The 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. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
(Judges 6:11-14)
Background
The Israelites had blown it again. Because they did evil in the eyes of the Lord, He had handed them over to the Midians for seven years. It was oppressive. So much so that the Israelites found shelters in mountain clefts and caves.
Seven years was a long time. It was so difficult… that they eventually cried out to the Lord. He was waiting. And He was ready. He always is. It was time for deliverance. But the Lord needed a leader…a warrior. A mighty warrior.
Now for the selection process. Surely the Lord would work through his celestial rolodex and identify men who were good with the sword. With great leadership pedigree. Someone with a ferocious and charismatic personality.
Or maybe not. His candidate for a primary role in this Old Testament narrative would be reserved not with someone who had a reputation as a Mighty Man. Or someone who earned the role based on prior accomplishments. No, this assignment was reserved for a man working the winepress.
And the angel didn’t address Gideon through the filter of his past. For this unlikely assignment, He was addressed through a title that would define his future – mighty warrior. No one saw this one coming. God did. Gideon was crafted and created for a big assignment. And the time was now.
Reflections
The enemy whispers to many of us that we aren’t worthy. It is easy to focus on our past. Our failings and weaknesses. And we subtly buy into the lie that impacted Gideon – “Surely, God would not choose a vessel for an important assignment that was ordinary or even marred and broken”.
But we don’t serve a god who views us through the filter of our past. He is more than able to redeem our weaknesses. And more than willing time after time to use imperfect characters to execute critical assignments. With his grace we are viewed through the filter of our future.
Lord, thank you for your stories demonstrating that in your math you prefer to use ordinary and even weak characters. It gives me hope. Please help us to shake off the memories of our past. To prayerfully step into this future plan that you have designed for us. Be glorified in our life. Amen.
What if God similarly sees you as a Mighty Warrior with an intention to wreck havoc on the other realm through His grace and power? What might that assignment look like? There is still time.
What if... 