The Call of Gideon | Judges 6:11-24 | J. Allen Mashburn

Over the next few weeks we will be introduced to a remarkable judge by the name of Gideon. Gideon is a study in contrasts. One the one hand he was a man who led a handful of warriors against a far larger army and won a great victory. On the other hand, Gideon was filled with doubts, fears and questions. He was a man who questioned God’s plan, yet he did God’s will.

Gideon was called to be a judge during a time of intense trouble in Israel. The nation was suffering under the grip of Midianite oppression. They watched helplessly as their land was stripped, their homes and villages were destroyed, and their lives endangered. Their condition is summed up in verse 6 where the Bible says they were “impoverished”. This word literally means that they were at the “end of their rope”. The people of Israel felt as though their nation was destroyed and their lives were over.

Israel’s main problem was that they counted God out. They cried out to Him, but they probably did not believe that He was listening, or that He was able to do anything to help them. But, God always has a message. In vv. 7-10, God sent them a prophet to remind them of the Lord’s grace in their lives and to call them to a place of repentance.

Not only does God have a message, He always has a man as well. In the passage before us, we will meet the man God chose to save Israel. We will meet a man called Gideon, his name means, “He who cuts down”. While Gideon does not look like he has much to offer at the time he was called, in the end, he would be responsible for cutting down the enemies of God’s people.

Let’s take some time to meet this man God chose to be deliver His people. In Gideon, I see a little bit of myself. Perhaps you will see yourself in this passage as well. Let’s examine The Call Of Gideon together today. I want to share a few insights from the text as we begin to study a man called Gideon.