Judges 6:33-40 – Leaning on God in our spiritual journey

There are times in our spiritual journey where after sensing God wanting us to do something, yet we need to stay still and wait for the right moment to act. This must be what Gideon had felt. God had called him for a mission and even assured him of His presence. Then there seems to be a pause. Gideon did not hear anything further from the Lord. Then, lo and behold, the Midianites and the Amalekites and their allies came into the land for their yearly raid. They came and camped at the valley of Jezreel. It was then that Gideon was stirred by the Spirit of the Lord who came upon him. He was empowered for leadership. No one can assume the mantle of leadership effectively without the empowering of the Spirit of God. This was certainly seen in Gideon’s situation. Fortified with boldness, he blew a trumpet and the Abiezrites came forward to follow his lead into the battle. Who were the Abiezrites? They came from the tribe of Manasseh where Gideon’s family hailed from. These were the first respondents who answered the trumpet call of Gideon and came to join him in the battle against the marauding Midianites and their allies.  

Gideon also sent messengers throughout the tribes of Manasseh and the tribes allocated near them, namely, the tribes of Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, to join them in the battle. They responded and thousands came forward to join them in fighting the allied forces of the Midianites. This underscores for us as people of God to avail ourselves and identify with what God wants to do through His people. We must heed the call for help when our brethren call for help in the ministry. As committed people of God, we cannot stand aloof and stand idly by as passengers in God’s work and watch them struggle. Remember unity is great strength!

Verses 36-40, give us an account that shows Gideon needing divine confirmation for battle. What he did was not a sign of unbelief but a sign of being cautious. Gideon wanted to be very sure that God would be with him. This tells us that we cannot presume on the Lord. It does pay to be sure. He wanted to be sure that God would deliver Israel through him. Here we see two signs he requested the Lord to do for him. First, he would put some fleece on the field and asked that God would only cause the dew to drench it while the field remained dry. God did as he had requested. Then to be doubly sure, he requested for the reverse to happen. This time he asked for the fleece to remain dry while the field around it be drenched. Both the signs that Gideon requested could only happen because God was behind it all. Gideon knew that no one could do what he had requested except God. The fact that God granted both his requests tells us that Gideon didn’t act in unbelief. The Lord knows our heart and He will give us the assurance that we need. It is better for us to engage in our spiritual journey with assurance than to go into it presuming on God. This experience of Gideon helps us to see that in our journey with God, we need his guidance and that we should not act presumptuously.