I have been studying Gideon and I ran across some really interesting parallels he has with Jacob and Elijah.
They all were called on by God.
They all had personal encounters with God.
They all built altars to the Lord
Jacob and Gideon had their names changed.
Gideon and Elijah had encounters with the prophets of Baal.
Gideon and Elijah had their offerings burned up with divine fire.
Gideon stands at a point in Israel’s history that points back to the first Israel (Jacob) and forward to the prophet Elijah. In Gideon’s story we are reminded that God can do great things with weak people (Judges 6:15) and severely limited resources (7:1-7). We are also reminded that God is incredibly patient (the offering made sure it was God’s voice, the fleece made sure it was God’s will and hearing the dream of the enemy confirmed God’s will) and graceful (6:17)…and that God hears the cry of His people and is a divine deliverer. Last, we learn that God is present even when it doesn’t seem like he is (6:13).
4 Responses
Amen…
I love the way the story begins with the angel calling Gideon a mighty warrior… when he’s hiding in a hole! And the story emphasizes Gideon’s fear all the way through, yet God turns him into that mighty warrior.
God sees us not as we are, but as we can be.
Great points there Tim. God makes it obvious that it all really does depend on Him
Rats. I was looking for a good joke. 🙂