FAITH || Lesson 17 

FAITH

Text:  Hebrews 11

Lesson Seventeen – V.32

Examples of the ancients who were commended for their faith: (Cont’d.)

GIDEON [Part 1]: V.32 – And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,

Gideon’s story is related in Judges 6-8.

See Judges 6:1-6 – After forty years of peace (Judges 5:31), these verses outline the dire condition of the Israelites due to the invasion of the Midianites.  Note that the Midianites had been formerly defeated under the leadership of Moses.  See Numbers 31. 

The suffering of the Israelites was a part of the curses for disobedience listed in Deuteronomy 28.  Note Deuteronomy 28:31, 33 – ³¹Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them.

³³A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days.

Let us therefore ask the Lord to help us to heed 1 Peter 3:10-12 – ¹⁰For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.  ¹¹He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.  ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Also, let us thank the Lord for the following promises:

Luke 1:74-75 – ⁷⁴to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear ⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Philippians 2:13 (New Living Translation) – For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

See Judges 6:7-9 – In answer to the Israelites’ cry, the Lord sent the prophet to remind them of their deliverance from Egypt.

Let us thank the Lord for delivering us from “the kingdom of darkness.”  Colossians 1:12-14 – ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  ¹³For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Judges 6:10 – I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

But you have not listened to me – Let us ask the Lord to help us to heed:

Matthew 13:9 – He who has ears, let him hear.”

Revelation 2:29 – He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

See Judges 6:11-40 – Herein are details of the commissioning of Gideon, to deliver the Israelites, by the Angel of the LORD (v.11-24); the reformation of his father’s house by the demolishing of Baal’s altar (v.25-32); and preparation for the defeat of the Midianites (v.33 -40). 

Judges 6:11-12 – ¹¹The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.  ¹²When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

(V.12) When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon – This was while Gideon was hiding from the Midianites (v.11).

Let us thank the Lord for reminding us of:

Psalm 139:7 – Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

Jeremiah 23:24 – Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.

Hebrews 4:13 – Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

See Judges 6:17-19 – Although the Israelites had been impoverished by the Midianites, Gideon had wheat (v.11) as well as provision for his offering (v.19).  This is an example of:

Psalm 33:18-19 – ¹⁸But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, ¹⁹to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

Psalm 37:18-19 – ¹⁸The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.  ¹⁹In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

Let us thank the Lord for the promise of 2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.