So what should we have learned from our last hero named Gideon? Last week we discussed the amazing victories of Gideon. Before that lesson we discussed how God called Gideon and helped him to bring Israel to victory.
Let’s look at all of those things a bit closer. You may review the other two lessons first if you missed them. They are noted below this lesson.
USE THE THRESHING FLOOR
Of course the very first thing we noticed about Gideon is that he was threshing wheat inside a winepress.
We could look at this word picture in two ways.
The winepress is where you make wine, not wheat. We could think of the Church ( the body of all Christ-following believers filled with God’s Holy Spirit) as a winepress. It is there that God makes his finest wine. He takes ordinary people, crushes them, removes the dross from their souls, adds the flavor of holiness and ages his people to perfection.
The Church is the place to go to grow in God’s Word and ways until we are like fine wine.
Sometimes though, God looks at his people as if they were wheat.
Jesus commands the wind of the Holy Spirit to blow through their lives and they are threshed outside in the world. A separation takes place where the good in them is separated from the bad. This can only happen outside and would never be very effective if the wheat stayed inside a wine vat, as Gideon was trying to do on his own.
It takes mixing the wheat into the world and letting the chaff become removed through the experience of that mix, which involves a great shaking and separation, to make the finest wheat.
Gideon wasn’t achieving that process in his life by threshing inside a wine vat. Yes, his wheat was protected, but it would be uselessly protected because the threshing process would not be effective enough inside the wine vat.
So what does this mean to us? That Gideon wasn’t very smart?
WE MUST SHARE THE GOSPEL
No!
Poor Gideon.
It should mean to us that we can’t learn everything that God would have us to know to operate our best in the coming Kingdom of Heaven if we move and stay only inside the Church.
It isn’t that we do not need to be there; we definitely need to go there for nourishment and growth and good fellowship. We need the “comfort” that we find there through God’s Holy Spirit.
However; until we get outside the walls of our churchs and go out into the world to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; we will not be completely equipped for God’s army.
This old world is the training camp for God’s people. Think of your life in the world as “boot camp for God.”
Finding out about the ineffective ways of the world sharpens our judgment as Christian soldiers. There are things we need to learn and understand about the world and how it operates. This type of change needed to happen to Gideon. He had no confidence in his ability to lead people. He needed to come out of the winepress and move into the threshing floor.
The lessons to come would be much more dangerous; but they would be great lessons.
These stories that come to being “outside the winepress” are the facts that we will always remember about Gideon’s greatness under God’s direction. Leaving the winepress gave Gideon a few tales to pass down to his grandchildren. Had it not happened; Gideon would have just been that boring, ordinary guy living down the road.
GIDEON IS A GOOD NAME
Perhaps this is how The Gideon’s (a wonderful organization that spreads the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the work of faithful laymen who are committed to Christ) realized their mission.
It seems this faithful, believing, organization of Christians looked at this part of the lesson of Gideon and decided they needed to come out of the church from time-to-time in order to refine the wheat that was being loaded into God’s storage barns.
They knew they would only be preaching to the choir inside their own churchs, and they needed to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all of the world. These dedicated warriors formed an organization and called themselves “Gideons.” The name truly fit their mission and they have done great work for The Kingdom of God.
IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF THE WORLD
Please understand that I’m not condoning the ways of the world here. God has told us to be IN the World, but NOT OF the world. All Christian believers have that same message as the Gideons; to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to other sinners like us.
Chances of finding someone who needs this truth in their life are greater in the world than sitting in your local church pews (even though church members also need more and more of The Gospel in order to grow and thrive and turn.) Christians have to learn to leave their comfort zones and walk out into the unknown in order to let the world know what a mighty God they serve.
COMING OUT OF THE WINEPRESS
The point is – in order to be used of God for His purposes – Gideon had to come out of the winepress.
Do you have a winepress in your life?
Is there a place to go to hide and hoard up all the things that matter most to you and keep them safe and away from intruders? If so; you may be living under false delusions.
The more you hoard YOUR things up to keep them safe, the less and less you receive of GOD’S THINGS, which are much more valuable. It may look like you are protecting your property; but in order to have more property you need to be giving part of what you have been blessed with away.
I know it sounds illogical to the human way of thinking; but men cannot grow in places that are shut up and all unto themselves. They must find God, seek out their purpose for His Kingdom, and go outside and share that destiny in order to become truly fruitful and to have growth and success in their lives with God’s economy.
GOING TO THE THRESHING FLOOR
This is what God was calling Gideon to do. He needed to leave the winepress and to out to the threshing floor.
Once he arrived there; God began to speak of his further purposes.
Have you ever noticed how God only shows us one step at a time?
This is particularly true if we are like Gideon, with no self-confidence and totally unsure of ourselves. Once we get to the place of realizing God’s purpose for our lives, we tend to do the same things that Gideon did, like asking for signs to be sure we are on track.
God is as patient with all of the rest of us as He was for Gideon. All we have to do is listen and obey. During his time as a Judge of Israel; Gideon did exactly that. He was faithful to listen to God and faithful to obey His commandments.
HAVE OBEDIENT FAITH
Hebrews (another book of heroes) notes that last fact about Gideon. We can read about it in Hebrews 1:32-34:
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned to strength, and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
Gideon carried out God’s purpose for his life and Israel was better for his leadership. Oh that we would be blessed with leaders with these qualities today! God may be in the process of calling new Gideons even as we study this lesson. Let us hope and pray that He does.
We all need faithful-and-obedient-to-God leaders who aren’t afraid to take us where we need to go. This fact is another lesson we learn from Gideon’s story.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
There are many more lessons in Gideon’s life story though. Another one is how he recognized the pagan ways of the Midianites and trusted God to show him how to change these ways in his own land.
The churches and homes of America are FULL of pagan ideas and beliefs. They have been around so long that the people do not even recognize them or think about the fact that they are pagan anymore.
Gideon’s family was in such a time. They had not received proper instruction from Godly leaders in so many years that they didn’t even seem to know they were wrong in their pagan beliefs. Gideon went out, taking some other godly men with him, and tore down their idols. He cleansed and purified the area and set up an altar for God.
DESTROY THE IDOLS
We learn from Gideon that it isn’t right to have idols. Anything that separates you and your family from God’s ways is wrong. It would be considered an idol.
You don’t have to have a wooden statue in front of you to be worshiping an idol. It could be your television set, your computer, your automobile, your home, the place you go that you shouldn’t, your bank account, another person, a drink you should not be drinking or a drug you should not be taking.
An idol is anything that keeps you from carrying out your God-given destiny and purpose for The Kingdom of Heaven. When you give an idol power it will destroy your destiny. God created us for a purpose and idols love to destroy those purposes. If you have them – it is time to be getting rid of them. That is one thing we saw in the story of Gideon that is very helpful.
FIGHT THE SPIRITUAL BATTLES
As Gideon went on to fight the Midianites and their allies in order to keep Israel living under God’s ways instead of pagan ways; God taught Gideon the proper way to fight things that might have seemed larger or stronger than him.
You don’t rely on human strength. You totally depend on God for the way to enter the battles He gives to you on this earth. If Gideon had fought the Midianites with his own ideas; he would have lost every battle. God’s ideas seemed to be totally illogical and impossible; but they worked.
ALWAYS GIVE GOD THE GLORY
Gideon gave God all the glory for the success of his battles. This truly matters if you are trying to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the world.
It is God who saves souls and turns people’s lives around. If you are throwing your book of “rules for living” at each and every person you see; you aren’t giving God the credit or glory that He deserves. Always give God the glory for your moments of success. He will always be there for you, pulling you up the next time you have a moment of failure.
When things work out well; it is because God directed the unseen world, it is never because of what humans do on their own.
Right now humans have messed up the globe so bad that we truly need for God to intervene. Let’s pray that he sends more like Gideon who are willing to go out and face the world with God’s battle plan, because the plan of mankind is destroying us.
BRING OFFERINGS AND MAKE SACRIFICES
What was the first thing that Gideon did after he realized he was talking to God?
He brought The Angel of The LORD an offering and a sacrifice.
Do you want God to truly hear your prayers? Have you brought Him an offering lately?
It doesn’t have to be money; God will use whatever you bring if you bring the best that you have.
Gideon had a meal to share. When he shared it with respect and honor and it was his best; God accepted the offering and blessed Gideon in all that he did.
If you are so destitute that you don’t even have a meal to offer; give up your hunger. Give up the best that you have to the work of God’s Kingdom and He will look down from heaven and bless your actions from that point forward.
GOD DESIRES OUR OFFERINGS
Don’t you dare call the above “name-it-and-claim-it religion. It isn’t. Bringing offerings to God to be used for His Kingdom is what an obedient servant does FIRST. God owns everything. He doesn’t need our pitiful offerings; but when we come to Him with our best these offerings prove our faithfulness.
We give expecting nothing in return, but God returns our giving in hundredfolds.
If you are doubtful (just like Gideon was) put this to the test. See if God doesn’t give you a sign that it is the right thing to do.
GOD WORKS WITH THE FEW
Gideon saw God reduce his army down to 300. That could be what God will do in the future with our churches.
Many have stopped attending after the times of the pandemic. Everyone just got out of the habit of going to church or setting aside worship time in their homes.
God knows this.
He is looking for those faithful soldiers who kept the course, who would not let the ways of man stop the worship of God.
They are few, but they are most powerful because they know from where they receive their power.
These are the men that God’s church needs today. Pray for this to happen. Be one of the ones that God considers faithful and true. Stand up when the rest of the world walks away in fear. Fight God’s enemies knowing who will be by your side in the coming battles. Train those who follow you to stay as true.
BLOW THE TRUMPET WHEN GOD SAYS
Another important thing to remember about Gideon is that God told him to blow the trumpets as he faced his battles with the Midianites. They were to be blown in unison whenever Gideon led the charge to do so.
The three groups of one-hundred gave the battle sound and the Midianites shook with fear. They were thrown into chaos and began to fight each other.
A day is soon coming which many Christians have learned to observe annually on God’s original calendar. It is called The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah.)
We are only a few days away from the month of Elul and the 40 day period that God has called us to prepare for the Fall Feasts and Festivals of God. On the very first Day of the upcoming ten days of Awe, we will blow the shofar and celebrate The Feast of Trumpets. Are you getting ready for this to happen?
Christians who observe these days are a lot like Gideon’s 300. We are small but powerful. Those keeping God’s original Hebraic calendar today are simply trusting and following God for our instructions. When God tells us to blow the trumpet; we will do so.
BE FAITHFUL AND OVERCOME
So; in the meantime – keep following God and being faithful. Face the battles of the world as Gideon did. Make our world a better place in which to live. Walk in the heavenly realms!
God always keeps His promises.