Lois Turley

Numbers 35:16 "`If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. (NIV) Here and in numerous places, the Bible teaches the death penalty. The Bible also teaches that vengeance belongs to the Lord. I don't believe we can make a distinction saying that was then, the Old Testament, and this is now, the New Testament. God's law and principles remain the same for all the ages: The person who murders shall be put to death. Vengeance belongs to God. The two teachings are not at odds. Justice can be done without vengeance. It is always a sin for a Christian to harbor vengeance in his heart. And the one that is hurt the most is the avenger himself. Bitterness, resentment and anger will steal our peace, our joy, and our testimony. It is not worth it. We need to give it to God and let him deal with it.

It was an awesome battle plan. Who could have thought of something so simple yet so effective? It would have been too simple, almost foolish, by man's reasoning. I'm reminded of this passage: 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. (NIV) The Bible doesn't say if God instructed Gideon how to do this. God may have told him what to do, or God may have just put the thoughts in his mind so that God's plan became Gideon's thoughts as he formulated a plan. But either way, he led the army to success because God led him and he followed God.

Getting confirmation through spiritual people is an excellent way to be reassured that what we are following is truly God's leading. But we need to be aware that even spiritual people we trust may not fully be able to see how God is working in our lives. Sometimes we may have that nagging sense that what our Christian advisors are suggesting is not really the direction God is leading us. If we are truly in fellowship with him, reading his Word and in prayer, truly seeking his will, the fact that the pull of God in a direction seems to override the guidance of other Christians can be another type of confirmation. Once we are assured of how God is leading, we can go forward as God leads even when the directions don't make sense. To me, the reason we demand that God's directions make sense before we'll follow them is lack of faith on our part. But once we've followed him in these directions that seemed so wrong, and seen him use our obedience in a way we never imagined, it is easier to have faith next time.

My first thought if I'd been Gideon would have been, Oh my! What if I send all but 300 of these warriors home and we are defeated? How will I ever face the people again? I can't help but believe this thought crossed Gideon's mind also. But Gideon rejected that thought and faith won. He decided to believe God that he would be faithful to deliver them. I think he may have even gone a step beyond that. He may have decided that even if, for some reason he couldn't comprehend, God chose not to deliver them, he would still trust God. He had peace that this whole situation was in the hands of a powerful and caring God no matter what the outcome.

I think anytime we are uncertain that it is really God leading us in a certain direction, or even if we are just feeling afraid, God is more than willing to give us a sign that he is with us in it. God doesn't want us to wonder if what we are doing is really his will. He wants to make his will clear to us, and he wants us to proceed with full assurance of God's victory in our lives. The danger, to me, is in demanding a sign that God will act in a certain way when all we really need to understand is that he is calling us to act. We are to act when he calls and trust him with the results.

I see Gideon's fleece as a sign of great faith. Gideon knew he could never defeat the Midianites on his own. But he had faith that if God had really called him to this great task, God could accomplish it. He just needed to be sure this was really God's leading and that he had not mis-understood. I can recall times in my own life when I felt strong leading of God to move in a certain direction. But I just needed to be sure. I knew that if I was mis-interpreting God's call to me I would fall flat on my face. I didn't dare venture out witout God. But when God reassured me of his hand in it all, I knew the victory was certain. I will take a stab at the question asked earlier about Zechariah. To me the difference is that Gideon was being called to action and he wanted to be sure he was understanding correctly before he acted. I'd be scared to death to take 300 people and march against a vast army unless I knew absolutely for sure that God was calling me to do this. When he understood for sure it was God's call, Gideon proved his faith by action. There have been times I responded too quickly thinking God was leading but not taking time to be sure and the results were not good. Zechariah, on the other hand, was not being called to do anything. He was being told that he would receive a blessing of being the father of the forerunner of Christ, the blessing of finally having a son to cherish. He did not have to seek a "fleece" because he was not being called to act. There is always an element of doubt, tiny as that element may be, in faith, else it would be absolute knowledge and not faith. But when Zechariah asked for a sign that God was telling the truth, to me this borders on testing God. Why did he need a sign? I think God expected Zechariah to trust God that if he had not understood correctly that was in God's hands, and if he had understood correctly, Elizabeth's soon coming pregnancy would be the only sign needed.

I am so often reminded of the phrase, "Do what God tells you to do and leave the results with him." I don't think we can sin against our parents or go wrong in anything else as long as we do what God says. Gideon probably did consider how this might impact his father. But it would have been sin on Gideon's part to refuse to obey God out of concern for his father. God used Gideon's obedience in a mighty way in his father's life. As others have said, because of Gideon's act of obedience, Joash was forced to choose. In a sense Gideon was the one that forced this choice. Just as when we share the gospel with someone and help them see the truth of salvation. But ultimately God is the one who brought Joash to the point of decision. God is the only one who can bring people to a true understanding of his call upon their lives and present them with a choice of who they will follow.

Gideon did not confront his father in disrespect, nor challenge his authority. He simply followed a higher authority, his Heavenly Father. Because of that, God brought great honor to both Gideon and Gideon's father.

Thanks for clarifying this, Vickie! God bless you, Lois

The most important reason he tore down the altar is because God said to him "Tear down your father's altar to Baal." It was a direct command of God. But speaking from a human standpoint, I am wondering if there was much difference in appearance of an altar to idols and an altar to the true and living God. (Some of you Biblical history students or scholars may have an answer for me.) Looking at the photo, the thought crossed my mind, seems a lot of work to tear down something just to build another one that looks almost the same. Isn't it the sacrifice, and the God to whom we sacrifice in our hearts, the important thing? Of course the answer is obvious. It would be a desecration against God to tarnish sacrifice to him by sacrificing on a pagan altar. It would be the lazy way to do it. True sacrifice is willing to provide a proper altar upon which to present the sacrifice. Then I am brought to consider my own "sacrifices." This week I've read about Jesus' warnings to not put new wine in old wine skins. Isn't this what we so often try to do? We are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, yet we compromise so easily. We want to keep the old altars, yet we just cannot present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God upon a pagan altar. My altars are not "pagan." They are "respectable" in the Christian community. Yet when they interfere with my consecration to God, they become other God's before him. He has been helping me to tear them down this year, and the freedom of not being bound to them is such a joy.

To me, this is not saying that God saw beyond Gideon's weakness, but that God saw beyond Gideon. We so often fail to see beyond ourselves, but God always sees what we can be in unity with Him. Not only does God see beyond the weakness I see in myself. God sees beyond my inflated self-assessment of my abilities too. He sees beyond all my insecurity and self-sufficiency. We don't need self-confidence, we just need God-confidence, because there is no other power source.

Gideon blamed God because he along with the other Israelites did not want to take responsibility for their own actions. God had not abandoned Israel. Israel had abandoned God. God had not abandoned Gideon. Gideon had abandoned God. And when it seems I am left to flounder alone, God has not abandoned Lois. Lois has abandoned God. May God forgive me and us and help us come to the real truth, that God is always there. It is our neglect, my neglect, to spend time with him that leads to all the problems.

My name is Lois. I'm from the beautiful hill country of western Arkansas. I've been involved in Pastor Ralph's Bible studies before. God has used him in a great way to impact my own life. I am excited about the study of Judges. I studied Judges many years ago and was blessed by it. Not long after I signed up for this study, I felt strongly led by the Lord to get involved in another Bible study as well. I almost didn't do the second one, since I felt I couldn't commit to both because of time. But I am thankful that I did. The other study is helping me be in a state of mind to learn what God has for me as Pastor Ralph guides us through the study of Gideon. And God has made a way for me to do both. I know he will give us each just what we individually need as we apply the teaching to our hearts. I have already been blessed this morning as I read the first lesson in the study of Gideon. Looking forward to the blessings, Lois