Gideon’s story in the Bible starts in Judges 6:1 and ends in Judges 8:33. Gideon exemplifies the transformation people undergo upon meeting God and responding to His voice. We can see the story in light of Christ since Gideon was called as a judge and savior who rescued the Israelites from the oppressive hands of the Midianites and Amalekites (Judges 6:1-4). Likewise, Christ was sent to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Gideon’s story can also help us live in victory here on Earth as believers. Read more about the five lessons we learn from Gideon.
Defeat in life is due to an identity crisis
Gideon suffered from an identity crisis. He thought that his clan and tribe had any significance in his calling. When told to deliver the Israelites, Gideon said, “Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:16, NIV). Before this encounter, Gideon was preparing to hide the wheat from the Midianites who had the habit of destroying all the crops the Israelites planted. In God’s eyes, Gideon was a mighty man of war (Judges 6:12). In contrast, Gideon thought of himself as the weakest. This discrepancy between what God says about us and how we perceive ourselves is the sole reason our lives as believers remain unproductive.
Victory comes when we see ourselves as God sees us.
Gideon’s excuse is understandable since society does not esteem weak clans. However, our lives can only change when we see ourselves through God’s eyes. In the New Testament, God sees us as His sons (John 1:13) and righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). If we’re to live in victory, we must agree with God. When Gideon acted like the mighty man of valor he was, he easily conquered the same enemy he hid from. As believers, we must allow God’s word to shape our identity and perception.
We should only work with loyal and competent people
Gideon later gathered 32,000 soldiers whom he thought would help fight the enemy. However, 22,000 of them were cowards and had to be sent home (Judges 7:3). God asked Gideon to test the other men’s readiness for war. When asked to drink water, 9,700 of them knelt, thus exposing their incompetence. Any leader focused on achieving results should prioritize loyalty and competence.
God can achieve a lot through our faith and obedience
The only thing that stood between Gideon and his greatness was faith. As long as he entertained the false idea about his identity, he lived in fear and self-denigration. When he believed God’s description of his identity and acted as instructed, he delivered his people and ensured their peace for 40 years (Judges 8:28).
Only God can solve the sin problem
In chapter 6, the Israelites suffered due to their idolatry. They had abandoned all the instructions God gave them. You would expect that the suffering meted on them by the Midianites and Amalekites would convince them to shun idolatry forever. However, the bible records that “No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals” (Judges 8:33).
