Helps for the Children Gideon, a Brave Leader Judges 6:1-8:28 Memory Verse: “The Lord said unto' him. Surely I will be with thee” (Judges 6:16). Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. This time He delivered them into the hands of an enemy for seven years. The enemies took the food and the animals that be longed to the children of Israel until God’s people were in great need. They cried out to God for deliverance. God reminded them of His goodness in the past and of their sinfulness. God sent an angel to call a young man, Gideon, to deliver His people. Gideon was fear ful and refused to go until God said, “ Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” When Gideon made a dinner for the angel, the angel took the end of his staff and caused the food to be set afire. Two other times God performed a mir acle to prove to Gideon that He would give him victory. At last Gideon knew that God had truly called him. Gideon gathered the men of Israel together to fight against the enemy. Their numbers were too great, and God gave them a test to decide which would be watchful and brave in time of war. Only three hundred men met the test. God did not want a large army to meet the enemy for fear the Israelites would not give Him the glory for their victory. That night the three hundred marched around the enemy’s camp carrying a trumpet in one hand and a pitcher with a lamp inside it in the other hand. When Gideon and his men had surrounded the camp, they blew their trumpets, broke their pitchers, and cried out. “ The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” So frightened were the enemies they commenced fight ing one another, and the Israelites won the victory that night. Sometimes God asks boys and girls who love the Lord Jesus to do some thing for Him that they do not have the courage to do. They commence to give excuses for not obeying His voice. To them He says, “ Surely I will be with thee.” If He is with us we can never know defeat. July 27, 1952 PREPARATION FOR SERVICE 1 Sam. 1:20, 24-28; 3:1, 16-4:1a Pointers on the Lesson The story of Hannah and Samuel provides a splendid opportunity to con sider the matter of prayer in relation to the problems of the home, the privi lege of dedication of children to the Lord on the part of parents, and the importance of the proper kind of train ing of boys and girls in the home and in the church. In the story we also see the means which God uses to prepare leaders for responsibilities in His serv ice. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
path. “ The burned child persisted in rushing again and again into the same destroying flame of idolatry.” Even so the “ burned child” never succeeded in wearing out the love and patience of God. He was always extending His arms to receive him back. Gideon’s Call 6:11-16 This call was accomplished by a di vine revelation. An angel spoke to Gideon. The R.V. designates this being as “the angel.” A comparison with v. 14 shows that it was Jehovah. There was greater need in those days for special revelations than there is today when we have a complete revelation in the Old and New Testaments. Note the character of the man whom God called upon this occasion: (1) an obscure man, busy threshing a little wheat to keep it from the Midianites (v. 11); (2) a “mighty man of valor” (v. 12), only so because the Lord was with him; (3) a perplexed man (v. 13), there being a why in his life; (4) a commissioned man (v. 14); and (5) a humble man. God still calls men and women like this and clothes them with divine power so that they are able to accomplish great things for Him. Gideon’s Preparation 6:25-27 In the intervening verses (17-24), it is made clear to Gideon through a sign that his heavenly visitor was God. If a person is sure that God has spoken, it ought not be hard for him to obey. Gideon showed the proper attitude and buitt an altar at the place of revelation and called it Jehovah-shalom, meaning “ God of peace.” But before Gideon was ready to go forth into God’s service there was a bit of rectification needed at home. The relics of Baal-worship had to be eradi cated. Evidently Gideon’s father had been given to this false worship (v. 25). All bridges to an evil past must be de stroyed if there was to be a proper loyalty to God. There is no place for a divided loyalty in His service. Then there was need for the erection of an altar to God’s worship in Gideon’s home. Not only does Christian service entail a putting away of things that are evil, it also includes the putting on of the things that are good. Gideon’s Refusal 8:22, 23 Through the leadership of Gideon vic tory came to Israel. The people so ap preciated what he had done that in their enthusiasm they wanted to raise him to a throne and raise a royal dynasty in ' his own house. But Gideon knew that this was not in accordance with God’s will nor in harmony with the principles of the theocracy. He set aside any thought of personal ambition. He would willingly act as the people’s judge; but the Lord alone must be King of Israel. Gideon was a man who put God first in his life.
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