Gideon; Man of Doubt, Man of Fear, Man of Faith?Sample

Gideon takes action

“That night, the Lord said to [Gideon], ‘Take your father's bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here.” (Judges 6:25-26)

The Israelites’ problem is crystal clear. Enemies keep invading their land, destroying the crops, and robbing or killing livestock. But God first addresses the underlying problem. The people are serving idols. This urgently needs to change.

Gideon is commissioned to make an offering to the Lord God. That is by no means an easy task for him! We read about an altar to the idol Baal and a sacred pole that Gideon's father had on his plot of land. On that spot, Gideon must build an altar to the Lord and sacrifice his father's bull there. Thus, it becomes clear that the Lord God is superior to other gods.

Gideon must do away with his father's idolatry. This confrontation is not without risks. Consequently, Gideon carries out his mission at night. Even so, it soon comes to light who is responsible for the destruction. The people of the city demand Gideon's death. His father, however, decides that the idols themselves should take revenge now that their altar has been destroyed.

This story gives us an insight into the conflict that can erupt when people choose to serve God while those around them have other religions or worldviews. Do you recognize any of that struggle? How do you deal with it?