Gideon, the Valiant Warrior: God's Call to the Least of Them

We walk through Gideon’s rise from fearful hiding to bold obedience, and we watch God turn a clearly outmatched situation into a victory that can only be credited to Him. We also wrestle with the harder part of Gideon’s legacy, where success brings new temptations and Israel slides back toward idolatry.

Transcript

Welcome And Anchor Verse

Dominique 0:00

What's up, everybody? You are listening to the Ordinary Doing Extraordinary podcast. And I am one of your hosts, Dominique. I'm here with my husband, Hodaiah. Hello. And we will be digging into Gideon's story today as a part of our Heroes of the Faith series. So let's go ahead and get started here with our anchor verse, which is very short today. We'll be reading the first part of Hebrews 11:32 in the CSB translation. It says, and what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon. Now, husband, I need you to tell us about Gideon. The writer's time may have been short, but ours ain't. Okay, we got time. We got time, we got time. All right.

Gideon’s Summary

Hodaiah 0:50

Yeah, we can we can do that. Yeah. Um they said, what more can they say? We we got something to say. ODE ministries got something to say. We got something. So let's start off with our summary, guys. And our summary comes from Judges chapter 6 through 8. Gideon is the son of Joash from the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon lived during a time period when Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites due to their disobedience to God. The Midianites regularly would raid Israel, stealing crops and livestock, leaving people impoverished. Gideon was first called by God while threshing wheat in a wine press in an effort to hide from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and referred to him as a valiant warrior. Though Gideon thought himself to be weak and unqualified, even though Gideon felt unqualified, and in the eyes of most, he was very much ordinary. God had plans to do the absolute extraordinary with Gideon. God chose him to save Israel from Midian. Although the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he still was filled with doubt. He asked the Lord to provide him with signs to confirm his calling. God reassured Gideon each time he made an offering to the angel of the Lord and watched as the offering was consumed by fire and the angel then disappeared. Gideon, though afraid of his town's people, obeyed God's commands to tear down his father's altar to Baal and the Astro Pole at night. He then further tested God with a fleece. He asked God to leave dew on the fleece only. Then he later asked God to leave dew on the ground only. He gathered an army of thirty-two thousand men to fight in the war against Midian, but God reduced the number of the soldiers to three hundred. God reduced the number of the soldiers so he could solidify to the Israelites that the victory over the Midianites came from the Lord and not from human strength. The selected 300 soldiers surrounded the Midianite camp at night. These soldiers only had trumpets, jars, and torches in their possession. When the three hundred soldiers blew their trumpets, broke the jars and shouted, This caused the Midianites to panic. The Midianites turned on each other and then fled. By the hand of the Lord, Israel received a miraculous victory over the Midianites. The Israelites wanted Gideon to be their king, but he refused. He told the Israelites that the Lord will rule over them. Gideon later made a golden ephod from the spoils of war, and this became an object of idolatry for Israel. He had many wives and a total of 70 sons plus one son born to him by his concubine. The son was named Abimelech, who later caused significant bloodshed in Israel. Unfortunately, after Gideon's death, Israel quickly returned back to idolatry.

Dominique 3:58

Yeah. Interesting, which we'll get into that.

Hodaiah 4:02

Man, judges don't play, man. So sometimes it's just like, it's what it is. Right. You'd be like, you listen to it, you're like, that didn't really sound like, you know, it's kind of like a mixed ending. It's like it was good, but kind of like, but it's just like judges just like, it is what it is, man.

Dominique 4:17

This way, hey, judge be like that. Judges is telling what happened.

Hodaiah 4:20

They're like, we just gonna tell it as it is. Right. That's how it is, man.

Faith In Action

Dominique 4:24

Yeah. So let's move on into our faith in action section here. The first point is Gideon tears down the Baal altar. That scripture is found in Judges chapter 6, verses 25 through 27. God told Gideon to destroy his father's altar to Baal and the Asherah Pole beside it, and then build an altar to the Lord. Although he was afraid to do as God commanded, he obeyed. His fear did not lead to disobedience. Now he did tear the altar down at night because he feared how the people of the town would respond, but he still followed through.

Hodaiah 5:04

He said, That was a little scary, but I mean I'll do it. I'll do it. It's a little scary though.

Dominique 5:08

I'll do it. Okay. But I'll do it at night. Um, through this act, Gideon risked his safety to be obedient to God and to confront idolatry.

Hodaiah 5:18

Yeah, absolutely. Faith over fear.

Dominique 5:20

Yeah.

Hodaiah 5:21

Next, the battle with the Midianites, and you'll find this in Judges chapter 7. Gideon had an army of 32,000 men, but the Lord told him to reduce the numbers first down to 10,000, and then eventually to 300. This is a significant decrease in numbers. In the eyes of the world, this would be viewed as insanity. The Midianite army had at least 135,000 men. It took serious faith for getting to trust in the Lord's plan. Despite his fears, he obeyed the Lord and trusted him. He trusted that victory would come through God's strength and not through the strength of man. An army of 300 men, which appeared to not stand a chance, marched to war against the army of the Midianites. These three hundred men were only armed with trumpets, torches, and jars, no swords or shields. At Gideon's signal, they broke the jars, blew the trumpets, and shouted a sword for the Lord and for Gideon. The Midianites panicked, turned on each other in confusion, and fled the battlefield, giving Israel victory.

Dominique 6:32

Yeah, and don't you think it's so interesting that they shouted a sword for the Lord and for Gideon, but they didn't have any swords. Right.

Hodaiah 6:40

That's actually funny. It's like on that battlefield, I was like, oh my god, yeah. Well, all right, the sword for the Lord and for Gideon.

Dominique 6:49

Right. Okay.

Hodaiah 6:50

You would think we would have some swords going to war, but hey, cool.

Dominique 6:53

Like these jars and trumpets.

Hodaiah 6:55

Yeah, the only I guess the only sword we got that word. That's all we got. So yeah, we got we got what we need. That word, that's all you need. That word from the Lord. From the Lord. Fire.

Dominique 7:06

Fire. Okay, okay. So our last faith in action point here is refusing kingship. That scripture is in Judges chapter 8, verses 22 through 23. After achieving victory over the Midianites, the people of Israel wanted Gideon and his descendants to rule over them as king. Gideon refused this offer to rule over Israel and instead told them, The Lord will rule over you. This was a true display of faith considering all the amazing accomplishments God performed in Gideon's life. When we are successful, we may forget the Lord, just as the Israelites did time and time again. But Gideon instead acknowledged God's kingship instead of seeking his own glory.

Hodaiah 7:55

That's amazing.

Dominique 7:56

Yeah.

Faith Challenges

Hodaiah 7:57

Alright, guys, next let's get into our faith challenges. First, fear and insecurity. When the angel of the Lord came to Gideon and called him a valiant warrior, Gideon was threshing wheat and hiding in fear of the Midianites. He doubted God's choice. He mentioned to the Lord how weak his family was and his own insignificance. His faith was challenged in believing that God could use someone unlikely as him. And let's just talk more about Gideon. The world would look at Gideon and disqualify him. The world would say he is too cowardly to be a valiant warrior. But thanks be to God, our God hides lions and lambs. Gideon is the perfect example of a lion being hidden in a lamb. It is in this same way to this day God has chosen the very people who seem ordinary to the world and will use them for extraordinary purposes. We serve a God who will take a person viewed in the eyes of the world as a nobody. The Lord will then elevate that nobody in front of everybody without asking anybody. And he will do this because he is God. Do not touch his anointed. Bet not.

Dominique 9:15

Jesus. Bet not. Bet not touch his anointed. Bet not. All right. The next point is the need for assurance from God. In Judges 6, Gideon repeatedly asked God for signs to confirm his calling on his life. When he prepared a meal for the angel, the angel caused a fire to consume his offering. Then Gideon looked for further confirmation from God with the fleece, making it wet while the ground was dry, then having the opposite done. So Gideon's faith journeyed from a place of skepticism and a need for physical signs to a steadfast reliance on God's promises.

Hodaiah 9:56

Next, temptation after victory. Once victory was achieved over the Midianites, the people wanted to make Gideon their king. He declined this offer. He, however, made an ephod from the spoils of war, which became an idol to Israel. An ephod was a sacred garment worn by the high priest, made of fine linen and embroidered with gold, blue, and scarlet threads. Although Gideon had led the Israelites to victory, this poor decision to make the ephod led the Israelites back into idolatry once Gideon died. An interesting thing to note is that he saved them from idolatry by tearing down the altars to bail, but then ended up putting them right back into idolatry by making this ephod. His faith was tested after his victory, requiring him to maintain faithfulness, humility, and avoid pride or idolatry. A challenge he did not fully meet.

Dominique 10:54

Yeah, yeah, and that's it's kind of a sad ending.

Hodaiah 10:58

Yeah. Like I said, judges just be like, it's what it is. Like that's how it goes. That's the valiant warrior, but you know.

Dominique 11:07

He wasn't perfect.

Hodaiah 11:08

He wasn't perfect. And none of us are perfect. No. Nobody's it's actually motivating. I think that like because you know, the Lord says that in our weakness, his strength is made perfect, even with our flaws and our imperfections. God can still use you. You know, you will think that you are just not worthy. Look at Gideon. He thought he was unworthy from the get-go, but even with his flaws, even with your flaws, Jesus can absolutely still use you.

Dominique 11:36

And you know one thing I'm gonna say, I ain't trying to be funny, but the phrase one monkey don't stop no show really fits this. It does. Because his show is gonna continue. Whether we are doing the right thing or not, he will use us for his purposes.

Hodaiah 11:52

Yep.

Dominique 11:52

But his purpose and his plan is gonna continue. And so one monkey.

Hodaiah 11:57

Yep, he's gonna get his glory.

Dominique 11:58

Don't stop no show.

Hodaiah 12:00

Right. His show. The show goes on. There you go. For real.

Dominique 12:03

There you go.

Hodaiah 12:04

And he loves you, he really does. He loves you and he has plans for you to prosper. But you know, whether you're obedient or not, the show goes on. It must go on. Like if he calls you to teach or he calls you to sing and you just don't want to do it, he still loves you, but make no mistake. He's gonna get his glory. Like somebody else will do it. Somebody else will do it. It may be somebody in your family area. He may be someone in somebody else's family, but the show goes on. Make no mistake. He will be glorified.

Dominique 12:37

Absolutely.

Hodaiah 12:38

But it's like it'd be so fortunate for you if you are obedient and you can do that, step into that calling and glorify his name.

Dominique 12:48

Yeah, there you go. There you go. So let's move into our spiritual lessons and takeaways here.

Spiritual Lessons & Takeaways

Dominique 12:55

Our first point is that God uses the ordinary to do extraordinary things. Although Gideon saw himself as the least in his tribe and family, the Lord chose him to deliver Israel from the Midianites. This is a great example of how God's strength is made perfect in weakness. Second Corinthians chapter 12, verse 9 says, But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. Wow. Yeah. So God can use anyone who is willing, regardless of your limitations or societal status. Our next point is that faith grows through obedience. Gideon doubted God's word at first. He asked for many signs from the Lord as confirmation. But as Gideon obeyed, his faith grew stronger. Faith is often developed over time. The Lord patiently will build us up as we continue to take small steps in trust.

Hodaiah 14:04

Yep, even faith the size of a mustard seed. Yep. Next, God brings peace in the midst of fear. When Gideon encountered the angel of the Lord, he feared death, but the Lord encouraged him, leading him to build an altar called the Lord is peace. Even when circumstances seem overwhelming, God's presence will bring peace. Next, idols must be removed before God will give victory. Gideon's first command from the Lord was to tear down his father's altar to Baal. This had to be done before Gideon could deliver Israel. Before God can bring deliverance, we must remove all competing idols in our hearts, anything we trust more than him. These idols can come in the forms of money, relationships, and any materialistic thing we value more than a relationship with God.

Dominique 14:54

Yes. Our next point God's power brings victory, not human strength and numbers. God had Gideon reduced his army's number of soldiers from 32,000 to merely 300 men, so that Israel would know that victory came from the Lord. Our battles in life are not won by our own strength, but by the Lord's strength. Zechariah chapter 4, verse 6 says, Not by strength or by might, but by my spirit, says the Lord of armies. Jesus. And our last point, pride and anger can have negative effects on God's plan. Later in Gideon's story, he showed pride and revenge. This led Israel back into idolatry. Even after spiritual victories, we must be on guard against pride, bitterness, and compromise. First Peter chapter 5, verse 8 says, Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

Hodaiah 15:59

Yes, he is. Thank you so much for finishing out our spiritual lessons and takeaways.

Closing Takeaways And Reflection Questions

Hodaiah 16:05

Guys, now we're moving into our closing thoughts, like we always do on each episode. Gideon's life is exemplary of God using ordinary people to do an extraordinary thing. His story reminds us that our victory as God's children comes from God's power and not our own, and that we must keep a humble heart. We must remember to keep our faith in the Lord and surrender daily so that our lives remain free from any idols or other forms of lustful temptations. Lustful temptations go beyond just sex. It can be money, materialistic items, relationships with people, and even a desire for revenge, which can lead us to make emotional decisions. And now for our two reflection questions. For our first question, let's focus on trust and obedience. What does Gideon's story teach us about trusting God when his instructions don't make sense or seem impossible? And our second question, let's focus on faith and weakness. Gideon often felt weak and afraid, yet God called him a mighty man of valor. What does this reveal about how God sees us compared to how we see ourselves?

Dominique 17:23

Thank you so much for those uh reflection questions and for that closing

Prayer And Ending

Dominique 17:28

thought. We're gonna go ahead and end our episode with our closing prayer. So bow your heads and all of that good stuff. All right, Heavenly Father, we thank you for the story of Gideon, which reminds us that you use ordinary people to accomplish your extraordinary purposes. Help us to remove every idol from our hearts and to trust in your strength rather than our own. When we feel weak or afraid, lead us to your peace and build our faith through obedience to your word. Keep us humble in victory and vigilant against the schemes of the devil, so that your name alone will be glorified in our lives. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Hodaiah 18:14

Jesus.

Dominique 18:15

Amen.

Hodaiah 18:16

Amen. Thank you so much for that prayer, Dominique. And fire prayers, fire, fire prayers. Fire fire. And everybody, thank y'all so much. We love y'all, but of course, you know Jesus loves you more.

Dominique 18:30

Yep.

Hodaiah 18:31

And this concludes episode 12. And our next episode's gonna be episode 13. The heroes of face. Man, we we absolutely love y'all. It's a blessing and we would love to hear from you guys. Leave a comment, y'all something. Yeah, at least something. At least something. I've been looking, I'm like, man, I don't know if anybody's even uh what about the reflection question? Reflection questions. We just play, we just having some fun, y'all. We just having some fun.

Dominique 19:03

We play, y'all. Alright, y'all have a good week.

Hodaiah 19:06

Have a blessed week. Love y'all.

Rapper Voice (Music) 19:08

Musical Ending

Children's Choir (Music) 19:37

Musical Ending