The Sermon Gideon: Mighty Man of Valor by David McGee
Jun 23, 2013
Gideon: Mighty Man of Valor (35:29)
Referenced Scriptures: Judges 6; Judges 7
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Judges 6
1) The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2) The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.
3) So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;
4) and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.
5) For they came up with their cattle and their tents; they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number: and they came into the land to destroy it.
6) Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.
7) It happened, when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh because of Midian,
8) that Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel: and he said to them, Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
9) and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land;
10) and I said to you, I am Yahweh your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But you have not listened to my voice.
11) The angel of Yahweh came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained to Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12) The angel of Yahweh appeared to him, and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor.
13) Gideon said to him, Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt? but now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.
14) Yahweh looked at him, and said, Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent you?
15) He said to him, Oh, Lord, with which shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father‘s house.
16) Yahweh said to him, Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.
17) He said to him, If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.
18) Please don‘t go away, until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you. He said, I will wait until you come again.
19) Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.
20) The angel of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth. He did so.
21) Then the angel of Yahweh put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Yahweh departed out of his sight.
22) Gideon saw that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, Alas, Lord Yahweh! because I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face.
23) Yahweh said to him, Peace be to you; don‘t be afraid: you shall not die.
24) Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it Yahweh-shalom: to this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25) It happened the same night, that Yahweh said to him, Take your father‘s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it;
26) and build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.
27) Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him: and it happened, because he feared his father‘s household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
28) When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built.
29) They said one to another, Who has done this thing? When they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.
30) Then the men of the city said to Joash, Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.
31) Joash said to all who stood against him, Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? he who will contend for him, let him be put to death while [it is yet] morning: if he be a god, let him contend for himself, because one has broken down his altar.
32) Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.
33) Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
34) But the Spirit of Yahweh came on Gideon; and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together after him.
35) He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him: and he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
36) Gideon said to God, If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken,
37) behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground, then shall I know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.
38) It was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39) Gideon said to God, Don‘t let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.
40) God did so that night: for it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Judges 7
1) Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2) Yahweh said to Gideon, The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.
3) Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead. There returned of the people twenty-two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4) Yahweh said to Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for you there: and it shall be, that of whom I tell you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whoever I tell you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.
5) So he brought down the people to the water: and Yahweh said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shall you set by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.
6) The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.
7) Yahweh said to Gideon, By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand; and let all the people go every man to his place.
8) So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9) It happened the same night, that Yahweh said to him, Arise, get you down into the camp; for I have delivered it into your hand.
10) But if you fear to go down, go you with Purah your servant down to the camp:
11) and you shall hear what they say; and afterward shall your hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp.
12) The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is on the sea-shore for multitude.
13) When Gideon had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.
14) His fellow answered, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God has delivered Midian, and all the host.
15) It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation of it, that he worshipped; and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Yahweh has delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16) He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
17) He said to them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall you do.
18) When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow you the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Yahweh and for Gideon.
19) So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
20) The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they cried, The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon.
21) They stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and put [them] to flight.
22) They blew the three hundred trumpets, and Yahweh set every man‘s sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
23) The men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.
24) Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan.
25) They took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
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They were looking at judges chapter one judges chapter one, and it's I think it's in, and I'm never spoken. I don't I don't believe I've ever spoken on getting an modern member talking about, say, getting this week in the some lessons and I thought you a lot I think. What do Gideon haven't done him are spoken on him. It saw the title, the message GNU mighty man of valor and if you look at the setting is in the book of judges and judges were the time to time in Israel's history, prior to the yes on the king the king era and judges. These were individuals that would be our raised out from amongst the children of Israel to call them back to their faith and back to their relationship with God while Israel has its years just diminish their relationship with God. Paul am away from God set up idols and were worshiping worshiping idols and things and then we have the setting of judges chapter one and essays starts out this way. Yet again, the people of Israel went back to doing evil in God 's sight. God put them under the dominion of Midian for seven years now. The area of your understand the JG, geographical area, we have the Midian, the Midianites and the MRI sent and saw the Duke. They were basically different city, state says we would look at them as they had their own kings and their nations and and it would be like the people from Bedford, Bedford County, coming against the people from Johnstown in Cambria County and Jan. It's like they all have their own teams and they have their own that they belong to and as settlements and fortresses they can have on a major city that they would belong to and it would be a walled city in there be kings and therapy people that would be from Bedford and they would all have been men of valor. Now, they'd all be men of war, and anyone who is old enough to be in battle would be summoned up to go to war against the people from Cambria County and whenever they had a skewed dispute with them. While many, and was this country. This group of individuals that lived off to the eastern side of Israel. And what happened was Israel and its and its setting was not very big country. I mean him to come in today. It's this is still hardly are some of our states are are are about the size of Israel, Massachusetts, and not Pennsylvania but like Massachusetts and Vermont, New Hampshire. Those areas are about the size of Israel and so you have an entire nation and Israel had to depend upon God. They were so small as a nation. They had to depend upon God to see them through their battles and see them through to keep them safe while enjoying this time. With the judges, the children of Israel had gone back on their faith in God. They had taken the God song of the medians and the other ones in the surrounding countries and they began to build idols voices of worship to these foreign gods. While God who was the keeper of Israel saw been that while you've got to stay in a right relationship with me or I'm not going to know you're not going to receive the benefits of following me of what I have to offer so for seven years Midian overpowered Israel because many, and the people of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains, caves, and for its and what Israel planted its crops in an analyte Amalek, the Easterners would invade them camp in their fields and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on neither she nor ox or donkey, bringing owner turns they came in and took over like an invasion of locus and their camels past counting. They marched in and devastated the country and the people of Israel reduced to grinding poverty of Midian cried out to God for help. So what happened is, the people of Midian, which now than the neighboring county. The neighboring area. When it came time for the harvest whenever the Israelites had planted their fields and and everything they were just moving that we just pick up their tents and their belongings in a camels and their oxygen in their sheep and they would just bring everything and and the people of Israel had no rights as aware they were incapable of keeping them off their land, so they would just move in and eat everything they would take on that they would take that the livestock of the people of Israel, they would just take everything and the millions which camped there and like moving into their own house in unwanted relatives, not nominal unwanted guests, and so they would, they would move in NHK likens the locusts are like grasshoppers. There are so many people that the whole County, now do you like this loving we can do about it that all of Bedford County would just move on up and move on into your and your house and into your lands in an Al Qaeda body wake up in the morning and there is somebody you don't know and have their tent outside your, your your house and there can enter animals are eating your garden and are picked in the garden and have fruit of the garden, and there is eating everything and you've got nothing and it was so devastating. Some of the Israelites. They went up into the mountains and the caves and try to live there or seven years. Discontinue the chapter verse seven. The bikini is that they began to cry out to God now, seven years, this is going on and he held that the Israel as a nation. As a group of people that are just and the end of the very diverse strengths. They can survive this way, so they decided that I cry out to God, and that was a prophet in verse seven. There was a proper nowhere in October. This property is which is told that there is a prophet becomes and he says one time when the prophet of Israel had cried out to God because of Midian, God sent them a prophet with this message, God, the God of Israel, says I delivered you from Egypt. I free-agent from a life of slavery. I rescued you from Egypt's brutality and then from every oppressor. I pushed them out of your way and gave you their land, and I said to you I am God, your God, don't for a minute. The afraid of God 's on the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living, but you don't. But you didn't listen to me, so the prophet comes on incomes of the people, says Butler. Knowledge about who you are. This is in this important part of it was lots of important parts in these verses, but the important part. Let me remind you of who you are the average time. There are those difficulties with when God deals with the nation of Israel. He deals with them collectively as a group to the gills with them as an entire nation for us and in the New Testament. God deals with us individually know where one individual relationship with God, but were not an isolated out slot like yell in the olden days they had those side diving suits you had the air down to the to the shooting at a lifeline to the top is not like we're in the sea. The ocean. We got this lifeline to God uses me and God living in this world waiting for me to die to be pulled up to heaven, not its him. God has a relationship with us, and he deals with us individually and in in the nation of Israel. He dealt with them collectively solve the collective nation of Israel was had wandered away from God and God comes along and reminds them okay. Who are you worried you come from. I'm the God who delivered you called you out of Egypt thing in our life guy comes along by the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit for no reading and praying in the kids feel all the things we do. He's reminding us who we are is reminding us that we are his children. He wants us to try to look back to be so preoccupied with the problems that are going on in our life. But look at how we view our life. Look at how we look at the problems around us in our nation and end the places that we live and in the things that are going on. Are we controlled by the circumstances, I would control by the invading armies are we controlled by our government. I would controlled by our neighbors help people we don't like the or a Wii controllers to these of these are the challenges and we see this being related to us and we have to remind ourselves who we are regards child how we, God 's child. We ask Christ to forgive us of our sins live within the hearts just as Israel was delivered from Egypt. They were delivered from slavery. We are delivered from sin is aware. Forget of our sins were delivered from the bondage of those sins. They don't control our lives anymore from agents, brutality, and says very destructive. God doesn't want us to be destroyed by addicting addictions and behavior. So he must've France from those things, and from every oppressor. I push them out of your way. I made a way for you. So the profit is common reminding Israel. This is what I've done and he reminds them I am God, your God, don't for a minute. Be afraid of the God of the Amorites don't think that some gods made of wood, OR 's donor whatever are a anything in comparison, we don't be afraid of them. So the charge against Israel. You've not obeyed my voice, you listen to me, and I have heard of children and young adults listen to us somehow enough. Sometimes I wonder what does God think of us. David Jewison, I saw to allow singer Laura busy enough is I know that doesn't apply to you. Okay, so we had this idea of this relationship and God space a lot and wants us to have this relationship, then he wants us to listen to his word. What does the word of God say to us what does the word of God, tell us how does God speak to and under. There are a number of Scriptures. There are a number of Scriptures. Just as God was speaking to the nation of Israel God uses that messy city states that nation to speak to us individually know this is about God speaking to the United States as he spoke to the nation of Israel. This is God speaking to the nation of Israel, and then God speaking to us as individuals. One day verse eleven names of God came and sat down under the oak of over four that belonged to Joe Lasky at abaci never have all resides, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat the wine for us outside of the Midianites the hands of God appeared to him and said, God is with you, Almighty warrior. This is a key verse of every USA Today okay prejudiced the small verse, God K now. Some believe that this is Jesus Christ, the theophany approved NovaCare Jesus Justin wasn't Jesus was not just born our and Bethlehem. He was, he is God. He always was always it is always will be, and this is supposed by some authors to be Jesus Christ himself showing up to Gideon and telling him he sat down with him and where is Gideon. He is threshing wheat again, what is threshing wheat interviews and combines it all I want, and so I was so impressed the other they were traveling down to Harrisburg and there was the head of a combine, not the head of a person. However, it was the entire length of the tractor-trailer can you imagine the machine. The testing sits on. You can't buy Canada's just got a be massive. I love big machines like a little former. So anyhow, the machine that this Columbine, which said Army would be the five ahead of this combine the harvest oats and wheat would be only from that wall. Maybe over to hear. That's a big machine can you imagine what would be behind. I think the grinder. The run that machine. Okay, you can I solve I like to think of that could love, love to go out problems, machines, okay, off was John Allah` why may we understand this game is threshing wheat. How to get fresh week in those days, yet you brought in the stocks of grain I have put on a threshing floor and you beat it, and what you are trying to do is to knock the brains off of the stock and the grains are held in what is called husks, Ilya, court costs, while each grain of wheat or oats is held in the house and so you would be the brain and to try and get the husk that surround the kernel off of it and then you would throw it up in the air and what is that costs all chess and what happens with chaff, the wind drives away the worst Gideon. These hosting grain whereat the wine press. What is he doing hosting brain at the winepress because you normally housetrained on the top of the hill where the wind is blowing, but if he's out there on the Hill hosting grain is good to see him. The Midianites and their telecom and dried him off and take all of his brain so Gideon is hiding in his tunnel like this wine press area, and he's been in the grain and he is trying to get enough grain for him and his family to eat because the Midianites are taking everything now he's out of assignment and Midianites, the Angel God appeared to him and said, God is with you all mighty warrior. What is Gideon is not a soldier. I don't have an army that is yes. An individual who signed enough food for his family and God says downsized engineering. All mighty man of valor in the King James as well mighty man of valor this is a mighty warrior. What is God doing this is the whole focus of everyone say God is telling median getting million God is telling Gideon what he is going to be these calling him what he is going to these going to be a mighty man of a mighty man of valor, but Jenny was a man hiding in a wine press in our lives. God isn't caught up with the circumstances. He knows what we can become. He knows what our future is he calls us by who we will be the best. Watch what happens with us. Most designers. We visually become immediately we really are we being when he caught up& we get caught up in circumstances failures, mistakes and we make an assessment upon what's in our hands. What's here now and it doesn't take an expert to tell us what you know a few minutes we get Saddam, and we can figure out your salesperson is an accountant to figure out your inner ear. Entitlements are worth in everything that you know your family, your Houston commute is what you were and you know me, do you can get a check the score of what you're your how much you can borrow Larry and your what your worth and if at all. I together okay here you are, or God comes along and he sits down with Gideon and he says to him, you are mighty man of valor, because God sees what we can become, and the promises of God, give us a different perspective on our line him ourselves in the food circumstances we are in January, has hiding from the Midianites trying to get enough food for his family and he is trying to do anything hiding God says your mighty man of valor was Gideon said was getting saved verse thirteen getting replied are you talking to me. They ceaselessly says are you a young you you you you you Angel you you angel your God. God feel are you talking to me so is anyone there is a start. You're talking to me. I got a question if God is with us, why has all this happened and that our first thing that when God has been up here and I say God as they do something in your life God is going to work in us and he knows that we can become any other promising was the fulfilling our life and only start thinking about all these things in the future and faith of what God wants to do that with them back to reality. Say you talking to me, refrigerator, talking to me. If you're talking to me then why is all of these things happened the last answer me the way that because we look at things, our circumstances do not define us. Our response to the defined in our response whenever we are working, and whenever we are living our life with God. God gives us faith to to approach our responses to situations God by his word instills faith in my heart to respond negativity in failure. Give us a response that is while nothing good can have to look at what you have nothing to do with it has very little to do with what we have here. If God is with us, why has all this happened in. He says where are all the miracle wonders our parents and grandparents told us about never what the prophet had told them watch out each of and that I delivered you from the Egyptians and the bondage in the oppressions and things like that. I deliver you from Allah and Gideon immediately says that this angel says that God wears is that now it happened to our fathers, our grandfathers in them, but it isn't happening to us. Didn't God deliver us out of Egypt. The fact is devalued gobblers like God has nothing to do with us. These darkness over the millions. This is our lot in life. It can't get any worse, and it's over this. We just got to survive that sound like God is with you will mighty men of valor is where the all mighty man of valor says that they ate to Gideon and getting in his beginning is taking the promise that God is with your mighty men of valor, and many of his saying that he gave his saying where you are at. You haven't done anything you've left us. This is the way life is, and it all. I don't look like a mighty man of valor verse fourteen. God faced indirectly, your are your kids look at me. I feel I can do that to Rachel. After Eli I think Rachel look at me and Rachel look at me, will you ever do that well he didn't know where it will happen off what you raise it as we want to see redundant when rate wireless .edu anyways, Anbar brought about a day later interview with Damon. Damon always pretended he was listened. Rachel never pretend like she was in. Now it gets our attention looked at me again why is I want you to pay attention while about the same, and Jesus is. This is known in again, I'm not one way or the other. But I do feel that this is a theophany of pre- appearance of Jesus Christ before his birth that God Jesus legitimizes all in the strength that is your day now very important phrase, and the strength it is yours. What strength is beauty in her feet doesn't happen in his own mind in his own thinking, and his own way he hasn't got anything, but if he would remember what he was told by God, you might see man of valor. God was giving him information gathering and strengthening of power and what it already said you might a man of valor, and God is selling in here, look at me now, Jenny and I want you to go on the strength that is your this is where all of us come into this way are to live each day of our life and the strength that is ours, though we think about it. Well, the city would look at all the things that happened, but look at how how strong I am out how determined I am, I've I've I've made up my mind to do certain things we look at all of those things and try to determine the strength of his owners put that aside, the strength that we have is the strength that comes to us from God. The strength that we have to live a godly life doesn't come from making up our minds. It comes from the strength that we receive from God that he is promised to us. I'll never leave you nor forsake think basic principles of the Scriptures. I'll never leave you nor for thank you God is always with us. God is always with us. God is a very present help in time of trouble all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. We are drawing upon the strength that comes to us from the word of God, and that strength it comes to us from God is here every moment of every day no matter where we are at whether we're sitting in church, or whether, wherein Africa of other words, South America, that strength of God is ours flowing into our life. And he's telling Jenny and godly strength that is yours and what is he supposed to do, save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you what he meant, and I'm not. I'm not see that's the problem were not. We are not what we need to be bought. We can become. That's the challenge of this was your race router and are and I was going to read all this, but I'm not going to audio currently be here for another hour and a half, but the real rate service, and you see how Jenny and has to work through these things, and in one of the challenges is worth it. I hear he tears down the altar of bail. Now here is here's a situation which he has to confront the religion of the children of Israel that has taken them away from God the things we have to confront are the things that tear down our faith, the chair of the things it's hard on our faith of the things that cause us to doubt that we can never become that person God wants us to be no split-second lifetime learner become this person 's weight within us that were to keep going on this journey where they keep walking with God and God is going to keep that supply restraint coming into our life, but were not going to raise that point until Jesus Christ returns until the day we die. Until that point for the continuously growing become doubt causes us to say what you know, I don't think I can ever be greater than what I have. What will we look at the circumstance. Look at what is already happening my life, and therefore we put up boundaries and borders and obstacles in and all those things. God says go and what I've already given you in many inconvenient Judean CACI, the doubts all of this and he wants to sign I know while first line makes a sacrifice for them on the rock, and pours the broth over it. And the angel of God or God himself, your touch is that the they need the sacrifice and a fire comes out of the rock, and consumes everything and then the angel disappears in Gideon 's terrified like all my gosh, I will die. Now I've seen God in the end, and in that next interest as don't be afraid of. If I fear is not from God. Fear is a paralyzed it doesn't inspire. We don't become inspired to serve God because of fear we become inspired to serve God because he loves us. He leads us in his strength is because our strength. We follow him because we love you, but because we fear if I don't do the right thing it does let me alongside and pick me in the of but me and how he loves me to guide me gay. God says I want you to go take hours to take on the millions Midianites and all the guys there, Captain 's Valley again so Gideon sounds the trumpet membranes and all the people, and they bring in whether they bring it on many thousands he brings in plan of God says is visiting from what now I have brought in the first time, and Gideon says okay, those of you are afraid of watching the home and they leave any reason, he's left with twenty two companies of men amazing. The company, the thousand is left with twenty two companies of men, God says. Still, too many because God wants Gideon all in all your win this battle. I am, I want you to know I'm the one is the deliver you from these people. So JAC got says take all the people down the river and drink water. Everyone noticed on hands and knees and drinks from the water. They don't go everyone to accept the water and drinks it from their hand. Those are the ones you can keep three hundred people stayed behind Jillian has three hundred people that he's going to take on the Midianites, and they are like locusts over the over the planes over the people all mighty man of valor. Gideon is going to take three hundred people and defeat the entire locus group house to go to do it God says Gideon. Once you take trumpets, putting those men's hands once take torches want to take pictures pitcher Dars bunches surround and at the right time when they are changing the guard. I want you to blow the trumpet smash the part of the pottery dishes and hold up the lab. The lanterns the torches I want you to yet all I want to scream. I want to blow the trumpets and they did that at the exact moment with three hundred people surrounding missed this entire rally and the individuals who were there, the Midianites took off and they find each other within the night they started killing each other off, and Jonathan and Joshua and Gideon summoned all the other people succumb and to chase them back to their own land they left all of their belongings. They left all of their camels. They left all of their donkeys. They left all of there because they block the multiple land in God drove out all of these people, thousands of people with three hundred because God wanted to have the credit in the eyes of the nation that he did a mighty work through one man, and this is our life. God calls us to do something specifically with what we are. We get caught up and saying I can't does that look at the past all the stuff forget that, but what God says to us in his work and the source of strength continues to come into our life from our faith and our relationship with God. He brought. He's bringing that into us for purpose. It is not about me. It's not about me collecting things, it's about me being a wise steward of all that God has in my possession. I am a wise steward, because God knows his place. He always kneels my mind, my heart and what does God want to do with me. He sits down with us and he says David you mighty man of faith and being God, look at what I see how we do all that God loves you, Steve, you mighty men of faith, you may have well be that in what has God say to us, but look there. Look at what I have put in your heart. Look at what I placed in your life and allow that to be the stimulus to be the faith that guides us in our walk with God. There's no telling what we can become. This is the beginning of the journey. We don't allow fear. We don't allow circumstances. We don't allow the pass to determine where were going, God is with us and with him all things are possible and then that's Jenny and all mighty man of valor, where Z is in the wine presently nonsense doesn't break trying to find firms often I like now he's hiding, giving you mighty man of valor, whose newly talking to me. We look at ourselves. Gus is you mighty man of faith and valor woman of faith and valor economy answers yes, I'm speaking with you face-to-face in your heart in your heart and in your mind, God is speaking to each one of us shows that father we are grateful to speak to each one of us face-to-face. You are speaking to us in this moment, Lord, you are speaking to us speaking to our hearts speaking faith and love, forgiveness, hope, we thank you for those words you speak to us. Bless us now more than bring that reality of what we can become in you, with you through your God bring it to us. Let us not to look at what has happened or even what is happening. But let us look at what you can help us become. We pray in Jesus name and everyone said the men of lesserThey were looking at judges chapter one judges chapter one, and it's I think it's in, and I'm never spoken. I don't I don't believe I've ever spoken on getting an modern member talking about, say, getting this week in the some lessons and I thought you a lot I think. What do Gideon haven't done him are spoken on him. It saw the title, the message GNU mighty man of valor and if you look at the setting is in the book of judges and judges were the time to time in Israel's history, prior to the yes on the king the king era and judges. These were individuals that would be our raised out from amongst the children of Israel to call them back to their faith and back to their relationship with God while Israel has its years just diminish their relationship with God. Paul am away from God set up idols and were worshiping worshiping idols and things and then we have the setting of judges chapter one and essays starts out this way. Yet again, the people of Israel went back to doing evil in God 's sight. God put them under the dominion of Midian for seven years now. The area of your understand the JG, geographical area, we have the Midian, the Midianites and the MRI sent and saw the Duke. They were basically different city, state says we would look at them as they had their own kings and their nations and and it would be like the people from Bedford, Bedford County, coming against the people from Johnstown in Cambria County and Jan. It's like they all have their own teams and they have their own that they belong to and as settlements and fortresses they can have on a major city that they would belong to and it would be a walled city in there be kings and therapy people that would be from Bedford and they would all have been men of valor. Now, they'd all be men of war, and anyone who is old enough to be in battle would be summoned up to go to war against the people from Cambria County and whenever they had a skewed dispute with them. While many, and was this country. This group of individuals that lived off to the eastern side of Israel. And what happened was Israel and its and its setting was not very big country. I mean him to come in today. It's this is still hardly are some of our states are are are about the size of Israel, Massachusetts, and not Pennsylvania but like Massachusetts and Vermont, New Hampshire. Those areas are about the size of Israel and so you have an entire nation and Israel had to depend upon God. They were so small as a nation. They had to depend upon God to see them through their battles and see them through to keep them safe while enjoying this time. With the judges, the children of Israel had gone back on their faith in God. They had taken the God song of the medians and the other ones in the surrounding countries and they began to build idols voices of worship to these foreign gods. While God who was the keeper of Israel saw been that while you've got to stay in a right relationship with me or I'm not going to know you're not going to receive the benefits of following me of what I have to offer so for seven years Midian overpowered Israel because many, and the people of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains, caves, and for its and what Israel planted its crops in an analyte Amalek, the Easterners would invade them camp in their fields and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on neither she nor ox or donkey, bringing owner turns they came in and took over like an invasion of locus and their camels past counting. They marched in and devastated the country and the people of Israel reduced to grinding poverty of Midian cried out to God for help. So what happened is, the people of Midian, which now than the neighboring county. The neighboring area. When it came time for the harvest whenever the Israelites had planted their fields and and everything they were just moving that we just pick up their tents and their belongings in a camels and their oxygen in their sheep and they would just bring everything and and the people of Israel had no rights as aware they were incapable of keeping them off their land, so they would just move in and eat everything they would take on that they would take that the livestock of the people of Israel, they would just take everything and the millions which camped there and like moving into their own house in unwanted relatives, not nominal unwanted guests, and so they would, they would move in NHK likens the locusts are like grasshoppers. There are so many people that the whole County, now do you like this loving we can do about it that all of Bedford County would just move on up and move on into your and your house and into your lands in an Al Qaeda body wake up in the morning and there is somebody you don't know and have their tent outside your, your your house and there can enter animals are eating your garden and are picked in the garden and have fruit of the garden, and there is eating everything and you've got nothing and it was so devastating. Some of the Israelites. They went up into the mountains and the caves and try to live there or seven years. Discontinue the chapter verse seven. The bikini is that they began to cry out to God now, seven years, this is going on and he held that the Israel as a nation. As a group of people that are just and the end of the very diverse strengths. They can survive this way, so they decided that I cry out to God, and that was a prophet in verse seven. There was a proper nowhere in October. This property is which is told that there is a prophet becomes and he says one time when the prophet of Israel had cried out to God because of Midian, God sent them a prophet with this message, God, the God of Israel, says I delivered you from Egypt. I free-agent from a life of slavery. I rescued you from Egypt's brutality and then from every oppressor. I pushed them out of your way and gave you their land, and I said to you I am God, your God, don't for a minute. The afraid of God 's on the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living, but you don't. But you didn't listen to me, so the prophet comes on incomes of the people, says Butler. Knowledge about who you are. This is in this important part of it was lots of important parts in these verses, but the important part. Let me remind you of who you are the average time. There are those difficulties with when God deals with the nation of Israel. He deals with them collectively as a group to the gills with them as an entire nation for us and in the New Testament. God deals with us individually know where one individual relationship with God, but were not an isolated out slot like yell in the olden days they had those side diving suits you had the air down to the to the shooting at a lifeline to the top is not like we're in the sea. The ocean. We got this lifeline to God uses me and God living in this world waiting for me to die to be pulled up to heaven, not its him. God has a relationship with us, and he deals with us individually and in in the nation of Israel. He dealt with them collectively solve the collective nation of Israel was had wandered away from God and God comes along and reminds them okay. Who are you worried you come from. I'm the God who delivered you called you out of Egypt thing in our life guy comes along by the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit for no reading and praying in the kids feel all the things we do. He's reminding us who we are is reminding us that we are his children. He wants us to try to look back to be so preoccupied with the problems that are going on in our life. But look at how we view our life. Look at how we look at the problems around us in our nation and end the places that we live and in the things that are going on. Are we controlled by the circumstances, I would control by the invading armies are we controlled by our government. I would controlled by our neighbors help people we don't like the or a Wii controllers to these of these are the challenges and we see this being related to us and we have to remind ourselves who we are regards child how we, God 's child. We ask Christ to forgive us of our sins live within the hearts just as Israel was delivered from Egypt. They were delivered from slavery. We are delivered from sin is aware. Forget of our sins were delivered from the bondage of those sins. They don't control our lives anymore from agents, brutality, and says very destructive. God doesn't want us to be destroyed by addicting addictions and behavior. So he must've France from those things, and from every oppressor. I push them out of your way. I made a way for you. So the profit is common reminding Israel. This is what I've done and he reminds them I am God, your God, don't for a minute. Be afraid of the God of the Amorites don't think that some gods made of wood, OR 's donor whatever are a anything in comparison, we don't be afraid of them. So the charge against Israel. You've not obeyed my voice, you listen to me, and I have heard of children and young adults listen to us somehow enough. Sometimes I wonder what does God think of us. David Jewison, I saw to allow singer Laura busy enough is I know that doesn't apply to you. Okay, so we had this idea of this relationship and God space a lot and wants us to have this relationship, then he wants us to listen to his word. What does the word of God say to us what does the word of God, tell us how does God speak to and under. There are a number of Scriptures. There are a number of Scriptures. Just as God was speaking to the nation of Israel God uses that messy city states that nation to speak to us individually know this is about God speaking to the United States as he spoke to the nation of Israel. This is God speaking to the nation of Israel, and then God speaking to us as individuals. One day verse eleven names of God came and sat down under the oak of over four that belonged to Joe Lasky at abaci never have all resides, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat the wine for us outside of the Midianites the hands of God appeared to him and said, God is with you, Almighty warrior. This is a key verse of every USA Today okay prejudiced the small verse, God K now. Some believe that this is Jesus Christ, the theophany approved NovaCare Jesus Justin wasn't Jesus was not just born our and Bethlehem. He was, he is God. He always was always it is always will be, and this is supposed by some authors to be Jesus Christ himself showing up to Gideon and telling him he sat down with him and where is Gideon. He is threshing wheat again, what is threshing wheat interviews and combines it all I want, and so I was so impressed the other they were traveling down to Harrisburg and there was the head of a combine, not the head of a person. However, it was the entire length of the tractor-trailer can you imagine the machine. The testing sits on. You can't buy Canada's just got a be massive. I love big machines like a little former. So anyhow, the machine that this Columbine, which said Army would be the five ahead of this combine the harvest oats and wheat would be only from that wall. Maybe over to hear. That's a big machine can you imagine what would be behind. I think the grinder. The run that machine. Okay, you can I solve I like to think of that could love, love to go out problems, machines, okay, off was John Allah` why may we understand this game is threshing wheat. How to get fresh week in those days, yet you brought in the stocks of grain I have put on a threshing floor and you beat it, and what you are trying to do is to knock the brains off of the stock and the grains are held in what is called husks, Ilya, court costs, while each grain of wheat or oats is held in the house and so you would be the brain and to try and get the husk that surround the kernel off of it and then you would throw it up in the air and what is that costs all chess and what happens with chaff, the wind drives away the worst Gideon. These hosting grain whereat the wine press. What is he doing hosting brain at the winepress because you normally housetrained on the top of the hill where the wind is blowing, but if he's out there on the Hill hosting grain is good to see him. The Midianites and their telecom and dried him off and take all of his brain so Gideon is hiding in his tunnel like this wine press area, and he's been in the grain and he is trying to get enough grain for him and his family to eat because the Midianites are taking everything now he's out of assignment and Midianites, the Angel God appeared to him and said, God is with you all mighty warrior. What is Gideon is not a soldier. I don't have an army that is yes. An individual who signed enough food for his family and God says downsized engineering. All mighty man of valor in the King James as well mighty man of valor this is a mighty warrior. What is God doing this is the whole focus of everyone say God is telling median getting million God is telling Gideon what he is going to be these calling him what he is going to these going to be a mighty man of a mighty man of valor, but Jenny was a man hiding in a wine press in our lives. God isn't caught up with the circumstances. He knows what we can become. He knows what our future is he calls us by who we will be the best. Watch what happens with us. Most designers. We visually become immediately we really are we being when he caught up& we get caught up in circumstances failures, mistakes and we make an assessment upon what's in our hands. What's here now and it doesn't take an expert to tell us what you know a few minutes we get Saddam, and we can figure out your salesperson is an accountant to figure out your inner ear. Entitlements are worth in everything that you know your family, your Houston commute is what you were and you know me, do you can get a check the score of what you're your how much you can borrow Larry and your what your worth and if at all. I together okay here you are, or God comes along and he sits down with Gideon and he says to him, you are mighty man of valor, because God sees what we can become, and the promises of God, give us a different perspective on our line him ourselves in the food circumstances we are in January, has hiding from the Midianites trying to get enough food for his family and he is trying to do anything hiding God says your mighty man of valor was Gideon said was getting saved verse thirteen getting replied are you talking to me. They ceaselessly says are you a young you you you you you Angel you you angel your God. God feel are you talking to me so is anyone there is a start. You're talking to me. I got a question if God is with us, why has all this happened and that our first thing that when God has been up here and I say God as they do something in your life God is going to work in us and he knows that we can become any other promising was the fulfilling our life and only start thinking about all these things in the future and faith of what God wants to do that with them back to reality. Say you talking to me, refrigerator, talking to me. If you're talking to me then why is all of these things happened the last answer me the way that because we look at things, our circumstances do not define us. Our response to the defined in our response whenever we are working, and whenever we are living our life with God. God gives us faith to to approach our responses to situations God by his word instills faith in my heart to respond negativity in failure. Give us a response that is while nothing good can have to look at what you have nothing to do with it has very little to do with what we have here. If God is with us, why has all this happened in. He says where are all the miracle wonders our parents and grandparents told us about never what the prophet had told them watch out each of and that I delivered you from the Egyptians and the bondage in the oppressions and things like that. I deliver you from Allah and Gideon immediately says that this angel says that God wears is that now it happened to our fathers, our grandfathers in them, but it isn't happening to us. Didn't God deliver us out of Egypt. The fact is devalued gobblers like God has nothing to do with us. These darkness over the millions. This is our lot in life. It can't get any worse, and it's over this. We just got to survive that sound like God is with you will mighty men of valor is where the all mighty man of valor says that they ate to Gideon and getting in his beginning is taking the promise that God is with your mighty men of valor, and many of his saying that he gave his saying where you are at. You haven't done anything you've left us. This is the way life is, and it all. I don't look like a mighty man of valor verse fourteen. God faced indirectly, your are your kids look at me. I feel I can do that to Rachel. After Eli I think Rachel look at me and Rachel look at me, will you ever do that well he didn't know where it will happen off what you raise it as we want to see redundant when rate wireless .edu anyways, Anbar brought about a day later interview with Damon. Damon always pretended he was listened. Rachel never pretend like she was in. Now it gets our attention looked at me again why is I want you to pay attention while about the same, and Jesus is. This is known in again, I'm not one way or the other. But I do feel that this is a theophany of pre- appearance of Jesus Christ before his birth that God Jesus legitimizes all in the strength that is your day now very important phrase, and the strength it is yours. What strength is beauty in her feet doesn't happen in his own mind in his own thinking, and his own way he hasn't got anything, but if he would remember what he was told by God, you might see man of valor. God was giving him information gathering and strengthening of power and what it already said you might a man of valor, and God is selling in here, look at me now, Jenny and I want you to go on the strength that is your this is where all of us come into this way are to live each day of our life and the strength that is ours, though we think about it. Well, the city would look at all the things that happened, but look at how how strong I am out how determined I am, I've I've I've made up my mind to do certain things we look at all of those things and try to determine the strength of his owners put that aside, the strength that we have is the strength that comes to us from God. The strength that we have to live a godly life doesn't come from making up our minds. It comes from the strength that we receive from God that he is promised to us. I'll never leave you nor forsake think basic principles of the Scriptures. I'll never leave you nor for thank you God is always with us. God is always with us. God is a very present help in time of trouble all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. We are drawing upon the strength that comes to us from the word of God, and that strength it comes to us from God is here every moment of every day no matter where we are at whether we're sitting in church, or whether, wherein Africa of other words, South America, that strength of God is ours flowing into our life. And he's telling Jenny and godly strength that is yours and what is he supposed to do, save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you what he meant, and I'm not. I'm not see that's the problem were not. We are not what we need to be bought. We can become. That's the challenge of this was your race router and are and I was going to read all this, but I'm not going to audio currently be here for another hour and a half, but the real rate service, and you see how Jenny and has to work through these things, and in one of the challenges is worth it. I hear he tears down the altar of bail. Now here is here's a situation which he has to confront the religion of the children of Israel that has taken them away from God the things we have to confront are the things that tear down our faith, the chair of the things it's hard on our faith of the things that cause us to doubt that we can never become that person God wants us to be no split-second lifetime learner become this person 's weight within us that were to keep going on this journey where they keep walking with God and God is going to keep that supply restraint coming into our life, but were not going to raise that point until Jesus Christ returns until the day we die. Until that point for the continuously growing become doubt causes us to say what you know, I don't think I can ever be greater than what I have. What will we look at the circumstance. Look at what is already happening my life, and therefore we put up boundaries and borders and obstacles in and all those things. God says go and what I've already given you in many inconvenient Judean CACI, the doubts all of this and he wants to sign I know while first line makes a sacrifice for them on the rock, and pours the broth over it. And the angel of God or God himself, your touch is that the they need the sacrifice and a fire comes out of the rock, and consumes everything and then the angel disappears in Gideon 's terrified like all my gosh, I will die. Now I've seen God in the end, and in that next interest as don't be afraid of. If I fear is not from God. Fear is a paralyzed it doesn't inspire. We don't become inspired to serve God because of fear we become inspired to serve God because he loves us. He leads us in his strength is because our strength. We follow him because we love you, but because we fear if I don't do the right thing it does let me alongside and pick me in the of but me and how he loves me to guide me gay. God says I want you to go take hours to take on the millions Midianites and all the guys there, Captain 's Valley again so Gideon sounds the trumpet membranes and all the people, and they bring in whether they bring it on many thousands he brings in plan of God says is visiting from what now I have brought in the first time, and Gideon says okay, those of you are afraid of watching the home and they leave any reason, he's left with twenty two companies of men amazing. The company, the thousand is left with twenty two companies of men, God says. Still, too many because God wants Gideon all in all your win this battle. I am, I want you to know I'm the one is the deliver you from these people. So JAC got says take all the people down the river and drink water. Everyone noticed on hands and knees and drinks from the water. They don't go everyone to accept the water and drinks it from their hand. Those are the ones you can keep three hundred people stayed behind Jillian has three hundred people that he's going to take on the Midianites, and they are like locusts over the over the planes over the people all mighty man of valor. Gideon is going to take three hundred people and defeat the entire locus group house to go to do it God says Gideon. Once you take trumpets, putting those men's hands once take torches want to take pictures pitcher Dars bunches surround and at the right time when they are changing the guard. I want you to blow the trumpet smash the part of the pottery dishes and hold up the lab. The lanterns the torches I want you to yet all I want to scream. I want to blow the trumpets and they did that at the exact moment with three hundred people surrounding missed this entire rally and the individuals who were there, the Midianites took off and they find each other within the night they started killing each other off, and Jonathan and Joshua and Gideon summoned all the other people succumb and to chase them back to their own land they left all of their belongings. They left all of their camels. They left all of their donkeys. They left all of there because they block the multiple land in God drove out all of these people, thousands of people with three hundred because God wanted to have the credit in the eyes of the nation that he did a mighty work through one man, and this is our life. God calls us to do something specifically with what we are. We get caught up and saying I can't does that look at the past all the stuff forget that, but what God says to us in his work and the source of strength continues to come into our life from our faith and our relationship with God. He brought. He's bringing that into us for purpose. It is not about me. It's not about me collecting things, it's about me being a wise steward of all that God has in my possession. I am a wise steward, because God knows his place. He always kneels my mind, my heart and what does God want to do with me. He sits down with us and he says David you mighty man of faith and being God, look at what I see how we do all that God loves you, Steve, you mighty men of faith, you may have well be that in what has God say to us, but look there. Look at what I have put in your heart. Look at what I placed in your life and allow that to be the stimulus to be the faith that guides us in our walk with God. There's no telling what we can become. This is the beginning of the journey. We don't allow fear. We don't allow circumstances. We don't allow the pass to determine where were going, God is with us and with him all things are possible and then that's Jenny and all mighty man of valor, where Z is in the wine presently nonsense doesn't break trying to find firms often I like now he's hiding, giving you mighty man of valor, whose newly talking to me. We look at ourselves. Gus is you mighty man of faith and valor woman of faith and valor economy answers yes, I'm speaking with you face-to-face in your heart in your heart and in your mind, God is speaking to each one of us shows that father we are grateful to speak to each one of us face-to-face. You are speaking to us in this moment, Lord, you are speaking to us speaking to our hearts speaking faith and love, forgiveness, hope, we thank you for those words you speak to us. Bless us now more than bring that reality of what we can become in you, with you through your God bring it to us. Let us not to look at what has happened or even what is happening. But let us look at what you can help us become. We pray in Jesus name and everyone said the men of lesser