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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Wednesday, 25 June 2025:
Judges 6:1–2 — The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves dens… which are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.
Once again, the pattern of sin and consequence unfolds. Israel’s evil leads to oppression—not just military defeat but psychological torment. The people are reduced to hiding in caves, enslaved by fear. This is the fruit of rebellion. Romans 6:16 warns that sin leads to slavery. When God’s people disobey, they lose not only peace but identity. Hiding replaces worship, and fear silences faith. Disobedience always costs more than we expect. As someone once said, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”
Judges 6:3–6 — For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites… would come up against them. They would encamp against them and devour the produce… and leave no sustenance… and Israel was brought very low.
The Midianites don’t merely attack—they ravage. The enemy steals what the people work for. This is the nature of sin and spiritual oppression: it devours fruit, leaves nothing behind, and keeps us in survival mode. John 10:10 says the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Israel’s low state is both physical and spiritual. They are impoverished because they’ve cut themselves off from God, the true source of provision and protection.
Judges 6:7–10 — When the people of Israel cried out… the Lord sent a prophet… “I led you up from Egypt… But you have not obeyed my voice.”
Before God sends a deliverer, He sends a prophet. The answer to suffering begins with truth. The prophet reminds the people of God’s past faithfulness and their current disobedience. Repentance must precede rescue. This reflects 2 Corinthians 7:10—godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation. God does not comfort His people with shallow encouragement but confronts them with truth that leads to transformation.
Judges 6:11–12 — Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth… and Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress… And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
Gideon is introduced hiding in a winepress—hardly a mighty warrior. But God sees not the fearful man, but the faithful man he will become. God’s greeting is not flattery—it’s prophetic identity. This echoes how Jesus renamed Simon as Peter, the rock (John 1:42). God calls us not by our current fears but by our future faith. He speaks to what He will make of us, not what we are in the moment.
Judges 6:13 — And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?”
Gideon speaks for many who suffer: if God is with us, why the hardship? But his question overlooks what the prophet already said—Israel’s suffering is the result of their sin, not God’s absence. Many blame God for the consequences of their own disobedience. Yet, God meets Gideon with patience, not rebuke. Christ is the same: compassionate toward our confusion, merciful in our weakness.
Judges 6:14–16 — And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours… do not I send you?” And he said… “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold… I am the least… But the Lord said… “I will be with you…”
God commissions Gideon not based on his strength but on His own presence. This is the key to all Christian calling: “I will be with you.” Moses heard it at the burning bush (Ex. 3:12), and Jesus gave it to His disciples (Matt. 28:20). God’s presence is the source of courage and the guarantee of success. Our limitations are irrelevant when God is the One sending us.
Judges 6:17–24 — Then Gideon prepared a young goat… and the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff… and fire sprang up… Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord…. But the Lord said… “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”
Gideon receives divine reassurance. His offering is accepted, and he recognizes he’s in the presence of God. This experience becomes a personal altar: “The Lord is peace.” Like Isaiah, who cried out when he saw the Lord, Gideon fears death. But God responds with peace, not wrath. Every call from God must be preceded by an encounter with His holiness and a reception of His peace. Before Gideon fights Midian, he must be reconciled to God.
Judges 6:25–27 — That night the Lord said… “Pull down the altar of Baal… and cut down the Asherah… and build an altar to the Lord.”
Before Gideon can deliver Israel, he must purge his own house of idolatry. Revival begins at home. Gideon is faithful, though afraid, and obeys by night. Sometimes faith begins as trembling obedience, but God honors even that. Jesus said the faithful steward begins with what is in his own household (Luke 12:42). We cannot confront the evil outside until we’ve confronted the compromise inside.
Judges 6:28–32 — When the men of the town rose early… they said, “Who has done this thing?”… Then Joash said… “If he is a god, let him contend for himself…”
Gideon’s bold act sparks conflict, but his father surprisingly defends him. Gideon earns a new name: Jerubbaal—“Let Baal contend.” This moment is pivotal. His private faith becomes public courage. Jesus says, “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will acknowledge before My Father” (Matt. 10:32). God often uses one person’s obedience to stir others into truth.
Judges 6:33–35 — Now all the Midianites… came together…. But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet….
Now empowered by the Spirit, Gideon steps into leadership. The Spirit doesn’t just inspire—it equips. Gideon was once hiding in fear, but now he summons an army. This transformation reflects Acts 1:8, where Jesus promises power when the Holy Spirit comes. The same Spirit that filled Peter at Pentecost now empowers Gideon for God’s mission.
Judges 6:36–40 — Then Gideon said… “Let me test… with a fleece…”
Gideon, though obedient, still seeks confirmation. He asks for a sign—not once, but twice. While this is not a model for discerning God’s will (Jesus warned against demanding signs), it reveals God’s patience with weak faith. The Lord answers without rebuke. For Christians, this is a comfort—our small faith does not disqualify us. God meets us where we are and leads us forward.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 25 June 2025: Tear down the idols at home before you take the field for God. Gideon’s story shows us that transformation begins not in public exploits but in private obedience. God doesn’t wait for us to become strong—He uses us when we’re weak, as long as we’re willing. Where in your life have you tolerated compromise? What altars need to be torn down so God can be exalted? Let your faith begin with a bold but quiet act of obedience today.
Pray: “Lord, You see more in me than I see in myself. Forgive me for fearing what You’ve already conquered. Give me courage to obey You at home, in the secret places, and to tear down any idol that has replaced You in my life. Clothe me in Your Spirit. Help me to walk forward not in my strength but in Your promise. May I be faithful in the small things today so You may do great things through me. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 