Mighty Warrior By: Alyson Kieda
https://dzxuyknqkmi1e.cloudfront.net/odb/2021/11/odb-11-26-21.mp3
Click here for the Audio Message
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.
Judges 6:12
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Judges 6:11–16
Diet Eman was an ordinary, shy young woman in the Netherlands—in love, working, and enjoying time with family and friends—when the Germans invaded in 1940. As Diet (pronounced Deet) later wrote, “When there is danger on your doorstep, you want to act almost like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.” Yet Diet felt God calling her to resist the German oppressors, which included risking her life to find hiding places for Jews and other pursued people. This unassuming young woman became a warrior for God.
We find many stories in the Bible similar to Diet’s, stories of God using seemingly unlikely characters to serve Him. For instance, when the angel of the Lord approached Gideon, he proclaimed, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). Yet Gideon seemed anything but mighty. He’d been secretly threshing wheat away from the prying eyes of the Midianites, who oppressively controlled Israel at the time (vv. 1–6, 11). He was from the weakest clan of Israel (Manasseh) and the “least” in his family (v. 15). He didn’t feel up to God’s calling and even requested several signs. Yet God used him to defeat the cruel Midianites (see ch. 7).
God saw Gideon as “mighty.” And just as God was with and equipped Gideon, so He’s with us, His “dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1)—supplying all we need to live for and serve Him in little and big ways.
Reflect & Pray
Who are some other Bible characters God used despite their weakness to accomplish much for Him? How has God moved you outside your comfort zone to serve Him?
God, I’m so thankful You don’t see me as I see myself. Help me to see myself as Your dearly loved child capable of doing big and small things in service to You.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Judges 6 follows a pattern seen often in the book—Israel’s evil resulting in oppression, followed by Israel crying out to God, and God responding with deliverance. Judges 6 also differs from previous versions of this “pattern” in ways that indicate that both the evil and suffering in Israel is intensifying. In Judges 4, after the Israelites cry out for God’s help, Deborah immediately takes action. In chapter 6, however, after a much more extensive account of the Midianites’ oppression (vv. 2–6), God responds to the Israelites’ cry for deliverance by first chastising them (vv. 7–10).
Gideon emerges as a reluctant judge, his story echoing Moses’ commission. Both lacked confidence in their ability to act as God’s agents, but He commands and sends them anyway (Exodus 3:10; Judges 6:14). Both are granted signs of God’s presence and a promise that God is with them (Exodus 3:12; 4:1–9; Judges 6:16–23).
Judges 6:11-16
King James Version
11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
https://dzxuyknqkmi1e.cloudfront.net/odb/2021/11/odb-11-26-21.mp3
Click here for the Audio Message
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.
Judges 6:12
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Judges 6:11–16
Diet Eman was an ordinary, shy young woman in the Netherlands—in love, working, and enjoying time with family and friends—when the Germans invaded in 1940. As Diet (pronounced Deet) later wrote, “When there is danger on your doorstep, you want to act almost like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.” Yet Diet felt God calling her to resist the German oppressors, which included risking her life to find hiding places for Jews and other pursued people. This unassuming young woman became a warrior for God.
We find many stories in the Bible similar to Diet’s, stories of God using seemingly unlikely characters to serve Him. For instance, when the angel of the Lord approached Gideon, he proclaimed, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). Yet Gideon seemed anything but mighty. He’d been secretly threshing wheat away from the prying eyes of the Midianites, who oppressively controlled Israel at the time (vv. 1–6, 11). He was from the weakest clan of Israel (Manasseh) and the “least” in his family (v. 15). He didn’t feel up to God’s calling and even requested several signs. Yet God used him to defeat the cruel Midianites (see ch. 7).
God saw Gideon as “mighty.” And just as God was with and equipped Gideon, so He’s with us, His “dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1)—supplying all we need to live for and serve Him in little and big ways.
Reflect & Pray
Who are some other Bible characters God used despite their weakness to accomplish much for Him? How has God moved you outside your comfort zone to serve Him?
God, I’m so thankful You don’t see me as I see myself. Help me to see myself as Your dearly loved child capable of doing big and small things in service to You.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Judges 6 follows a pattern seen often in the book—Israel’s evil resulting in oppression, followed by Israel crying out to God, and God responding with deliverance. Judges 6 also differs from previous versions of this “pattern” in ways that indicate that both the evil and suffering in Israel is intensifying. In Judges 4, after the Israelites cry out for God’s help, Deborah immediately takes action. In chapter 6, however, after a much more extensive account of the Midianites’ oppression (vv. 2–6), God responds to the Israelites’ cry for deliverance by first chastising them (vv. 7–10).
Gideon emerges as a reluctant judge, his story echoing Moses’ commission. Both lacked confidence in their ability to act as God’s agents, but He commands and sends them anyway (Exodus 3:10; Judges 6:14). Both are granted signs of God’s presence and a promise that God is with them (Exodus 3:12; 4:1–9; Judges 6:16–23).
Judges 6:11-16
King James Version
11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
