The Dark Days of Israel’s Judges
A Study of the Book of Judges
Lesson 7
Judges 6:1-35
First Things First
September 27, 2009
I.
Introduction
A. I have a reputation for being harsh on some
characters in the Bible (Jonah, Esther, Naomi).
1. But I must admit to having a certain sympathetic
compassion towards Gideon.
2. There is a common thread running through Judges, as
2:10—3:5 summarizes.
3. But there are also unique elements, as we are about to
see in the story of Gideon.
4. Our approach in this lesson
II. The Setting (Judges 6:1-6)
A.
B.
Israel once again does evil in the sight of the Lord
(6:1a).
God gives Israel into the hands of the Midianites
(6:1b).
1. Descendants of Abraham (Genesis 25:2-6)
2. They bought Joseph and took him to Egypt (Genesis
37:28, 36).
3. A kinship with Moses (Exodus 2:15-21)
4. Associated with Balak of Moab (Numbers 22:4-7;
25:6, 14)
C.
A different kind of oppression, causing the
Israelites to cry out (6:2-6)
III. Israel’s Cry for Rescue; God’s Response is a
Rebuke (6:7-10)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
God does not immediately send a deliverer, as
before (see 3:9, 15; 4:3f.).
Instead, God sends a prophet
God’s past, powerful acts on Israel’s behalf are
reviewed (6:8-10)
The emphasis is on God’s great works (as
opposed to the Canaanite gods – “I . . .”).
The God who did all this also gave the Israelites a
clear command not to worship the gods of the
land, but Israel disobeyed (6:10).
Note what isn’t said here.
1. No explicit call for repentance
2. No indication of repentance
IV.
Between God and Gideon (6:11-27)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
Divine assurance (6:11-12)
Gideon’s response (6:13)
Why doesn’t Gideon get it?
Further assurance (6:14)
Gideon’s protest (6:15)
Further assurance (6:16)
Gideon’s request: “Give me a sign that it is really
God speaking to me” (6:17-24).
God’s instruction: “Make your private faith
public” (6:25-26).
Gideon’s fainthearted obedience (6:27)
V.
Beyond Gideon: Preparing the Abiezrites to
Fight the Midianites (6:28-35)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Gideon’s actions come to light, and the Abiezrite
clan takes a dim view (6:28-30).
The Canaanization of these Israelites
Joash (Gideon’s father) takes charge (6:31-32).
The Abiezrites are now ready to fight (6:33-35).
VI. Conclusion
A.
B.
C.
D.
It all began with one man.
The kind of people God chooses
God uses a process to build leaders.
Faltering obedience is obedience.
E.
F.
G.
H.
God ministers to others through our weakness.
First things first – getting right with God before going to
war.
Privatizing faith: God doesn’t want “private” faith –
Private faith must become public.
Dealing with the problem of pluralism
Copyright © 2009 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint
presentation of Lesson 7 in the series, The Dark Days of Israel’s Judges,
prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for September 27, 2009. Anyone is at liberty to
use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.