Judges 6:1-6, 11-14
We Need A Hero
To be honest, I am very hesitant to use the word "hero." When we use
that word, I believe some imagine that heroes are like pearls—very,
very rare and then they imagine that they could never be one.
However, the word "hero" is defined as one who has courage,
achievements, or qualities to be admired. That definition is not so
hard to live up to—at least it should not be among believers of God.
A hero is not someone in a cape but someone with courage. It may not
Be someone who does feats but one who has faith. It may not be
someone has a super power but one who walks with a super powerful
God.
Gideon fit that bill. He was not perfect but he arose to the
occasion. He did not have a super faith, but he believed God. He had
no super powers, but he relied on God.
Friend, we need someone like Gideon today. We need a hero.
Let’s consider some things we have in common with Gideon and see how
it might benefit us.
I. \\#1-6\\ Gideon lived under sin’s scourges.
A. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death.
1. That means sin is always bad. It is bad for you and it is
bad for those around you.
2. The more sin there is, the worse things will get for you
and for those around you.
3. When it comes to this world, I have never understand
whether God Himself instigates the problems that sin
brings or whether they are just built into the fabric of
creation.
4. Either way, sin brings bad times.
B. Notice the conditions of Gideon’s day.
1. \\#1\\ There was great evil being done.
a. "Evil" is the word that God used in this text.
b. Evil is sin in that it is a behavior which God
forbids but is a step beyond sin in that it is the
worst of the behaviors which God forbids.
c. It would be things like murder, false worship,
betrayal, and homosexuality—the kind of behaviors
where one would instinctively know are wrong but are
done anyway.
Romans 8:32 Who knowing the judgment of God,
that they which commit such things are worthy
of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure
in them that do them.
d. All days of human existence have some sin in them.
e. Most days of human existence have had an abundance of
sin in them.
f. But these are days with plain evil in them.
2. \\#1-6\\ There was oppression.
a. In Gideon’s day, an enemy ruled over Israel.
b. An enemy is one who hates you, wants to hurt you,
wants to inflict pain—perhaps even death—upon you.
c. In Gideon’s day, this meant that the enemy stole and
destroyed their possessions, leaving the people in
fear and in poverty \\#6\\.
d. In our country, that is just beginning and to this
point in our country. As yet, we know nothing of.
3. \\#4\\ The people were hurting.
Judges 6:4 …and left no sustenance…."
a. That means without the things needed to sustain
themselves.
b. They lacked food, proper clothing, perhaps water.
c. Their homes were not secure or private. Many of them
had been confiscated.
Judges 6:2 …and because of the Midianites the
children of Israel made them the dens which are
in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
C. I am a believer that Jesus could come at any moment, that is
the imminent return of Jesus. However, we have seen only
the first of three of God’s scourges.
1. Just because the times are evil does not mean Jesus is
coming tomorrow.
2. Things could get much worse before Jesus comes and if
there is no revival, they definitely will.
D. The conditions are right for a hero.
II. \\#6:11-14\\ The Lord called Gideon.
A. I notice a series of words that describe God initiating a
relationship with Gideon.
1. \\#12\\ An angel "appeared" and "the Lord is with thee."
2. \\#14\\ "The Lord looked upon him" and "sent him."
3. Now, all of this was done with an angel and in the
physical world.
4. It does not seem that God does it that way much anymore,
but God still does to men, women, and even children, the
same thing that He did to Gideon on that day.
5. God calls them to serve Him.
a. That is what God was doing to Gideon, calling Him.
b. Whether God chooses to issue His call with a physical
angel or with a spiritual word to your heart, it is
still God and it is still God calling.
c. In my own case, God sent no angel. In fact, I do not
that I have ever met a preacher, missionary,
evangelist, or servant of God in any field that had a
physical calling, but I have known a lot of heroes that
God has called.
B. God sees you too. And to be frank, I believe has called many
if not all of you to serve Him.
1. You say, "But, preacher, I am sinner." All of us are.
2. You say, "But, preacher, I am not gifted." God never calls
a person because of what that person can do but because
of what God can do.
3. You say, "But, preacher, I have never heard God call."
a. Have you ever listened?
(1) \\#1Kings 19:12\\ Elijah, a great prophet of God,
had to be reminded that God most often speaks
directly to the heart using a "still small
voice" that must be listened for.
(2) However, in \\#Numbers 22:28\\ God used the mouth
of another, of a donkey to give direction.
(a) That is very similar to God using a
preacher.
(b) A preacher is nothing but a voice to tell
you what God wants you to hear.
b. However, in both cases, you must be listening for
God.
2Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run
to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew
himself strong in the behalf of [them] those
heart is perfect toward him.
c. I do not believe God has left us to the evil of this
day without calling some men and women to stand up
for Him.
(1) You can call them fools or fanatics.
(2) You can call them spiritual or radicals.
(3) You can call them old-fashioned or alt-right.
(4) I think they are heroes, Christians who have heard
God and display courage to stand a stand for God
and against sin in world that is evil and
getting worse every day.
III. \\#6:13-14\\ Gideon had questions.
A. Here is where we get confused concerning heroes.
1. Most believe that heroes were born heroes.
a. That they have all the answers.
b. That they have no doubts.
c. If that is what you believe a hero to be, then Gideon
was no hero.
2. \\#13\\
a. "If the Lord be with us….
b. "why then is all this befallen us…
c. "where be all his miracles….?
3. Those are words and questions that we understand and
associate with!
a. We are a race of problem-filled, unknowing people.
b. The strange thing is that we seldom get around to
asking those kinds of questions until our world has
caved in on us and even when we do, we do not ask
them of God in a way that suggests we really want
answers but rather in a way that suggests we believe
God has failed us.
B. A few thoughts:
1. God knows all about us.
Psalm 104:14 For he knoweth our frame; he
remembereth that we are dust.
a. God knows what we are, what we want, and what we can
do.
b. Gideon was accusing God of failing him when actually
it was Israel—Gideon included—that had failed God.
c. God wanted Gideon anyway.
d. God wants you.
(1) \\#1Cor 1:19-28\\
(2) God uses the foolish. God is the simple, God
uses the inferior. God uses the common.
2. There is nothing wrong with asking God questions.
a. God does not mind us wanting to know more about Him,
His ways, and His works.
b. Asking God why is a legitimate condition as long as….
(1) You don’t accuse God when asking it.
(a) I think Gideon might have been accusing God
of failing Israel.
(b) Such accusations are always false and show
our arrogance and ignorance.
(2) You are open to receive God’s answer.
(a) It does no good to ask God something and then
plug up your ears.
(b) Remember 2Chron 16:9.
i. God wants to talk to you.
ii. Get ready to hear.
(3) You don’t quit when God does answer.
(a) When you ask God why He did or allowed
something, you might not like what you
hear.
(b) Determine beforehand that you are going to
do right no matter what God’s reasons are.
3. Side note - God did NOT answer Gideon.
a. Gideon asked God why He was allowing all the bad
things to happen, but God did not answer him.
b. Why? Because God had already given the answer—many
times—in His Word.
Judges 2:19 And it came to pass, when the judge
was dead, that they returned, and corrupted
themselves more than their fathers, in following
other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto
them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor
from their stubborn way.
20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against
Israel; and he said, Because that this people
hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded
their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my
voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from
before them of the nations which Joshua left when
he died:
c. If you are asking God a question because you want to
know, start by looking in the Bible.
d. If you are asking God a question because you want Him
to change His mind, forget it.
C. All of Gideon’s questions indicate that Gideon did not "get
it."
1. He did not understand why things were as they were.
2. He did not understand what God wanted of Israel.
3. He did not understand what God wanted of Him.
4. He did not even understand who it was that stood before
him (an angel).
5. You simply could not have a more clueless hero than
Gideon, but he was still going to be one.
IV. \\#6:18-23\\ God got it before it was too late.
A. Gideon really does not know that he is speaking to an angel.
1. He thinks he is carrying on a conversation about religion
with someone.
2. He is clueless until the angel takes the food that was
offered to him and causes fire to come up out of a rock
to consume it.
Judges 2:21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth
the end of the staff that was in his hand, and
touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and
there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed
the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the
angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an
angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD!
for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face
to face.
B. The thing is that the angel was about to leave when Gideon
offered him something to eat.
1. Suppose Gideon hadn’t asked the angel to eat?
2. Suppose the angel had left and no miracle was performed?
3. Perhaps Gideon would have never realized what God was
directing him to do. Perhaps Gideon would never have
gotten it.
C. Get this - God’s heroes are not giants of the faith.
1. They are Christians who will listen and obey despite the
consequences.
2. There is no doubt that God has called some—if not all—
of you, but as Jesus said in the New Testament, you must
"have ears to hear."
3. Are you listening to Him this morning?
I believe one of the reasons I liked westerns so much growing up is
because they were filled with ordinary people doing good. God, give
us some heroes today.
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