Ultimately, Gideon, the Judge, obeys God and realizes a great victory, but he first needs a lot of confirmation to deal with his doubts: 1) Gideon first asks for a sign that the angel had really spoken God’s words. God acquiesces; when the angel touches his staff to the food Gideon prepared, it miraculously ignites … Continue reading Gideon Doubts God
Another familiar character in the book of Judges is Gideon (with three chapters devoted to him). Gideon is generally a fearful man who is cautious of God’s call, but who does fully obey God. There are three initial things that God tells Gideon (though an angel): “The Lord is with you mighty warrior!” Gideon’s response … Continue reading God Talks to Gideon – and Us
One of Gideon‘s sons was Abimelech. It is arguable if Abimelech should be counted as a judge. If so, he would be classified as a failure, for he violently seized power, did not fight for or liberate his people from foreign powers, but instead fought internally, with much loss of life as a result — … Continue reading Abimelech — A Failure
Judge Deborah was a reluctant hero. Deborah, also a prophetess, received instructions from God to relay to Barak. His mission was to lead a battle against their oppressors. When she shared this with Barak, he balked (as did Moses, Jonah, Gideon, and many others when God called them to a task). Barak did not want … Continue reading A Reluctant Hero
Just before Gideon goes to battle, he tells his men to “watch me,” “follow my lead,” and “do exactly what I do.” His men did and God used their collective actions to throw the enemy into complete confusion. As a result, a great victory was won. Gideon’s actions were worthy of emulation. From a spiritual … Continue reading Do As I Do
When I think of a judge, I immediately conjure up an image of a person wearing a black robe and presiding over a hearing or trial. Indeed, that is the primary definition of the word “judge.” However, that understanding is greatly misleading when reading the book of Judges in the Bible. In the biblical context … Continue reading Here Comes the Judge