We’re in Judges, and Judge #5 is Gideon, fairly well known for the fleece and for initiating a battle with only 300 warriors. His story is in Judges 6 – 8.

I am forever grateful to our pastor, Dr. Dave Jordan-Irwin, for putting me on to the opening of The Hobbit. I used it as the introduction to my first book Join the Adventure:

In The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, prequel to Lord of the Rings, Gandalf, the wizard, approaches Bilbo Baggins:

Gandalf: I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.

Bilbo: I should think so—in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them …

This is remarkably similar to a conversation recorded in the Bible: an angel appears out of nowhere and challenges Gideon:

And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”   (Judges 6.12 – 14)

Bilbo and Gideon both said, “Who, me?”

God calls Gideon, the reluctant and fearful, to a great adventure to “save Israel from the hand of Midian.” Gideon doesn’t want to go despite four supernatural signs, which you can read about in my blog Gideon the Fearful.

Fearful or not, he acts:

• Tearing down the altar to Baal (Judges 6.25 – 28)
• Mustering an army to engage Midian (Judges 6.33 – 7.22 (and more))

As I wrote recently, we don’t wait for the fear to go away, we act.

Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you. (Deuteronomy 31.6, MSG)

Gideon and his hundred men got to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the sentries had been posted. They blew the trumpets, at the same time smashing the jars they carried.  All three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, ready to blow, and shouted, “A sword for GOD and for Gideon!” They were stationed all around the camp, each man at his post. The whole Midianite camp jumped to its feet. They yelled and fled. When the three hundred blew the trumpets, GOD aimed each Midianite’s sword against his companion, all over the camp. They ran for their lives… (Judges 7.19 – 22, MSG)