples invaded the country. 28 00:01:55,280 --> 00:02:03,280 They camped on the land and ruined the crops, all the way to Gaza, and did not spare a living 29 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:08,960 thing for Israel, neither sheep, nor cattle, nor donkeys. 30 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:14,700 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. 31 00:02:14,700 --> 00:02:18,200 It was impossible to count them or their camels. 32 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,080 They invaded the land to ravage it. 33 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:28,080 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. 34 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:34,660 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord, because of Midian, he sent them a prophet 35 00:02:34,660 --> 00:02:41,920 who said, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, I brought you up out of Egypt, 36 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:43,360 out of the land of slavery. 37 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:51,440 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and I delivered you to the hand of all your 38 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:52,440 oppressors. 39 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,740 I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 40 00:02:56,740 --> 00:03:01,540 I said to you, I am the Lord your God. 41 00:03:01,540 --> 00:03:08,000 Do not worship the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. 42 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,120 But you have not listened to me. 43 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:20,960 All right, so we see that the Bible says the Israelites have messed up again, so much so 44 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:26,560 that God has let the Midianites just roll in and run roughshod over them. 45 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,820 They've taken over and they destroy everything. 46 00:03:29,820 --> 00:03:32,640 You might be wondering who the Midianites are here. 47 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:38,200 They're a nation that came from Abraham's second wife, Keturah, who he had a half dozen 48 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:39,600 sons with. 49 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:45,960 You can read about this in Genesis chapter 25. 50 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:51,440 From them, the Israelites were constantly going back and forth and fighting through 51 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:52,800 the years. 52 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:56,500 To say they were a thorn in their side would be putting it mildly. 53 00:03:56,500 --> 00:04:02,540 In Numbers chapter 31 verses 1 through 20, the Bible tells us that the fighting got so 54 00:04:02,540 --> 00:04:07,520 fierce that the Israelites had nearly wiped them out. 55 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:12,640 Actually the Midianites, they're like rabbits destroying farmers' crops and the farmer deciding 56 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:14,020 he's had enough of them. 57 00:04:14,020 --> 00:04:20,600 The problem was, much like a farmer who didn't resolve their rabbit issue, the Midianites 58 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:25,680 were able to repopulate and start causing issues for them again. 59 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:31,740 Not only that, but the Israelites had also gone right back in the gutter. 60 00:04:31,740 --> 00:04:33,200 They didn't trust in God. 61 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,680 They didn't lean on Him as they should have. 62 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:43,200 Instead, they became such entitled brats that God said, enough is enough. 63 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:48,560 And for seven years, let the Midianites have their way with them. 64 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:53,180 The Midianites were so oppressive that they totally overran them. 65 00:04:53,180 --> 00:04:59,440 It was so bad that judges, when you look at verse 2, verse 2 the Bible tells us the Israelites 66 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:06,640 were living, if you could call it that, in caves, mountains, and other fortifications. 67 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:07,880 They were hiding for their lives. 68 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:08,880 They were hiding. 69 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:09,880 Okay? 70 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:10,880 Plain and simple. 71 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:18,100 In verses 3 through 6 the Bible tells us they couldn't hold on to anything. 72 00:05:18,100 --> 00:05:21,200 Every time they tried, it was taken or destroyed. 73 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:25,040 It's like having a puppy that's teething and it hasn't been trained yet. 74 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:26,960 Everything gets chewed up. 75 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,160 And that's what's been happening here. 76 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,600 Hold her twice, bye bye. 77 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:32,600 All right? 78 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,480 Now, they basically, they had to hit rock bottom again. 79 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:41,800 They had to go right back in the gutter to remember that they needed to turn to God. 80 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:43,400 And that's exactly what they do. 81 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:49,720 And remember, when we're looking at Peter, we discussed, don't take your eye off the 82 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:51,320 ball. 83 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:52,320 Don't take your eye off the ball. 84 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:57,280 The Lord should come first in every single situation. 85 00:05:57,280 --> 00:06:02,120 Many Israelites were getting reminded of this. 86 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,160 They were caught up in the good times. 87 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:10,640 They turned to worshiping their idols instead of God, which the Bible tells us we're not 88 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:11,640 supposed to do that. 89 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:20,040 Matter of fact, if you look at Exodus chapter 34, go to verses 13 through 14, the Bible 90 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:24,160 also tells us that God is a jealous God. 91 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:27,600 And it's specifically talking about worshiping of idols there. 92 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:28,600 All right? 93 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:35,240 And that brings us to Judges chapter 6 verses 11 through 12. 94 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,440 And we finally, this is where we meet Gideon. 95 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:39,760 All right? 96 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:47,760 The Bible says, the angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Oprah. 97 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:53,440 That belonged to Joash the Abysserite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat and a wine 98 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,800 press to keep it from the Midianites. 99 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:06,120 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior. 100 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:12,520 So again, Gideon is a farmer and he is in hiding. 101 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:19,160 This is not the picture that we would normally have of a general, especially today. 102 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:23,680 However, not all armies over the centuries have been built like ours and just on the 103 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:25,560 go 24-7. 104 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,000 Many had jobs that they tended to until they were needed. 105 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,040 It's basically like our reserve units today. 106 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:38,000 And just like troops today, many had plans for after service. 107 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:48,240 Now normally, when separating the wheat grains from the useless outer shells, this would 108 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:52,760 be done in an open area where the wind could pick up and blow away the letter pieces that 109 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:54,400 basically would get tossed in the air. 110 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:55,400 All right? 111 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,520 And then just blow them away. 112 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:05,240 However, if Gideon had done this in a traditional way, he would have been an easy target out 113 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:10,540 in the open due to all the different raiders and rotters that had overrun the area. 114 00:08:10,540 --> 00:08:14,920 So instead, what we see here is he's using a wine press. 115 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:22,680 And most likely it was in a cupboard or basically a hidden area that to the normal person, it 116 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,080 wouldn't be suspected as a place where they would find crops. 117 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,200 It would be something that they'd overlook. 118 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,400 And again, they're living in caves and mountains and all. 119 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:35,040 Everything that the Israelites did at this point was in secret. 120 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:39,560 Going out in the day, it was just dangerous at this point. 121 00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:43,040 Their life as they knew it had been turned upside down. 122 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,440 I love the greeting that's used here though. 123 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,480 The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. 124 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:52,560 Things are about to turn around. 125 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:58,320 And just like the Bible told us with Peter, the Lord is starting by speaking a change 126 00:08:58,320 --> 00:08:59,320 into Gideon. 127 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,120 He's empowering him. 128 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:12,960 The very definition to empower is to make someone stronger and more confident, especially 129 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:17,120 in controlling their life and claiming their rights. 130 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:21,640 Something we're about to see Gideon so desperately needs. 131 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:23,640 All right. 132 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:29,440 So from that, we're now going to look at verses 13 through 22. 133 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:35,920 And the Bible says, pardon me, my Lord, Gideon replied, but if the Lord is with us, why has 134 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:37,840 all this happened to us? 135 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:42,520 Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, did not the 136 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,800 Lord bring this up out of Egypt? 137 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:50,280 But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Gideon. 138 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:56,560 The Lord turned to him and said, go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Gideon's 139 00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:57,560 hand. 140 00:09:57,560 --> 00:10:00,400 Am I not sending you? 141 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,520 Pardon me, my Lord, Gideon replied, but how can I save Israel? 142 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:10,400 My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family. 143 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:16,640 The Lord answered, I will be with you and you will strike down all the Midianites leaving 144 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,520 none alive. 145 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:24,600 Gideon replied, if now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really 146 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:26,800 you talking to me. 147 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:31,880 Please don't go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you. 148 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:36,680 And the Lord said, I will wait until you return. 149 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:44,640 Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat and from an epa, a flower, he made bread without 150 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:46,440 yeast. 151 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:52,000 Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them 152 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,360 to him under the oak. 153 00:10:55,360 --> 00:11:01,840 The angel of God said to him, take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this 154 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,080 rock and pour out the broth. 155 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,400 And so Gideon did so. 156 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:14,120 Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the 157 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:16,840 staff that was in his hand. 158 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:26,240 Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread, and the angel of the Lord disappeared. 159 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:32,760 When Gideon realized that this was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, alas, sovereign 160 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:39,040 Lord, I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face. 161 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:44,320 Wow, there's a lot going on here. 162 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:51,040 So we see in verse 13 that like Peter and everyone else in the world really, Gideon's 163 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:52,040 full of doubt. 164 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:55,680 Full of doubt, we're all full of doubts. 165 00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:58,480 If it's not one thing, it's another. 166 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:04,200 But Gideon, he's so full of doubt, he doesn't even believe that this is actually the angel 167 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:07,320 of the Lord and questions him. 168 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:11,080 Like Peter and the sea, he's focused on the world around him. 169 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:16,680 He questions the issues that his nation is dealing with and what appears to be God's 170 00:12:16,680 --> 00:12:18,600 lack of help. 171 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:22,700 You'll notice he doesn't even acknowledge the fact that it was their own fault that brought 172 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:27,760 them to this point, that the troubles that they were facing were because as a nation 173 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:29,160 they had turned from God. 174 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:36,000 Have you ever noticed when things are tough, people are quick to point fingers, blame others, 175 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,000 or even to blame God. 176 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:42,720 If you're so powerful and you love us so much, why aren't you helping? 177 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,560 There are places in the world that are war torn. 178 00:12:45,560 --> 00:12:47,920 People are starving and suffering. 179 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:54,580 You'll notice those are often some of the same places where God has been pushed out. 180 00:12:54,580 --> 00:13:00,840 Places where missionaries risk life and limb to go and share the word. 181 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:06,920 This should be a reminder to turn to God when things are tough. 182 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:12,160 We all need to confess our own sins and pray to him. 183 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,520 The Bible says that he continues on here. 184 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:24,000 We look at verses 14 through 15 where even after he's told, hey, go, you've got a mission, 185 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:31,800 he not only says that his family is weak, he puts himself down even further that he's 186 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,400 the weakest of them all. 187 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,340 Oh, woe is me. 188 00:13:36,340 --> 00:13:41,240 He has such a poor self image that he can't even believe he's worthy enough to be in the 189 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,200 presence of the Lord. 190 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:44,920 Right now, Gideon is very much like Eor. 191 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:47,580 Oh, nobody wants to be my friend. 192 00:13:47,580 --> 00:13:49,620 Nobody loves me. 193 00:13:49,620 --> 00:13:51,640 His depression is quite real. 194 00:13:51,640 --> 00:14:00,160 Again, in verse 16, the Lord is telling him he will be with him and that he will win. 195 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:05,320 You'll notice it's the same as he told Moses in Exodus chapter 3. 196 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:11,000 Yet Gideon challenges things yet again. 197 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:16,760 Let me remind you that in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 16, the Bible tells us you must not 198 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:23,240 test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massa. 199 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,120 Yet that's exactly what's happening here. 200 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:35,320 And Gideon is going to find out why shortly, why we shouldn't test the Lord. 201 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:40,960 Now let's go to verse 22. 202 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:47,160 This right here, Gideon realizes that this really is the angel of the Lord. 203 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,960 He goes, uh-oh. 204 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:51,840 Oh, boy. 205 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:53,640 This is really the real deal. 206 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:58,080 And much like Gideon, we all find ourselves focused on our own limitations and our weaknesses. 207 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:05,720 People often will use those as a reason to take the easy out and to make excuses as to 208 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,800 why they can't do things. 209 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:09,800 Don't make excuses. 210 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:16,080 Instead, tell God how you really feel about what's going on. 211 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:20,400 But then, once that's done, do what God wants. 212 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,960 Do what God tells you to do. 213 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:24,420 Alright? 214 00:15:24,420 --> 00:15:32,120 Now let's see what the Bible has to say now in verses 23 through 24. 215 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:38,000 The Bible says, But the Lord said to him, Peace, do not be afraid, you are not going 216 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:39,440 to die. 217 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:46,040 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it the Lord is Peace. 218 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:51,640 To this day it stands in Oprah of the Abysserites. 219 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:55,840 Alright. 220 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,800 So Gideon's scared. 221 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:05,440 He not only sees the reality that's in front of him now, he's afraid he's about to die. 222 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:06,440 Why? 223 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,160 Why is he afraid he's going to die? 224 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:15,720 Because, the understanding is that nobody can see God's face and live. 225 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:17,440 We learn that from Exodus. 226 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:24,320 However, Gideon believed that this also applies to seeing this messenger that's in front of 227 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:25,320 him. 228 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:28,120 So right away he's told, Hey buddy, relax. 229 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,160 You're not going to die. 230 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:31,160 It's going to be okay. 231 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:32,160 Alright. 232 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:37,560 So we're going to continue on, verses 25 through 32. 233 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:44,440 That same night the Lord said to him, Take the second bull from your father's herd, the 234 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,120 one seven years old. 235 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:54,800 Tear down your father's altar to ball and cut down the asherah pole beside it. 236 00:16:54,800 --> 00:17:01,120 Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height, using 237 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:05,160 the wood of the asherah pole that you cut down. 238 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:10,200 Remember the second bull as a burnt offering. 239 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,880 So Gideon took 10 of his servants and did as the Lord told him. 240 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:20,120 But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather 241 00:17:20,120 --> 00:17:22,400 than in the daytime. 242 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:29,240 In the morning, when the people of the town got up, there was a bull's altar demolished 243 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:36,220 with the asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built 244 00:17:36,220 --> 00:17:38,740 altar. 245 00:17:38,740 --> 00:17:42,080 They asked each other, Who did this? 246 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:49,720 When they carefully investigated, they were told, Gideon, son of Joash did it. 247 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:53,000 The people of the town demanded Joash, Bring out your son. 248 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:59,440 He must die because he has broken down Ball's altar and cut down the asherah pole beside 249 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:00,440 it. 250 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:05,960 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, Are you going to plead Ball's cause? 251 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,520 Are you trying to save him? 252 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:12,320 Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning. 253 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:18,960 If Ball really is a God, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar. 254 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:26,200 So, because Gideon broke down Ball's altar, they gave him the name Jerub Ball that day 255 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:32,760 saying let Ball contend with him. 256 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:37,280 Alright, so quite a few things here. 257 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:39,800 First of all, I just want to address the name of Ball. 258 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:43,240 Now, B-A-A-L, there's a couple of ways to pronounce this. 259 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:48,800 Some of you might be familiar with hearing it as Ball and others Bale. 260 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:54,080 There are a few other ways but those are typically the two most common ways to pronounce that. 261 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:58,880 Now, let's take a look at this. 262 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:03,680 Even after several assurances, Gideon is still scared. 263 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:08,080 He's not entirely acting like a soldier as of yet. 264 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:09,840 Let alone a general. 265 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,480 He's afraid of what others will think of him. 266 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:18,120 He's not realizing that God is testing his faith and his commitment to him. 267 00:19:18,120 --> 00:19:25,120 And tearing down the idol that everyone in town worshiped, Gideon was seen as rebelling 268 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:27,800 against society and the government. 269 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,600 This was a symbol for them. 270 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:34,680 So he acted in the darkness and the shadows. 271 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:41,960 He did what he was told, however, he did so in the most cowardly way possible. 272 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:48,120 The Bible tells us that when the deed was done and found, the townspeople wanted to 273 00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:51,960 kill him off with his head. 274 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:56,000 But they settled for getting him a less than choice name instead. 275 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:04,160 A reminder that when you do what God wants, it's not always going to be the most popular 276 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:05,400 thing with a lot of people. 277 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:09,560 Matter of fact, more often than not, it's not going to be the most popular thing. 278 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:11,880 You want proof of how this works? 279 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:13,320 Watch the news. 280 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:19,240 What's biblical versus the more popular worldly choices are on display there every single 281 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:20,600 day. 282 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:25,160 However, the old rule still stands firm. 283 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:29,640 Do the right thing for the right reason, even if it's not popular. 284 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:31,960 I can't tell you how many times my grandpa told me this. 285 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:36,080 This has been a little something that's followed me throughout my life and I've shared it everywhere 286 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:37,400 I've gone around the world. 287 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,280 Do the right thing for the right reason. 288 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:41,760 Some of you have probably even heard that yourselves. 289 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:42,760 It's not a new concept. 290 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:49,240 It's been out there for decades, if not centuries. 291 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:56,280 One form or another, it has been out there for a long, long time. 292 00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:00,800 We're going to continue through here and now we're going to be looking at verses 33 through 293 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:01,800 40. 294 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:08,200 We're really breaking it down and really going through these chapters this time. 295 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:15,680 Gideon, let's see here. 296 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:20,160 This is where we're going to see Gideon starting to pick up some confidence. 297 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:25,360 Bible says this, now, all the Midianites, Amalekites and other Eastern peoples joined 298 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:31,600 forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 299 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:37,880 And the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abisharites 300 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:39,440 to follow him. 301 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:47,640 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh calling them to arms and also into Asher, Zebulun, 302 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:56,920 and Natali so that they too went up to meet them. 303 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:04,960 Gideon said to God, if you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised, look, I will 304 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,680 place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. 305 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:14,320 If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you 306 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:19,040 will save Israel by my hand as you have said. 307 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:22,320 And that is what happened. 308 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:23,640 Gideon rose early the next day. 309 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:30,080 He squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew, a bowlful of water. 310 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:34,320 Then Gideon said to God, do not be angry with me. 311 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:39,040 Let me make just one more request. 312 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:45,120 Allow me to become, I'm sorry, allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make 313 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:48,240 the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew. 314 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,280 That night God did so. 315 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:54,840 Only the fleece was dry and the ground was covered in dew. 316 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:56,280 All right. 317 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:57,280 A lot there. 318 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:58,280 It took me a second there. 319 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:03,600 I was trying to flip over my page as you probably heard, because I am reading from my own personal 320 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:06,400 Bible on this. 321 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:12,480 So again, this right here, this is where Gideon is gaining confidence. 322 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:20,080 Yet as we see here, he's still challenging God and asking for more signs and wonders. 323 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:22,040 He's still not quite sure. 324 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:28,600 Now to some, it may seem like he's looking for encouragement. 325 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:34,240 And it's a thin, thin line because the Bible tells us in verse 39 that Gideon even says, 326 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:35,800 do not be angry with me. 327 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,960 See, he knows he needs to start treading lightly. 328 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:45,960 Be careful what you ask for because there may be an unexpected price for it. 329 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:52,440 And regardless of whether he meant to test God or just needed more building up, he was 330 00:23:52,440 --> 00:24:00,040 still moving forward in what he was told to do, which ultimately is the right thing. 331 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:01,960 All right. 332 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:09,160 So now we're going to continue into Judges chapter 7 and verses 1 through 8. 333 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:19,880 And here we see the price to pay for testing God is, it's going to come due very, very 334 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:23,680 quickly here. 335 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:31,480 So the Bible says, starting in chapter 7 verse 1, early in the morning, Jerubal, that is 336 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:36,920 Gideon and all his men camped at the spring of Herod. 337 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:42,520 The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Morah. 338 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:47,160 The Lord said to Gideon, you have too many men. 339 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:55,120 I cannot deliver Midian into their hands or Israel would boast against me. 340 00:24:55,120 --> 00:24:58,560 My own strength has saved me. 341 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:07,680 Now announce to the army, anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead. 342 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:16,120 So 22,000 men left while 10,000 remained. 343 00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:21,240 But the Lord said to Gideon, there are still too many men. 344 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,820 Take them down to the water and I will thin them out for you there. 345 00:25:25,820 --> 00:25:28,600 If I say this one shall go with you, he shall go. 346 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:33,480 But if I say this one shall not go with you, he shall not go. 347 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,240 So Gideon took the men down to the water. 348 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:41,920 There the Lord told him, separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog 349 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,680 laps from those who kneel down to drink. 350 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:50,640 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. 351 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:55,040 All the rest got down to their knees to drink. 352 00:25:55,040 --> 00:26:03,120 The Lord said to Gideon, with the three hundred men that lapped, I will save you and give 353 00:26:03,120 --> 00:26:06,160 the Midianites into your hands. 354 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:07,720 Let all the others go home. 355 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:13,160 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred who took over 356 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:17,660 provisions and trumpets of the others. 357 00:26:17,660 --> 00:26:23,160 Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 358 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:29,200 So in chapter 6 we see Gideon keeps asking for more and more and more. 359 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:34,820 Just like Jesus asking Peter if he loved him three times, now we can see the Lord responding 360 00:26:34,820 --> 00:26:37,640 in kind to Gideon. 361 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:45,360 The Bible tells us he started with thirty-two thousand troops. 362 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:46,880 That's not to lend confidence to anyone. 363 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:48,600 I don't care who you are. 364 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,600 Little trash talks ensues, yeah you or what army? 365 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:56,520 I say the thirty-two thousand people behind you makes a pretty good argument. 366 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:00,640 So God told him, that's too many. 367 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,000 We're going to cut it down. 368 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:09,240 We don't want people being able to sit there and boast that, you know, we did it. 369 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:10,240 It's still us. 370 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,480 You know, that one, God. 371 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:17,520 So God's taking care of that problem here as well. 372 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:21,040 So God told him, that's too many, cut it down to ten thousand. 373 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,160 Ah, that's still too many. 374 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:27,800 So God cuts it down again to three hundred. 375 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:29,440 Three hundred. 376 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:34,840 Now the tables have turned. 377 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:39,400 You talk about serious number changes here. 378 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:43,960 Now let's take a look at these troops. 379 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:48,200 These three hundred, they're cautious, they're scared. 380 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,600 They act like war veterans going into a restaurant. 381 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:53,680 Their eyes are up. 382 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:57,320 They're bringing water up in a manner so that they can see all that's going on around them. 383 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:02,360 They're watching the entrances, the exits, the movements, the spacing, etc., etc. 384 00:28:02,360 --> 00:28:05,160 They're calculating how to respond constantly. 385 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:07,800 They weren't just slurping away. 386 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:14,640 You know, these guys, they were hungry, but they weren't letting their guard down. 387 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:19,160 And this is a hunger that only God could help with. 388 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:26,040 For victory to be had here, the three hundred troops, against all the thousands that were 389 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:32,640 here against them, for them to win, there would be no question that God was at work 390 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:36,160 and that God brought this victory. 391 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:46,080 The Bible tells us when God stands beside you, no one can stand against you. 392 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:51,880 Now God did one more thing to finish preparing him for battle. 393 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,520 And verses nine through fifteen tell us about it. 394 00:28:55,520 --> 00:29:02,840 So picking up here, Judges chapter seven, verses nine through fifteen. 395 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,280 All right. 396 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:10,180 During that night, the Lord said to Gideon, Get up! 397 00:29:10,180 --> 00:29:14,520 Go down against the camp, because I'm going to give it into your hands. 398 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:20,240 If you're afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to 399 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:21,920 what they are saying. 400 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:26,080 Afterward you will be encouraged to attack the camp. 401 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:31,040 So he and Purah, his servant, went down to the outpost of the camp. 402 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:36,880 The Midianites, the Amelikites, and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, 403 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,160 thick as locust. 404 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:45,040 Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. 405 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:49,680 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. 406 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:53,600 I had a dream, he was saying. 407 00:29:53,600 --> 00:30:00,000 A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. 408 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:06,280 It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed. 409 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:12,560 His friend responded, This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon, son of Joash, 410 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:13,560 the Israelite. 411 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:19,620 God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands. 412 00:30:19,620 --> 00:30:25,640 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshipped. 413 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:29,160 He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, Get up! 414 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:37,160 The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands. 415 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:43,840 Starting in school and going into adulthood, it doesn't matter if you're in the military 416 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:49,120 or the civilian world, one of the most consistent pieces of advice you'll find regarding anything 417 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:51,400 is to be confident. 418 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:58,440 When you're playing around a cart, what is the one thing that sells a bluff? 419 00:30:58,440 --> 00:30:59,880 Confidence. 420 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:05,040 So Gideon snuck down to the enemy camp and he heard the dream. 421 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:06,400 Here's the significance. 422 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:13,960 The enemy soldier dreamed of a loaf of barley bread rolling into the camp and toppling a 423 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:16,680 tent. 424 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:21,480 Barley was considered much weaker than wheat. 425 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:24,080 It was lesser than. 426 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:29,240 This is the same as the Israelites' band of troops at this point in comparison to the 427 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:33,040 army's Midian and Amalek. 428 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:40,480 Even this couple of troops recognized it from this dream. 429 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:48,320 What Gideon didn't know until now was that not only was God working to build him up, 430 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:54,440 but was working at turning the tides against his enemies. 431 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:58,400 We only see a small part of that big picture. 432 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:04,160 It's important that we lean into God and do as he wants. 433 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:09,160 It's only then that we'll start to see more of that big picture. 434 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:17,560 Verse 15 tells us, upon realizing this, Gideon immediately bowed down and worshiped. 435 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:25,120 Something we should all do every single day. 436 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:30,000 As we can see from all this, Gideon, he was a real erected leader because he felt invisible. 437 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:32,040 He felt lost. 438 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:35,700 Everything around him was in chaos. 439 00:32:35,700 --> 00:32:38,680 Like so many of us, he felt alone. 440 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:43,080 Every aspect of his life at this point was done in hiding. 441 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:46,960 There's a lot to relate here. 442 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,240 It's very easy for all of us to relate to it. 443 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:50,800 We've all experienced depression. 444 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:52,600 We've all experienced doubt. 445 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:59,800 When opportunities arise, we're all quick to say, yeah, right, I'm not that fortunate. 446 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:04,640 We should all be very cautious, especially this mindset, to ensure that what's in front 447 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:09,280 of us is in alignment with the Lord. 448 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:14,880 Once we know what is, we need to start moving forward. 449 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:22,920 When we move forward in faith, things start to fall in line and our own confidence builds. 450 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:31,040 All of this requires us to remember to pray to God in all things and to trust in God in 451 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:32,040 all things. 452 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:35,320 The good, the bad, the ugly. 453 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:42,080 When God comes first, the light shines bright. 454 00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:47,800 Thank you for tuning in to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. 455 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:53,680 If you'd like to know more about our ministry, you can find us on Facebook at Be the Light 456 00:33:53,680 --> 00:34:01,120 Sanctuary or you can visit our website at BeTheLightSanctuary.org. 457 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,440 Thank you so much for listening. 458 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:04,440 We'll catch you next time. 459 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:31,440 God bless.