(Class Notes)
- Preparation of Gideon (Spiritual Perfection)
- God spoke to Gideon seven times to prepare Gideon perfectly
for his spiritual task:
- God first encourages Gideon's heart, "The Lord is
with thee" (Judges 6:12)
- Next, God seeks a confession of Gideon's weakness, "Go
in this thy might" (Judges 6:14)
- Then God takes the next three occasions to let Gideon
discover the Lord as his ONLY source of true strength:
- Lastly, God leaves His peace with Gideon and comforts
him, "Peace be unto thee; fear not" (Judges 6:23)
- Preparation of Israel (Divine Grace)
- God spoke to Gideon five times to prepare Israel in the
acknowledgement of His grace, as all that is necessary to obtain the victory:
- The first three times concerned directions for the reduction
of human strength:
- The last two times God confirmed His strength to save
(Judges 7:7) and deliver (Judges 7:9)
- Result of Preparation (Governmental Rule)
- God spoke to Gideon
a total of twelve times to accomplish His purpose of bringing Israel out from under Midianite rule and back under
His rule:
- Seven times to
prepare Gideon (Judges 6)
- Five times to
prepare Israel (Judges 7)
- Testimony of Faith (Gideon and the "Great Cloud of Witnesses")
- God spoke to Gideon more times than to some others in
the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1)
- Surely, "the time would fail me to tell"
(Hebrews 11:32) of all that might be said
(even of Gideon)
- By faith, Gideon