Day 106 – Judge Gideon

• I wonder if you have seen the film “300”? You’re probably a bit young for it really, as it’s a 15! If you have, however, you might have thought about this film when you read today’s passages. But this isn’t 300 Spartans; it’s 300 Israelites, and they are a part of an even bigger victory against all the odds. Of course, those odds mean nothing when God is working for you!
• As Judges 6 opens, what’s the state of things in the nation?
• The events of Judges 6 and 7 are quite different, even though they both refer to Gideon. Describe Gideon in the various stories in Judges 6. Who is he? Does he seem like a strong and brave warrior? Even if he’s not the bravest, does he still follow God’s orders? What does this say about God using “normal” guys like Gideon for His greater purposes?
• Think about how different all the judges have been so far. Are they all warriors? What similarities do they all have?
• Gideon repeatedly asks for signs from God. Think about the story in judges 6:19-22 for example. Do you think God needed to prove Himself to Gideon?
• What was happening with the story with the fleece in Judges 6:36-40? Did Gideon believe God’s promises? Do you think it’s OK to act like Gideon and ask God for confirmation, or does this indicate a lack of trust in God? I know someone who made a decision based on putting out their own “fleece”; they requested a sign from God and put complete trust in the response, whatever the outcome. Would you think this a wise thing to do?
• As we move into Judge 7, what did God do with Gideon’s large army? Why do you think God thought that he had “too many” soldiers? What was God’s purpose in only telling Gideon to take 300 men? Were you surprised by the process God had of choosing the men to stay based on their style of drinking water?!
• What happened when the 300 men blew their trumpets and smashed the jars they were carrying? Look especially at Judges 7:22. Who was clearly in control of this battle, and ordaining who won?
• Why have we read the passage in 1 Corinthians today? What does it say about how God uses “underdogs” like Gideon and his army? It’s such an important point – everything you do and have comes from the Lord, so it stops us boasting in ourselves and “boasting in the Lord” instead. It encourages us to stop and give Him all the glory He deserves, doesn’t it?

Gideon had a large army and could have well won his battle with the resources he had. In a surprising act, God asked him to trim away the vast majority of his men, leaving a mere 300 left.

Why? Well, we might not know God’s true intentions, of course, but what it does do is direct the credit for victory to God rather than man. Gideon could have bragged about victory with his army, as hinted at in Judges 7:2, but any shred of this thought is removed with the action of reducing his army. It made God the hero, not Gideon, and shows that God is in control and able to do mighty things regardless of the relative strength or weakness of humans.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Gideon today. If you want to read the rest of his story, why not read chapter 8 too? Tomorrow we’ll skip to chapter 13 and meet Samson, so you may also enjoy reading about the other judges that’ll we’ll skip.