Hebrews 11:32-34/Judges 6 – The One God Found – Bible study

Hebrew 11:32-34/Judges 6 The One God Found I mentioned this passage last Sunday morning. Hebrews 11 is the Roll Call of Faith or, as I heard one preacher put it, the Hall of Faith. The world has its Hall of the Fame to honor its elite and prestigious. God has His Hall of Faith. Many individuals are in Gods Hall of Faith, but the one we want to focus on is Gideon. Heb 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. I suppose the deeds listed there could also apply to many, but several of them definitely apply to Gideon. Seven of the nine of the exploits mentioned in the verses I read apply to Gideon. \#33\ By faith, Gideon subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises \#34\ escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness was made strong, waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies the aliens. What a hero of faith! Last week, I directed us through selected verses about Gideon, but we did not get finished. In fact, I never even got to the exciting part of Gideons story where he fights and defeats the enemy. But, for the same reason I did not finish last week, I cant start from the beginning this week. The reason being TIME. The best I can do is tell you that Gideon lived in a bad time for the nation. The nation had gone under, sinning so much and to such a degree that God turned them over to the Midianites for judgment, and the Midianites were very thorough. Israel was defeated and oppressed, left hungry, and fearfulsome even fleeing to hid themselves in caves. But with things getting so that the people began to turn to Jehovah God for help; and in chapter 6, God looking for a man to lead His people to victory. The man God found was Gideon. We left last Sunday, noting the kind of person God was looking for, even thinking God may be looking for such people today. When God found Gideon, God found: I. A Common Man – It is possible that Gideon was so common when God called him that he had been worshipping false gods! II. A Cleansed Man – Before we can move forward, we must deal with our sinful past and present. A. Gideon needed to do three things: 1. Publicly disavow allegiance to the false gods. 2. Publicly acknowledge his allegiance to the true God. 3. Offer a sacrifice for his sins. B. By destroying the family altar to Baal, he did the first. C. By using its remains to build an altar to God, he did the second. D. By offering a sacrifice on it, he did the third. III. A Courageous Man A. Courageous is the word I have chosen to use, but it does not describe all that the Bible says Gideon was. B. Notice what God called Gideon when He first appeared to him. Judges 6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou "mighty man of valour." 1. Our English phrase is made of two Hebrew words. a. The word for "mighty" means a champion, a chief, a giant (figuratively), a strong person. b. The word for "valour" means "a wealth of" something, usually strength, power, riches, might, or personal character; or it can mean an abundance of some things like soldiers, forces, or virtues. c. The two Hebrew words put and applied to one person would mean that man was unusual in having strength, character, virtue, or all of these. 2. Gideon, even BEFORE he was called and empowered by the Holy Spirit, was a champion with an abundance of strength, purity, and courage. C. So in Gideon, the Lord found a man with character and courage. 1. Gideon had character. a. There are many things that you and I have no control over in our lives. (1) Saul was a young man who stood head and shoulders above every other Jewish man in Israel. We can not change our height. (2) Samson was a man who could be filled with super human strength, able to do things no human being can do. Most of us either cannot or will not change our strength to any great degree. (3) Absalom had a crop of hair that was so thick, he had it cut and weighted once a year. However there is little we can do about that too. b. But we do determine our character. (1) Every individual determines their character. (a) You do that by putting into your life god- like qualities and by removing from your life non-godlike qualities. (b) Being a person of character amounts to being a Christ-like person. (c) A person with bad or no character is a person with very few or no Christ-like attributes. (2) Literally, every book in the Bible, either by out-and-out statements or by good and bad examples teach us what needs to go into and what needs to come out of our lives. (3) Parents, if you are looking for something to read to your children that will build character, read Proverbs. (a) You could read a chapter in Proverbs every day and read through the book in a month. (b) But because the book is so packed with truth, you could start over every month, pick out one proverb in the chapter you read to discuss, and youd be pressed to discuss the whole book within four years. (c) And what truth you would teach! (4) Paul challenged his readers out right and in plain view to put in the godly and to take out the ungodly. (a) That is what he was doing in Phil 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. i. Paul was admonishing the believers to let their salvation loose. ii. Too many times, Christians are controlling their salvation when what God wants is for our salvation to control us. iii. When I was younger and learning how to drive, I remember being told, "Dont ride your brake." iv. That must have been when I was in Drivers Education because the car I learned to drive at home had a clutch and you cant ride the brake for long in a clutched automobile. v. Riding the brake may happen when you are subconsciously worried that they wont be able to stop quickly enough it something unexpected happens so you ride with your foot resting on the brake pedal. vi. Too many Christians ride their who life with the foot on the brake of Gods leadership and direction. vii. Paul was saying, "Dont ride the spiritual brake. Turn your salvation loose and let God go." (b) That is also what Paul was doing in Phi 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. i. The difference is that here instead of telling us what NOT to do, Paul was telling us what TO do. ii. Being honest, just, pure, friendly, well thought of, proper, and bring praise to God, do those things. 2. Gideon had courage. a. To me, that is what valour means the most. b. Did you know that we determine our courage level, too? (1) I did not say we control our level of fear. (2) Courage is not the absence of fear. (3) You can be scared to death and still be courageous. c. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the determination to do right no matter how fearful you are. d. It is obvious that Gideon had fears. (1) You have heard of putting out a fleece? That was Gideon. Judges 6:36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, 37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. 38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. (a) Why did Gideon do that? (b) Because he was afraid he and his men were going to be defeated and killed! (2) But then, in \#Judges 6:39-40\, he asked God to reverse it. (a) Why? (b) Because he was still scared! (3) But even after these two signs, God knew Gideon was still frightened so God voluntarily gave Gideon a third sign. Judges 7:10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. 13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. 15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. (4) The Bible records three instances when this hero of faith displayed fear; yet, they do not in any way diminish the fact that Gideon was a mighty man of valour, of character and great courage! (5) How do we increase our courage? (a) By doing what is right even when we are afraid. i. Moses told Israel: De 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. ii. Then Moses told Joshua the same thing, twice: \#Deut 31:7, 23\. iii. Then God told Joshua the same thing, three times: \#Josh 1:6, 9, 18\. (b) It may be fear that makes us run, but its our courage that picks the direction. D. Consider this: 1. We need to be people of character and courage if God God is going to use us. 2. While God may save anyone, change anyone, and use anyone, He seldom if ever can use the lazy, shiftless coward for there is not even enough character in him to be saved. IV. A Conformable Man A. One of the reasons God wants courageous servants is because God asks His people to do some difficult things. 1. The Midianites were a powerful army in their own right, but they were not alone. Judges 6:33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. a. They also had the Amalekites (Edom) and the kings of the east (Either Moab or Ammon or both). Judges 7:12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. b. That would make them a sizeable force. 2. But with all of those enemy soldiers, listen to what God told Gideon. Judges 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. a. If I was Gideon, I would be thinking, "Can you have too many soldiers?" b. We will read in the next verse, Gideon started with only 32,000. c. 32,000 to fight an army of soldiers like grasshoppers in number and with so many camels that you cant count them all does not seem like too many to me. d. But God said, "You can, and You do." Judges 7:3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. e. So God sent the scared ones home. Joshua 7:4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. f. Time prohibits me from going into the details of how God thinned them down more, but God used common sense and caution to take the 10,000 down to 300! g. God wanted (commanded) Gideon to take an army of 300 people into a multi-national force with an army so large they looked like grasshoppers spread across the valley of Jezreel! 3. You may be thinking, "Well that means God was going to equip His army with the best weapons ever invented. I am afraid not. Judges 7:16 And he (Gideon) divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every mans hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. a. Do you notice anything missing? b. How about a weapon? c. One had a clay picture with a burning lamp inside of it and the other has a trumpet. d. Now I dont doubt that every one of those 300 men had a sword on his hip or a bow and arrows slung across his shoulder, but his hands are filled with things OTHER than weapons. 4. Well then God must have given them some kind of awesome plan, maybe God promised an earthquake to swallow them or fire to come down from heaven. Again, I am afraid not. Judges 7:17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. 18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. a. So someone says, "Okay. We blow the trumpet, break the pitchers, and shout. Then what?" b. Thats it. Thats the plan. (1) Well, almost the whole plan. (2) The last part of the plan must have been for them to simply stand there because that is what they did. c. God had those 300 men climb the tree of obedience, crawl out on the limb of faith, and then pulled the earth out from under them. d. If they did what God told them to do and God did not step in, there would be no place for them to run, no way for them to escape, and no way for them to win. B. But they were conformable. Judges 7:19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp 1. What is a conformable man? 2. That is a person that does what he is told. 3. God is looking for some of those. 4. And when God found Gideon and the 300, God found some. C. By the way, what did God do? Judges 7:21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every mans sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. 1. Since there was no other army present when the soldiers woke out of their sleep, they assumed the attacking army was one of their comrade-in-arms, and they started killing one another. 2. The other Jews heard and saw what was happening and came to help them kill each other. 3. Eventually, the enemy armies started fleeing, and Israel pursued them until \#Judges 8:21\. 4. That battle went down in the history books as one of the greatest Israel ever fought. a. Why? b. Because of the kind of people God uses. (1) Common people (2) Cleansed people (3) Courageous people (4) Conformable people I wonder if God might find some like that here today?