7

Everything which the Lord had promised to Gideon, the Lord gave to him.

"The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor" (Judges 6: 12). The Lord was with him all the way!

"Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?" (verse 14). The Lord did so!

"Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man" (Verse 16) The Lord was him, and enabled him to smite the Midianites as one man!

Gideon did it all! Not on his own. He did it in personal fellowship with the Lord. He was available to the Lord and the Lord used him victoriously!

What a glorious contrast we see as we view Gideon's life as a whole. When we first saw him he was a very frightened young man. So insecure, with such an overwhelming sense of personal inferiority.

Yet he became such a strong leader. Decisive. Confident. Victorious.

It is the Lord who always makes the difference. He is the only one who can make a genuine difference.

Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men" (Matthew 4: 19, Mark 1: 17). "I WILL MAKE YOU TO BECOME!" That is His promise of the most exciting transformation.

That means: He can and will make us to become everything that He wills for us. Everything that He calls us to be. We can be: the people whom the Lord uses both gloriously and victoriously!

The continuing record of the Lord's dealing with His servant also challenges us

Here we see revealed three important facets of effective and victorious living. Once again there are exciting truths which speak to our continued service for the Lord.

The battle had been engaged according to the clear directions of the Word of God. Everything had gone so very well, up until this point.

"And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply."

This confrontation did not involve the invading forces of the Midianites and the Amalekites. Rather it was brought about by other Israelites. They were expressing their strong dissatisfaction.

The men of Ephraim said, "Why hast thou served us thus?" They were accusing Gideon: You did not do right by us! You have slighted and insulted us.

They were attacking Gideon's leadership. His decisions. His actions. He had not treated them with the consideration and deference which was their due.

It did not matter to them that Gideon had just been used by the Lord to win a glorious victory. Or had been God's instrument in delivering the people.

They gave no consideration to the fact that he did everything in humble and total obedience to the Word of the Lord. They refused to give any significance to the personal involvement of the Lord in every detail of all of these developments.

Why did they openly oppose Gideon in this manner? Why criticize his faithful leadership? Why fault him when the obvious result was the most glorious victory by which the Lord saved His people?

We may be tempted to argue, Gideon should not have been put through that. No one who faithfully serves the Lord should have to endure that kind of treatment.

Yet, that is one of the inescapable realities which must be faced by those who faithfully serve the Lord. Such comments and criticism will come!

But: some may press the objection, why from his own people? Why did the Israelites respond in this way?

Surely Christians would not be guilty of speaking and acting in that way! Christians would not be so negative in their comments. So critical of other Christians whom the Lord was using effectively and victoriously!

Yet, how often that does happen. In fact, it seems that the more effectively the Lord uses a person, the more criticism is leveled at that person by other Christians. Criticism that is unjustified and harsh. Unloving and un-Christlike.

Do we really want to be used by the Lord? Do we want our service to be more effective? Our lives marked by greater victory? Then we must expect that, the further we press on along that road, the greater the criticism we face.

The men of Ephraim spelled out their nitpicking complaint. "When you went out to the battle, you did not call for our participation."

They did not want to be left out, so they claimed. The fact that they were left out justified their anger at Gideon.

They found it so easy to say what they did - after the fact. But were they really willing to face the battle when the need was so urgent? Where was their willingness to volunteer when Gideon's forces were so greatly outnumbered?

Did they think that they had the right to dictate to Gideon? After all, who made the decision about who was acceptable to participate in the battle? The Lord did! Not Gideon! Nor anyone else.

Too often today we see the same attitudes. Those who, after the fact, complain that they were ready to be involved. After the fact, when the work has been done. When the sacrifices have been made.

Or, those who want to dictate. Not only to leaders, but also to the Lord. They insist on claiming the right to decide their place, their position, their role.

Both attitudes are self-serving and quite alien to true Christian service.

Was it that these men of Ephraim thought that they were going to miss out on some of the glory? Did they believe they had every right to share the praise and the honor of the victory?

Surely they should be able to participate in the prestige which came with driving the Midianites out!

What a portrait of the attitude of some many Christians. They assiduously avoid the cost and the sacrifice. Yet they hasten to claim the glory and the praise.

Gideon knew that all of the glory, all of the praise, and all of the honor belonged to the Lord. To Him alone!

Is it any wonder that the Lord, then, as now, has no choice but to pass so many people by? "Lest Israel

vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me!"(7: 2)

Did their problem relate to the matter of sharing in the spoils of war? If they had participated from the initial conflict, they could have claimed more for themselves?

If that was their problem, it clearly reveals how totally self-centered their attitude was. How self-serving their motives were.

Self! This problem still perseveres today. Even in the Church. Among many who profess to serve the Lord.

Christians who are motivated by what they can get for themselves. This is not true Christianity. It reveals attitudes and motivations which are utterly alien to the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The men of Ephraim state their severe displeasure with Gideon. Their strong and abrasive attitude was unmistakable! "They did chide with him sharply!"

As far as they were concerned, he had stepped out of line. So, they proceeded to put him "in his place!"

This was a totally unwarranted attack. They were the ones who were out of line!

They deliberately ignored the fact that Gideon had been called and chosen by God. That everything he did had been in complete compliance with the Word of God. He was approved by God, as he so faithfully, humbly walked with Him.

In stark contrast to them, he only sought to honor and glorify the Lord.

Yet, they had the brazen audacity and the reckless nerve to attempt to force him to toe their line!

This attitude is common, even today. "Christians" who will very sharply chide and caustically criticize God's man. Who do not hesitate to attempt to put him "in his place"!

Remember, God has put His man in his place as God Himself sees and defines his place! The place which God Himself has specifically chosen. The wise and sincere Christian recognizes that fact and acts accordingly.

We see such a marked contrast between the attitude of those men of Ephraim and the attitude of Gideon.

He did not respond to them by resorting to angry denunciations. Neither did he attempt to deflect their attack by self-justification.

It is obvious that he saw no need to launch a counter-attack against these unjustified accusations. Many others may have responded by hurling accusations back at these men. Not Gideon.

There is so much which we need to learn from Gideon's example. Far too often when we are faced with such attitudes and accusations, we do react. We become agitated. Even angry. Being too quick to react by denouncing or accusing. All of which will only make the situation more difficult.

Gideon remained quite calm and confident. He walked with God. He knew that he had heard the Word of God and that he had faithfully acted on that Word. He had the strong inner assurance that the Lord had blessed his efforts.

He knew: God vindicated Gideon. Therefore Gideon had no need to attempt to vindicate himself. So, nothing else really mattered. Leave it all to God!

When we really do walk in such close personal fellowship with the Lord, we will have that same strong and calm confidence.

Therefore, there will be no need to attempt to either justify or vindicate ourselves. We will be content to just leave all that to the Lord. He is so well able to look after us and our reputation.

Gideon proceeded to deal with these men of Ephraim in a most positive way. He reminded them that their contribution was so very significant. In fact, Gideon minimized his own contribution so as to maximize the value of what they had accomplished.

There are very few people who are willing to honestly understate what they had done to make someone else look good. Gideon did!

Gideon was willing to look at this situation from the point of view of the men of Ephraim. To help them see the value of their involvement. To give them due credit. It takes a big man to do that. A spiritual man. The kind of man whom God can use victoriously.

You see, Gideon walked with the Lord. That was all he asked. All he needed.

When you really do walk with the Lord, it no longer matters who claims the glory. Let others take it! You only want to stay in close fellowship with the Lord. If any praise comes your way, you happily give all the glory to the Lord. Self is not considered at all.

Gideon responded to this unpleasant confrontation in wisdom. Thus he so effectively diffused the anger of the men of Ephraim.

It could have turned out with a most different result. It could have been allowed to escalate into a most dangerous situation.

It did not do so. Instead we see the victory of the wisdom of the man who walked with God.

The rout of the Midianites and their allies had a dramatic effect. Those who had not been killed in the initial conflict fled in panic.

"And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them."

Gideon rejoiced in the glorious victory which the Lord had already given. Yet, he knew that the task the Lord had given to him was still not complete. It was his responsibility to ensure that the victory was pressed all the way to the end.

Such genuine commitment to faithful perseverance is a clear witness to vital personal integrity. In it was seen the integrity of the man who does walk with the Lord. That quality of character which always marks the man whom the Lord uses.

The Lord looks for those same qualities in those He seeks to use today.

We dare not become complacent and self-satisfied with partial victories. As we walk with the Lord we will be motivated to persevere. To go all the way until the final victory is won. To faithfully complete all that which the Lord has given us to do.

To permit the Midianites to escape with only a partial defeat would inevitable result in the continuation of a threat to the safety of Israel. For them to be able to regroup and threaten the freedom of the people was unacceptable.

The victory had to be complete and final. Gideon was committed to make sure that he did all he could to protect his people from being left vulnerable.

This is a most crucial principle for us in our service today. We dare not be content with partial victory. Rather we must press to claim the full victory promised in the Word and the will of the Lord.

How foolish it would be to carelessly accept a position of being vulnerable to the enemy! Such a careless attitude invites humiliating defeat.

Gideon knew that his perseverance was essential. In that faithful commitment he was met by:

"He, and the three hundred men that were with him," were, "faint!"

"And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint!"

Gideon's request was most reasonable. Succoth was a city in Israel! Therefore Gideon's intervention was of the greatest benefit to the people of that city.

Yet, his very reasonable request was met with ridicule and rejection! The attitude of the leaders of this city of Succoth was most offensive.

Why should they help? Gideon may have been pursuing the Midianite kings. Yet there was no guarantee that he would catch them. Nor, that even if he did catch them, that he would defeat them.

They were expecting Gideon to fail. So, what could that mean to them? What if those very kings defeated Gideon and returned to take vengeance on them?

The people of Penuel, another Israelite city, responded in exactly the same way. They also turned Gideon and his men away without providing any help.

This was not a unique experience. Repeatedly the Lord's people are faced with this type of negative attitude. The cynicism and skepticism of unbelief. Or, the fear of what failure may cost.

It is used by those who would help to justify their rejection and ridicule. Then, and now!

In their foolishness, the leaders of Succoth were overlooking one very vital element. The Lord had already given Gideon and his men a most glorious victory!

The Lord was still with His people. He was still leading! He still guaranteed victory to them!

Humanity has not changed. People, including so many Christians, so readily ignore all the glorious victories which the Lord has already given. Dismissing all He has accomplished.

They would rather act as though God was not involved. Or, if His is involved, it really does not make any significant difference.

"Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all of the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword!"

Gideon and his men were tired and faint. They were weak and hungry. Rejected and ridiculed. Yet, still they refused to quit. They pressed on, confident in the Word of the Lord.

Three hundred, tired, weak, hungry, fainting men chasing fifteen thousand. Despised, but not demoralized!

They were convinced that this was no contest. Fifteen thousand were insignificant compared to the huge host they once had made ready to battle. Gideon and his men had not lost a single man. Most of all, they still walked in fellowship with the Lord and in obedience to His Word.

They knew that it was no contest. The result was fully assured. The victory was guaranteed.

Those who really love the Lord and want to honor Him in their service are inspired by Gideon and his commitment.

Even though the evidence of the earlier victory was irrefutable, so many refused to believe.

Yet, in faith, he pressed on in his walk with the Lord. All the way! Confident of victory. Assured of the complete vindication of the Word and the will of the Lord.

At times we are tempted to give up. Confronted by rejection and misunderstanding. Even ridiculed and misrepresented. Many do quit. But quitters miss out on that which is most important. Sharing the glory of the Lord's victory.

Quit? Surely not! The Lord is with us! In spite of the offensiveness and opposition we may be called on to face, we will go on. At times weak and tired. Distressed and despondent. Yet still determined to be strong in the Lord and go all the way with Him.

"And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian!"

First, the Midianites were totally routed and completely defeated. Exactly as the Lord said!

Then, Gideon gave his attention to the men of Succoth! Those who had mocked Gideon and his men. Who had rejected and derided him.

"He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth." A most unpleasant and agonizing way to learn to refrain from mocking the Lord!

"And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city!"

"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap!"(Galatians 6: 7)

By mocking the faithful servant of the Lord, they in reality mocked the Lord Himself! Gideon faithfully upheld the glory of the Lord!

"Them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed!"(1 Samuel 2: 30).

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 54: 17).

Gideon returned. Proclaiming the glory of the victory which the Lord had given. The Lord had enabled him to accomplish every aspect of the task given to him by the Lord!

"Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian."

This expression of the desire of the people of Israel was to be expected. It came so naturally. Even spontaneously.

After all, he was the one who had led them so successfully. Under his leadership they had experienced a most significant victory. It was through his efforts that the Midianites had been routed and driven out of Israel.

Gideon had saved them! He had set them free! He was the one whose efforts had resulted in so much benefit coming to them. That is the way in which they saw the situation.

So, quite naturally, they wanted to honor Gideon. To them, there was one very obvious way for them to do so. Make him the official and permanent ruler!

"Rule thou over us!" We give you the authority and the power to do so. We give you our pledge of our unswerving loyalty and support.

They were so very excited and greatly enthused as they expressed this desire. They would have willingly given Gideon anything he asked for. They believed that in this way they could fully honor him while satisfying their own strong longings.

Not only you, Gideon. But, your son after you. Your son's son after him. We want to set you and your family up as our ruling dynasty! So that over the succeeding generations Gideon would continue to be honored.

They did have every reason to be most thankful. They should have been very enthusiastic in the expression of their gratitude. There was every justification for being exceedingly generous.

They knew it. Their lives and circumstances had been so positively transformed. They were no longer fugitives and outcasts in their own country. They and their families were free.

They were no longer forced to live in dens and holes in the ground. They could return to their homes once again.

Yet, could it be that their great enthusiasm was getting a little out of control? There are times when that can be a real problem.

Even, today! In genuine gratitude we can, in fact, make commitments which we really should not make. When we allow the excitement of our deep thankfulness to get the better of our judgement. As the result, we get carried away and our attitude becomes unbalanced and, therefore, unwise.

This is exactly what was happening to the Israelites. Yet their over-zealous enthusiasm was so well answered by:

"And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you!"

Gideon knew what was motivating the Israelites in making this request. Even as he fully understood their desire to have some strong leader to rule over them. That was a longing which continually kept re-asserting itself in their minds until at last they demanded that Samuel give them a king.(see 1 Samuel 8: 4 - 7)

Gideon saw the very obvious enthusiasm of the people was clouding the vital issue involved. They were not balanced in their thinking. This was evident from the fact that they were focusing their attention on him. On what he had done for them.

They were overlooking something which was far more important. They had forgotten it was not Gideon, It was the Lord! "The SWORD OF THE LORD!" Gideon was just a man whom the Lord used so powerfully.

It was the power of the Lord. The Word and will of the Lord. The plan and wisdom of the Lord. The sufficiency and the victory of the Lord.

Therefore, all of the credit, all of the honor, all of the glory and the praise belonged to the Lord. Not to Gideon.

Gideon fully understood this reality. That is why he responded, "No! I cannot take to myself that position. I will not rule over you."

Gideon remembered the call of the Lord. It was to save Israel. The Lord had said nothing about him then taking the position of ruler. He knew that he could not presume to take to himself that position.

It happens too often that Christians presume to go beyond their call. Feeling that the Lord has used them in one area, they imagine that they can assume to take to themselves other responsibilities.

Many attempt to claim authority and responsibility to which the Lord has not called them. Often such attitudes and actions come from ego getting in the way. Self-importance crowds out the possibility of acting with spiritual maturity.

Remember this principle: If the Lord is not in it, it will not work. It cannot work.

If the Lord is not in it, yet we foolishly presume to go ahead, we will hurt ourselves, and we will hurt others. Even as we will seriously hinder the true work of the Lord.

Gideon's wisdom is clearly revealed in his humble response to this enthusiastic request. He kept his eye on the leading of the Lord. He listened attentively to the Word of the Lord. He continued to be determined to be faithful to all that the Lord called him to do.

The urgent call of man was not the call of God! He knew that the Lord was not in this attempt to make him the ruler over Israel.

"I will not rule over you. Neither will my son rule over you." Gideon said that. At that moment he really meant it.

The sad fact is that things actually worked out differently to what he said. Later, Abimelech, the son of Gideon and his concubine, conspired to grasp the power of political leadership for himself.

In doing so all of Gideon's worst fears were realized. Abimelech slaughtered all of the other sons of Gideon. His period of leadership was most disastrous. His life came to an end in a very violent death. He certainly did not have either the faith or the wisdom of his father.

Gideon knew that there was One whom the Israelites should permit to take and to hold the position of leadership. "The LORD shall rule over you!"

Gideon was convinced that it was only as Israel accepted and honored the sovereignty of the Lord that there was any hope.

It was the Lord who had intervened on behalf of His oppressed and humiliated people. It was the Lord's power and resources which broke the power of the Midianites and drove them out of the land.

It was the Lord who had brought about the salvation of His people, and set them free!

For Gideon, it was all so obviously the Lord! There was nothing else to consider. He was the only One worthy to be considered to be given the place of authority and leadership.

There are so many Christians today who are making the same mistake which the Israelites made.

Many pretend that they are worthy to claim the place of preeminence and power. They presume to reach out and grasp it. Revealing how totally unfit they actually are for any place of true spiritual leadership.

There are others who believe that they need some other person to take the position of leadership and authority. It is for that reason that we have so many cults and similar groups. People have given to a man that place which only the Lord is worthy to fill.

Another problem is to be seen in the immaturity of ignorance. People want to be able to claim that Jesus is their Savior. He is the one who has saved them from their sins. Delivered them from the possibility of going to hell.

But, they do not want to acknowledge Him as the Lord of their lives. They are not ready to permit Him to take control. To tell them how to live. To take the place of sovereign authority in all things.

There is ONLY ONE who is worthy to be KING! Only ONE who really does have what it takes to be LORD!

Jesus as our Savior! Yes! If we really do understand what it actually does mean for Him to be Savior, we will most definitely want Him to be Lord! Lord of all!

To really know HIM, is to urgently want Him in charge of every area of our lives. We will be most thankful to be able to join with Gideon and say:

This is victory in submission. When the Lord rules, He enables us to rule with Him!

When He is in control of all areas of our lives, we are more than conquerors!

When He is truly Lord of all, He blesses us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. He enriches our lives with all of the riches of glory. He releases our lives in the wonder of His service to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think!

We can claim it! Live it out in all of its inspiring and exciting wonder and glory.

Our Lord wants us to be able to see these magnificent truths being worked out day by day in our lives.