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GIDEON (IV)
MONDAY, JANUARY 23
Judges 6:25-32

1 Corinthians 4:1-13

 

“But if they obey not,

they shall perish by the sword…”

 

GIDEON (IV)
 
The third lesson we find in God’s dealing with Gideon in relation to his call is the test of faithfulness. God chooses men who are undeserving, men who are weak. He chooses men sovereignly and of His grace. God will send, empower and use the men He has chosen. What God requires of those He has called is their faithfulness and allegiance to Him.
 
“Take thy father’s young bullock…and throw down the altar of Baal” (Judg 6:25). This was Gideon’s first assignment. Before going to battle against the Midianites and breaking their yoke of oppression, he was to throw down the altar of Baal at home. Things must be set right in his own home before they were set right in the nation. The first task Gideon was given was to replace the idolatry established in his home by his father with the true worship of God who had called him and chosen him. It was a test of faithfulness and allegiance to God. This task was not a new one. It was the same task that had been given to the Israelites as they entered to possess the Promised Land (Exod 34:13; Deut 7:5) and it will be the task of future generations whenever God raises a man to lead His people back to Himself in revival (2 Kings 18:4; 23:14; 2 Chron 15:16; 31:1; 34:4, 7).
 
“…he could not do it by day, that he did it by night” (Judg 6:27). The LORD’s will must be done, but obedience does not necessarily call for defiance. The same God who calls for obedience gives wisdom in the exercise of His will. From the reaction of the men of the city when they rose up in the morning (Judg 6:28-30), Gideon’s assignment would have been perilous and humanly impossible to perform were it done in broad daylight. Gideon accomplished it to the fullest under the peace and dark of night. Daniel and his three friends also exercised wisdom in obeying God and keeping themselves pure from foods offered to idols when they were carried away captive to Babylon (Dan 1:8-16). At times, we make things more difficult for ourselves by our defiance in the name of faithfulness to God.
 
THOUGHT: My obedience in the exercise of faith will strengthen my faith.

PRAYER: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus.”

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