From The Great God of Gideon series. 

It might be helpful to read Judges 6:11-24 before you go on.

Review:   God called Gideon to do a hard thing, a seemingly impossible thing, to fight back and defeat those oppressing his people.  Gideon is skeptical that he is the right choice for the job, but God confirms that He is sending Gideon on purpose and that He will be with Gideon.  In recent posts we talked about the sign God gave Gideon and his response.

Today let’s focus on just one verse:

So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.  (Judges 6:24 NIV)

There is a custom in the Old Testament of the Bible of people building an altar, or some type of stone memorial, to remember an act or intervention of God.

Here Gideon builds an altar and calls it “The Lord is Peace.” (Judges 6:24 NIV)

Abraham built an altar when God provided a ram to sacrifice in order to save Abraham’s son’s life.  Abraham called it: “The Lord Will Provide” (Genesis 22:14 NIV)

Moses built an altar when God gave the Israelites victory over the Amalekites, shortly after passing through the Red sea, and called it “The Lord is my Banner.”  (Exodus 18:1 NIV)

Samuel set up a stone and called it “Ebenezer” (which means “stone of help”) when the Lord helped Israel overcome the Philistines in battle saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” (1 Samuel 7:12 NIV)

What altars could we build?  What moments in your history with God deserve an altar or place of remembrance?

This week is Thanksgiving.  It is a great time to look back and remember the acts of God and express gratitude!

I remember moments from my own history where God revealed himself through his actions in my life:

·         THE GOD WHO CARES ABOUT MY FEELINGS

• When an acquaintance felt spontaneously moved to give me a special gift during a moment of great need which she knew nothing about… but God knew.  (I still have the gift.)
  

·         THE LORD IS MY ROCK 

• From a trip to a woman’s conference.  (I even kept a large rock by my fireplace to remember the Lord is trustworthy and faithful, He is our rock!)
• Isaiah 26:4
  

·         THE GOD WHO IS THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART AND MY PORTION FOREVER (though my heart and flesh may fail!)

• From camping.  Camping is hard on me!
• Psalm 73:26
  

·         THE GOD WHO WAS BROKEN FOR ME

• From when my daughter broke her arm  (I think of this about every time I partake of communion.)
• Isaiah 53:5
  

·         THE GOD WHO PROMOTES THE OBEDIENT

• From an unexpected promotion.
  

·         THE LORD WHO IS WITH YOU

• From my journey through Thyroid Cancer treatment.  
• Isaiah 41:10
  

·         THE GOD WHO GOES BEFORE YOU

• From this fall, facing my first child going to college.
• Deuteronomy 31:8
  

These are precious times in my history with God, and ones I need to call to remembrance more often that I do! 

What are some places of remembrance in your history with God?

From The Great God of Gideon series. 

It might be helpful to read Judges 6:11-23 before you go on.

Review:   God called Gideon to do a hard thing, a seemingly impossible thing, to fight back and defeat those oppressing his people.  Gideon is skeptical that he is the right choice for the job, but God confirms that He is sending Gideon on purpose and that He will be with Gideon.  Last week we talked about the sign God gave Gideon.  This week, we look at Gideon’s response.

When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” (Ephesians 6:22-23 NIV)

Gideon asked for a sign.  So often we want to know God is really guiding us.  What I find interesting is Gideon’s response once he realizes that it is God he is interacting with – this same response occurs throughout the Bible when people realize they are encountering God – respect, awe, and fear.  Having met with the Lord, Gideon thought he might die… perhaps recalling that God said to Moses “no one may see me and live.”  (Exodus 33:20 NIV)

But just as God is gracious in giving Gideon a sign confirming that the message he received was from God, He now assures Gideon he is not going to die.

There have been times when I wanted to make a change, maybe escape a trying circumstance, and I prayed for guidance and everything would point to me remaining in the tough situation.  At that point I have railed against the Lord and asked “Why?” and what is His answer?

 “I AM GOD.”  I sense it in my heart… I sense Him not answering my question directly, but revealing He is real, He is present, He is powerful… He is God.  And something in me is quieted by this revelation.

Have you ever had a moment like that?   A moment where God does not explain his actions, but answers the deep “Why?” of your heart with His presence?  I think that is part of what happened in this interaction between God and Gideon.

So, after God reveals Himself to Gideon through this miraculous display of fire and the disappearing angel He speaks to Gideon…. and what does He say?

“Peace…”  (Judges 6:23 NIV)

And I think peace is one of the gifts that comes when God reveals that He is with us, guiding us – even if we don’t particularly like His direction.  In this passage God is assuring Gideon that He is not angry with him. 

Peace.

I rejoice that we can all enjoy peace with God through Jesus Christ. 

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace…” (Ephesians 2:13-14)

From The Great God of Gideon series. 

It might be helpful to read Judges 6:11-21 before you go on.

Review:   God called Gideon to do a hard thing, a seemingly impossible thing, to fight back and defeat those oppressing his people.  Gideon is skeptical that he is the right choice for the job, but God confirms that He is sending Gideon on purpose and that He will be with Gideon.  Last week we began discussing this part of the passage, where Gideon is asking God for a sign.

At this point the Lord is waiting for Gideon’s return while Gideon goes inside and prepares a sacrifice to offer to the Lord.  I wonder at God’s patience in this passage.  I imagine this interaction with God is so out of Gideon’s paradigm that part of Him wants to link what He has known all these years about how people are supposed to relate to God – hence the offerings – and this new experience.  “If you are God, this is how we are supposed to relate with you.”

This makes me wonder if God is patient with me as I go through the motions of my traditions, living out my relationship with him in the paradigm I am comfortable with...  I imagine so. 

God is patient.  He waits for Gideon.

And then, God blows his mind. 

“Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.”  (Judges 6:21 NIV)

God does not just receive the offering, the angel touches the food with his staff and it explodes into fire and then the offering and angel seemingly evaporate!

Gideon has touched that food – he knows it was real, and now it is gone.  That should be a pretty powerful sign that He has been interacting with the Living God!

What a merciful, patient God!  To give him a sign in his material world that he has, in fact, been interacting with God.

I have begun to take notes of the process I go through as I make big decisions, like schooling choices for my kids.  I write down the verses, the advice, the reasons, the answered prayers and miraculous provisions that guided me in this direction so that when things get tough I can look back at my notes and see the footprints of my journey with God up to this step, and draw courage from the fact that He has confirmed the steps that have led me to this moment. 

I can imagine that Gideon might have moments in his future when he will doubt and want to withdraw his decision to go on the offensive against his oppressors, and having this confirmation from God to look back on would help him to take heart.  It would be evidence that this isn’t some arrogant fool-hearty mission he came up with late at night after a bad piece of fish, He was sent by God.  End of story. 

Praise the God who confirms His direction in Gideon’s life, and in ours!

From The Great God of Gideon series.  

It might be helpful to read Judges 6:11-17 before you go on.

At this point in this passage, Gideon has received the message that God wants him to go stand up and fight those oppressing his people.  Gideon had some reservations, citing his weaknesses but has received God’s assurance that He will be “with” Gideon as obeys.

And then, Gideon doubts again. 

"Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you…”" Judges 6:17–18 (NIV)

Remember at the beginning of the series when I had confided that I kind of felt like Gideon was an example of “what not to do”?  It’s because of moments like this.  At this point in their interaction, I have thought that Gideon should show his great faith by turning around and leaving to go obey God.  God has said what he wants Gideon to do.  He has assured Gideon He will be with him and that Gideon will be successful. 

But Gideon isn’t ready.  He’s concerned.  Maybe he’s thinking: “I am not so sure you are really God…” Maybe he wondered if it was all a hallucination… who knows? 

So Gideon boldly, but respectfully, asks God for a sign… and then He asks God to wait!

Can you believe it?!  Asking the Lord of the Universe to “wait a minute while I go get something”?  It seems a bit absurd to me, but then, remember how I shared that God was challenging me to stop looking so much at Gideon in this passage and look at God himself?

So, if I turn my attention from Gideon to God I wonder, how does God respond to this request?

“…I will stay till you return.”  (Judges 6:18 NIV)

Now, I ask myself, why does this response surprise me?  What do I believe about God that this response surprises me?

“…I will stay till you return.”  (Judges 6:18 NIV)  No Hurry.  No Worry.  God will wait.  There was enough time -- though times were dangerous -- for Gideon to go, butcher and cook a goat, and make some bread.  That had to take the whole day!  God has time.  There is enough time for God to do all he has planned and purposed to do. 

Not only does God wait He… well, we’ll leave the next piece for next week!

For now, join me in praising the God who is not in a hurry, but has time to wait for us when we need it!