Here is another great lesson from Judges. This one from chapter 6 (the Call of Gideon). Here is the context. Israel, again, has forsaken God and He has given them over to the oppressor—this time the Midianites. The lesson from this passage is: “You are what God says you are.”

When the Angel of the Lord comes to Gideon. He greets Gideon, “”The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” It is obvious, however, that Gideon is not. While the Angel is saying this, Gideon is threshing wheat in a wine press because he is scared of the Midianites who are controlling God’s people through their maniacal version of Midianite Food and Drug Administration which does not allow the Israelite to grind grain. He is hiding because he is scared. The Angel tells Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and the Asherah (Baal’s female counterpart) beside it. Gideon, “the mighty man of valor”, does this, but he does it at night because…well…he is scared. Later, Gideon requires two (not one) signs from the fleece to get his act in motion. When Gideon is called, he is obviously not what the Angel says he is, but he becomes (in just a chapter) exactly what the Angel calls him. He defeats the Midianites host with 300 men. He becomes a Mighty Man of Valor. (more…)