Judges 6 - Gideon and the Midianites | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church
The Bible by David Alley · David Alley
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Show Notes
In this video listen to Judges 6 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.
In Judges 6 the Midianites oppress Israel in a terrible widespread oppression which seems more significant than the previous oppressors in the book of Judges. The Lord appears to Gideon, calling him a “man of valour” and telling him to go in the strength of his hand. Normally going in your own ability doesn’t work, but when the Lord sends you, he is fighting for you as in the book of Joshua, and your own might is able to do it.
Gideon asks for an initial sign, after which he obeys the Lord and cuts down an altar to Baal and an Asherah pole. This earns the fury of people in his nearby town, but then also a nickname, Jerubbaal. In 2019 pottery was discovered in the Shahariya forest in Israel with the name Jerubbaal written on it - the first time this name was found outside of scripture. It was also carbon dated to the biblical period of the Judges.
GIdeon is delaying with his requirements for multiple signs. This is because of fear which makes the Lord’s description of him as a man of valour seem sarcastic. Moses delayed too but it seemed out of low self esteem, but the situation with the Midianites must have been quite terrible. Gideon ultimately asks for three signs and gets them all, first with the angel and then twice with the fleece. What reasons do people delay obeying the Lord? For some it is fear, or low self-esteem, but for many it is laziness, self absorption, or simply wanting to do their own thing first.