Yesterday we looked at the beginning of Judges – a depressing book about God’s people perpetually falling into sin. The cycle is sometimes described as:

• Sin
• Servitude
• Supplication
• Salvation (through a Judge – the savior)
• Serenity (e.g., “The land had peace for 40 years.”)

Here’s how it sets up in the story of Gideon (You can read it all in Judges 6 – 8):

• The people did evil. Judges 6.1 (SIN)
• The Lord gave them into the hand of the Midianites. Judges 6.1 – 6 (SERVITUDE)
• The people cried out to the LORD on account of the Midianites. Judges 6.7 (SUPPLICATION)
• Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. 6.11 – 16 (SALVATION)
  • Gideon tested the angel, and the angel set the food on fire from a rock. Judges 6.20, 21
  • Gideon tested God with the fleece twice. Judges 6.36 – 40
  • There was one more test. Gideon has assembled his “army” of 300 men (Judges 7.1 – 8), and the Midianite army has assembled in opposition. Then this conversation:

That same night the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. (Judges 7.9 – 11, ESV, emphasis mine)

Note, “If you are afraid…” to take the army down there, you go down with just Purah. “Then he went down with Purah his servant…” He was afraid! This after a conversation with the angel and three supernatural signs. So he gets one more sign: a dream from a Midianite soldier:

When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.” As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.” (Judges 7.13 – 15, ESV)

The lesson for us is simple:

God uses ordinary people who overcome their fears to become his instruments.

Many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. (Acts 18.8 – 11, ESV)

And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling. (Paul to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 2.3, ESV)