Bible ReadingJudges 6:11-16 “Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 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?’ And he said to him, ‘Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.’”
[53:28]Judges 7:2-8 “The Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, “My own hand has saved me.” Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, “Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.”’ Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, “This one shall go with you,” shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, “This one shall not go with you,” shall not go.’ So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.’ And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.’”
[01:08:40]Judges 7:15-22 “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.’ Then he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. And he said to them, ‘Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, “For the Lord and for Gideon.”’ So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’ Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.”
[01:23:35]Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
[49:47]Observation questions- In Judges 6:11-16, where is Gideon when the angel finds him, and what does that setting show about the condition Gideon and Israel were in? [52:57]
- What reasons does Gideon give for why he does not see himself as a “mighty man of valor”? [53:28]
- In Judges 7:2-8, what two reductions happen to Gideon’s army, and how many men are left at the end? [01:06:32]
- In Judges 7:15-22, what are the three things Gideon’s men do around the enemy camp, and what happens in the enemy camp after that? [01:19:21]
Interpretation questions- God calls Gideon “mighty man of valor” while Gideon is still hiding. What does that suggest about the difference between how people see themselves and how God sees them? [53:36]
- Gideon asks why God’s people are suffering if God is really with them, and God still keeps speaking to him. What does that reveal about how God responds to honest questions in a hard season? [57:48]
- Gideon obeys at night because he is afraid. What does that show about the relationship between fear and obedience? Does courage always come before obedience? [58:58]
- God keeps reducing Gideon’s army before giving victory. Why might God choose a smaller, weaker-looking group instead of the larger one? What kind of false confidence was God cutting off? [47:39]
Application questions- Gideon was hiding in a winepress, trying to survive a hard season. Where does life feel like that for you right now—small, tight, fearful, or hidden—and what would it look like to believe that God still meets people there? [52:57]
- Gideon measured himself by family weakness, low status, and what had not happened before. What labels or past experiences have been shaping how you see yourself, and how might God be speaking something stronger over your life? [54:36]
- Fear is real, but fear still has to obey. What is one thing you already know you need to do, even though you are nervous, uncertain, or shaking while doing it? [59:21]
- Some people are not wrong for a person’s life; they are just not for this season. Has God been reducing your circle lately? Are there relationships, voices, or habits that may be blocking obedience or draining faith? [01:17:03]
- Gideon stopped arguing after God gave confirmation and started moving. Has there been an area where you keep asking for more signs when you already know enough to take the next step? [01:12:35]
- The enemy heard and confessed Gideon’s victory before Gideon fully saw it. How might life change this week if you believed God was already at work on the other side of your fear? [01:17:56]
- Praise confuses the enemy, and silence can become a place where fear grows stronger. When trouble rises, what usually comes out of your mouth first—panic, complaint, silence, or praise? What would it look like to “sound the trumpet” in a real situation you are facing now? [01:21:31]
