These thoughts have been inspired by the Prayer and Fasting meditations that members of Horley Baptist Church considered during February 2020. Here, we look at the passage suggested for Tuesday 11th Feb:
Judges 7:1-25
Yesterday’s reading mentioned Moses’s father-in-law Jethro as a priest of Midian. Today’s reading tells of a battle between the Israelites and the Midianites. Who or what was Midian? Who or what is our contemporary equivalent of Midian? Midian was one of the sons of Abraham, by his third wife Keturah; most likely one of those who were given gifts and sent away so that the focus of the family would remain with Isaac. As a tribe they became neighbours of the Israelites, co-operating on some things but often hostile as in the time of Gideon. How do our neighbours relate to us?
But to return to the main story. The Israelites had turned their back on God and He had allowed the Midianites to oppress them. Now it was time to restore Israel, and Gideon was God’s man of the moment.
Unlike Moses, whose arguments were aimed at avoiding God’s will, Gideon’s questions are intended to confirm that calling. In fact, he spent longer in checking beforehand than he did in actually completing the task. Is there a lesson there, or are do we prefer to ask God to lend His support to the plans that we have already made?
By following God’s instructions Gideon and his team achieved a miraculous victory over their enemies and the Israelites subsequently enjoyed a period of peace for 40 years. However, the following chapter records that Gideon did not maintain his close relationship with God and we see the nation once again turning away from the worship of the Lord. Walking with God is not a walk in the park; are you ready for a walk on the wild side?
Gideon was not perfect but he did receive a mention in the list of the faithful in Hebrews chapter 11 and it is difficult to think of a better epitaph than that.
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
