March 19: a nobody from nowhere...

Judges 6:1-8:3

Gideon was a nobody from nowhere!

Judges 6:11-16

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹¹ Now the ^[a]Angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak (terebinth) at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.

¹² And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage.

¹³ And Gideon said to him, O sir, if the Lord is with us, why is all this befallen us? And where are all His wondrous works of which our fathers told us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.

¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, Go in this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?

¹⁵ Gideon said to Him, Oh Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

¹⁶ The Lord said to him, Surely I will be with you, and you shall smite the Midianites as one man.

Gideon was a man of a brave, active spirit, yet in obscurity through the times: he is here stirred up to undertake something great. It was very sure that the Lord was with him, when his Angel was with him. Gideon was weak in faith, which made it hard to reconcile the assurances of the presence of God with the distress to which Israel was brought. The Angel answered his objections. He told him to appear and act as Israel's deliverer, there needed no more. Bishop Hall says, While God calls Gideon valiant, he makes him so. God delights to advance the humble. Gideon desires to have his faith confirmed. Now, under the influences of the Spirit, we are not to expect signs before our eyes such as Gideon here desired, but must earnestly pray to God, that if we have found grace in his sight, he would show us a sign in our heart, by the powerful working of his Spirit there, The Angel turned the meat into an offering made by fire; showing that he was not a man who needed meat, but the Son of God, who was to be served and honoured by sacrifice, and who in the fulness of time was to make himself a sacrifice. Hereby a sign was given to Gideon, that he had found grace in God's sight. Ever since man has by sin exposed himself to God's wrath and curse, a message from heaven has been a terror to him, as he scarcely dares to expect good tidings thence. In this world, it is very awful to have any converse with that world of spirits to which we are so much strangers. Gideon's courage failed him. But God spoke peace to him. (Matthew Henry's commentary)

Throughout the Bible, God consistently tears down the greatest and lifts up the least. He chose, on purpose, Gideon who was the least of his tribe, who was the poorest of Manasseh.

Once again, God is driving His point home. We must be humble and feel like nothing in order for God to use us. When we feel capable in our own abilities, we will be passed over by God. But He sees our heart. If we have a heart for Him, He will tear away our pride. He will break us and mold us into His image.

"Dear Jesus, please continue to crush me. Daily. Because I am nothing in myself. Continue to do Your work on me and in me. I am Yours. I can do all things through You. You deserve all the glory and all the honor! In Your precious name, the name of Jesus. AMEN."